Fundraising is a critical component of any successful nonprofit organization. While it may be essential, it is also time consuming. Reaching out to donors takes time. Often, the end result falls flat. SimioCloud (owned by Moore, a provider of performance-driven marketing solutions), recently announced their newest solution, SimioAudience in hopes to cut down the time an organization needs to fundraise by providing a list of prospect donors that have given to similar nonprofits in the past.

In Use

Touted as a next-generation cooperative database designed specifically for nonprofit fundraising – SimioAudience aims to deliver real-time insights on donor information. According to Doug Kaczmarek, the Chief Data Officer of Moore, SimioAudience is a co-operative database that is able to identify new perspective donors using machine learning capabilities to develop predictive models. Unlike their competitors who only have access to transactional information – SimioAudience can provide their clients with distinct donor history to get more accurate results. This means a nonprofit more time marketing to those that statistically have a better chance of donating to their cause.

To get the most out of the solution, SimioAudience is geared towards mid-large level nonprofit organizations and they recommend each nonprofit have at least 5 thousand donors with a robust growth plan. Interested parties rent the list from SimioAudience as a “one time” which Kaczmarek states is industry practice. The platform charges nonprofits $65 per 1,000 names.

Ease of Use:

SimioAudience is easy to use because clients receive a report of targeted donors that are highly likely to engage with the charity.  There’s no dashboard or back-end platforms that the clients have to manage. SimioAudience will analyze the data on the backend and send their clients a curated list full of donors that are more than likely to donate.

Technology Needed:

What sets SimioAudience apart from their competition is that they are based in the cloud. Therefore, they have the advantage of having up-to-date donor information where other co-operative databases may only update their database once or twice a month.

SimioAudience also makes it a point to connect billions of data points through their machine learning and AI capabilities. This ensures their predictive models are equipped with making precise recommendations.

Recap:  

In a press release in late September, chief executive officer of Moore, Gretchen Littlefield explained, “SimioAudience identifies new and emerging donors using cloud-based processing, transactional data and machine learning technologies unlike any other data source. It’s truly the next generation co-op.” The platform works by collecting donor data so SimioAudience is able to provide a concise report of potential donors to clients. By using predictive models, SimioAudience is able to predict which donors are most likely to respond and donate and which donors are not. This way nonprofits can spend their time and money marketing to the correct people. 

Advantages:

• SimioAudience is based in the cloud so their database is always updated with the latest donor pool
• They use predictive analytics, and many data points to predict which donors will likely respond and ultimately donate
• There is no dashboard or heavy lifting on the client’s part. They will receive a curated report that they use for their marketing initiatives.

Disadvantages:

• This is geared towards mid-large nonprofits. Nonprofits must have at least 5 thousand donors to participate
• There’s no guarantee that the donors in the report SimioAudience provides will actually donate
• You are expected to give your donor information to SimioAudience to contribute to the database

My Opinion

I think SimioAudience can provide great benefits to large nonprofit organization looking for a list of potential donors. Because they’re based in the cloud their information is constantly being updated. It’s also nice that there is no heavy listing on the nonprofit’s side.

As a data nerd I think it’s really interesting that they’re using predictive analytics and AI to predict potential donors. I think this is something that we’ve been seeing from tech companies and will continue to see more and more.  At the same time, I would still struggle with providing my donor data despite Kaczmarek assurance that all data is anonymized. 

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on annual events and galas for the bulk of their donations. Since the pandemic – many nonprofits have had to cancel or postpone their events. Others have opted to switch to virtual events – but that comes with its own set-backs and learning curves. Ujama, a predominately mobile app hopes that their application can change the way charities set up and carry out their annual events.

In Use:

Ujama was founded in 2016 by CEO, Hugh Molotsi. The mobile app was originally started as a way to bring parents together - to “alleviate the burden of challenges” such as transportation, pick up time, and after-school activities. Since its inception four years ago, the app has expanded into a tool that nonprofit organizations can utilize to promote virtual events and silent auctions. The app is currently free for nonprofits to use and consists mainly of a chat function. One nonprofit, Assisted Animal Happiness uses this feature to place items up for bid that donors can purchase on the app.

Ease of Use:

Because Ujama is mainly a message board it is pretty easy to maneuver and bid on items. Ujama also acts as an app to bring parents together in the community – so it may be confusing at first for a donor. I recently spoke to Vicki Amon-Higaof, co-founder of Assisted Animal Happiness located in the Bay Area. She realized she could use Ujama to post items for their silent auction prior to their Virtual Evening at the Barnyard Fundraiser – an event that they usually host in person. “We have been able to put the URL on our website and other material and send people right into the chat,” she explained after hearing about Ujama from Michelle Molotsi who is also on the Board of Directors at Assisted Animal Happiness. So far, Vicki is impressed with the results. She noticed that some people join the chat and come back often – bidding on and watching items that they’re interested in.

Technology Needed:

Ujama is a free mobile app that is available on both Android and iPhone devices. When purchasing items or bidding in a silent auction – users purchase the item through the app itself. When asked about security concerns – Molotsi explained the app uses Stripe to process payments. “Buyers are charged the payment fees and not the recipients, so nonprofits keep all the money they raise.” Molotsi added, “Ujama does not make any money on payment fees.”

Recap:

Nonprofit organizations can use Ujama, a mobile app for chat features, and virtual silent auctions where donors can bid and purchase items in lieu of an in-person event. A charity can send a link to a potential donor to download the app and participate on the platform. As of now the mobile app is free for charities to use.

Advantages

• It is a free mobile app that nonprofits can use for silent auctions
• Easy to navigate
• Donors can bid on items and purchase them through the app
• Ujama uses Stripe – a secure payment processing tool

Disadvantages

• Could be confusing since the app was originally made for parents to connect
• No “Help” button within the app

My Opinion

Ujama recently rolled out their mobile app to nonprofit organizations. At the moment it just consists of a chat functionality. That being said - Assisted Animal Happiness has had success using the tool for their silent auction and is happy with the app.

In the future, if Ujama is serious about making this a tool for nonprofits – I would like to see more tools that nonprofits can utilize instead of just the chat function.

After numerous privacy and security concerns many nonprofit organizations had second thoughts about employing Zoom as their go-to video conference platform. But with Covid-19 showing no signs of letting up – charities couldn’t just eliminate their contract – they had to make sure they had another video-conferencing platform set up.

Many of these nonprofits turned to Boardable – a board management software designed specifically for nonprofits in mind. While the software offers many other capabilities – they recently introduced their newest tool – Boardable Meetings with Video to alleviate customers’ needs for virtual meetings during the pandemic.

In Use:

Boardable software was developed by CEO and Founder Jeb Banner in 2016 after realizing that there were no board management platforms catering to nonprofits. He remembers managing board of directors trying to utilize tools that weren’t solving the core issues that his boards were facing. Instead of complaining, Banner decided to take a leap of faith and build an initial version of what is today known as Boardable.

While Boardable existed well before the pandemic - Boardable Meetings with Video came about as a direct result of many nonprofits forced to work remotely. Banner hopes that with Boardable Meetings with Video, he can “bring board experience to board members where they are digital living.” 

While some businesses use Boardable, it’s priced to where nonprofits whether they are small or large can utilize the platform. Pricing starts at $79 per month for 10 users and goes up to $299 per month for large, well established nonprofits. All companies wanting to try Boardable can access it free with a 30-day trial so they can test it before they use it – a big draw for charities hesitant about making the switch.

Technology Used:

Boardable Meetings with Video is located on the cloud. It also has an app for Android and iPhones so a board member can call in to a meeting virtually anywhere. When asked about security issues Banner assured me that one cannot “zoom” bomb a meeting – or pop into a meeting that he or she was not invited to. “You have to have a boardable account,” explains Banner. Authentication begins with an email address and if one does not have an account the host must add them to the meeting in order for the user to gain entrance.

Ease of Use

Customers think Boardable as a whole is easy to use so it makes sense that Boardable Meetings with Video is as well. Users can take advantage of the 30-day free trial to learn the system. Remember that this platform is very new so they may have to be patient as the platform works out the kinks in the system. Banner discussed how passionate he is about ensuring his customers benefit from the tool and is always eager to hear feedback whether positive or negative. Because of that he states that Boardable is always pushing out new releases to the software.

Recap:

Boardable is a board management software aimed at nonprofits. With boardable users can build agendas, record meetings, vote digitally, and store documents for ease of use. With the Covid-19 forcing volunteers and employees to work remotely Boardable introduced Boardable Meetings with Video which allows board of directors to get together digitally to hold meetings and vote. Affordably priced for charities – it’s an alternative to Zoom, WebEx, and other video conference platforms. Unlike other conferencing platforms, Boardable Meetings with Video has nonprofits best interests in mind – because it was built for them.

Advantages:

• Built specifically for nonprofits forced to work remotely due to Covid-19
• Different price-points for different size charities and nonprofits
• Free 30-day trial
• Includes more than just video conferencing – users can vote, e-signatures, save documents, and record minutes
• Mobile apps for Androids and iPhones

Disadvantages

• The video-conference tool is so new – they have not had time to figure out all of the kinks and fix them
• Compared to Zoom which is free to use – charities may opt for that

My Opinion

I have a confession. I hold a special place in my heart for software that’s created with nonprofit organizations in mind. Often times, nonprofits have to use outdated, cheap, and cumbersome tools because they don’t have the money to afford the latest platforms.

Boardable Meetings with Video is more than just a conferencing platform. With the monthly fees charities are also get the abilities to hold votes, save documents, and build agendas. It’s an interesting software to check out if you’re not satisfied with your current video-conferencing service. With a 30-day free trial – charities don’t have much to lose.

Fundraising is only one factor needed to run a successful nonprofit. There are also bills to be paid and taxes that are due that go along in “keeping the lights on” at a nonprofit.  A nonprofit whether large or small  should invest in a bookkeeping software to make sure that all of their transactions are in order. Nonprofit Treasurer is a software geared towards small nonprofits that will help them balance their books and build financial reports to get an accurate picture of their finances.

In Use:

The free bookkeeping software was built especially for small nonprofits and volunteer treasurers within the organization. The software enables a charity to “build trust, ease financial oversight, and reduce the burden of volunteer board roles.” Nonprofit Treasurer allows charities to build reports on their modern dashboard that’s easy to maneuver. With the software - nonprofits can import transactions, track expenses, and download budget performance reports on a monthly or yearly basis.

Ease of Use:

Users overwhelmingly agree that Nonprofit Treasurer is easy to use. Not only is it easy to use, but many nonprofits found that it was easy to learn as well.

The only issue from a functionality standpoint is that there is no “contact us” page within the website -  nor is there an email that a user or potential customer can use to contact support nor is there an “about us” page.  A recent review on Facebook stated, “when we tried to reach out to them for help we found NO contact information in the site, Facebook, YouTube, or any other place.” The review went on to say they tried to message the software via Twitter but did not receive a response.

Technology Needed:

Nonprofit Treasurer is a cloud-based software. The company boasts that their login is secure and uses bi-directional encryption. For security measures, nonprofits are allowed to give users credentials but can revoke them at any time if they were to leave the company or their role within the company changes.

Recap:

Nonprofit Treasurer is a free bookkeeping software that is geared towards small nonprofits. Nonprofit Treasurer enables users to bill, invoice, and track expenses all from the cloud. The dashboard is clean, and is easy to use which is crucial for small nonprofits who do not have a lot of time to learn new software.

Advantages:

• Nonprofit Treasurer includes everything a small nonprofit needs to run their organization from an accounting perspective
• Dashboard is user friendly and easy to explore
• Reporting is extensive enough for a small charity

Disadvantages:

• Customer Service is lacking as there is no contact page or email address
• There is no “About Us” page and little is known about the organization
• Website is outdated as well as the videos on their YouTube
• Small nonprofits will eventually grow out of Nonprofit Treasurer as they get bigger

My Opinion:

Nonprofit Treasurer is a great tool for HOA boards and small nonprofits who don’t have too many expenses. Many customers commend it’s ease of use, and the reports that they are able to pull using the software.

Usually my stance on free software is to give it a try because you don’t have much to lose. That being said, I would encourage you to do your research on Nonprofit Treasurer before uploading your sensitive data. I am not saying don’t use the software – just be cautious. If it were me I would make sure I had a conversation with the founder about privacy issues and who would have access to my data before uploading it to the dashboard.

Today’s diverse cyber threats, from ransomware, phishing and malware to rogue mobile apps place an enormous burden on information security organizations. We built RiskIQ, to provide comprehensive discovery, intelligence, and mitigation of threats associated with an organization’s digital presence, help businesses leverage the technologies and tools necessary to analyze cyber-attacks, assess risk, and take action against those digital threats.

Technology, when implemented correctly, can have a profound impact on the success of any business. While our primary goal is to deliver innovative security technologies to our customers, we needed to evolve the technology implementations within our own organization, specifically in our financial function, in order to strengthen our decisions making as we grew and efficiently identify risk factors that could slow our growth from needing to scale existing, and new, processes.  

Revenue Operations as a Guide for Growth

Many Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies are using technologies to implement revenue operations (RevOps) to determine their revenue. Essentially RevOps links marketing, sales, and customer success operations across the customer lifecycle to drive efficiency and keep all teams accountable to revenue. SaaS organizations have traditionally created sales operations to handle pipeline management, and marketing operations to manage the funnel. Today, with the rise of subscription models, revenue operations is becoming the platform to tackle the unique priorities that come from this type of business.

We adopted Sage Intacct to support our finance, sales, marketing and customer success teams with RevOps to uncover process bottlenecks so that we can make day-to-day improvements on the business and bring in more revenue opportunities. Sage Intacct allows virtually automated revenue recognition that used to require hours of error-prone Excel work and streamlines sales’ processes. By doing so, we’re able to be much more successful in bringing in revenue and creating opportunities for across the organization. 

Innovation in Financial Systems Leads to Growth

By having RevOps working across people, process, and technology outside of departmental silos, we have already had five big outcomes. 

• Building a 12-month forecast (A tremendous feat in the current global pandemic)
• Automating subscription billing with new pricing models
• Forecast billings across the entire customer lifetime so we can understand our financial outlook, have confidence in our 6 Cs tracking, and have the business leaders know their key metrics
• These insights allowed us to create a trigger-based hiring plan with our Chief Product Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. Essentially, when we hit a revenue goal, we can open a tranche for hiring. 

• Offering that kind of value to the C-suite takes our work from RevOps and finance to helping build the company. That’s what I want to be able to do and I think that’s what everybody wants to be able to do.

• Built reports and dashboards for our board meetings. A process that used to take three to five days can now be done within 45 minutes. This time saving gives our board a full week to review past financial data ahead of our board meetings, allowing them to dedicate more conversation on future planning and growth opportunities, instead of debating the data.  It is a whole new level of conversation on guiding our growth. 

Here is one specific example of a process we were able to change.  We had to outsource the work done on commissions to a third-party consultant, which amounted to $5,000 per month. The work was very time consuming and done traditionally in Microsoft Excel. We knew we had to implement a more streamlined method to deliver its month-end closing. When we implemented Sage Intacct, the finance team was able to slice and dice the data which delivered granular insights into the expenses in sales and marketing, including on the CAC to win a customer. This led to huge improvements in the quality of financial reports and more importantly, the new finance platform was able to automate and effectively calculate commissions in-house - which translated to a $50,000 savings that we put into other automation investments.

Honing in on RevOps has allowed our organization to see where we have bottlenecks or potential problems. Now we can tackle those issues day over day and really improve the whole RevOps process. It means that, ultimately, we’re going to be much more successful in bringing in revenue and creating business opportunities for our company.

Masha Murphy, CPA,  is a Controller at RiskIQ, the leader in attack surface management.

As a nonprofit leader, you are obviously looking for creative ways to withstand competition in the ever-changing environment. Regardless of the size of your organization, you must, by all means, make use of resources at your disposal to increase the amount of funds you receive from donors. If you are looking for this, here are marketing ideas from successful nonprofits that can help your cause.

1. Create a clear, powerful tagline.

Come up with a clear and powerful tagline that will convince others to associate with your organization. As short as a tagline might appear, it is a powerful tool that you can use to show passion and help donors know what you offer and give you the support you need.

2. Come up with clear leadership protocols

 If the leadership of your organization and all the employees are positive enough and adopt the highest standards in their operations, the public will admire and trust them. This is an excellent first step towards engaging them and getting their support. Be consistent in how you present the organization to the world and how your employees behave. Always strive to excel in all you do.

3. Consider rebranding

Although your brand might have worked before, it does not mean that all has been well. In fact, you may need to relook at things such as your logo and image. Your logo may require redesign while your online presence might require some improvement.

4. Design an interactive website

Online presence is critical in the modern age, and this cannot be overemphasized when it comes to nonprofits. A website is the first place you can impress potential volunteers, supporters and clients. It is, therefore, vital that it is kept up to date and relevant. Add donation buttons and include information on your cause and purpose as well as stories.

5. Be present on social media

Just like a website or even more, no organization can compete in the world today can survive without social media presence. Always keep track of what is going on in social media and use different social media platforms to reach millions of internet users who can be potential donors, volunteers or supporters. Consider platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter and be involved.

6. Share objectives and results of your engagements

No matter the size of your organization, show your achievements and be honest while doing it. People like seeing the results of their efforts regardless of how small it may look.  It is crucial to go public on people who receive your services and those who are involved with your cause. People appreciate transparency on things such as how your nonprofit spends its donations and what it plans to do in future.

7. Establish a marketing budget and stick to it

Although nonprofits are different from for-profits, it has a few things in common. One of them is the marketing budget. Establish a proper marketing strategy and stick to it. This will allow you to achieve maximum results.  Budgeting helps manage costs and also gives an idea of where you can go and the things you can do to improve your nonprofit.

8. Send messages at the right time

Although messages and social media posts are important, posting them should not be done at any time. Before doing so, be strategic. Don’t make it hard for donors to track your messages on social media. Rather, find out the perfect days and time to post messages that have a higher chance of being read. For example, Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be the best days to send emails and messages while weekends and late at night are bad.

Marketing a nonprofit is one of the hardest things. It requires not only zeal and commitment but advanced and brand awareness as well. This type of marketing allows you to communicate the value of your mission and enables your nonprofit to reach supporters. With the ever-changing marketing landscape, it is upon the marketers to stay on top of things and ensure that donors are always on top regardless of the shift. Despite the changes and complicated nature of marketing in the nonprofit sector, there are some best practices that can be used to amplify the message and reach your donors.

Here are some lessons that can help you achieve success in your marketing campaigns:

1. Know your donors

Whether your organization is a nonprofit or for-profit, marketing strategy is never complete without knowing who your audience is. Just like meeting a new person, it is hard to engage in a meaningful conversation without knowing the person you are engaging. As a nonprofit marketer, gain a deep understanding of your donor base and what they love. Know what inspires them to give. After gaining this knowledge, design personalized content for them.  Go as far as creating donor personas for your nonprofit to allow you to improve your communication and engagement.

2. Build a brand

If you ever thought branding is only meant for for-profits, think again. Just like in corporations, building a brand is an important component that will enable you to develop an effective marketing strategy for your organization. Some of the biggest brands out there nowadays are nonprofits. An example is the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, among others. Build a brand for your nonprofit by creating a compelling mission statement and building a culture around it.

3. Take advantage of visual storytelling

Content marketing is all about creating content that is appealing to the mind of the viewer or reader. With the increasing power of digital content in the nonprofit sector, you should harness the power of visual storytelling. To get started, use things such as videos and photos of individuals affected by your mission. You can also use infographics to relay statistics about what you do and Vlogs or testimonials from staff, volunteers and fundraisers. High-quality content will boost your engagement with donors and will make your fundraising appear professional.

4. Have a serious online presence

Now more than ever, online presence is a non-negotiable approach to making your nonprofit known. With a large number of online marketing approaches today, it is important to choose what works perfectly for you. There are many online marketing methods than just sending emails. One of the best methods is displaying your content on a dynamic, interactive website. Ensure that your website is updated regularly with fresh and compelling content. Ensure you have an online donation platform because this is a great opportunity to increase reach and donations. Take advantage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to reach your clients and pass your message and appeals.

5. Be mobile-responsive

Smartphones have become undoubtedly the leading devices used to access the internet and information. Studies have shown that people tend to read messages on their phones more than they do on their desktops. More than 60% of emails are now being read on mobile devices. Ensure that you spend a lot of time designing emails that are responsive and friendly to your audience. Ensure that emails can adapt to mobile devices and can be read by anyone regardless of the sizes of their screens. Take advantage of email marketing templates such as those offered by MailChimp. Also, make sure that your checkout pages are mobile-responsive and get donations from every opportunity presented.

In a nutshell, although nonprofit marketing trends are ever-evolving, the above approaches can help you stand a chance against the rising competition. Nonprofits must therefore evolve with the environment if they are to fund their causes as they need.

If you run a nonprofit, it is no secret that 2020 has been the most challenging year than any other in history. Many leaders in the nonprofit sector are concerned about the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their fundraising efforts. Many have had to cancel their events while companies and individuals who would have potentially helped with the contribution have been rendered broke. Although it is overwhelming to run a nonprofit in 2020, especially for those who are in leadership positions, there are some few things you can do to reduce the challenges brought by the pandemic. Here are some things that top nonprofits are doing, and you should consider too when running a nonprofit in a current environment.

1. Do not stop mailing

During the past global and national crises such as the great depression and the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, some fundraisers halted their direct mailing programs while others continued with it. The difference was in the amount of revenue lost. While those that continued mailing made money, the ones that stopped lost revenue. Although there was a dip in revenue understandably due to the crisis, those that never stopped mailing received the money. Similarly, it would be best if you continued mailing your customers to keep your support base intact even when they do not contribute. Staying engaged to the donors keeps their loyalty to you.

2. Spend money on admin and fundraising

The biggest mistake that many nonprofits fail to realize in time of a crisis is spending money on programs but failing to fund the admin or trying to limit the expenditure on fundraising. Limiting the amount of money you spend on fundraising and admin is a losing game because it hampers the growth of your nonprofit. Even with the pandemic, try as much as possible to invest in things that spur growth such as fundraising and admin. This will help you raise money and fund programs. Administrative activities such as training will help your staff to understand how they can approach every situation and raise more funds. When you invest in raising money, you will get more of it.

3. Always show care and more love

As the pandemic continues biting, it is time now more than ever to show that you care. Do whatever is necessary to increase customer engagement. Consider using wellness calls to your mid to high-level contributors. Give them a feeling that you care and ask if they are OK. Make sure you understand the challenges they are facing during these challenging times and try to offer a word or two to assure you are there for them.

4. Don’t stop soliciting and cultivating

Although pandemics such as COVID-19 affect many livelihoods, you should never stop soliciting donors. It may seem weird doing so, but some donors are willing to give more now than ever before to help specific causes. At least, focus on your top to middle donors who are the largest contributors to your causes. Build a relationship with them and try to figure out the right time to solicit. Know what they are going through in their lives and keep closer to them as this will allow you to build a strong relationship with them.

5. Hold on

Pandemics are here for a short time, and they will be gone. Similarly, revenue problems will stay only for a while, and everything will fall into place. It cannot be the case, however, if you quit midway. The revenue will almost certainly shrink but will rebound eventually. When this happens, you should be able to expand from where you left and move on as you did before the pandemic. Perseverance is perhaps the biggest thing you will need in such a moment.

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. 

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