Building a website can be a daunting task for a nonprofit organization just starting out. When many newer charities rely heavily on volunteers – employing a design team is out of the question. As the need for websites and content management increase – there are many web design platforms that charities can take advantage of. Using a design platform is less expensive then hiring a design team but it can still be pricey after hosting fees and a domain name are calculated.  As the number one content management system (CMS) with 61.8% of the market share and nearly 55,000 web plugins to enhance a website – WordPress should definitely be considered when a nonprofit is designing a new website for their organization or creating one for the first time.

In Use:

Not only do most businesses choose WordPress but it’s one of the oldest CMS software to date.  Released in 2003 – WordPress is a free open-sourced software – meaning that developers can add, modify, and build plugins to augment the software. While there are fees associated with creating a website such as purchasing a domain name and hosting fees – WordPress itself is free.

Users can customize the look and feel of their website using numerous front and back end plugins. Need to create a contact form? There’s a plugin for that. Need a firewall – there’s a plugin for that. Need to edit a photo or video? You get the picture – there’s a plugin for just about anything. And if there isn’t – because it’s open-sourced one can be developed. Any type of website can be built in WordPress. Because it’s a content management system – you have control over every element of the website opposed to a website builder where you have control on the look and feel of the website but not necessarily the backend.

Ease of Use:

WordPress has a variety of website templates or “themes” that a nonprofit can choose from. Once implemented – a nonprofit organization can begin to customize it. The “Ease of Use” depends on whether or not a person or nonprofit is web savvy. WordPress is unfairly compared against website builders such as Wix or Weebly when essentially it’s different and more complex because it management every aspect of content from blog posts, event registration, newsletters, gated assets, and the website itself.  So compared to Wix or Weebly – it is trickier and the learning curve is exponentially higher. Compared to other content management systems such as Drupal or Squarespace it’s easier to use and has a lower overhead cost – which significantly benefits nonprofits.

When it comes to WordPress, it can often take time it takes maneuvering code on the backend – to get your website exactly the way you want it. Edits in WordPress are not done in “real time” which means you must go back and forth between the editor and the “live view” to make sure you like the way it look.

Content Management Systems can be confusing and rely heavily on HTML/CSS knowledge. Because of this – I wouldn’t say WordPress is particularly easy to use from the start. The good news is that WordPress has an enormous community that are ready to help and support beginners. Whether that means asking for tips and tricks, hiring a freelance web designer, or taking classes to improve your skills.

Along with classes, WordPress offers a wide range of instructional videos, and documentation. They also offer a Live Chat feature if a nonprofit has any questions. Depending on HTML knowledge – a nonprofit may have to hire a web developer to initially design and build their website – but with the numerous assets available – a nonprofit shouldn’t have any problems maintaining it when it’s been created.

Technology Used:

WordPress is available on the cloud – so no additional technology is needed.  In terms of integrations- WordPress has about 54,000 plugins can source. Companies that have created WordPress plugins include Google, HubSpot, and Mailchimp.

It’s important to have good security protection for your WordPress website. Because of its popularity – many websites are vulnerable to hackers and cyber threats. This is arguably the biggest disadvantage of a WordPress website.

Recap:

WordPress is a content management system that allows businesses and nonprofits to create and manage their content such as a website, blog, or gated assets. It does have the ability to go further and host landing pages. WordPress is the most common content management system to date having more than half of the market share today. Because of its notoriety and the fact that it is open-sourced there are many plugins a company can take advantage of to enhance their content.

Advantages:

• Free and open-sourced
• Over 54,000 plugins and integrations
• Cloud-based
• Customizable

Disadvantages:

• Learning curve is high
• Vulnerable to hackers and security threats
• Chances are you will need to hire a developer to get your website off the ground
• While the service itself is free – there are costs associated with developing and maintaining your content

My Opinion

As someone who has a WordPress site (shameless plug) I’ve always found WordPress and other content management systems daunting to the point where I put off creating a website for years. Finally, I hired a freelance web developer to create my website for me which came at a cost. Because it wasn’t an exuberant amount of money – hiring a freelance web developer would not break the bank of a small nonprofit – which enables them to get a clean, sophisticated website.

I can say without a doubt that I never would have been able to create the look and feel of my website by creating it myself. To create a sophisticated website on WordPress - you need to know code and if you don’t know code – then you need to hire someone that does. The good news is that once my website was built I felt comfortable in the tool to maintain it.

Overall, I would recommend WordPress because the possibilities are endless with what you can create. However, I would be prepared to hire a web developer to help you create, maintain, and secure your website because it’s too hard to do it yourself unless you have coding experience.

As the name suggests, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology enables organizations to manage their customer relationships. From managing pipeline, reporting, and sales automation the goal of a CRM software is a one-stop shop for managing a client’s needs. But unfortunately, many CRMs can come up short. Their either too clunky, too bulky, or they offer to many products that are just OK. Nonprofits need a CRM that can do everything well – because their time and resources are limited. With Nutshell’s easy to use platform and low costs – it’s starting to gain the attention of small-medium nonprofits.

In Use:

Nuthsell is a lightweight CRM that supports over 15 thousand users. While they mostly work with businesses – they appeal to the nonprofit community by offering a 10% discount upon sign up. Unlike other CRMs, they do not charge for start-up or maintenance fees, offer unlimited data storage, and only take a few days to onboard a user. In an interview with Account Executive Jared Knotts – Knotts explains Nutshell is completely customizable and can be as “simple or robust of a solution as you want.” This enables a nonprofit of any size to get the most out of software.

Nutshell also publishes a free blog that customers and potential customers can leverage for free. Topics on their blog have included topics such as professional development tips, how to craft an elevator pitch and how to be a better leader.

 Technology Used:

Unlike some other CRMs, Nutshell sits on the cloud so users can access it from their office, home, or anywhere with internet connection. It is mobile responsive and comes with a variety of software integrations for a variety of needs. Many of the integrations incorporate seamlessly with limited IT interactions. Among the softwares that work well with Nutshell are Quickbooks for accounting needs, Slack for communications, and Hubspot for email marketing. 

Ease of Use:

Nutshell shines when it comes to ease of use and lightweight capabilities. Any review written about Nutshell will highlight the ease of use when navigating the CRM. CRMs are not generally touted as being easy to use. They can be complicated and hard to maneuver at first. Take Salesforce for example – there are classes, certifications, and days of training that needs to take place before a user feels comfortable in the program.

Nutshell only takes a few days to set up and all customers have access to premium support through email, phone, or a chat feature. Knotts assured me that every phone call leads to a real person who is able to help.

Recap:

Nutshell is a lightweight Customer Relationship Management tool used to help businesses and nonprofits easily manage their customer relationships. Nutshell pricing starts at $35 a month per user but nonprofit organizations receive a 10% discount. Unlike other CRMs- Installation, maintenance, and customer service with Nutshell are free. The software features tools like email marketing, sales automation, and analytics. Like most CRMs, Nutshell attempts to incorporate every tool that a charity would need to drive relationships, and increase donations.

Advantages:

• Nutshell subscription costs begin at $35 per user. Nonprofit organizations receive a 10% discount
• Nutshell is easy to use and compact
• There are no maintenance or set up fees
• Customers commend Nutshell for their excellent customer service

Disadvantages:

• May not fit the needs of large nonprofits
• Customers find lead importing cumbersome
• Customers have noted that managing contacts can be difficult

My Opinion:

For small to medium nonprofits who do not have the money to spend on Blackbaud or Salesforce – or do not have the need for such heavy CRMs- then Nutshell is a great option. While they may come up short in some of their features – such as lead importing or managing contacts they make up for in their ease of use, stellar customer service, and their ability to customize their software to fit any charity’s needs. If you’re not quite sold – I would recommend utilizing their free trial to see if it’s right for you.

According to Salesforce, over 30,000 nonprofits use the CRM software – so it was only logical that some of their 3,400 apps were geared towards nonprofit organizations around the world. One of those apps is Fonteva -a relationship building tool created with associations and other member-based organizations in mind. The software itself has numerous products such as one geared towards memberships and another towards events. These products enable a nonprofit organization to manage their membership relationships and plan events.

In Use:

According to a recent press release, Fonteva is a “leading provider of membership and events solutions built on Salesforce®, Fonteva helps associations streamline their day-to-day operations by delivering highly configurable applications on one innovative platform.” One of the main Fonteva products is their event software which allows charities to execute events with ease.  

Fonteva includes numerous features that enable a nonprofit to organize an event and see it to fruition. Popular features of the tool include an event lifecycle management tool, attendee management, and reports and dashboards to make it easy to track key metrics.  Users pay yearly for access to the software which includes two free upgrades per year. Monthly payments start at $175 per user.

Ease of Use:

While many softwares today integrate with Salesforce- Fonteva was created by Salesforce which means nonprofits can say goodbye to time consuming and expensive integrations. Fonteva offers both in-person and online training to staff who are not familiar with Salesforce or need the extra guidance. Many customers on review websites such as Capterra and G2 commend the tool for how easy and accessible it is to use.

Technology Needed:

The tool is considered a SaaS or software as a service and is based on the cloud. The software is not available on-premises.

Recap:

Fonteva is a tool that enables nonprofits to build relationships, organize events and understand their membership base better. It is a SaaS tool and is based solely on the cloud. One of their products is Fonteva Events which allows charities to organize their annual galas and fundraising events. With Fonteva, charities can create responsive microsites, manage ticket transactions and registrations to ensure their event is successful.

 As a SaaS, users must pay for the software yearly with a one-time installation fee. Other than that there are no hidden fees – and a membership enables users to bi-annual upgrades.

Advantages:

• A Fonteva membership includes access to all of their products – not just the events
• No need for multiple softwares to execute your event – Fonteva is comprehensive and comes with registration management, ticketing, and reporting

Disadvantages:

• According to G2 the app costs $175 per user
• According to some reviews - response times to issues can be slow

My Opinion

 If you are one of the 30,000 nonprofit organizations who currently use Salesforce – I would encourage you to watch a free demo of the software. With different products associated with Fonteva it appears like a great tool build your membership base and execute events.

I do find that $175 per user is not practical for small-medium based charities – especially those that are made predominately of of volunteers.

It is important for a company of any size to compare metrics consistently throughout the fiscal year to ensure they are on the right track to achieving their monetary goals. This is no different for nonprofit organizations regardless of size. Comparing donor statistics year-over-year and week-over-week will allow an organization to understand which areas they are more successful and which areas they can improve. If only there was a dashboard which allowed nonprofit organizations to see their donor data in real time…thankfully Causeview saw the lack of software and invented a way to help nonprofits retain their donors. That software, is GivingTrak and it’s free. 

In Use:  

GivingTrak provides nonprofits with the dashboard they need to view and track their donor data – whether it’s active donors or retention rate.  Besides being free- the best part of GivingTrak is donors don’t have to wait a full calendar year to get results – GivingTrak refreshes each client’s dashboards weekly so charities can get a current view of where they stand and how their metrics compare with last week or last month.  

GivingTrak is currently free and includes goal setting, onboarding, and weekly automated data updates. Starting in the Spring, GivingTrak is offering a monthly subscription to GivingTrak Pro for $99/month. This will include industry benchmarks, data query, and segmented donor types. 

Technology Used: 

GivingTrak resides on the cloud so there is no need for a charity to download any software in order to get started. They will however – have to upload their donor data so the dashboard can accurately display their results. To do this – GivingTrak integrates with certain CRMs and are working on building connectors for others.  

Ease of Use:  

Not everyone is a “numbers” person. For those who aren’t – the dashboard is an easy way to digest these metrics. GivingTrak is easy to view and easy to understand with numerous graphs that display everything from lifetime value, average annual giving, retention rate, and total fundraising income. The dashboard also compares year-over-year statistics so nonprofits can make an educated choice on how best to manage their donor base.  

Recap: 

GivingTrak was implemented in November of 2019 and is a free dashboard for nonprofits to display and  analyze their donor data. GivingTrak is new but they have big plans ahead.  

Advantages:  

• GivingTrak does not ask for any personal donor information and instead relies on the Donor ID to base a nonprofit’s dashboard on – thus insuring a donor’s privacy. 
• GivingTrak’s dashboard is updated every Sunday – so a nonprofit’s statistics will never be outdated. 
• Nonprofits can visually see how they measure up to themselves year-over-year enabling them to make the right choices for themselves 
• The dashboard is free  

Disadvantages:  

• While they are working on integrating with more CRMs, at the moment they do not connect with Blackbaud.  
• $99/month for GivingTrak Pro will benefit medium-large nonprofits but will cost too much for small charities take advantage of. 

My Opinion:  

GivingTrak is a great way for any nonprofit to track their donor metrics. The easy-to-read dashboard lets anyone from a key stakeholder to a data analyst quickly see and process donor metrics. The weekly refresh allows those metrics to be up-to-date so the organization can get a clear view of their donor base.  

GivingTrak has only been around for a few months but they have already helped so many nonprofits understand their data. In the future, GivingTrak wants to offer benchmark statistics, and advice to nonprofits who want to know how they compare to similar charities. 

As shelter-in-place ordinances extend across the world, many people are struggling to find refuge in safe harbors outside their homes. Because, for some, home is not the safest place. In these trying times, nonprofit organizations around the nation are using technology to help the people who need it the most.

To help other nonprofits reach the communities they serve I wanted to share the heroic ways crisis response nonprofits are using technology to help people grappling with issues ranging from hunger to abuse during the pandemic. 

Safely deploying emergency food assistance

After seeing an unprecedented increase in the need for the food they rescue and deliver during COVID-19, City Harvest utilized Plentiful to help New Yorkers stay up to date with the latest information on how to safely access the food they need. With Plentiful’s SMS-based reservation system New York residents can schedule times to pick up food from a pantry with just a text message.

Before the current crisis, Plentiful saved residents 45 minutes of wait time and helped users plan around their work schedules to avoid waiting in harsh weather. Now, the technology mitigates the need for crowded lines and empowers food pantry staff and volunteers to safely distribute food, which has resulted in 62% more clients texting in to schedule appointments than usual. Plentiful also empowers pantries to message residents who’ve used their services in the past with the latest information on open hours and food availability. Over the last week, pantry partners sent 474% more messages compared to their average.

Giving hope to those in despair

Fear of illness, anxiety around job security and concern for sick loved ones has caused individuals to seek support. After seeing a 116% increase in inbound texts and a 50% spike in conversations about the virus, Crisis Text Line doubled the capacity of its hotline and used an SMS shortcode to help individuals around the globe.

Additionally, organizations like Lifeline Australia have also geared up to tackle similar problems. To provide resources and non-judgmental support Lifeline Australia spun up a cloud-based remote escalation portal to continue to address the uptick in call volume surrounding COVID-19.

Helping families care for children struggling with substance use

Parents sheltering with their children now have to navigate new questions about whether to allow substance use in the home. In fact, some might have to confront children leaving the house to access drugs, potentially exposing family members to more risk. The Center on Addiction and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids developed a new COVID-19 resource center and are using its helpline and text messaging to help family members who have a loved one struggling with alcohol or substance use problems.

“Parents and caregivers need more help than ever on how best to support their children at home,” said Fred Muench, President of Center on Addiction. “Through our text COVID Program and one-on-one digital helpline service, family members now have a discrete way to get support.”

By offering various channels, such as voice, video and SMS, the Center on Addiction has seen a 37% increase in the amount of back and forth text messages and a 10% increase in the time individuals are staying on the phone compared to this time last year.

Helping sexual abuse survivors cope

RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which provides free, anonymous and confidential support to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones.

According to Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN, “Last month half of the users on RAINN’s online hotline were minors. Of these, 67% identified their perpetrator as a family member and, of those, 79% said they were living with that perpetrator. With kids cut off from their safety net, abuse reports have declined — not because there is less abuse, but as a byproduct of children having less contact with adults outside the home.”

The power of communications

Now, more than ever, we’re seeing the power of communications to support at-risk communities. Even a simple phone call or text message can make a big impact on someone struggling during this difficult time.

Erin Reilly, Twilio Chief Social Impact Officer

As your company grows, your payroll becomes even more complex.Businesses can lose valuable time settling employee balance sheets when they could be increasing revenue. Business owners should instead can explore several accounting options. These include:

1. Payroll software
2. In-house accounting team
3. Payroll provider

In this article, we review the benefits and drawbacks of each payroll option so you can decide how to best handle your payroll responsibilities.

Payroll Software Simplifies Small Business Accounting

Even with a small team, tasks associated with payroll can eat up hours every week.

Payroll responsibilities might appear simple on the outside, but there are several tasks involved, including:

• Tracking time and attendance
• Calculating payments for employee checks, tax deductions, retirement funds, and insurance premiums
• Making payments to employees, the government, retirement funds, and insurance agencies

In addition to that, all records, deductions, and payments must achieve a perfect level of accuracy, or you risk falling short of your legal obligations.

Payroll software takes hours of work off your hands every week by managing all of the payments, filings, deposits, and reports associated with payroll.

Most payroll software only requires you to input employees’ hours and wage information.

For example, the suite of automated solutions for payroll software provides may include:

• Payroll processing and tax payments
• Manages direct deposits
• Provides a self-service interface for employee onboarding.

Payroll software can be an excellent solution for small businesses. You don’t need to be a computer whiz to run the software, but it helps to have a tech-familiar staff member who can get you set up and running smoothly with your new software.

Many payroll software services also provide phone support, which is a helpful resource when you’re getting started.

Despite all its advantages, payroll software still requires business owners to set up their systems and leaves them vulnerable to data-entry errors or mistakes that can result in an inaccurate balance sheet, disgruntled employees and contractors, or even government penalties and fines.

In-House Teams Allow Flexibility, But May Lack Experience

In-house accounting teams that manage payroll keep your private information “in the family” and often feel like the most comfortable option available.

In-house teams also are more flexible and amenable to immediate tasks and requests.

Unfortunately, in-house payroll teams can have a couple of serious drawbacks.

First, costs associated with in-house teams can be a poor investment. Each member of your team represents the cost of a full-time salary and benefits package, which can be pricey compared to payroll software or even outsourced accounting.

In addition, in-house employees can put your company at risk since you bear legal responsibility for any mistakes, poor choices, or fraud that may take place.

Payroll Providers

If your business needs  human resources to manage its payroll needs, consider outsourcing your responsibilities to a payroll provider for a safer and more efficient process.

Hiring a payroll provider means you have a team experts that takes all the work off of your hands, including:

• Setup
• Employee onboarding
• Deductions
• Reports, tracking, and employee payments
• Insurance, tax, and retirement payments

Full-service payroll experts can be expensive, but the investment may be worth it for many companies.

About 40% of small businesses incur an average of $845 a year in IRS penalties.

Full-service payroll experts significantly reduce your risk of penalties and work with you to resolve any issues.

Professional firms abide by all current laws and regulations while also taking accountability for the quality of their work. If they do make a mistake, they cover the cost of fines and penalties.

Although outsourcing your payroll can be costly, it puts your private information in safe hands and ensures that your system is in the hands of experts.

In turn, a professional service frees up time for your staff to focus solely on building your business can result in a higher ROI, turning the associated costs into one of the best decisions you make.

Payroll Services Can Save Valuable Time and Resources

Managing your payroll services in-house could mean your company is losing precious time and resources while also putting you at risk for potential fines and penalties.

Payroll software or dedicated payroll services help you save time and reduce risks involved in the complex tasks related to payroll processing.

Riley Panko is a Marketing Communications Manager for Clutch, a platform for B2B research, ratings, and reviews.

The year 2020 is perhaps the toughest year for every business, and nonprofits have not been spared. The extent of destruction and pain that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused is unimaginable, and this might just be the beginning. In the United States alone, more than 50,000 lives have been lost, and millions of livelihoods torn apart due to the after-effects of the pandemic. This might just be a tip on the iceberg as many losses are yet to be witnessed. As companies continue losing money, and employees get furloughed, nonprofits are facing many challenges that they have never experienced before. Nonprofits have offered essential support for people to get through crises before. As they carry on with their operations, they should expect their funding to reduce significantly due to economic slowdown. Owing to the changes that have been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits should take the following measures:

Anticipate

During this time of crisis, one should expect the worst to come as everyone is vulnerable to this new strain of coronavirus. Although you may have no cases of infection in your nonprofit at the moment, you should be vigilant at all times. Expect far-reaching impacts of the virus to the nonprofit sector as potential donors get hit by the loss of businesses and jobs. The damage that the pandemic brings is different than what most nonprofits have experienced before since the effects cut across all sectors, unlike natural disasters, that are mainly bound by geography.

Understand your situation

Before you begin anything, understand the situation of your organization by getting all the information about cash flow. Nonprofits can make the best decisions when there is clear and accurate information about money circulation and cash flow projection in a time of crisis.  If your organization has not made cash flow projections, now is the best time. An accurate cash flow projection lets the management and board see if and when the organization may experience shortages of cash so that members of the board can start deciding what to do to solve the problem beforehand.

Establish and monitor your options

As soon as you have understood the current cash flow situation in your organization, plan for different scenarios and gauge what needs to be done for you to continue offering services. Build realistic scenarios of “what ifs” to help in responding to different management and leadership during unpredictable events that may come up. If an organization is faced with a loss of revenue that may affect the payment of employees, there is a need to anticipate how programs and service delivery will be affected and prepare strategies to respond.

Be honest with your donors

If your nonprofit is struggling financially or operationally, it is always important to be honest with your donors about the challenges you are experiencing and what you require to remain afloat. Although this can be difficult, explain how the unforeseen circumstances have affected your operations and a plan that you are working on to ensure things work. In a time like this, when many people are facing countless challenges, it can be challenging to get all the help you need. However, some people are ready to listen and provide grants that can help cover the financial burden that your organization is carrying.

Communicate

Communication is key to everything. Bring staff, funders, and board up to speed on the current situation in the organization and what you require to do to respond to the needs. Communicating ensures that everyone plays their part to achieve goals and keep going. You may need to persuade them to work extra hard to achieve more during extraordinary circumstances and motivate them to be time conscious.

Keep reminding them that the organization is at a unique territory and how their help is needed to steer things even when the situation does not permit.

When it comes to using remote tools to support workforce, nonprofit sector organizations appear to have been left behind compared to technology companies. This is due to technology and infrastructure costs that are often high or unavailable at all. The truth in this, however, is that there are many advantages that remote tools can offer. They can enhance productivity and can help nonprofits do highly critical tasks and increase their funding altogether. According to a report by the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the amount of donations continues growing, but the number of nonprofits has also increased. The US alone has more than 1.5 million active charitable organizations that conduct different fundraising activities. Due to this surge, nonprofits must find ways to articulate their cause and compel donors to give more if they are to remain viable. This can only be achieved by using digital tools that connect potential donors to different causes.

Even with the right target, messages must be packaged to resonate well with potential donors. Nonprofit Hub points out that fundraising teams need to think outside the box to ensure that the messages they deliver are always appealing to the donor base. Regular practice will also improve pitches by ensuring consistent content and the right context. Since donors are moved by the consistency of efforts and messages, nonprofits should find tools that help them deliver consistent appeals and pitches to their donor base.

While consistency is a good thing, being specific is highly crucial as it allows donors to know your intention, the amount required and the timelines that the amount should be availed. Always keep your messages focused and understandable. Some of the essential tools that can help you achieve the above include:

Mobile point of sale (POS) systems

As mobile technologies continue revolutionizing different fields, fundraising has not been left behind. Mobile POS systems are no longer cumbersome. They can now be used in small handheld card readers attached to smartphones. This advancement has taken POS to another level as they can be carried around, making it easy for the staff of nonprofits to collect donations without necessarily handling cash. They can be integrated with customer relationship management (CRM) tools to ensure all collections are recorded and receipts printed as a confirmation that donations have been received.

Cloud-based desktop solutions

One of the issues with supporting remote fundraisers is offering them an environment and resources that are needed to access their office. In the past, this was difficult and costly for nonprofits that needed to spend the minimum amount of money they can so that they can save the rest. However, with the advancements that have been made in technology and cloud computing in particular, this is not a challenge anymore. It is now easy to access the main office securely. This allows employees of nonprofits to work from anywhere at any time without worrying about cost. Some of the cloud-based solutions that a nonprofit can take advantage of include Office365, Zoom and G Suite, and others.

Rugged devices

Fundraisers participate in activities that require them to cover substantial areas to meet potential donors for specific causes. This is sometimes difficult because weather conditions and different other factors may be harsh. Despite these challenges, donation drives must be carried out if deadlines and causes are to be funded. To solve this problem, cost-effective technologies such as Chromebooks that are portable, less costly and durable can be acquired for nonprofit staff to keep them doing their work even under unfavourable conditions without breaking the bank.

In short, while fundraising can be an uphill task with lots of challenges, equipping staff with the latest remote technologies will ensure the message is not only received but the amount of donation to meet different demands is collected as well. Some of these technologies include cloud-based desktop solutions, rugged devices, POS systems and tablets, among others.

You can now say “Alexa make a donation to_____” and have Alexa use your Amazon pay account to make a donation up to $5,000.  Currently, this program is only available to select charities that have been invited by Amazon. However, it is likely that this program will be a hit with both donors and nonprofits, so it is something that you should have on your radar for the upcoming year. 

Another high tech trend to watch for 2020 is the rise in giving via a blockchain platform. A blockchain platform is  a public ledger relying on globally distributed historical transactions to prevent tampering and fraud. 

Blockchain was designed to offer a higher level of transparency for transactions. Many donors wish to know that their donations are going directly to the charity that they have selected for the express purpose of funding a certain project. A blockchain giving platform can give them that piece of mind. 

BitGive’s GiveTrack is an example of one such platform. BitGive shares detailed real time information about the financial and project status of the charities that they work with that are accepting donations via GiveTrack.

Global Giving is a crowdfunding platform designed to help small nonprofits raise awareness and money. Global Giving is also a nonprofit, which means it understands what nonprofits need to run a successful fundraising campaign. 

Global Giving also understands that small nonprofits don’t have a large budget, so there is no application fee to join the  Global Giving platform. There is no monthly subscription fee, however Global Givings has a 3% transaction fee along with a sliding scale support fee of 5-12% of collected donations. 

The site offers a host of training and support options for nonprofits that join the platform. There are webinars, training libraries, workshops, one on one phone consultations or site visits.  The platform has tools like gamification and incentives to increase donations. 

The platform offers all the standard fundraising campaign tools, including metrics, donor engagement, social media integration. What it also offers is opportunities to partner with large companies for matching grants, or specific giving programs with the company.

know your audience in order to determine if live streaming is right for your nonprofit. The people you want to engage through a live stream have to be savvy enough to access your video feed so that they aren’t overwhelmed or frustrated by the experience. Beyond this point, your decision should come down to value—both to the viewer and to your organization.

If your organization is exploring adding a livestream to your next event there are a few things that you should consider. First, is your event the type of event that makes for a good livestream. 

The purpose of the livestream is to generate enthusiasm and excitement from those who are unable to attend in person. The event you are live streaming has to be visually interesting enough to keep your online viewer engaged. The most successful live streams are based on events that have an element of excitement to them. Is your event a fashion show? Will there be cute animals?--you can never go wrong livestreaming cute animals.  Also, if your event includes a celebrity guest that you know people who were unable to attend in person would love to see, 

After determining if your event is right for a livestream, it’s time to consider if your intended audience is right for a livestream. If your audience is comfortable using Twitch, YouTube or social media, if you chose to livestream via Facebook than live streaming is a good idea. If your audience is not comfortable with those platforms it doesn’t mean that you can’t do a livestream it just means that you may not get a huge return from the event. 

Next, it’s time to plan your livestream events content. Think of your live stream as the modern equivalent to a charity telethon-except instead of broadcasting on TV your using the internet. A telethon doesn’t consist of a single still shot of the action and neither should your livestream. 

Create a content script. If your are doing a fashion show consider doing interviews with the models or designers (or stores that donated the fashion). Have a host roving the audience,anything to spice up the broadcast. Remember you want to keep the excitement going. 

Many livestream apps allow your organization to collect donations directly from the livestream platform, so make sure your call to action is clear. 

EveryAction wants to be everything to every nonprofit. This cloud based platform offers fundraising, advocacy, organizing and digital all in one package. 

For fundraising, you can use the platform to create a simple donation page for your website. You can also use the platform to track major gifts, pledges and other donations. And, you can run an online auction with it as well. 

Get all your advocacy done with social matching and listening which lets you monitor and track influential supporters and it has an advocacy module that makes it easy for you to turn your advocates into donors. 

Organize your supporters with the built in tools to manage your volunteers and coordinate your canvassing or phone bank events. 

The digital portion lets you build multi channel ad campaigns. The platform includes data visualization tools so you can make use of all the various data sets that your organization accumulates. 

Nonprofits can make the most out the remaining giving days in the year, reports The Nonprofit Times. 

You’ve survived Giving Tuesday – and hopefully come out of it with a nice boost of donation revenue for your nonprofit.

Read article on The Nonprofit Times

New Story, a nonprofit that focuses on using tech to build affordable housing, plans on having 50 new homes erected a Mexico community by the end of 2020. 

A giant 3D printer built two houses in an impoverished, rural part of Mexico last week, breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed neighborhood in the world.

Read article on Fox 2 Now

According to the Biz Tech Magazine, integrated giving is one of several technology trends that will impact nonprofits in 2020. 

Nonprofits have a lot on their plates. Charitable giving took a hit last year, declining for the first time since the Great Recession, forcing organizations to do more with less.

Read article on Biz Tech Magazine

Mobile friendly devices help contribute to the success of #GivingTuesday, reports Biz Tech Magazine.  

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are all behind us, but the long Thanksgiving weekend isn’t over yet. Many will be digging deep into their pockets again today, but not for themselves—this time, it’s for Giving Tuesday. 

Read article on BizTech Magazine