Mary Wessel

Writer and Editor at Freelance

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charitydigital.org.uk

Articles

How to pick the best fonts and colours for your website

1 week ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Mary Wessel |Laura Stanley

More than two million people are living with sight loss in the UK. As well as those who are registered as sight impaired, that includes people waiting for surgery whose visual impairment might be temporary. An accessible website, with effective colour contrast and accessible fonts, means even more people can access your services, support your charity, or volunteer for your organisation. And designing an accessible website helps everyone.
Tips for getting the most out of Salesforce

1 week ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Laura Stanley |Jenny Phipps |Mary Wessel

Much has been said about the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how charities work and improve their efficiency. However, while the hype around AI is very real, it is not the cure all for everything. Unless basic systems are set up, documented, and properly maintained, very little is to be gained by employing AI in the first place. Take, for instance, CRM systems. Research from Blackbaud found that just a fifth of charities say they are getting the most out of their CRM system.
Eight tips for writing strong hyperlink text

1 week ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Mary Wessel |Ioan Marc Jones |Laura Stanley

Hyperlinks are the clickable text that take users to another page on your website, another location on the web, or to a document. They are sometimes also called “anchor text” or “link labels”. They’re the words that are often underlined, in a different colour, or both. The hyperlink text needs to tell people where they’re going if they click on it. Get hyperlink text right and everyone benefits: it’s great for user experience, accessibility, and search engine optimisation (SEO).
Changes to the Charity Digital Exchange

1 week ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Jenny Phipps |Mary Wessel |Ioan Marc Jones

Charity Digital has been home to the Charity Digital Exchange for many years. But, from 01 July 2025, the product catalogue will transition back to TechSoup UK. Many of the software products you currently purchase through Charity Digital will no longer be available via our website. Here we discuss what that means for you and what it means for the future of Charity Digital. What the changes mean for youFirst things first, all eligible charities will still have access to the products.
Charity Digital - Topics

2 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Ioan Marc Jones |Joe Lepper |Paul Rubens |Mary Wessel

We explore how the Charity Digital Code of Practice can help trustees ensure charities are making the most of digitalA trustee’s role is to point the ship in the right direction, ensuring that the charity is fulfilling its objectives in a financially sustainable way. As part of this, while not always digital experts, trustees are also responsible for weighing up the opportunities and risks of digital technologies for the charity.
How to use the Charity Digital Code of Practice

2 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Ioan Marc Jones |Kellie E. Smith |Mary Wessel |Christine L. Chiu

We have updated the Charity Digital Code of Practice, adding a range of new features and improvements. Here we explain how to use the Code and make the most of our resources The Charity Digital Code of Practice (the Code) was originally developed to help close the digital skills gap in the charity sector. Launched in 2018, the Code became quickly invaluable, particularly during COVID-19, as charities adapted to remote working and digital service delivery.
How we updated the Code of Practice

2 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Ioan Marc Jones |Mary Wessel |Helen Olszowska

We have updated the Charity Digital Code of Practice for 2025. Here we discuss the steps we took, working in collaboration with the charity sector, to ensure the update met the sector’s needs Charity leaders developed the original Charity Digital Code of Practice (Code) to improve digital sustainability, efficiency, and decision-making. It was a task chaired by Zoe Amar, supported by Charity Digital, but led entirely by the charity sector.
How to foster kindness in the workplace

3 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Kellie E. Smith |Mary Wessel

Showing kindness in the workplace is important. And even more so when colleagues and peers are facing challenges. The charity sector is experiencing funding difficulties and there’s been an increase in organisational restructures, redundancies, and closures.
How to achieve greater impact with volunteers

3 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Kellie E. Smith |Mary Wessel

We explore the four key steps to volunteer recruitment and retention to help your impact go furtherVolunteers are indispensable to many charities, whether they are helping to deliver services, assisting with fundraising, or working behind the scenes to keep the charity’s wheels turning. Volunteers contribute their enthusiasm, care, and unique abilities, collectively contributing the equivalent of £18 billion per year to a wide range of charitable causes by donating their time.
How to free up time with automated finance

3 weeks ago | charitydigital.org.uk | Mary Wessel |Laura Stanley

The need for more time in the charity sector is a constant cause for concern, particularly for charity finance teams. As a result of high-pressure funding environments and charities’ determination to do the best possible work for their service users, lack of time has undoubtedly been a key challenge for charity financial teams, especially given the gravity of their work.