Digital Services

Digital services and inclusion

Almost all charities (96%) say their digital services are inclusive, although only a third (33%) say their services are inclusive to a great extent.

In 2024, an average of 35% answering this question specified ‘not sure or not applicable’ for each area of inclusion. We excluded these responses in our analysis and looked at the percentage of respondents who said their services were inclusive to a great extent, some extent or not at all. 

This year, an average of 11% specified ‘not sure or not applicable’. We have decided to include these in our analysis. The shift is likely to be for two reasons: 

1. Our definition (in this survey and in the sector) of digital services has shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic. We no longer describe a digital service solely as a specific tool or technology and in contrast to a face-to-face/phone delivered service. Now, we describe digital services as ways of delivering support, shaped around user needs and integrated with in-person support, data, tools and systems. 
   
   
2. There has been an increased focus on diversity, equality and inclusion in the charity sector. This follows campaigns and initiatives such as Uncharitable, Ubele, CharitySoWhite and CharitySoStraight and initiatives such as the Funders for Race Equality Alliance. Many funders now ask applicants to demonstrate how they address inclusion, involve lived experience or reach underrepresented groups. The 2024 Charity Employer Index also revealed that 90% of the 50 largest UK charities now have a publicly available equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy, indicating that EDI is becoming a standard part of organisational governance and culture.

For these reasons, we have looked at our 2024 figures again, without adjusting them for those who said ‘not applicable’. As a result, the figures we discuss here will differ from our published 2024 report (but were included in our data tables publication).

Overall, we can see a clear trend towards charities prioritising EDI (and measuring or seeing this as an indicator of success) in digital services. Those achieving each area ‘to a great extent’ has increased by an average of 8%, while those achieving each ‘to some extent’ has increased by an average of 16%. 

Diversity and inclusion in digital services

• It’s positive to see that 33% of charities who say that their digital services are inclusive of their intended users to a great extent, while 63% say they are inclusive to some extent. In 2024, only 24% felt their services were inclusive to a great extent. 
  
  
• 76% state that their services are reaching diverse communities, a significant increase from 55% in 2024, when an additional 34% were not sure about this or it was not applicable to them (this has fallen to 13%). It is promising that 20% are now reaching these communities to a great extent, up from 11% in 2024. 
  
  
• 63% are monitoring diversity and inclusion among service users to a great or some extent, up from 45% in 2024. 23% not doing this at all (similar to 20% last year). 

Developing and designing services with users

• Undertaking user research with diverse groups: Similar to 2024, only 15% say their services are informed by research with users from diverse communities to a great extent. However, 51% are doing this to some extent, up from 36%. 
  
  
• Co-designing services with users or people with lived experience: It is promising to see that 72% of charities say they are co-designing their services with users either to a great or some extent. In 2024, 37% said they were co-designing services with users, although this comparison is difficult due to it being asked in a different question as a tick-box response (rather than a rating).
  
  

• Improving services: A quarter of charities (28%) are following good practice and improving their services based on feedback and evaluation to a great extent. This has increased from 17% in 2024. A further 59% are doing this to some extent (total of 87%, increasing from 60% in 2024). 

Developing and designing services with diverse teams 

• 66% of charities say that their services are developed by diverse teams, which has increased from 45% in 2024. However, only 15% say they do this to a great extent.

Safeguarding users and staff wellbeing 

• 29% are doing this to a great extent, compared to 21% rating their skills as excellent in this area in 2024. This is a positive improvement. 
  
  
• Only 18% are supporting staff wellbeing to a great extent (e.g. if content is traumatic), similar to 12% last year.

Accessibility

• Only a quarter (25%) say their services are accessible to a great extent (similar to 2024), while 67% say they are to some extent, indicating this is a key area for improvement. This has improved since 2024, when 17% indicated their services were accessible to a great extent and 46% to some extent.

Charities with a stronger commitment to inclusion

• Diversity and inclusion practices are more prominent among black led charities. Black led charities are more likely to say their digital services are (to a great extent): 
  
  
  • Informed by research with diverse communities (31%, vs 15% overall)
    
    
  • Reaching diverse and marginalised communities (34%, vs 20% overall)
    
    
  • Monitoring diversity and inclusion (26%, vs 17% overall).