For charities and non-profits, the Covid-19 crisis has been an extremely challenging time - but also one of opportunity. Econsultancy spoke to Lizi Zipser, Director of Strategy & Insights at Blue State, about how the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in the third sector, and what that means for charitable organisations.

For the charity and non-profit sector, the Covid-19 pandemic has been characterised by phenomenal challenges and unexpected opportunities.

The same can be said of every sector to a certain extent, but for the third sector in particular, with its heavy reliance on face-to-face fundraising and campaigning methods, the transition to a mostly digital way of working has been something of an uphill battle.

The Charity Digital Skills Report 2020, which is based on a survey of 429 UK charity professionals carried out in May, found that 51% of charities did not have a digital strategy in place at the time. Of the internal barriers standing in the way of charities’ digital transformation, funding and a lack of digital skills were cited by respondents as the two biggest obstacles.

But there have been a number of bright spots as well, with many charities successfully using digital tools and channels to reinvent how they approach fundraising and make their messaging connect with donors. And even during a time of unprecedented financial hardship, members of the UK public have for the most part been only too willing to open their wallets.

I spoke to Lizi Zipser, Director of Strategy & Insights at Blue State, a full-service digital agency that works with organisations across the political and non-profit sphere, about how UK non-profits have been dealing with the unique challenges of Covid-19, how the pandemic is accelerating the shift to digital, and what needs to happen in order to keep the momentum going.