5 Technology Trends That Every Nonprofit Founder Should Follow
Keeping up with technological advancements can help any nonprofit business expandand operate more effectively. Technology is also changing how people contribute to nonprofit donations, making it important for nonprofits to adopt these trends. However, as technology constantly changes, staying up with these trends can be challenging.Therefore, we'll highlight a few technology trends in this blog that nonprofit founders should follow. Any nonprofit organization may increase fundraising efforts and achieve long-term success by adopting these trends.Understanding the technology trends can set nonprofits on the path of exponential growth and success. Below listed are some technology trends. Let’s look at each of them.
1.Create A Comprehensive Data Security Plan
Every firm, including nonprofits, should prioritize cybersecurity. Nonprofit organizations are more vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. Why? Because they are gold mines for customer data, including personal data like SSNs and credit card details. Therefore, each nonprofit should develop a plan to protect its data.According to the BlackBaud Institute report, online giving in 2021 grew 9% year over year. This further increases the importance of investing in cyber security. Additionally, many volunteers and contract workers who work for nonprofits might not be cyber aware. This can also put the whole organization at risk. Nonprofits should thus have a comprehensive data security plan.IT experts and everyone in the business should be trained to identify threats and report them to management. Nonprofit organizations should regularly assess their risk to develop a cybersecurity plan. They can use this information to determine potential risks and the effects a breach might have on the organization.
2. Use Cloud Based Software
Many nonprofit organizations still use outdated computer systems. Working with these systems has the drawback that everything must be done manually, including keeping records and tracking donor data. This further reduces productivity and delays the work.Nonprofits should explore cutting-edge technologies and invest in cloud-based software.Most nonprofits think that moving to cloud-based software is an expensive process. However, the information on the cost of owning a cloud system makes it abundantly clear that cloud adoption is more cost-effective in the long run.The benefits of cloud-based software are many for nonprofits like:-Cost effectiveness-Increased scalability-Access to more data-Flexibility and easy integration with other toolsNonprofits can innovate, grow more quickly, and bring new capabilities to market with the use of cloud-based software while having fewer technical and security risks.
3. Expand Remote Work
More and more organizations are adopting remote work in the wake of the global pandemic. Hybrid work culture will continue to exist even after the world has returned to a new normal. Nonprofit organizations need to keep an eye on the current trend.77% of remote employees claim that working from home increases their productivity.However, nonprofit organizations must have the right system before implementing a hybrid or remote work culture. Collaboration between teams and management will be simple, resulting in increased output and effectiveness. That's another reason nonprofits should spend money on cloud computing.The benefit of cloud technology is that :-Employees can have seamless information access anywhere anytime.-Improved collaboration-Enhanced security as most cloud technologies are designed with cybersecurity in mind.Having a proper system in place can boost the efficiency of remote employees which will further contribute to the success of your nonprofit organization.
4. Introduce Artifical Intelligence
You may wonder why even nonprofit organizations must invest in artificial intelligence. However, they do so because Nonprofits can greatly benefit from AI.Nonprofit organizations must understand that the data they possess is a goldmine, and they should use it wisely. But most nonprofits don't have the time or the knowledge to use such data effectively. They can utilize AI to close the gap between gathering data and making better use of it.For nonprofits, donor segmentation is important. It helps nonprofits improve their efforts by understanding donor behavior and running targeted campaigns.For instance, You can segment donors who aren’t much active. Based on the segmentation, you can run campaigns that will more likely make these donors take action.But most of the time, these segmentations are just guesswork. But the machine learning technology takes the guesswork out of segmentation and provides a list of donors that nonprofits should target and who are highly likely to take target action if asked.AI can forecast when a donor will leave based on historical data. This way, you can pay close attention to these donors and keep them engaged.
5. Upgrade Fundraising Software
The key to success for nonprofits is fundraising. It is the lifeblood of nonprofits. But like other technologies, most nonprofits continue to use outdated fundraising technology. This might serve their needs, but their process and outcome are not improved.Modern-day problems need modern-day solutions. Hence nonprofits need to upgrade their fundraising tool. They should invest in one-stop fundraising solution like Donorbox that helps them to:-Accept one time or recurring donations from nearly every payment method including Venmo, Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Wallet, Mercado Pago.-Easily integrate with other apps like Salesforce, Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier.-Integrate easily with website platforms like WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace.-Offer Text-to-Give option to let supporters donate by sending a simple text message from their smartphones.-Enable membership options for recurring donations-Help you add a donate button anywhere on your website, emails, and outreach posts.Note: Ensure that the fundraising software that you choose is PCI compliant. This helps in preventing security breaches and payment card data theft.
It’s Time To Introduce These Trends
According to NTEN research, only 20% of nonprofit organizations consider themselves leaders and innovators in the adoption of technology. It is very surprising. Today, transparency and accountability are more important with large-scale giving.Investing in these technology trends can help nonprofit founders communicate effectively and demonstrate impact backed by data. Any nonprofit will gain a competitive edge and experience exponential growth if it takes advantage of the technological trends listed above. How about you take one step towards growth today by implementing these technologies in your nonprofit organization.