Programmes, services & training

Coffee Connections

Coffee Connections matches up peers across the voluntary sector every two months for a virtual chat about all things digital.

What you talk about will be entirely up to you and your match: it could be a challenge you need help with, advice you'd like to share, or just a general chat about digital, data or design. Open to anyone who works within a charity or social impact organisation and has an interest in digital.

Design Hops

A free seven-week online training programme that will teach you the fundamentals used in user centred design.

In this course you will learn innovative techniques from the digital world which will enhance your work and problem-solving abilities and ensure that you put users at the centre of your work.

GrantAdvisor UK

GrantAdvisor UK is a free website that allows grantseekers to share their first hand experiences of working with funders.

A valuable resource for fundraisers seeking peer-to-peer application insights and opportunities to review practices, as well as a useful source of information for grantseekers searching for insights to help with funding applications.

Digital Leads Network

Our Digital Leads Network connects social sector staff working on digital projects with each other and with sector experts.

Home to a growing community of more than 250 digital leads, it provides participants with quarterly masterclasses, informal meetups - and a range of other exclusive opportunities, such as funding for award submissions and support to speak alongside CAST at sector events and conferences.

Open IP for funders

Our Open IP for Funders initiative - run in collaboration with Catalyst - encourages and supports funders to implement open IP (intellectual property) within grant agreements, and to encourage open IP amongst the charities they support.

Youth Sector Innovation Incubator

CAST has joined forces with NCS to set up three projects, or Youth Sector Innovation Incubators, each tackling a unique challenge, with the ultimate aim of creating a suite of new innovative digital solutions to boost social cohesion among young people.

Applications for the programme closed on 19th September, but you can still sign up to contribute your insight and experience of the youth sector through a consultation call.

Community Explore

Community Explore is a programme of support and training to help community businesses to develop digital products and services using user and community-centred development processes.

Digital Foundations

Digital Foundations helps charity staff improve their digital skills and confidence, so that they are better equipped to support the individuals and communities they serve.

This work includes our digital skills framework and also feeds into the Digital Poverty Alliance National Delivery Plan, which has shown core needs around raising public awareness about the importance of digital skills, and the range of support that is available.

Digital Campus

CAST’s Digital Campus is a 13-month programme which is being rolled out for a consortium of organisations convened by Refugee Action. The programme provides participants with access to tools, support and hands-on training to build their knowledge, experience and confidence with digital.

Deloitte Digital Connect

Deloitte Digital Connect (DDC), developed by Deloitte in partnership with CAST, is designed to support charities with expertise, advice and a network to support their digital development. DDC has so far delivered three six-month support programmes to cohorts of charities and social enterprises. Support - delivered by Deloitte volunteers alongside CAST staff members - consisted of one-to-one mentoring, troubleshooting, workshops, peer support, device donations and pro bono assistance.

Other Programmes

If you're interested in finding out more about the work we have delivered at CAST over the years, check out some of our other programmes here.