Charities are facing heightened pressures that are making it harder to utilise digital tools and approaches.
The Charity Digital Skills Report 2025 highlights that small charities are particularly affected, with 68% still in the early stages of digital adoption.
Data use is one of the most visible gaps: only 31% of small charities reported progress with data collection, analysis or use, compared to 45% of large charities.
Access to advice is also limited, with just 27% of small charities having accessed digital or data support from peers, versus 45% of large ones.
Without the right skills, leadership and governance, many charities risk falling behind or using these technologies without clear purpose.
Small Charity Data Journeys research report
These challenges are not new. The Small Charity Data Journeys report (2023) from Superhighways and Think Social Tech explores how small charities work with data, drawing on real experiences from 36 organisations.
It identifies common entry points, barriers such as limited capacity and unclear tools, and the support that helps charities move forward.
Published in 2023, its findings remain highly relevant today, echoing the major challenge outlined in the Charity Digital Skills Report 2025 — that there is a growing divide between large and small charities in their ability to make effective use of digital and data tools.
Contact
Datawise London is a partnership led by Superhighways at Kingston Voluntary Action.
If you are interested in finding out more about the project and its resources or would like to share your own data ideas and challenges please contact us.