Charity Support: What is Digital Maturity and How Can We Achieve It?

• 22-11-2021

Digital maturity is a phase that has no one single definition. It can be tricky to define, but we feel it is best described as a measure of an organisation's ability to create value through digital. It is the measurement of how mature an organisation's digital capabilities are, and how an organisation responds to the opportunities or challenges of the ever-changing digital landscape. 

The digital realm is rapidly expanding. Charities and businesses must shift their offering and services to meet the demands of the market. A digitally mature organisation can keep up with these demands and respond accordingly to business growth and needs.

Digital maturity isn't about investing in cutting-edge technology and spending a large amount of money on the latest tech equipment or systems, but more so about the organisational culture, leadership and workforce as a whole. Some crucial Trustee questions to ask an organisation would be the following:

How digital are your processes? Is there room for improvement on your existing digital processes? How comfortable are your employees with these digital processes? 

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted trustees and leaders to embrace digital transformations sooner than expected, resulting in the fast-paced implementation of digital technologies more than ever before. Charities and organisations with a high baseline of digital maturity were able to make these rapid digital transformations faster than the majority of their competitors, and reach significantly higher net profit margins than their industry average (Pip and Partners 2021).

Charities and organisations are now expected more than ever to have a strong digital presence. Customers, donors and stakeholders expect a seamless and enjoyable user experience. When you enhance your digital maturity, you increase your efficiency. Collaboration and communication develop higher levels of accuracy and trust, internally and externally. It eliminates the stress of incorrectly entered data, missing files or security breaches.

Business continuity and sustainability is absolutely paramount. As we continue to watch the digital age enfold, digital maturity will become something that EVERY charity or organisation will need for survival, rather than something that currently sets them apart from others in its industry. Transitioning into a digitally mature business will ensure sustainability and future growth for organisations. 

"The more digitally mature a business is, the more it will satisfy customer needs, and the longer life span and longevity it will obtain in the marketplace."

First and foremost, it is essential to start by assessing your current digital maturity. Digital maturity is achieved through organisational commitment, leadership and investment. Digital maturity assessments are a fantastic way for charities and organisations to assess where they are on the scale of maturity and how to improve. Even though there are a lot of digital maturity assessment tools out there on the market, there is not one single universally accepted tool. Most tools are in the form of an online test that covers key competencies of digital transformation and maturity levels.