Funders must support internal systems development for startup CSEs
Many startup charities and social enterprises (CSEs) spend their first few years of operation getting integrated with their community, sourcing funding, and learning how to survive in a very fragile sector. Often very low on the list is setting up internal systems for communication, tracking, or storing. Even on small teams, the likelihood is very high that each person has their own organised chaos that they work in and before you know it, you have 10 different platforms with a lot of crossover functions.
Another annoyance for social enterprises is that they often (unfairly) don’t qualify for the same discounts on digital packages that charities do. Unrestricted funding allows organisations to use the best software for their operation, and the funding sector’s desire to cling to restricted funds means that organisations are not running in the most streamlined way possible.
Despite having a lot of experience in digital systems within the Do it Now Now team, we have still struggled with project management tracking, internal communications, and resources repositories. Being a remote-friendly organisation is partly the reason for this, but there are other factors too, capacity being the most obvious one. Adoption fatigue is also a problem, where team members that are the least tech-loving may grow wary of a new system because they wonder how long it will take to learn and worry that the gains made will not outweigh the effort to migrate their work.
Then there are issues with integration, budgets, training, and finding time to prioritise. One thing is certain, there is no perfect system, and there is no organisation that doesn’t have the occasional headache trying to collate their work in a streamlined way. This is all to say, that if you are a CSE struggling with this, you are not alone! If you are a funder, please support your funded organisations with unrestricted funding to improve systems and ensure they can fortify their internal processes to deliver more seamlessly.
Do it Now Now just completed a project with a team of volunteers from JPMorgan Chase working to improve internal systems as part of their programme Force for Good. The programme provides expert technical assistance or guidance on a project or problem faced by a CSE and runs annually. Of the dozens of organisations that took part in the 2023 cohort, the support received ranged from recommendations to actually building products to support operations.
The chance to assess DiNN’s needs and understand the ways in which our internal teams coordinated for projects was highly valuable and with implementation of this new understanding, we will improve capacity and workflow, creating more space for 1-2-1 engagement with our service users.
If you are interested in partaking in a future programme with Force for Good, signup here to receive updates. If you are a Black community leader or trying to advance your career, consider JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways.
