Bringing “New Blood” to Project Ability Ltd

Bridging the digital skills gap through expert matchmaking.

Project Ability Ltd, a Glasgow-based charity delivering visual arts for people with disabilities, recently embarked on a mission to refresh its board with five new members. Their goal was clear: they needed professional digital marketing expertise and a fresh perspective from younger applicants – what they termed their “New Blood” initiative.

The Challenge: A Sector-Wide Gap
The need for digital leadership at the board level is critical:
41% of charities currently do not have a digital trustee on their board.
62% of charities report that their trustees’ digital skills are low or need improvement.
Fewer than 3% of charity trustees are under the age of 30.

The Solution: Matchmaking with Impact
Project Ability turned to our Digital Trustees Matchmaking Service. Our signature “speed-dating” format allows charities to meet multiple digital professionals in 10-minute rotating Q&A sessions.
During the event, Catherine Dowling (Project Ability Ltd) met Phoebe Holford, a digital professional looking to volunteer her skills.

“The matchmaking process was great fun and a fast way to get exposure to lots of amazing charities! I immediately clicked with Cathy and Project Ability… the prompt topics and Q&A meant we discussed the specific challenges facing the charity, which encouraged meaningful conversations from the outset.” – Phoebe Holford, Digital Trustee

The Result: A “Perfect Candidate”
Following a successful in-person interview, Phoebe is now an established member of the Project Ability Board. Her professional digital marketing skills are already proving invaluable to the charity’s strategic growth.

“Phoebe & I quickly established we were a good fit… She’s the perfect candidate for our ‘New Blood’ initiative. Participating in the service paid off handsomely for us.” – Catherine Dowling, Project Ability

Why It Matters
For digital professionals, trusteeship offers a path to build leadership skills and gain board-level governance experience. For charities, it ensures digital is on the agenda, moving it from a “back-office” task to a pillar of organizational resilience.