How Technology Has Shaped the Nonprofit Landscape
It seems like the world has undergone a drastic makeover in the last decade or so. Technology has been gradually and continuously evolving since its inception, but it seems that it has been traveling at warp speed lately. Ten years ago, it was a luxury to have a laptop or a mobile phone—who would have thought that humans would have these types of technology advanced; let alone ones you can carry wherever you go! (Certainly not the cavemen!) Now, the possibilities are limitless—smartphones, tablets, virtual assistants, voice recognition, face recognition, fingerprint recognition… we could go on forever.
The evolution of technology has impacted many industries, especially the nonprofit space. Goodbye are the days where giving was a straight, narrow line. The introduction of advanced technologies has given the term “giving” more depth, more meaning. These days, people are looking for more when they give to an organization. It’s no longer about, “Wow, that’s great cause. I will donate.” People want to see more than just a great mission or cause. Anyone can sit down and have an idea about saving children, feeding the hungry or rescuing animals. The real questions are:
- Is this organization’s mission authentic and unique?
- What plans do they have in place to reach their goals?
- Where is the money going, and what kind of impact is my donation making?
- Am I just another dollar sign, or does this organization truly care about me?
These are all valid questions and ones that you and your organization should be able to answer. But, the big question is how your organization will answer these tough questions. And while technology may not be a one-and-done solution for these daily challenges, it certainly is a great asset to have in any nonprofit’s strategy. Here are three technology trends to watch as you evaluate tools to help you deliver on your mission.
