Phone Systems for Charities and Helplines
Answer every call, from anywhere.
Indigo Unified Communications supplies cloud phone systems to charities across Scotland, including charity helplines. We use 8x8, 3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone, whichever fits your call volumes and budget, with call queues, out-of-hours routing and call recording. Staff and volunteers can answer from the office, from home or on a mobile. We also make sure your lines are ready for the copper phone network switch-off on 31 January 2027.
What charities need from a phone system
- Helplines that don't miss calls: queues, overflow and out-of-hours messages
- Flexible answering: staff and volunteers taking calls from home or in the community
- Call recording for safeguarding, training and quality, with access controls
- Reporting on call volumes and missed calls for funders and trustees
- Low running costs, with no old phone system to maintain
What's included
- A review of your current lines, call flows and contracts
- Your choice of 8x8, 3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone
- Number porting, so helpline numbers stay the same
- Call queues, hunt groups (calls ring a group of phones), out-of-hours routing and voicemail to email
- Call recording and reporting
- Softphone apps for staff and volunteers
- PSTN switch-off check for phone lines, alarms and lift lines
- Ongoing support from our Glasgow team
Free guide
The Complete Guide to Technology for Charities in Scotland
Practical, plain-English chapters on the challenges, cyber security, connectivity, Microsoft 365 and choosing an IT partner, plus a 20-question readiness checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What phone system is best for a charity helpline?
A cloud phone system with call queues, out-of-hours routing and call recording suits most charity helplines, and lets staff and volunteers answer from anywhere. Indigo supports helplines on 8x8, 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone, and recommends one based on call volumes, budget and whether you already use Teams.
Can volunteers answer helpline calls from home?
Yes. With a cloud phone system, volunteers can answer helpline calls on a laptop or mobile app without giving out personal numbers. You control who's in each queue and when, and every call can be recorded and reported on.
Internal links: Charities hub · Hosted telephony (/it-services/hosted-telephony/) · IT support for charities