Selecting The Right Technology For Your Nonprofit's Long-Term Success
Nonprofit technology is an evolving solution for organizations searching for a more efficient management system. When selecting nonprofit technology, there are different types of platforms for your organization to consider. Whether your nonprofit is looking to update your donations form, host an event, or increase communication with your donors, there are platforms ready to help any organization.
Nonprofit technology has quite a few benefits for both you and your donors. Technology can be a huge time saver by increasing automation while increasing your donor reach. These platforms also minimize the amount of paperwork your staff has to do for your organization. However, nonprofit technology should be phased in slowly. You don’t want to overwhelm your organization with sudden changes in processes. Take the time to slowly introduce your staff to new technology and train them how to use the new platform.
Determine what your nonprofit needs from nonprofit technology.
The first step you need to take when you’re selecting nonprofit technology is to determine why your organization needs the technology to begin with. Different platforms may be more helpful than others depending on what your organization does and how you connect with your donors. Ask what your nonprofit requires help with that technology can fix. Are you looking to increase your efficiency in communicating with donors? Check out platforms that automate your email correspondence. Or test a platform that has easily brandable donation forms.
If your nonprofit requires better organization, invest in a platform that tracks donations and integrates with management and accounting software to keep everything orderly. Or, if you’re looking to expand your communication efforts, research platforms that seamlessly connect with your nonprofit’s social media and help you engage with your supporters. Finding the right nonprofit technology for your organization can make a huge difference in success.
Prepare a budget.
Not all nonprofits can afford the same technology, and many platforms offer multiple tiers with set features to meet as many organizations’ budgets as possible. Before selecting nonprofit technology, you’ll need to prepare a budget that encompasses both the current price of the platform and any future needs regarding the platform. There are a lot of costs to consider when preparing your budget. The first and most obvious question is how much can your organization immediately afford for the initial platform purchase.
Once you’ve prepared for the initial cost, your nonprofit should budget for how much you’ll be able to spend to keep the platform for long-term use. Nonprofit technology is rarely a one-time purchase. Many platforms offer monthly or yearly subscription prices for continuous use that you will need to include in your budget. You’ll also need to consider how much any updates or maintenance for the platform will cost you. Assess whether your nonprofit will need to upgrade your subscription for certain campaigns. If the platform needs to raise prices, will your organization still be able to afford it? You also need to plan for any training costs for people to use. Learning new software takes time. Be meticulous when preparing your budget for nonprofit technology.
Research the options available to you.
Technology is constantly growing nowadays, so you can imagine the amount of options offered when selecting nonprofit technology. The nonprofit sector is progressing rapidly, and no matter what your budget is, you’ll have quite a bit of research to do on your platform choices. There is quite a bit for your organization to examine when it comes to picking a new platform to use. One of the biggest components you’ll have to account for is what features each platform can offer your nonprofit. Do the features within your budget meet your organization’s needs? Does the platform offer features you’ll need as your nonprofit grows?
Outside of features, is the nonprofit technology easy to use? Many organizations do not have a lot of time to dedicate to training for overly complicated software. You want a platform that your staff can quickly teach to volunteers that may need to use it. The platform you choose should also be easy for your donors to use. When researching platforms, look at other organization’s reviews on the platform. Look up articles on what field experts are saying about the platform.
Test multiple nonprofit technology options.
Before making a final choice in selecting nonprofit technology, take the opportunity to test multiple options. Many platforms offer organizations free trials or demos of their platform’s features and abilities. These trials can get your nonprofit a level of familiarity with each platform before making a choice. During a demo, you’ll learn how difficult it is to use a platform and how the different features could work for your organization. Many of these trials will also let you test how donors will experience the platform.
If a demo isn’t available, online how-to videos can be a great resource to see how the nonprofit technology works behind the scenes. These videos will also show your organization any pain points the platform may have that you may not experience within a free trial. If your organization can’t find a demo or enough videos to get a feel for the platform before purchasing, try reaching out to the company for resources. They may have training materials to help you become more familiar with the platform before making your final decision.
Look for integration technology.
If you're having trouble selecting nonprofit technology, look at what integrations each platform offers. Being able to integrate different technologies your organization uses can be a great way for your nonprofit to save time. One of the most helpful integrations your nonprofit can use with a platform is a CRM integration. If your organization already uses a CRM, you’ll want to ensure that the platform you choose can connect with it. This connection would automatically upload your donor data from the platform to your CRM, saving you time from having to manually input the information.
Integrations with communications channels is another helpful tool you should consider. If the platform you choose can connect with your organization’s social media or email systems, communicating with your donors will be seamless. Your email system will automatically pull your donors' emails from the platform. Platforms that can integrate with your nonprofit’s social media makes it easier to share your posts to your supporters. Integration with your Facebook can include Facebook Fundraiser donations into your website’s campaign thermometer, which gives you another place to promote your campaign. Analytics and accounting integrations can also be helpful to your marketing and administration teams, making it easy to track how well a fundraiser does and automatically put your funds into your accounting books.
Final Thoughts
Selecting nonprofit technology demands a lot of research to find a long-term solution for your organization. Review your nonprofit’s needs and budget to pinpoint where to start your research. Test out a few platforms to figure out the best one for your organization!
About the Author:
Megan Allison - Content Marketing Specialist
Megan is a writer at Qgiv who takes pride in helping nonprofits. In her free time, she enjoys reading, music, and playing with her two cats.
About Qgiv:
Qgiv is an online fundraising platform empowering over 20,000 nonprofit fundraisers to raise money for their causes. Through online giving and event registration forms, text fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and auction events, fundraisers can provide a more personalized giving experience for donors while keeping costs low. To learn more, visit www.qgiv.com.
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