Leveraging Skills-Based Tech Volunteering: Insights from Accenture
Tech4Good South West recently hosted a session with Jason Courage, Technology Delivery Lead at Accenture UK, exploring how to effectively mobilise technology talent for social impact. The event revealed valuable insights into making skills-based volunteering work in practice, while showcasing the growing tech-for-good movement in the South West.
Key Lessons from Accenture's Experience
Before taking on tech volunteering projects, Jason shared three crucial questions they always ask:
Understanding Requirements: Do both parties truly understand what's needed? A charity might think they need something specific, but further discussion often reveals different requirements.
Volunteer Suitability: Is the project suitable for volunteers? Given that people are typically giving their own time alongside day jobs, projects need to be carefully scoped. Non-critical projects often work best, as volunteer availability can fluctuate.
Long-term Sustainability: What happens after project completion? Who will maintain and support the solution? These considerations need to be addressed upfront to ensure lasting impact.
Building Effective Tech Volunteering Programmes
Three critical success factors emerged from Accenture's experience:
Strong Organisational Support: Success requires more than just volunteer hours - it needs volunteering embedded in organisational culture. Accenture provides three charity days per year and encourages "side of desk" initiatives that support professional growth.
Robust Project Governance: Tech volunteering needs the same rigorous approach as commercial work. Accenture uses pro-bono contracts and dedicated relationship managers to ensure clear expectations and successful delivery.
Sustainable Project Design: Projects must be carefully scoped for long-term success. As Jason noted, "We don't want this to be a flash in the pan...we don't want to deliver something and then 6 months later, they can't support it."
A particular challenge Accenture has identified is working with organisations of varying sizes and technical maturity. While some larger charities have dedicated innovation functions, many smaller organisations operate with minimal IT infrastructure. This diversity requires flexible approaches - from helping with basic website needs using self-sustaining platforms like WordPress, to more complex data analytics projects for organisations with greater technical capacity.
Discussion
Attendees together discussed more broadly the challenges and opportunities in the tech-for-good space. Representatives from organisations including Bath Welcome Refugees and Genesis Trust highlighted the critical role of volunteering in supporting their technology needs.
The discussion revealed strong appetite for better ways to connect tech volunteers with charitable projects. Several participants highlighted the need for "intermediaries" who can bridge the technical and charitable sectors, ensuring projects deliver lasting value.
Scaling Impact
Both Annie Legge from Tech4Good South West and Jason emphasised the need to scale initiatives effectively. This includes exploring scalable solutions like white-label products and addressing systemic challenges in the sector, such as resource constraints and tech readiness. The growing interest in data analytics and AI projects points to an evolving landscape for skills-based volunteering, with Accenture's food bank app "Donation Genie" demonstrating how tech volunteering can create scalable solutions for common challenges.
Looking Ahead
As we look to 2025, Tech4Good South West is launching several exciting initiatives:
- A new VCSE AI Peer Network
- Digital Trustee matchmaking service
- The Digital Divide Collective addressing digital poverty
- Regular knowledge-sharing events and partnerships
As Annie emphasised, the goal is to "ensure that everybody has an equal opportunity to thrive in a digital society." Through structured volunteering programmes and collaborative initiatives, the region is building a powerful model for tech-enabled social impact.
Get Involved
Why not Join the Tech4Good South West community or explore volunteering opportunities. If you’d like to get involved with Tech4Good South West, contact annie@tech4goodsouthwest.org.
