Finding a company that offers mobile app development to UK charities isn’t always easy! But many charities (and for-profit businesses alike) can improve their online presence with an app and receive donations, influence community groups, organise local initiatives, and lots more. Different social/campaign groups can also see huge benefits from using technology – and iOS and Android apps can play a huge role in their fundraising and community-building activities.

Whether you work for a small local charity, or you’re part of a wider international non-profit, a custom app could help in a number of ways. In this article, we will round up some of the reasons why your charity should consider an app, and how to find the right UK-based app developers for your project.

Why might a charity invest in a custom app?

If you work for a good cause – whether that’s a charity or other non-profit organisation – you will likely spend the majority of your time helping people around you. The estimated income of the UK voluntary sector was £73.1 billion in 2016, but whilst that sounds like a huge amount, you’ll know first-hand that securing funding from government grants or encouraging people to give their time to help you isn’t easy. In many cases, it’s an almost impossible task, but there are ways to get people to listen to what you have to say and get involved with your charitable work.

The charity sector is perhaps the slowest to adopt new technology, partly because of the costs associated with doing so. But with more people than ever using their smartphones and spending more time in their digital lives than in the “real world”, it’s essential that your charity increases its digital presence and makes an effort to connect with donors and volunteers in new ways.

Investing in a custom app for your charity will help you to reach a younger demographic. A study from Moneymailme suggests an incredible 72% of young people would donate to a charity via a smartphone app if they had the option to do so; 62% of those surveyed say they’d feel frustrated if they had to donate with cash or over the phone instead. The numbers speak for themselves!

Another benefit is tapping into the needs of your users, and being able to offer useful literature about your services to people who cannot access your charity in person. Assisting fundraisers is another reason why you should think about an app – whether you allow fundraisers to donate using their smartphones, or set up their own JustGiving pages to pledge their support to your organisation. This will then lead to more social shares and greater fundraiser participation.

How to find the right mobile app developers

Now that you have an understanding of the benefits of a custom app for your charitable group, the next step is to work with a company that offers UK-based mobile app development. First, be sure to look for a company that has the technical expertise needed to design and develop your app – and a company that has experience working with the charitable sector. Communication is also critical – creating an app certainly isn’t a one-man job, so speaking to a developer as and when you need to do will make your app more efficient and ensure you get the results you need.

Before you go ahead with the deal, see if you can apply for government or local authority grants or funding. Indeed, many local authorities offer discounts or funding that can be spent on digital services like app development and web design. On top of that, some developers offer a discount on their services depending on the nature of your charity as goodwill, so shop around online. Oh, and organisations including Facebook and Google are offering grants to third-sectors, too.

Zudu offers award-winning mobile app development services

If you’re running a charity or non-profit organisation, a well-designed app could change fortunes and help you to encourage donations. If you’re ready to start your app development journey, do consider Zudu. We’re app developers based in Dundee, Scotland, and have years of experience designing and developing apps for businesses including the NHS and charitable causes such as Dundee Recovery Road Map and Social Good Connect. To find out more, call our team on +44 (0) 1382 690 080 or send an email to info@zudu.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you and getting started on our next app development project!