Research and Reports

On the ICT Needs of the Voluntary and Community Sector
  • Leading the way to ICT Success A report based on interviews with 20+ charities who are making effective use of IT. The report analyses the key factors leading to the successful use of ICT in voluntary sector organisations. Published March 2002 and funded by the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and the Baring Foundation

  • E-enabling the voluntary and community sectors (PDF) was commissioned by the Active Communities Directorate, the Department for Education and Skills and the Office of the E-Envoy to help inform policy development on ICT-related matters for the voluntary and community sector. Published Nov 2001

  • Virtual Promise: are charities making the most of the internet revolution? (PDF) is a survey of the voluntary sector's use of the internet carried out by nfpsynergy. Published 2001

  • Report to iT4Communities on the value of pro bono ICT advice, consultancy and support (Word document) is a report by Paul Ticher (www.paulticher.com), a respected authority on IT in the voluntary sector. It gives iT4Communities (iT4C) a sound and realistic basis on which to allocate a cash value to the pro bono work done by IT specialists on behalf of charities and other voluntary organisations. We have based our estimate of values delivered (see below) on Paul's conclusions.
  • Results of survey of volunteering effort 2005-2006 (Word document) is a report by iT4C summarising the results of a survey of volunteers, volunteering through iT4Communities, conducted by Glenn Williams, an independent consultant with substantial voluntary sector experience, in November 2006, combined with the earlier research on the value of pro bono IT work to the voluntary sector (see above). The conclusion is that the total value delivered up to end October 2006 by iT4Communities and its volunteers is £2.08 million. Given that iT4C launched on 22 November 2002, this is a rate of more than £500,000 per year.
  • IT Funding for Charities Survey carried out by the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and the ICT Hub - May 2006