tictoc and the Voluntary sector

As with our experience in the Education sector, we have extensive working knowledge of the Voluntary sector having worked with charities and the third sector throughout the UK since our inception over 9 years ago.

Increasingly charities are embracing the web and making far better use of its cost effectiveness in delivering their messages and communicating with service users, supporters, beneficiaries and the wider market as a whole. The basic role of the voluntary sector is to ensure that those who are marginalised from society, against their wishes, can be integrated. This right to access information and services extends into cyberspace.

With a wealth of advice and information on the subject, we wanted to provide a few pointers to help you make more from the web without eating into valuable funds that would be better spent on fundraising and awareness raising.

The most important phase of developing a website is in the planning. Answering a number of key questions can really help focus your objectives and ensure the development process runs smoothly as the goals have been clearly defined in advance.

  • What do I want to use my website for i.e. communication between service users/fundraisers, online selling of xmas cards, knowledge sharing etc?
  • Who is my target market?
  • What are the main accessibility issues I need to overcome i.e.
    • do I have a number of ethnic groups who require translated text?
    • what consideration do I have to make for visually impaired users? (view our Equality Forward website featuring Readspeaker functionality and colour change options)
    • are functions on my site appropriate to the target market and are they simple to use?
  • What are the objectives for the site?
  • How can my site generate income?
  • What is my budget (the big question!)?

tictoc can assist in answering all of these questions, from the initial project scoping phase through brand evaluation, design, build and marketing of your website - therefore if you'd like to discuss your requirements, contact Mel.

Useful websites / organisations

NCVO - The National Council for Voluntary Organisations

GCVS - Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector

Charity Commission - The regulator for Charities in England and Wales

SCVO - The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

Third Sector Magazine - Publication covering what's happening in the voluntary and not-for-profit sector

World Wide Web Consortium

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