Session: Are you fit for digital?

Jean O'Brien (Digital Charity Lab) and Tom Hickey (What if Consultancy) help your non-profit answer the question, are you fit for digital?

Digital fundraising is often seen as the solution to every problem - but you know it’s not that simple. Charities dive into digital without the right strategy (or often no strategy at all), skills, or technology. Fundraisers are struggling without the right direction, resources and training. This session takes a fresh, practical approach to digital fundraising, using the "Couch to 5k" mindset: understanding where you are now to build towards success.

Through short presentations, interactive polls, and live discussions, you’ll get your organisation’s “digital fitness” evaluated and learn how to improve. Jean and Tom will cover digital strategies, using the right channels, breaking down silos, and measuring success. Attendees will get to evaluate their own digital maturity via live voting, and see how they compare to peers.

This fun, interactive workshop is ideal for fundraisers seeking better results in acquisition, retention, and income generation, as well as directors looking to invest more in digital. Whether you’re just starting with digital or ready to scale your campaigns, you’ll leave with strong insights, a clear roadmap for growth, and the inspiration to tackle digital fundraising challenges head-on.

Jean O'Brien

Jean O’Brien is a digital veteran who’s been working with the web and interactive media since the late 1990s. She came into the charity sector in 2005 and has never looked back; she’s passionate about digital for causes. Jean has worked in-house for Irish charities including Oxfam and Barnardos, in digital roles working with fundraising, communications and advocacy teams. This showed her the power of integrated campaigns, and since becoming a full-time consultant in 2019, that’s been her main focus.

With her digital consultancy, Jean has worked with over 70 organisations, including Dogs Trust, Trócaire, DEBRA, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Epilepsy Ireland, Irish Heart Foundation, Mater Foundation and many more.

Jean founded the social enterprise Digital Charity Lab in 2014 to help build digital skills in non-profits; and has done highly-rated digital training with the Arts Council RAISE programme, the Digital Fundraising Academy, GivePanel and more.

Jean specialises in bringing strategic thinking together with implementation skills, integrated campaigns, devising vibrant training sessions, and building digital skills and confidence in her clients.