This was the focus of a recent online event, Turning Knowledge into Income: Practical Steps for Impact-Driven Organisations. Hosted by eCom Learning Solutions, the event brought together charities and social enterprises to consider how existing assets such as training materials, lived experience, and internal programmes could be adapted for wider audiences.

Findings from the session revealed that while three quarters of participants felt confident about choosing a commercial model to help them generate income from their knowledge and expertise, only 17% said they were ready for digital delivery – highlighting the barriers that still exist.

eCom CEO Wendy Edie said“Charities have a wealth of expertise, but too often it stays locked within their organisations. By taking even small steps to repackage this knowledge for external audiences, they can open up new income streams that support their mission rather than distract from it. The challenge is finding the confidence and practical route to start – and that’s what this conversation was all about.”

Examples discussed included toolkits, workshops and internal resources already being repurposed into digital courses, enabling charities to generate revenue while expanding their reach.

One attendee said the discussion had given their organisation a clear next step:

“Our next step is to meet as a team and look at what knowledge assets we already have that could be developed into a course. Based on what we learned at the event, we’re planning to start by identifying one audience and one problem we can help solve, test demand, and build confidence from there. It feels like a positive and manageable first step in what could become a much bigger journey for us.”

With persistent funding insecurity threatening the sector’s long-term resilience, initiatives like this show how knowledge capital could become a vital tool to help charities diversify income and continue delivering essential services.

Download the eBook

📘 A complimentary eBook, Turning Knowledge into Income: A Guide for the Third Sector, is available from the eCom Learning Solutions website. It includes the content covered in the webinar, along with additional insights and explanations.