Designing and delivering a £1m digital development fund, supporting charities to create innovative digital solutions to address social challenges.
About the Project
A collaborative engagement with Comic Relief and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, leading the design and delivery of the Tech for Good Programme. This £1m digital development fund supported charities to use digital innovation to address social challenges exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic; enhancing their digital capabilities and impact in the process.
Situation
As the Programme Design and Delivery Lead for the Tech for Good Programme, I was involved at any early stage with the launch of this £1m initiative by Comic Relief and Paul Hamlyn Foundation in January 2021.
The Tech for Good programme aimed to:
- Enable charities to define, test, and develop digital solutions over a nine-month period
- Support charities in using technology to explore different approaches to delivering better services
- Help charities transform or maximise their work in supporting vulnerable people, especially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
Task
In my role, as the Programme Design & Delivery Lead, I was responsible for designing and delivering a comprehensive support programme for the fund recipients.
This involved creating a structured framework to guide charities through their digital development journey, from project initiation to implementation.
Approach
To tackle this challenge, I designed a scalable digital capability building programme and meticulously scoped project resources, including budgets and timelines. I recruited specialist suppliers for targeted support and oversaw the programme's delivery, providing regular status updates and impact reports to keep stakeholders informed.
I fostered strong relationships with funders, suppliers, and charities, ensuring smooth collaboration. My proactive approach to identifying and addressing project risks enhanced the programme's resilience and adaptability.
Results
The Tech for Good programme received over 361 applications, highlighting the high demand for digital support in the charity sector.
Successful projects included digital tools for various social needs, such as supporting victims of online abuse, assisting homeless youth, and providing mental health resources.
The programme's success contributed to Comic Relief and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's broader goals of fostering digital innovation in the charity sector. My role in designing and delivering the support programme was crucial in ensuring that charities could effectively leverage technology to enhance their social impact.
Due to client confidentiality, I can’t share project assets publicly but can provide access to select visuals upon request.