Everyone wants to know that their money is being put to good use. Within the business world, and especially within the nonprofit sphere, where people or businesses are donating money solely to help fund a need with no immediate return upfront, it is vitally important to use money and donations efficiently. People or companies who support your nonprofit believe in your cause and are willing to donate their money to it—money that could easily be going to their own budgets and expenses. Thus, it should be your nonprofit’s top motivation to use donations as efficiently as possible. If a donor trusts you with their donation, but then sees that 90% of it is wasted on inefficient processes, it’s not likely they’ll donate again. To be respectful of donor’s contributions, nonprofits can utilize technology to make the most out of the resources they have been given. The right technology can give nonprofits cost-effective solutions, increase productivity, and make every donation last.
Technology helps small nonprofits function efficiently.
With digital solutions, smaller nonprofits with less staff have the ability to do the work of a much larger organization. Software can streamline processes such as data entry, logging time, search functions, fundraising, and notifications. The majority of communication can also be made digital, freeing up time spent in meetings, on calls, or travelling. By automating tasks, a smaller team can accomplish as much as a larger team, and so less people and hours on the clock are required. With less time being spent of simple tasks, workers and volunteers can dedicate their energy to larger, more complex projects.
Technology makes donating easy.
With the right software for your nonprofit, you can set up a fast, simple, and secure donation process that will appeal to donors. People will quickly lose interest in a slow system or a donation process that is complicated and time-consuming. Technology can also help you design a user-friendly website that is cleanly laid out with a donation page that’s easy to find, which will draw traffic to your site.
Technology allows you to provide information to your donors quickly.
Nonprofits need a comprehensive database that will store donor information in an organized, easy-to-access way. If a donor contacts your nonprofit with a question about their account, previous donations, or other inquiry, your nonprofit needs to have all their history stored in one location so they can easily access any information their donor may need. If you have to search through filing cabinets, or the slow equivalent of filing cabinets on outdated software, you will waste your donor’s time and give off the impression of being unorganized or inefficient, which can result in loss of support.
Technology provides accurate data to your donors.
Honest, accurate reports are essential in a nonprofit. If your donors contact you with questions about their history and donations, and you give them faulty answers because of outdated technology or inaccurate data entry, you may be viewed as dishonest or incompetent, which can harm your integrity and trustworthiness as a nonprofit perhaps irreparably. Software will make numbers and data entry error-free and easily searchable. Accurate information will be readily available to you and your donors anytime they need it. By promptly producing accurate information when requested, you can build trust and loyalty with your supporters.
Technology will keep your donors engaged.
In this busy world, screens and apps demand people’s attention every minute of every day. Your nonprofit will be competing with thousands of distractions vying for what people will tap or click on next: ads on social media, emails, “Watch This!” links to videos—the list goes on. Today, people’s attention span is very limited. In order to get on someone’s radar, you must learn where donors’ attention is most focused and upload content to that platform. One donor may be very active on Twitter and respond well to tweets. Another may exclusively operate on Linkedin and will only see content on that platform. When your content is seen at the right place and right time, you will be much more likely to receive interest and gain interactions. Your company could have the best content in the world, but if the right donor doesn’t see it, it won’t matter. With a CRM tool, your nonprofit can track donor patterns and show you their preferred platforms, communication style, and donation trends. With this information, you can learn the best angle to attract interest based on an individual’s habits. This type of targeted advertising is becoming one of the most popular types of advertising today, so your nonprofit must be able to stand out.
