There’s a widely-circulated stat that around 70% of digital transformation efforts fail.
If 70% fail, that does mean 30% succeed … And I believe in the charity sector that number is growing.
So, what’s changing? How are more charities getting digital transformation right?
I think it’s because there is broader understanding of what transformation really means, and what it takes to make it succeed:
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A genuine focus on people and culture. More charities are recognising that transformation isn’t about the tech – it’s about empowering teams, building the right mindset, and creating an agile, inclusive culture. From investing in staff training to breaking down siloes, this shift is driving meaningful change.
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Leadership stepping up. Boards and senior leaders moving beyond buzzwords and really driving digital transformation. Leaders modelling new ways of working, supporting innovation, and making bold investments.
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Collaboration over competition. Working together to share insights and tools. From partnerships with other organisations to sector-wide knowledge sharing (and great events like UKCharitycamp), this collaborative mindset is helping charities tackle common challenges.
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Experimentation and learning. Fear of failure hasn’t totally gone away, but there’s an acceptance that trying, (maybe) failing, and iterating is part of the process. The result? Organisations are piloting small changes, learning what works, and scaling – de-risking the process and making sure budgets are spent wisely.
These shifts transform the way the charity sector approaches “digital” – not just as a project with a beginning and an end, but as a mindset and a continuous process of improvement.
The question now is: can we turn the 70/30 split around, and ensure successful digital transformation becomes the rule, not the exception?