Cybersecurity training for nonprofits seldom tops the to-do list, especially for small and mid-sized charities. But in today’s digital environment, it absolutely should. Cybersecurity for nonprofits is about more than just compliance. It plays an important role in protecting your critical IT infrastructure, your data, and your mission.
Reduced budgets, legacy systems, and low cyber awareness make charities an easy target. And when things go wrong, it’s not just IT teams who feel the impact; it affects staff morale, trust from beneficiaries, and the organisation’s capability to deliver services.
With cyber threats growing more frequent and advanced, equipping your staff with the right cyber training is essential to ensure readiness for cyber attacks and identify potential risks early.
In this blog, we will provide tips to identify cyber training methods that stick. The goal is straightforward: to help charities build cybersecurity programmes that genuinely engage staff, stay within budget, and reduce real-world risks.
Effective Cybersecurity Training Techniques for Charity Staff
You don’t need a six-figure security budget to keep your charity safe. The truth is that simple training can prevent major cyber incidents. Even a basic awareness of good password hygiene, how to stop phishing emails, and safe file sharing practices can significantly cut down the risk of a successful attack.
Start Simple: Foundational Security Habits Everyone Needs
Not every team member needs to become a cybersecurity expert, but they do need to understand a few essential behaviours that protect the entire organisation:
- Strong password policies
Teach staff to create long, complex passwords, and make it easy by introducing password managers. This removes the temptation to reuse simple passwords or scribble them on sticky notes.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Adding a second layer of security with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), such as a text message code or app notification, makes it much harder for attackers to access accounts, even if passwords are compromised.
- Recognising phishing and social engineering
Most attacks begin with someone clicking a dodgy link. Training your team to recognise phishing emails can halt a breach before it starts.
- Regular software updates and device care
Encourage staff to keep systems and apps up to date. Remind them that antivirus protection, strong screen locks and cautious downloads are just as significant as locking the office door.
Interactive, Practical, Bite-Sized Learning
Stale slide decks and mandatory quizzes won’t cut it. Cybersecurity training is most effective when it’s hands-on, bite-sized and genuinely engaging.
Simulated Phishing Tests
Think of phishing simulations as dress rehearsals. Every few weeks or months, staff receive realistic, but safe, emails mimicking the deceits cybercriminals use. If someone clicks the wrong link or enters a password, they get immediate, friendly feedback showing what to watch for next time.
This approach turns training into action. Over time, you can spot trends, track progress, and see where support is still needed. It also creates a culture of security without blame.
You might run simulations such as:
- Fake “IT support” emails asking for login credentials
- Messages posing as donation requests from senior staff
- Urgent delivery notifications with unsafe attachments
Gamification and Role-Play
Turn security awareness into a challenge. By introducing friendly competitions or scenario-based games, training becomes something staff look forward to.
Try these:
- Leaderboards for spotting the most phishing attempts
- Badges for completing training levels or reporting suspicious emails
- Quickfire quizzes with team scores
- Role-play scenarios like “What would you do if someone called pretending to be from finance?”
Small rewards, gift cards, extra break time, or public shout-outs, can go a long way in raising engagement.
Microlearning Modules (5–10 minutes max)
People are busy, and attention spans are short. Microlearning breaks training into short, focused bursts, each tackling one topic at a time. This format is easier to fit into a lunch break or team meeting, and it improves long-term retention.
Topics could include:
- Spotting suspicious links
- Protecting mobile devices
- Backing up files safely
- Social media do’s and don’ts
Invest in Advanced Simulations (Red vs. Blue Team Exercises)
For larger charities, it’s worth investing in simulated attack environments. How does it work? These “Red vs. Blue” exercises pit attackers (Red Team) against defenders (Blue Team), helping teams practise how to distinguish, respond to and recover from real threats.
It’s immersive, collaborative, and surprisingly fun. Microsoft offers powerful tools to support this through its Attack simulation training, included in Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. Their simulation automations can mimic realistic email-based threats, automatically generating phishing-style emails, setting delivery schedules, and even cleaning up afterwards. It’s an outstanding way to test your defences using real-world tactics, without any real-world damage.
Consider Periodic Penetration Testing by Ethical Hackers
Penetration testing, often shortened to pentesting, is like a fire drill for your IT systems. It’s a pre-emptive way to uncover weaknesses before the wrong people do. Here’s how it works:
Charities bring in cybersecurity professionals (often called ethical hackers) to attempt a controlled breach of their networks, devices or apps. These experts simulate real-world attacks, everything from phishing emails to software exploits, to identify vulnerabilities and potential hazards that could be used by actual cyber criminals.
The result? A detailed report showing where your defences held up and where they need strengthening. It’s one of the most valuable tools for charities that want a realistic snapshot of their security posture.
Pentesting doesn’t just expose technical gaps. It also emphasises procedural issues like weak user permissions or overlooked admin accounts, giving you the insights you need to improve both network security and employees’ behaviours.
Storytelling
People don’t remember policies, they remember stories. That’s why storytelling can be one of the most successful tools in your cybersecurity toolkit.
Instead of explaining risks in abstract terms, share real-life examples of breaches that affected charities or companies. These stories make the consequences more tangible and are often more influential than a list of best practices ever could.
If possible, bring in guest speakers who’ve lived through an attack, whether from within your sector or the broader nonprofit space. Their first-hand accounts stick with people and generate valuable conversations. You might even highlight internal stories, times when your own staff stopped a phishing email or reported a suspicious link. These success stories help reinforce a sense of shared responsibility and show that the training is working.
Make It Ongoing, Not One-off
One training session a year isn’t going to work. Cybersecurity threats evolve suddenly, and people forget things even faster. The key to lasting protection is consistency. Regular, light-touch training helps teams stay sharp without feeling overwhelmed.
The more often staff practise secure habits, the more likely they’ll use them when it counts.
Here are a few simple ways to ensure your cybersecurity training sticks:
- Monthly refreshers or security tips
Send short, concise updates, such as how to spot the latest phishing tricks or reminders about device safety.
- Incident simulations or tabletop exercises
Especially useful for IT leads and senior staff, these walk-throughs help teams rehearse what to do if an attack occurs, from identifying the breach to notifying stakeholders.
- Security culture check-ins during team meetings
Take five minutes to share a “what went right” or “what to watch for” moment. These small reminders reinforce awareness without the need for formal sessions.
Cybersecurity Training Platforms and Resources for Nonprofits
Building a strong cybersecurity culture doesn’t have to strain your charity’s budget. There’s a growing network of tools, many designed specifically for nonprofits, that make training accessible, engaging and effective.
Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Defender
If your charity uses Microsoft 365, you already have access to a collection of security training tools at no extra cost. Microsoft’s training portal, for example, offers modules on everything from phishing awareness to secure collaboration. For more advanced needs, Microsoft Defender training provides in-depth guidance on threat protection and response.
These tools include phishing simulations and training modules that can be combined with your existing workflows.
Additionally, Microsoft Office 365 Training Centre for Nonprofits offers tailored resources to help your team make the most of Microsoft’s security features.
Bigger Brains
Bigger Brains is an award-winning online training provider founded in 2012, offering over 259 courses and more than 4,000 short video lessons (averaging 5 minutes each). Their content covers IT, Microsoft 365, business skills, cybersecurity, AI (including ChatGPT), and more.
Designed explicitly for small-to-midsize businesses and nonprofits, Bigger Brains partners with IT service providers to deliver engaging training. Their unique “teacher + learner” video format mimics real classroom conversations, making learning more relatable and memorable.
Features include:
- Bite-sized courses and drip-feed options (1 lesson per day via email, Teams, Slack, etc.)
- Interactive elements with transcripts, translations in 29 languages, captions, quizzes, and downloadable certificates/badges
Seamless integration into Microsoft Teams, allowing employees to access training without logging into a separate platform.
Check out our webinar to gain insights into Bigger Brains’ training approach:
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Training
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides free resources tailored for charities and the public sector. Their offerings include guidance on protecting sensitive data, responding to incidents, and building a security-conscious culture.
The NCSC supports the most important organisations in the UK, the wider public sector, industry, SMEs, as well as the general public. When incidents occur, they provide an active incident response to minimise harm to the UK, assist with recovery, and learn lessons for the future.
KnowBe4
KnowBe4 is a leading platform for security awareness training and simulated phishing. Their features include:
- A sizable library of interactive content, videos, posters, and newsletters to engage employees across various learning styles
- AI-driven training recommendations based on user performance metrics from phishing security test campaigns
- Over 25,000 phishing simulation templates that are continuously updated with the latest threats
- Advanced reporting features offering over 60 built-in reports for training and phishing campaigns
VSL Learning
VSL Learning offers CPD-certified, self-paced online cybersecurity training designed specifically for charities and VCSEs. Key features include:
- 60-minute self-paced courses with no time limit on completion
- Immediate downloadable completion certificates upon passing a short online test
- Regular status reports to monitor user progress
- Affordable pricing starting from £12 per person, with discounts available for qualifying organisations
MetaCTF
MetaCTF provides a modern cyber skills and training platform that offers:
- Competition-based training allowing participants to engage in challenges that simulate real-world scenarios
- On-demand labs covering a spectrum of entry-level to experienced security professionals
- Cloud labs and ranges for team-based simulations
- Role-specific training designed to augment and teach new cybersecurity skills
Why Cybersecurity Training Matters for Charities
Cybercrime is no longer a faraway risk, it’s an everyday reality, even for charities. From phishing attacks to ransomware attacks, nonprofits face an increasing wave of threats targeting their employees, data and financial systems.
In one recent case, a cyberattack on a survey company exposed the supporter data of several well-known UK charities with which they were working. Friends of the Earth, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, Battersea and the RSPCA were among those affected. The breach shook public confidence and emphasised just how vulnerable the sector can be, especially when third-party partners are involved.
When these breaches happen, the fallout is far-reaching:
- Damaged reputations and negative headlines
- Loss of donor trust
- Exposure of personal and financial data
- Hefty regulatory fines and investigations
Many of these incidents could be prevented with proper training. Human error remains the most common cause of data breaches, which is why well-trained staff are your charity’s best defence.
What Makes Effective Cybersecurity Training So Valuable?
Humans are the first line of defence against security threats. Effective charity training is important as it allows charities to:
- Keep Sensitive Data Safe
Good training enables staff to understand the data protection best practices for handling supporter, volunteer, and service user data securely, making it significantly harder for criminals to gain access through common attack vectors like phishing and social engineering.
- Build and Keeping Trust
Donors and partners expect their information to be protected. Training enables teams to meet those expectations and prevent mistakes that erode public trust.
- Avoid Financial Loss and Maintain Operational Continuity
Cyber incidents can force charities to pause services, cancel fundraising campaigns, or pay ransoms. Training reduces these risks, protecting both funding and delivery.
- Ensure Compliance with Legal Obligations
Regulatory requirements around data protection and cyber standards aren’t optional. Training ensures your staff recognise how to stay compliant, minimising the risk of fines and investigations.
How Qlic Can Help Your Nonprofit with Cybersecurity Education
At Qlic, we believe cybersecurity education should be continuous, accessible and tailored to every charity’s mission and how people work. That’s why we offer a range of hands-on, practical resources to help charities stay secure, without adding to the overwhelm.
- On-The-Fly Training from Our Service Desk
Our support team doesn’t just fix problems; they coach users in real-time. Whether it’s identifying a suspicious email or securing a shared folder, we’re always ready to guide your team through best practices as issues arise.
- Training During and After Project Implementation
From onboarding to system upgrades, we build learning into every step. When new tools or processes are introduced, we ensure your team knows exactly how to use them safely and confidently.
- Directed learning resources
We don’t just hand you a manual, we point you to the right learning materials based on your needs, including video tutorials, walkthroughs and actionable guides.
- Free Online Webinars (Plus Access to Recordings)
We regularly host webinars covering key topics in nonprofit cybersecurity. Can’t make it live? Not to worry, you can catch up anytime via our Qlic YouTube channel.
- Regular Newsletters and Monthly Bulletins
Stay ahead of emerging threats and trends with our monthly updates. We break down complex issues into plain English so your whole team can understand what’s happening and how to respond.
- Step-By-Step Video Guides
Our growing library of ‘how-to’ videos gives your team instant access to practical help, whether you need a refresher on enabling 2FA or help securing shared files.
Protecting Your Mission Starts with Training
Charities put their energy into creating impact, and that impact deserves protection. Cybersecurity training isn’t just a tech requirement; it’s a critical part of keeping your organisation resilient, trusted, and ready to support the communities who rely on you.
Effective training empowers your people, from frontline staff and volunteers to board members and IT leads. Modifying your approach to different roles and levels of risk makes the learning stick, and ensures no one is left behind.
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