In the last week alone I’ve read multiple reports and articles all centred on the need for business leaders to ensure that purpose is at the core of what they do, for charity leaders to prioritise public trust and transparency, and the ever-evolving movement of Giving around the world with a focus on collective giving in Australia this week. There is also an increased call for fundraising to take the move to digital seriously.

Underpinning all of this is the need for technology to enable access to giving; to ensure it is managed ethically, transparently and securely; and that we ensure the conversation about giving is taking place where the next generation of givers engage: online. Don’t get me wrong, I know all our friends in Australia who are dedicated to growing giving spend every working hour doing this and Good2Give is no exception.

It’s what propelled me to tell the story of this evolution at DisruptHR in Brisbane. This is a forum of shaker-uppers, presenting their ideas on how to transform the world of people management and engagement. I knew giving had to have its place in the conversation.

In my talk, I traverse quite a few centuries in under five minutes (my Fitbit is quite impressed) to cover:

• The origins of giving centred around the local parish in the 16th Century.
• The emergence of strategic Corporate Responsibility in the 1980s.
• Social Licence to Operate from the 1990s.
• Employee Engagement as a professional focus from the new Millennium.
• Celebrity and High Net Worth Philanthropy in the public eye.
• To now…

Giving Today: In the Hands of the Many

Philanthropy is being democratised more and more with every new technological advancement, but it’s important to note that the technology wouldn’t adapt if the desire and culture of giving wasn’t driving it. GenX, GenY and the Millennials have taken what was once the purview of those in positions of power and influence, and demanded to have a seat at the table. If they haven’t been granted a place, they’ve left the room, got themselves some inflatable furniture and built the movement themselves. And good on them too.

Workplace Giving, peer-to-peer fundraising, collective giving and crowdfunding are direct responses to this demand. And here we are – responding to the needs of business who really want to make a positive social and environmental impact, who are responding to their employees, who need the technology to make giving happen. These generations are digitally engaged, seeking meaning and driven by purpose. They don’t meekly accept whatever CSR programs their employees are prepared to dish out – they expect them.

Has it been easy adapting to this? No, it’s not easy – but it is challenging, exciting, frustrating and well worth it.

At DisruptHR in Brisbane, I shared the ingredients in the mix for our digital disruption of corporate community investment and how that has helped giving thrive in Australia. It’s not a one size fits all approach, but this is what worked at Good2Give. It sounded a bit like this.

Step 1: Have a Clear or Strong Vision

A clear strategy starts with a strong vision. It can’t be muddy, it can’t be ambiguous. Ours is to deliver $300 million to charitable communities by 2020 and this vision guides all our strategic decisions.

It’s important you always keep that as your governing focus as the leader of your organisation. It’s vital you know the problem in the market you’re going to disrupt to reach your vision. It’s important your people know your vision and connect to it, and it’s really important your Board embraces it and that they back you all the way. Mine does.

Step 2: Get the Right Mindset and the Right People

Disruption and digital transformation are a state of mind. If you know there’s a market need for you to digitally transform, and you want to do that but still operate like an organisation in the old economy, you’re not going to succeed. Digital transformation requires an adaptive mindset. An appetite to trial, test, fail, refine and succeed. You need to be nimble, operate lean, not expect it to be perfect the first time, and keep your energy levels high.

How do your people cope with that? Well for a start, they have to know they have:

• A clear role and purpose.
• Your trust and that they are enabled.
• A safe and healthy workplace – not just from an OH&S perspective. They have to be able to speak freely, generate ideas, challenge thinking and try new things.
• Time to think and permission to do.
• A generous, collaborative culture that mirrors what you’re trying to achieve.

As a leader of an organisation embracing transformation, you need people who:

• First and foremost, have the right attitude.
• Are afflicted with technophilia, love digital communication and social media.
• Are committed to operate ethically and to do the right thing.
• Have exceptional, specialist skills.
• Have an appetite for adventure, change, adaptability and progress.
• Live the values of your brand and see how that needs to be brought to life online.

Step 3: Create the Right Technology and Partnerships

If you’re going to disrupt using technology – do it well. Map out your digital needs and have a masterplan that supports your vision and can futureproof your organisation (as best you can).

Know the problem in the market you’re going to disrupt to reach your vision. Make sure your market research is thorough. Consider and resolve how you are going to improve the user experience for all key target audiences. Ensure there is market demand.

It is vital that you invest in setting up a solid infrastructure as this foundation makes it easier for your development team to move quickly and adapt to changing client needs. Share in the knowledge of others by listening to referrals from people in like-minded industries or with similar business models. People are always willing to share what they know and this could potentially help you avoid costly mistakes.

Also, know your language and coding needs. The right developers with experience in similar software architecture will be critical in setting up robust cybersecurity and data management policies. Invest in the best product and project managers you can find, ensuring they share your organisation’s vision and culture.

And get yourself married. Find complementary partner organisations who share your values, are a good cultural match and bring reciprocity and true collaborative spirit to the table. Form partnerships, alliances and affiliate networks. Be open, be generous and watch the multiplier effect take flight.

Step 4: Celebrate Your Success

Owning and promoting your wins is important because it feels good! And why not? You earned it.

We’re celebrating that in 2015/16, businesses gave $17.5 billion, and that’s increasing. Workplace giving is growing, with 85% of large businesses offering employee giving programs and 46% offer volunteering programs.
Companies we work with and their generous employees invested $19m of their hard earned in charities through workplace giving, grants programs and philanthropic foundations.

We’re seeing companies innovate in how they use our online platform to engage with stakeholders across their supply chain. One company raised $100,000 in only two weeks by empowering champions across all their business units, using best practice internal communications and getting the backing of leadership from the top down. Another has engaged our technology to provide added value to customers through loyalty programs.

Step 5: Keep your Purpose in Focus – Transformation Making an Impact

What was most important for us was that, through our digital transformation, we enabled and increased the capacity for corporate community investment. It needed to be a win-win. We wanted to break down the pain barriers for the companies and charities we work with by reducing fundraising costs and providing an online, efficient, transparent and smart way for people to give.

The easier it is for people to give, and for businesses to support that giving, the more money goes to people, communities and causes in greatest need.

The future workforce is purpose-led, connected and social. They’re digital natives, and have never known a world without a computer. Our future of work will be increasingly transient and mobile, engaged in professions we haven’t yet imagined. So our next steps are ensuring giving can move with them. I might need to upgrade my Fitbit.

Lisa Grinham is Chief Executive Officer at Good2Give and spoke about the digital transformation of giving at DisruptHR in Brisbane on 26 July 2017. This blog is an adaptation of her talk.