Let’s face it, finding technology funding for non-profits is a drag. Almost more of a drag than slow bandwidth (but not quite). The good news is nonprofit technology resources are out there to help make your organization run effectively. Here are six ways your nonprofit can step up their technology game to compete in this crazy world.
1. Invest in Digital Advertising
This one is most often underutilized by organizations. However, search engine optimization (SEO) is very relevant for community organizations and nonprofits. If you do not have a presence on one of the greatest worldwide resources, potential donors won’t be able to find or advocate for your mission. If a nonprofit is focused on awareness or spreading a message then digital advertising makes even more sense.
Funding digital advertising is now easier with Google Grants and other technology funding resources. Google Grants selects eligible not-for-profit organizations and gives them 0,000 USD in free advertising every month.
2. Streamline Your Website
The best way to save time and money is to create one responsive site that serves the needs of your users. When restructuring or even creating a website, always make sure the pages are laid out in a straightforward manner for an easier user experience. It’s a best practice to keep important information accessible in three clicks or less. So make your donate and volunteer pages up front and easily accessible.
Avoid information structures that are too shallow or too deep. Structures that are too shallow require massive menus in which visitors can get lost. On the other hand, structures that are too deep bury information in layers upon layers, burdening the user with several levels to navigate to find the content that they desire.
3. Integrate Your Tech Stack
More than likely, your nonprofit is using a wide range of tools related to different aspects of your fundraising and donor engagement efforts. In order to see the best results from all of your various platforms, make sure they can all communicate with each other and work together.
The key here is to integrate your technology so that your team isn’t pulling data from multiple (potentially outdated) sources. When you integrate your software, data can flow directly from all platforms into your donor management software. That way, you have one comprehensive, centralized view of all of your ongoing efforts.
4. Segment Your Contacts
Many donor management systems also have a customer relationship management (CRM) element. Take advantage of any segmentation or tagging methods to increase the engagement with your email marketing. Send targeted emails to contacts based on whatever criteria make sense for your nonprofit, such as:
- Average gift amount
- Geographic location
- Preferred donation channel
- Service or program interest
5. Schedule Social Media
Your organization has (hopefully) already been using social media to inform and engage clients, volunteers, and donors. But if you’re still posting one thing at a time to each individual platform, there’s a better way! There are a plethora of free or low-cost social media scheduling platforms available. Schedule posts in advance and in bulk across platforms to make the best use of your time and resources.
6. File Sharing and Management
There’s nothing more annoying than losing that fundraising report in an email thread right before the big meeting. Sharing content or drafts can be a tedious process.
The solution is using SmartFile, a fluid file sharing and management platform with both cloud and on-premises options for enterprises. Instead of searching for a document in a labyrinth of folders, employees can share documents directly to an email or even using a URL share link. These share links can also be used on messaging platforms such as Slack.
When dealing with sensitive board or donor information, employees can password-protect documents. When sharing with outside stakeholders, SmartFile uses encryption both at rest and for data in transit, so breaches are not a concern. Plus, remote workforce communications are secure and efficient.
Community and social organizations are wonderful and serve fantastic causes. Keeping up with advances in technology can only help improve them more and reach more people. The resources are out there, so it’s time for nonprofits to step up their technology game.
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