Software/Technology

To get a handle on what’s in store for 2015, NonProfit PRO rounded up some of the nonprofit industry’s finest, who were kind enough to share their nonprofit trends for 2015. Here are five trends on software/technology, special events and staffing.

How does your website look to your "silver surfers"? Let's define this audience as your 66+ aged online audience. Now we know that these supporters are just as likely to donate to you online as your younger crowd. And I bet they're much more likely to read your "Leaving a Legacy" page about your wills and bequests program. But is your font big enough? And how does your legacy page look on a tablet, which we know from other studies trends much older than smartphones.

Blackbaud Unveils Raiser's Edge NXT.

Being a small organization does not mean you have to settle for small technology. It does require some deliberate decisions on where you spend money on technology though. Even a $5 per month subscription matters. Resources, expertise and time are real limitations with small organizations that depend on a limited staff to do everything.

However, small nonprofits have huge opportunity to leverage opportunities in ways large organizations simply can't. Seriously, stop and think about it.

Software in particular has always been a thorn in the side of charities that struggle to implement critical infrastructure that most for-profit businesses take for granted. From basic office utilities to marketing automation to donor management software, costs and other technological barriers are keeping organizations who do social good years behind their corporate brethren.

Luckily, the age of cloud computing might also be a golden age for the third sector. Here’s why …

Innovation, and in particular Web technology, is fueling improvements in fundraising. New technologies are helping nonprofits reach new donors in new places, tell stories more vividly, make giving easier, maintain more frequent and relevant communication, and lower costs and apply more money directly to causes. 

We reached out to top consultants, solution providers, software developers and nonprofits to get their take on the following question: How can nonprofits leverage technology to improve fundraising?

Thanks to a partnership with the Public Interest Registry, Heather Mansfield of Nonprofit Tech for Good was able to report live from the Nonprofit Technology Conference (#14NTC) last week in Washington, D.C. Empowered with a tablet and smartphone, one of Heather’s first priorities was to reveal the faces and expertise behind some our favorite nonprofit brands. The results are below and what you’ll hear are the responses to the question: “What is your number one piece of nonprofit technology advice for nonprofits?” You can view all videos at instagram.com/nonprofitorgs.

Connecting with your audience is harder than ever. How do you cut through the noise? How do you get donors to donate and supporters to take action? You make your messages relevant. Empathy Maps are powerful tools that help you reframe how you can connect with your audience.

The Empathy Map, developed by information design consultancy EXPLANE, helps you develop a better understanding of the environment, behavior, concerns and aspirations that affect your supporters. This understanding helps shape your communications with them so you can drive them to take the action.

Central to the debate on how fundraising will look in 10 years' time is our ability to look back. We need to reflect on the past 10 years, where mass participation events and online giving replaced door-to-door collections as the mainstays of local community fundraising. Innovating and trend watching are the tools in the kitbag of those local charities who have fared best over the past decade, and similar tools will be needed to survive the tough years ahead.

As an industry, let’s get out on the edge for once — start taking advantage of the shifts in donor behavior and leverage the technology that’s available to us. Here are a few ideas to help you along the path of beefing up your online fundraising efforts.