What do you get when you combine a content management software, a website builder, and a fundraising platform? A website solution exclusively for nonprofit organizations powered by Morweb. The company boasts that their solution is “a ridiculously easy nonprofit CMS platform to manage and grow a website.” While that’s quite the hype to live up to – I decided to find out for myself if Morweb truly was ridiculously easy to use.

In Use:

With limited time and resources – nonprofits struggle to build a website that will articulate their story and catch the eyes of donors. Morweb’s goal is to help nonprofits create a beautiful website that has all of the features they need to be successful whether that includes a content management platform, analytics, or a fundraising page to grow their online presence.

The subscription based platform is fully responsive and includes built-in modules such as event pages, blogs, and private pages that a charity can chose from to make their webpage unique.

Technology Used:

Morweb is based exclusively on the cloud and integrates with CRM-giant Salesforce, Stripe – a payment processing platform and Fundly – a fundraising website. These integrations help Morweb become an all-in-one tool where the charity never leaves Morweb’s page. Ultimately this produces a smooth user experience.

Ease of Use:

Founder and CEO of Morweb Murad Bushnaq gave me a demo of the platform. We looked at a website that used Morweb but he also showed me the backend that nonprofits use to create their websites. In the backend a user can upload pictures, change fonts, add backgrounds, and change the flow of their website. Everything they do happens in real time so they can see what their changes will look like before committing to it. To be honest it was a lot of information that isn’t necessarily difficult – it just takes time to learn all of Morweb’s capabilities.

If a user did run into any problems Morweb does have a chat functionality as well as a support center for training material.

Recap:

Morweb is an all-in-one website solution for nonprofits. Charities use Morweb to create an aesthetically pleasing site that will attract donors and incorporate tools they need to succeed whether that’s an event page, a blog, or a donation page.

The cost of Morweb ranges from $99 to $199 per month and depends on the size of the nonprofit and what their needs are. The subscription comes with training, and an eventual upgrade to Morweb 3.0 before the end of the year. The new platform will include a smoother user experience and an upgrade in analytics.

Advantages:

• Geared exclusively towards nonprofits – the company knows the challenges that charities face and are better suited to help them reach their goals.
• Charities pays one monthly price and receive access to a website builder, CRM, and donation page.
• Customers can receive help by email, phone, chat or through their support center if they run into any issues
• Morweb 3.0 will have a better user experience for nonprofits – making it easier for them to create an impactful website.

Disadvantages:

• Lacking extensive analytics. While they do offer clients some analytics it could be more robust
• I would like to see them integrate with more platforms in the future

My opinion:

Morweb has helped over 1,500 nonprofits build meaningful websites with limited resources. Morweb has thought a lot about the needs of a nonprofit and it shows from all of the capabilities and modules the platform allows. For future releases I would love to see them integrate with more platforms as well as build out their analytics program to allow nonprofits to export data.

In today’s society businesses rely on data to help them drive sales and finances, among other departments within the organization. Unfortunately, non-profit organizations are at a disadvantage as many cannot afford to hire a data team let alone one data analyst.  Thankfully in North Texas – CNM-Pact hopes to change this by putting their efforts into helping nonprofits in the region succeed.

In Use:

CNM-Pact was developed four years ago after the organization went through a strategic planning process. “One of the things that struck us was how much issues had grown over the last ten years,” Weinfurther explained. She went on to explain that issues such as poverty, health care, education and teen pregnancy were getting worse in North Texas despite all sources of giving including government, foundations, and corporations. With these additional resources these issues that plagued North Texas should have improved but they weren’t. It was determined that if these charities had access to reliable data they could show where they were exceeding and where they needed to improve. What came out of that meeting was CNM-Pact.

The service helped charities report data and figures enabling non-profit organizations to report their findings. This in turned helped foundations and funders know where they should invest their money to get the highest social return on investment. Another aspect of CNM-Pact is to give non-profits that they work with with access to data through their SAS Office Analytics and SAS Visualization. This gives charities the ability to share and interpret their findings to stakeholders and investors. Today, CNM-Pact is working with 60 non-profits mainly in the North Texas area.

Technology Needed:

CNM Pact is cloud based, hosted by Amazon Web Services. SAS Office Analytics and Visual Analytics platform helps CNM-Pact uses these tools to assist their clients to help make sense out of their data. These applications save non-profits time and money – allowing them to focus on helping their constituents and less energy on paperwork.

Ease of Use:

With training, the applications are easy to use. How to use the technology is covered during the evaluation and consultation. The consultants – all of which hold a Master’s degree or PhD in data science or a related analytical field are able to advise non-profit organizations on what to data to collect, what their data is telling them  as well as the best way to report on their finds.

Recap:

CNM is a service that brings charities together with consultants to collect and analyse their data to develop data driven outcomes. This consulting project gives organizations clarity on where they need to focus their attention on – whether it’s a certain demographic or town to get the highest amount of social return on investment.

One of the organizations that CNM works with is an emergency homeless shelter called Austin Street Center. When they hired CNM, the shelter was helping 1600 people annually in their community. With CNM-Pact – Austin St. Center concluded that people who came through the program had varying needs. As a result, they tailored their program to fit these individual needs. With CNM-Pact, Austin Street Center is now able to reach 3,000 women with the same amount of funding.

Advantages:

• CNM offers a sliding scale based on a non-profit organization’s operating budget.
• CNM consulting and evaluation professionals help non-profits make the most out of their data
• CNM-Pact software enables charities to continue analysing data after the evaluation has been completed 

Disadvantages:

• The main disadvantage is that CNM itself is only available mainly to charities in the North Texas region (although they do have clients in Seattle and New Jersey). Because CNM is so unique, there really aren’t many (if any) non-profit organizations who offer data consulting and software at an affordable cost.

My Opinion:

I normally write about CRMs, donor management software, event management software- but I’m not sure I’ve ever written about a consulting organization equipped with technology to help non-profits make the most out of their data. I think what CNM is doing is really unique and will enable non-profit organizations to reach more people in their communities. While CNM is only making an impact in North Texas, they are planning on expanding in the future.

Many nonprofits lack the technical tools they need to utilize their donor engagement. There is software out there that can theoretically help them but often times they are too expensive or require an expert when charities mainly rely on volunteers. HepData was created to bridge that gap between data and nonprofit organizations – offering a technology that helps nonprofits utilize their donor management.

In Use:

HepData who was recently bought by SSB, a data management company - functions as a data centered tool for charities and nonprofits. Their three main solutions aim to help organizations match gifts, enrich their data and offer insight into past and present data. 

HepData integrates with numerous clients to bring donor matching to many nonprofit organizations.

Technology Used:

Clients can login to HepData’s eMatch Portal®. The eMatch Portal® acts as an all-in-one gift matching center that allows clients to track the matching gift process and export data to their CRM tool . The portal is accessible online so users can access it anywhere.

Ease of Use:

HepData helps to automate gift matching in an easy to use way. With a 90% retention rate and clients such as Red Cross and the American Heart Association it’s fair to say that users can easily access the platform.

Recap:

HEPdata's eMatch® Portal Program helps identify donors whose company’s will match their donation. It is an automated process that will remind donors to match their gifts while allowing users to obtain analytics to manage their donations. HepData’s portal program integrates with some of the biggest CRM systems such as Blackbaud and Salesforce; fundraising tools such as GiveGab and event platforms such as Greater Giving.

Along with their eMatch Portal Program; HepData also allows clients to see statistics behind their donations. This data enables nonprofits to reach out to the right donor and track which benefactors are donating.

Advantages:

• HepData allows nonprofits to analyze their data and keep track of who is donating
• Integrates with over 70 platforms such as Salesforce, Blackbaud, and Ellucian.
• eMatch Portal Program helps identify donors whose company matches their donations to double donations

Disadvantages:

• It’s unclear whether or not the acquisition with SSB will benefit or hurt HepData
• While they boast that they work with smaller organizations – the cost may be too expensive for those nonprofits who are just starting out

My Opinion

HepData is one of the leading platforms for donor management. Their portal’s userface is clean and their platform integrates with numerous CRMs. Matching donations are time consuming but research has shown that nonprofits’ donations grow substantially when they utilize gift matching. I like that HepData offers a solution that is completely automated which frees up time for nonprofits – allowing HepData to do the heavy lifting. If you’re thinking of utilizing gift matching and HepData integrates with your CRM I would consider taking a demo to find out if it’s right for.

According to the Independent Sector’s, “The Value of Volunteer Time” - an average hands-on volunteer saves a nonprofit $25 an hour. If that volunteer is skill-based or pro-bono; they save a nonprofit $150 per hour. Pro-bono volunteers are volunteers that leverage their specialized skills. This includes everything from event coordination, legal counsel, and job skills training. For instance, a lawyer would work with a nonprofit for free to give legal advice to their constituents. While there are thousands of nonprofits that could benefit from skill-based volunteers - just as many pro-bono volunteers ready to help – the issue is how do they find each other?

In Use:

Common Impact believes they have the solution and are working hard to close that gap between nonprofits and pro-bono volunteers. According to Molly Weinstein the Associate Director of Field Building, Capacity Commons was designed to “build bridges between volunteers and nonprofits” making it easier to form partnerships between the two organizations with the end goal of creating a “one-stop-shop” for volunteers and charities to come together.

They have recently expanded their program to include a new open-sourced platform that would make it easier than ever to connect a skill-based volunteer to a charity. The platform is entirely free and was created to support educational institutes, nonprofits, and charities alike. The tool was designed to be interactive and intuitive – Weinstein calling it a “chose your own adventure” where interested parties would begin by creating their project and moving on to six additional steps that will ensure a successful volunteer project.

Technology Used:

Capacity Commons is an open-sourced platform that is based entirely on the cloud. The site is self-service and comes with user guides to assist nonprofits should they run into any trouble. The platform itself is new and it still working out some kinks, working with current users to collect their feedback to improve the site.

Ease of Use:

Capacity Commons provides a “Pro-Bono Guidebook” to walk new users through the process of creating and executing a volunteer project. The guidebook includes FAQ and documents that advise nonprofits from Step 1 all the way to Step 7.

Recap:

Capacity Commons is a labor of love supported by the Charles Schwab foundation; Campaign for Black Male Achievement; Common Impact and numerous other organizations invested in helping nonprofit organizations get the access they need to skill-based volunteers. The platform is designed to walk a nonprofit through the seven steps needed to establish their project all the way up to implementation. Capacity Commons hopes to grow this platform to include integration with VolunteerMatch.org and other skill-based volunteer websites making it easier for charities and pro-bono volunteers to connect.

Advantages:

• Connects nonprofit organizations with skill-based volunteers
• Platform is free to use
• Capacity Commons comes with a “Pro-Bono Guidebook” walking users through the scope of their project
• Will soon integrate with volunteer matching programs such as VolunteerMatch to connect nonprofits with volunteers easily.

Disadvantages:

• The platform is still in it’s early stages with some kinks that need to be worked out
• Does not require any documentation proving that a organization is in Higher Ed or has a 501©

My Opinion:

I think Capacity Commons is a great way to connect nonprofits and skill-based volunteers. If I were a charity I would most likely take advantage of this free platform. However, the platform itself has some issues that need to be worked out first.

When I selected “create a project” the screen never loaded onto the next step so I was not able to complete the process of creating and executing a project. My main goal was to see the user face and to report on the ease of use, but I wasn’t able to get past that first step.

Since cryptocurrency came into existence, many industries have entered the race as either investors, users or have accepted it as a form of payment by their customers. Owing to the reception of cryptocurrency as a method of payment by many industries and individuals, more nonprofits are now exploring the possibility of using this method in their strategies. UNICEF is one of the nonprofits that can now receive, keep and disburse digital currency through its UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund which was launched a few months ago. With a vast knowledge in blockchain, UNICEF will also adopt other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether in funding its activities to benefit children and young people.

Other nonprofit organizations are also following suit by accepting donations in cryptocurrencies. Although many people in this space are wary of digital currencies, the technology has proven its worth already. Since it is still in its initial stages, many nonprofit organizations are staying away. However, the ones that have an active strategy to engage professionals and the cryptocurrency community are succeeding in the adoption phase. Some of the organizations that already accept crypto donations include Lupus Foundation of America, United Way, Mercy for Animals and Human Rights foundation among others. Others are still fearful of this currency and convert it into dollars or euros as soon as they receive donations in the form of cryptos.

As cryptocurrency users cross the 50 million mark, some users are finding it easy to use this currency as it eliminates taxation issues, meaning that their contribution will now make more impact in society. The Giving Block, an organization which helps nonprofits adopt digital currency, states that this is the case mainly for early adopters that have highly appreciated assets. The adoption of digital currency by some organizations such as UNICEF has altered the view of other NGOs most of which are now working on strategies to incorporate it. They are now learning the type of currencies to adopt and whether they should hold it in digital form or convert their donations to standard currencies.

Only 2% of Nonprofit organizations in the US, Europe and Canada now accept crypto donations. However, Africa and Asia are leading with 5% and 4% respectively according to a 2018 report by Global Trends in Giving. The main problem that many nonprofits specifically, in the US, Europe and Canada face are regulations. Although some organizations may want to exploit this new source of donations mainly from young donors, most of them are affected by existing laws. According to The Giving Block, accepting digital currencies is difficult for many companies despite the market cap for cryptos rising. First, many nonprofits do not know where to begin. Secondly, majority of the nonprofits do not recognize the potential that digital currencies offer. Thirdly, they fear the risks associated with cryptocurrencies that can either be real or perceived.

Regardless of the fears that many nonprofits have in accepting donations in digital currencies, it is worth considering as a source of money to finance operations. Like any other digital innovation, however, nonprofits should start accepting donations with caution. When selecting your wallet for donations, you must carefully consider the fees, operating system compatibility, privacy rules and control over your donations. Nonprofits should also look into the tax implications, financial effects and potential reputation risks associated with accepting cryptocurrency. This type of currency is volatile and so it can change quickly. Nonprofits should, therefore, treat digital currencies as donations and not investments. They should therefore convert it as soon as they receive to avoid risks.

This is a time of great potential for not-for-profit organizations to address management and competitive challenges and take advantage of opportunities afforded by new technologies and practices to effect substantial operational change. Innovation is beginning to impact the sector and will continue to do so over the course of this year and beyond — and leading organizations are harnessing its potential to their advantage.

Key industry trends coming to light include the use of artificial intelligence to support operations, innovating to drive mission change, responding rapidly to a cyberbreach, effecting change through data analytics, and using nontraditional approaches to attract and retain talent. Innovation will be vital to successfully adopt these practices and move nonprofit organizations into the future.

Innovation is driving mission change, as organizations are proactively taking steps to stay relevant as societal, technology, economic and other changes impact them and their stakeholders. While the mission of an exempt organization has generally been viewed as sacrosanct and not subject to change, management, boards, and other stakeholders are recognizing that they must question mission relevance, including basic, foundational areas such as the identification of constituents and provision of services.

Organizations are revising their approach to talent acquisition and retention. They are using non-traditional sources for finding personnel and offering innovative work arrangements to attract candidates often very different from those recruited in the past. They’re also adopting new approaches to meet the very different expectations of millennials and gen Xers.

Innovation also comes from the application of new technologies, and two such driving technologies are data analytics and artificial intelligence. Historically, data analytics has been used related to key revenue drivers – in areas like donor analysis. With the proliferation of data availability and emerging tools to analyze it, organizations and institutions are identifying new reasons and methods to optimize data for more informed decisions that enhance mission, leveraging/optimizing data for nontraditional uses in decision making and in proving program impact.

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly mainstream, leading not-for-profit organizations are beginning to utilize its different forms. There have been many successful applications of robotic process automation (RPA), data analysis, chatbots and automated workflow to transform business operations. The results for innovative nonprofits are improved service quality (accuracy, consistency, speed), greater constituent satisfaction, cost savings, and improved decision making.

Advances in technology bring new benefits, but also new risks. Organizations are realizing that beyond their investments in prevention, they need to be ready to respond to the inevitable cyberbreach. A rapid response to a breach is absolutely critical. However, it will happen only if an investment of time is made beforehand to figure out what to do and who should do it when such an event occurs.

Enhancing quality, protecting reputation and maintaining operational sustainability are all essential to a not-for-profit organization’s ability to achieve success and further its cause. By tapping into innovation – whether in terms of adopting new ways of doing things or taking advantage of new technologies – organizations are taking the right steps to ensure their survival and ability to thrive in a an ever-changing operating environment.

Mark Oster, national managing partner, Not-for-Profit and Higher Education practices, Grant Thornton LLP

For over a decade now, fundraising trends have advanced swiftly. Most of the changes that occurred can be linked to the advancement of technology and the impact the internet is having on individuals. However, some of the changes are directly associated with changes in cultural and societal norms. Nonprofits have not been left behind. Large nonprofits are now using technological solutions to reach donors through various platforms.

As we move towards the end of 2019, there are five main trends that will affect non-profits in the coming year.

1. Automated marketing

Nonprofits are getting more donors than ever before. This means that their resources are becoming more and more strained. However, with current software, it is now easier to automate marketing activities. Marketing automation software can easily create personalized messages and can reach many people within a short time and at a low cost. As this technology becomes increasingly famous, 2020 will be the year where many non-profits will adopt it for their businesses.

2. Cryptocurrency

As blockchain continues disrupting different industries including banking industry, many sectors are slowly coming to the realization that they can no longer bury their heads in the sand with regard to the value of cryptocurrencies. With the rising acceptance of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, many nonprofits are likely to accept donations in Bitcoin in the next few months. You should therefore prepare yourself to give a donation in cash or in cryptos in the coming months.

3. Increased investment in technology

Technology has continually advanced in many sectors. Through smartphones, many people can now access social media and other sites. With this advancement, nonprofits can now invest in various technologies such as artificial intelligence to find out what potential donors want and how much they can donate to a course. The nonprofits are no longer wasting money on marketing and paying many people because most of the activities that were done by individuals can now be done by technology more effectively and at a lower cost. This will probably improve the health of many nonprofits. In the coming year therefore, many nonprofits will invest in more technology to improve their services.

4. Increased disruption of nonprofits by commercial players such as Facebook.

Commercial players such as Facebook are disrupting nonprofits significantly. For instance, Facebook is availing its commercial features to charitable courses that significantly have an effect on charities. The company has in fact removed fundraising fees completely and therefore money given will go to charity in full. This action is likely to affect operations of nonprofit giants such as GoFundMe that charges a fee in every transaction. Facebook can easily dethrone some of the famous like Volunteer Match due to their direct access to potential donors. Furthermore, with direct access of Facebook to many people who are potential donors through its social media platform, you can expect the nonprofit sector to be disrupted significantly in the coming days.

5. Nonprofits will support groups focused on voters

As the election draws closer everything is getting affected by the activities related to it and nonprofits are no excuse. We will see an increase in ways where nonprofits will offer donation options that are not tax-deductible. These options will be intended to influence voting outcomes from now and 2020 when elections will be held. This means that an opportunity is presented for individuals to donate to groups that are aligned to their preferred candidates or groups that advocate laws they want.

Your drive and passion launched your nonprofit; however it takes business savvy to keep things operating efficiently and sustainably. A nonprofit recently asked us to take a look at their fundraising efforts. It turns out their two biggest campaigns each year, demanding significant up-front costs and time, were not reaching top donors. Digging into their systems and data revealed some costly operations issues too.

It’s time to think like a consultant, and offer up solutions to handle common issues that nonprofits face.

Invest in Technology

Many nonprofits start small, and as they grow, acquiring technology often isn’t a top priority. But, it should be. According to a survey by NetChange, 19 percent of nonprofits say their ability to use technology for internal collaboration is hit-or-miss or simply ineffective.

Technology can help nonprofits run more efficiently and increase their mission impact. It touches nearly every aspect of operations from data that can make the case for funding decisions to social engagements that reach a wide audience. We know that nonprofit leaders want to adopt technology, however few make it a priority.

To effectively adopt technology, nonprofits need technical expertise coming from top management level and woven through the organization—not secluded in the information technology department. Done right, technology adoption isn’t about new apps or devices, it’s about strategically selecting tools that empower staff and members to deliver on the mission.

Take strategic planning further

Strategic planning is good. But knowing how your organization will carry out those plans is gold.

Once a strategic plan is made, the process isn’t over. Those plans should be acting as a strategic guide for short-term objectives—helping set the agenda for board meetings, deciding how and when to invest in technology, or even selecting new fundraising options. Strategic plans should also give birth to supporting plans—the drilled down activities and timelines needed to take action.

Because plans must be actionable, create a boiled down version, with key values, short goals, and clear statements about your mission and direction. This allows your plans to be living documents— that can be adjusted as situations change, and used as a “gut check” before launching or investing in anything.

Bring in outside ideas—and experts

Remember the old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”? It’s important to reach outside your nonprofit fishbowl for a fresh perspective particularly when your organization is stuck, e.g., attendance has dropped off at events, membership rates are flat, fewer people are interacting with social media posts.

An outsider can bring new energy to a mission, acting as a catalyst to help you try something new or learn something new. With a strategic plan in place, nonprofits can gauge when it’s right to invest in outside help in order to achieve goals.

For one client, analyzing donor data led to a major shift—from two rounds of annual giving appeals to online fundraising and a monthly giving program—that dramatically increased funding. The healthy return on investment (ROI) on the project will benefit them for years, and it inspired them to hire a pro to manage their social media accounts, since those channels had taken on new importance.

Bringing in outside ideas doesn’t have to mean costly hiring. Often it can be found by sending staff to a training class or trading ideas with another nonprofit. Listening to TED talks and podcasts from outside the industry, reading your own satisfaction survey results, or asking for feedback to help put things in perspective will provide you valuable insights and perspectives.

Nonprofits willing to think like a consultant, operate like a business, and take some risks will find that value over the long haul.

Edward Tuorinsky, a Service-Disabled Veteran, brings nearly two decades of experience to DTS in areas of leadership, management consulting and information technology services.

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. 

By now your organization has most likely had a website for several years. Whether it was professionally developed or you relied on a talented volunteer it is time to take a few moments to consider how you could improve your website experience for your users. First, is your site easy to navigate? Can a new visitor to your site find the information they need easily? If they can’t then it is most likely they will abandon their search. 

There are two main reasons that people visit your site, to learn more about your organization and its mission and to give money. So, make your ‘Donate Now’ button easy to see. And have a streamlined donation process. 

Also, make sure your contact information is easy to find, along with your organization’s main email also include your phone number and physical addresses.

In terms of finding information on you site, the navigation bar should be easy to find on every page and, if possible, the drop down menus should only be one level. 

Your users are probably browsing your site from their phone and they want a quick loading page. That is optimized for the mobile user. Your page load times need to be fast, because if they are not your users will most likely leave your page. You can keep your load times fast by keeping the content sleek, skipping extraneous items like flash player or overly elaborate scripts and make sure compress your images.

When people donate to you they want to feel that your keeping their information secure. Invest in good security for your website and consider using tokenization to store your donor’s information.

Chatbots are a great way to increase your staff without increasing your payroll. Chatbots are simply software that interacts via speech or text and uses algorithms to determine what the user wants/needs.  Adding a chat bot can help you increase donations, awareness and engagement. 

Chatbots can do everything from answer frequently asked questions to notify subscribers to upcoming events. For example, the nonprofit Water Aid uses a chatbot named Sellu  that gives donors an interactive look at their donations in action. Your organization can also use the chat bot to perform surveys. Chat bot surveys get a better response rate than standard surveys. 

There are several bot platforms that can be customized to work for your organization. Several of them such as GIVVN and Bot platform work with Facebook Messenger. There are options available to custom build your own chat bot to work on your website.

Donors know that if they are looking for a charity to support on Giving Tuesday that Twitter is the place to find one, reports Forbes. 

#GivingTuesday is upon us, and after an exhausting long weekend of holiday spending, millions of donors will be looking to social media for worthy causes to support.

Read the article on Forbes

According to Peninsula Daily News, over 40 local nonprofits have teamed up to run the #ClallamGives campaign during #GivingTuesday.

The Olympic Peninsula Nonprofit Alliance, an organization for more than 40 local nonprofits, looks to raise funds for those groups with the #ClallamGives fundraiser, set to run in parallel with a national giving event Tuesday. 

Read the article on Peninsula Daily News

Milwaukee nonprofit Code the Way teaches teens coding and software development while having them work on tech projects for area nonprofits, reports Milwaukee Business Times. 

When he’s not running his own startup, Brad Zepecki, president and chief executive officer of Octavian Technology Group, leads a nonprofit organization that trains high school students in software development while providing area nonprofits with free technology services.

Read the article on Milwaukee Business Times

Pushpay is offering additional donor development tools to its product, reports NBC Right Now.

Pushpay Holdings Limited (NZSX:PPH, ASX:PPH, 'Pushpay' or 'the Company'), the leading payments and engagement provider to the US faith sector, today announces its fall product update, which includes donor development tools and insights to help its more than 7,900 customers increase participation and deepen connections within their community.

Read the article on NBC Right Now