Government and funders need to support the voluntary sector to develop collective approaches to technology solutions, or risk charities becoming “obsolete”, according to a new paper by the think tank New Philanthropy Capital.

NPC published a new paper Tech for common good: the case for a collective approach to digital transformation in the social sector, yesterday, calling for a new approach from government, other funders and charities so that the sector can benefit from new technology and avoid unnecessary duplication.

It warns that if the sector does not develop collective solutions to common problems it will waste money and said that the “pace of change cannot be achieved one organisation at a time”.

NPC has called for “upfront investment” from the Office for Civil Society, and for funders to “change their behaviour” and provide larger grants over a longer period and recognise that investment in technology infrastructure is “not a luxury or an overhead”.

Tris Lumley, director of development at NPC and one of the authors of the report, said: “The digital revolution has transformed the way we communicate and work and shop. There is a crucial lesson here for charities: the world has changed not because one organisation develops a glossy new app but because of the way whole sectors build infrastructure and work with the public.

“It’s pointless to have dozens of charities working out how to address the same social problems yet largely cut off from one another. To achieve the most social good charities will need to share much more. That will increasingly be through new tech, from shared platforms to marketplaces for delivering services.

“This is what beneficiaries need, but the market seldom supports initiatives that make an impact across the whole charity sector. This is why we are asking government, funders and investors to make a big, forward-looking decision on investing in digital infrastructure for common good across the whole sector.

“Without the right digital offerings for an increasingly digital user, the public will simply look elsewhere for support, and charities will find themselves obsolete.”

The paper cautions against “tech for tech’s sake” and urges people to look at how solutions that already exist can be used or adapted.

NPC launched its digital transformation programme earlier this year. This paper summarises the first stage of its work “making the case for digital transformation”. The next step is to “identify the most promising opportunities”.