Nonprofit organizations often have noble objectives that involve alleviating societal ills and improving human dignity. Because of the endless nature of tribulations in society, nonprofit services are always in high demand. In most cases, their service capacity is bursting at the rims, overstretching the resources of institutions.
Nonprofit organizations can benefit from using technology to bring efficiency to their service provision. These organizations are like any other service institution, and without proper systems/processes for serving customers, the organization can be in disarray. There are many technologies out there providing solutions for any category of an organization seeking automated systems.
You can find a solution that fits your organization by factoring in the maturity level of your organization and the nature of operations. Automated systems are efficient because they replace human action prone to error and work quickly.
1. Social Media Scheduling Tools
Over the years, there has been a transformation of social media from personal to corporate usage. Social media provides a ready audience for organizations. There are also other modalities like using an influencer to drive traffic to your organizational page. A nonprofit organization uses social media to attract people to it.
Social media channels are numerous, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, among others. Managing multiple accounts on multiple platforms can be a time-consuming, daunting task. Fortunately, you can schedule engagements using social media tools and free up your time for other activities.
Some popular social media scheduling tools are Hootsuite, Viraltag, and Crowdfire. Usage of the scheduling tools is proven to increase productivity, engagement, and analytics tracking.
2. Case Management Software
Case management software is an automated system of tracking and storing information accessible by multiple users in an organization. This software can help manage clients in a nonprofit organization and keep the team connected. Before choosing a software, consider the available budget, the size of your operation, and vital characteristics needed.
The software can streamline processes in your organization and provide much-needed efficiency when serving customers. It is a worthy investment and one that does not necessarily dent your pockets. There are free nonprofit case management software available in the market. Before settling on one, compare the capabilities of different systems and pick the best fit for the solutions you desire.
3. Mobile Payment Processors
Nonprofit organizations frequently receive donations from well-wishers to fund their cause. Some organizations are also membership based requiring a fee subscription from members. There must be fraud protection for money coming into the institution. A mobile payment processor provides this security and allows you to capture contributors’ contact info to keep up with them in the future.
The availability of a payment mobile platform provides convenience to donors/members of the organization who would not like to deal with tedious processes of other manual payment methods.
4. Volunteer Management Software
Nonprofits typically deal with a large number of volunteers from diverse fields. Keeping track of the volunteers’ management activities and profiling them can be an overwhelming task. It is not unusual for organizations to lose sight of significant supporters for future engagements. To avoid an oversight like this, you need a system for scheduling to keep tabs on such activities.
A volunteer management system enables an orderly plan for recruitment, training, engaging, and managing volunteers. Volunteers are optimally engaged, and it is easy to develop strategies of how to enrich their experiences with the organization. The scheduling system will also assist in keeping everyone in the organization in the loop and flag out any outstanding/unique activities.
5. Internal Communication
Any organization thrives when there is vibrant internal communication. In the present age, there are virtual meeting tools that allow for remote work engagements. Teams working in diverse regions need constant communication over a range of topics. This enables team members to identify areas of collaboration through frequent engagement.
Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams have vital functionalities enabling effective communication in a nonprofit. Such functions like chat rooms, bulletin boards, email provision, video/image share, and real-time collaboration make Slack an ideal tool. Microsoft Teams also has similar features to Slack and includes screen sharing, meeting recording, and integration with other Office Apps.
Select the Right Tools
Technology tools for nonprofits come in the hundreds, which, for first-time users, may be baffling. Be aware of your organizational needs and budget when making your voice of which technology tools are right for you. Adding these elements to your nonprofit can help streamline processes, boost communication, and save a lot of headaches for your team members.
