Over the past few years businesses have begun to consolidate the number of software platforms they use in their security portfolio – conserving time trying to learn the nuances of multiple platforms; saving; money, and alleviating security risk from cyber threats. Nonprofits are no different – searching for a product that meets all of their needs. Combining member management, event organization and engagement all-in-one platform – MemberLeap hopes to be one of the only platforms that their clients need.

In Use:

MemberLeap was established by Vieth Consulting in 2000 and bills themselves as an association management system. They target both large and small not-for-profit organizations such as societies, associations, civic-organizations, charities, and nonprofits. A cloud-based software – MemberLeap has three distinct tools that their users can take advantage of.

MemberLeap is more well known for their member management services competing against other CRMs and association management solutions. Through the platform - users can track their donors through MemberLeap’s CRM, create invoices and automate payments; while also tracking and managing member data.

Users can also take advantage of their event management software capitalizing on their event registration tool, zoom interface, mobile app, and manage event volunteers. They similarly have tools to engage members with web design, newsletters, message boards and a text tool.

Regarding price – MemberLeap has various packages starting at $50 a month depending on a nonprofit’s needs – but considering that clients pay per feature – it could potentially add up. If you’re unsure if you can afford an association software like MemberLeap -try-before-you-buy with a free trial.

Technology Used:

Based in the cloud, the software is perfect for nonprofit organizations who want everything at their fingertips wherever they are. They also have a mobile app for both androids and apple devices that can be used on the go.

Ease of Use:

Association management softwares and CRMs in general aren’t known for being intuitive. Data migration can be a hassle no matter which CRM a nonprofit organization chooses. MemberLeap has email support, phone support and chat features to help their clients better navigate the tool.

To learn more about how to use the software – users can watch videos, download assets and attend webinars.

Recap:

MemberLeap, an association management software helps nonprofit organizations manage, engage and market to their donor base. With various packages this software is great for small to large nonprofit organizations and can work with MemberLeap to pick a package that’s right for them.

Known for their CRM feature, MemberLeap allows users to create invoices, collect payment, send newsletter and even host websites. Other features of MemberLeap include event registration, volunteer management, data tracking, and space to collaborate with other volunteers.

Advantages:

• While CRMs can be hard to navigate – MemberLeap has various ways to ask for help – whether that’s phone support, chat features, trainings, and assets to learn about the program.
• All-in-one software allows nonprofits to save time by automating processes like emails, billing, and calendars.

Disadvantage:

• Like many CRMs there is a learning curve associated with MemberLeap
• Make sure that you look into all of the different add-ons that MemberLeap has – and budget that into the overall cost when making your decision

My Opinion”

Deciding on a CRM shouldn’t be taken lightly. Make sure that before you decide on MemberLeap that they have the ability to migrate your data, and can show you how to navigate their platform. What I do like about the platform is that small to large nonprofits can customize their package to fit their needs so they’re not paying for services they don’t want and are only paying for those that they do.

Before deciding on whether or not to purchase MemberLeap – don’t forget that they offer a free trial.

Large nonprofits should have a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution to help them keep track of relationships with donors, volunteers and people who are vital to their organization. While medium and small nonprofits could benefit from a CRM - larger nonprofits such as American Red Cross, Amnesty International, and United Way cannot thrive without one.

While popular nonprofit CRMs like Blackbaud, Kindful, and DonorPerfect are well known within the nonprofit community – Salesforce is gaining momentum within the industry offering their answer to a robust nonprofit CRM – Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud – an integrated CRM for nonprofits to expand their impact, from anywhere.

In Use:

Salesforce’s answer to a nonprofit CRM – Nonprofit Cloud gives charities access to products geared towards fundraising, marketing, engagement and grants that scales alongside the nonprofit.

In an interview with Idealist Consulting, Kate Mirkin who at the time was the Director of Product Marketing at Salesforce.org explained Nonprofit Cloud is the complete set of Salesforce technologies that address the technology challenges that nonprofits face.” Mirkin who is now the Director of Strategic Marketing Programs at Salesforce.org goes on to say – “It includes Salesforce products like Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Communities - as well as products built specifically by Salesforce.org for nonprofits.”

A CRM is supposed to be an “all-in-one” platform for a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Cloud does a pretty good job of being a “one-stop-shop” for users. Within the platform a charity can utilize an activity dashboard, manage campaigns, communicate to donors and track contributions. But it does come at a cost. One of the most common feedback associated with Salesforce.org’s Nonprofit Cloud is the steep price. With expensive set up costs, and monthly fees – it’s almost impossible for a smaller nonprofit to be able to afford it – and with no free trial or free version a nonprofit can’t try it before they buy in. While the Nonprofit Cloud starts at $60 per month/per user this doesn’t take into account set-up fees and necessary trainings.  

Technology Needed:

As the name suggest, Nonprofit Cloud sits on the cloud so a nonprofit can access their data from anywhere. With mobile apps available – a stakeholder can quickly check metric, send out communication or track their grants from anywhere.

Like with Salesforce – Nonprofit Cloud integrates with Tableau so a charity can have an easier time visualizing their data. The dashboards within Nonprofit Cloud are clean with a wide selection of graphs and charts that makes a nonprofit’s data easy to digest. There are over 70 reports that a nonprofit can use and is fully customizable.

Tableau is not the only integration within Nonprofit Cloud. There are over 3,000 integrations and apps that charities can utilize through Salesforce’s Marketplace. The extensive list includes QuickBooks, Docusign, and DonorSearch.  Please note that some of these apps and integrations do come with a monthly subscription fee while others are free.

Ease of Use:

Because of the sheer size of Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud– it can be hard for nonprofits to wrap their heads around how to use it and what’s available to them. While Nonprofit Cloud does offer training assets, phone support and chat – many nonprofits have found it difficult to navigate the platform. On Capterra, a comprehensive software directory website - Brad K., a co-director at a nonprofit organization wrote – “Intuitive is not a word I would use for Salesforce.”

Recap:

Salesforce.org’s Nonprofit Cloud is Salesforce answer to a robust CRM aimed at nonprofits. The CRM allows a charity to do everything they could possibly need to within the confines of the platform. From communication, data analysis, and engagement – Nonprofit Cloud boasts an impressive offering. And what they don’t have – one of their 3,000 apps do have to make a nonprofit’s life easier.

Advantages:

• Tailor the platform to your needs. Software is customizable to fit a nonprofit’s needs
• Robust CRM that embraces the phrase “One-Stop-Shop.”
• Over 3,000 integrations and apps that nonprofits can utilize

Disadvantages:

• The platform is expensive after you add up set up costs, app prices, and monthly subscription fees
• The learning curve for Nonprofit Cloud is vast – taking many hours to set up, train, and navigate through the system

My Opinion:

Nonprofit Cloud is aimed at large nonprofit organizations that run similar to a business i.e United Way, Red Cross, and Amnesty International. Because these nonprofits are huge – they have the capabilities to train employees and possibly hire a Salesforce administrator who specializes in set up, integrations, and navigating through the CRM. In these cases - I do see the benefit of Nonprofit Cloud and the over 3,000 apps that nonprofits can utilize.

I don’t see a case for small-medium nonprofits. It would essentially just cause them a headache and drain them of what little money they do have – once subscription fees and set up fees are factored in. There are cheaper CRMs available that these charities could utilize that don’t break the bank – but still have a decent selection of offerings.

According to MailerLite’s 2021 benchmark statistics, nonprofit emails get 27.52% open rates and 4.52% click rates, which is higher than the average. Readers are also less lightly to opt out of a nonprofit’s communication than their for-profit counterparts.

Email is a great tool to use to drum up donations; grow donor bases; keep donors engaged, and stay in communication with volunteers. MailLite is one of the numerous options that a nonprofit organization has for email automation with capabilities ranging from photo editing, landing pages, and analytics.

In Use:

MailerLite enables nonprofits to create professional and clean email campaigns through their email automation platform. With drag and drop tools, newsletter capabilities, HTML editor, and E-commerce campaigns – a nonprofit has all the tools they need to begin drafting and sending emails.

Charities can start using MailerLite for free with limited functionality. Under the “free” subscription – a nonprofit can send up to 12,000 monthly emails to up to 1,000 subscribers. They also get access to email support, video tutorials, responsive email templates and integrations with WordPress and Zapier among others.

MailerLite does offer pricier options for charities who have over 1,000 users, or wish to have more robust capabilities like customized templates, unlimited domains, or extensive analytics. These add-ons begin at $10 per month and can go up to $100 per month depending on a nonprofit organization’s needs.

While not as healthy as some of their competitors – MailerLite does offer some reporting capabilities. For more vigorous capabilities – nonprofits can upgrade to their premium subscription.

Technology Used:

 With remote working and people on the go, it’s crucial that any business has a responsive website and email capabilities.  If this is important to your charity – both mobile-friendly email newsletters and landing pages are available through the “free” subscription.

Nonprofits have access to over 130 integrations from Shopify to WordPress and Google Form. Wondering if your vendors integrate with MailerLite? You can check out their integration page HERE.

Ease of Use:

What sets MailerLite apart from their competitors is their ease of use. Once set up – it’s easy to navigate and begin creating emails and landing pages. MailerLite received a 4.6 out 5 star rating on Capterra for “Ease of Use” beating out their competitors Hubspot (4.3). MailChimp (4.4), and GetResponse (3.9).

Recap:

There are numerous ways to capitalize on MailerLite’s email automation platform that enables their users to create dynamic emails, grow an audience, and sell their products. Through MailerLite’s platform charities can access many different tools that they can use to grow their donor base, stay connected to their current donors, and create engaging emails, newsletters, and landing pages. With a free subscription available – this would be a great tool for small nonprofits who may not have the money to invest in an expensive automation tool like Hubspot or Marketo.

MailerLite has different tools that are available through their free subscription. In addition, they have a $100 per month plan for lager nonprofits that need more advanced capabilities like priority support, GDPR compliant web forms, and a dedicated manager.

Advantage:

• Free subscription and free trial availability
• Ease of Use – making it easy for nonprofits to set up and begin to create emails and newsletter
• Over 130 integrations
• Mobile responsive landing pages and emails

Disadvantage:

• Lack of sophisticated analytics
• Some users suggest that customer support could be better
• Lack of complex automations and APIs.

My Opinion:
There’s really not many negative things to say about MailerLite. For a free email automation tool – it comes with all of the capabilities you would expect. Small nonprofits can begin to utilize their platform with no cost to begin.

Where MailerLite lacks is their analytics and customer service. With a free platform you can’t expect robust analytics or a customer support that is going to answer the phone 24/7. However – $100 per month is a lot of money. I hope that in the future they improve their analytics and customer support to justify the cost of the subscription.

Arreva,  a fundraising and donor management solution recently announced the integration of Text2Fund®, text-based, mobile donation software and SMS Text Messaging. The new integration will enable nonprofits to further engage with their donor base.

In Use:

The Text2Fund® integration is just one of many tools that Arreva provides their customers. Other incentives include campaign management, mobile donations, website development, and analytics. By adding Text2Fund to their portfolio, Arreva, an All-in-One, Digital Fundraising, Donor Relationship Management, and Auction Software “further eliminating the need for nonprofit organizations to use multiple, individual siloed solutions and databases.”

Arreva’s pricing begins at $189 per month but new and small nonprofits could qualify for their donation program. To learn more about whether or not your charity would qualify CLICK HERE.

The basic package is ExceedFurther Fundamentals for the first 1,000 records. With this subscription, organizations have access to unlimited gifts and pledges, donation webpages, recurring donations, reporting, and various integrations.

The ExceedFurther Professional package begins at $329 per month for the first 1,000 records. Charities have access to all of the perks of the Fundamentals package as well as a few more integrations and the ability to access two of the following modules – Events; Campaigns, Members, Volunteers & Grants.

For large nonprofits – there is an Enterprise version that allows access to all of Arreva’s features.

Technology Used:

Arreva integrations include Quickbooks, Constant Contact, Double the Donation, Mail Chimp and Donor Search.

Arreva technology lives on the cloud so nonprofits can access the platform wherever they are. Donors can access Areeva’s mobile donation and Text2Fund® features which will allow them to donate to a nonprofit from anywhere using their laptop or mobile device.  

Ease of Use:

Many customers have found Arreva to be user-friendly while others had difficulty navigating the platform. With many nonprofits employing volunteers - the learning curve can be difficult with any software. A subscription to Arreva allows nonprofits both email and phone support as well as DNS set up.

Recap:

"There are a lot of great platforms out there, but not one other platform that brings it all together, through an all-in-one solution like we do,” David Blyer, Co-founder, CEO, and President of Arreva states. Arreva has numerous modules available to nonprofits including guest registration, recurring gifts, online pledges, and customizable report with hundreds of filters and options.

Advantages:

• Donation Program which allows new and small nonprofits to take advantage of Arreva
• Numerous modules in one platform – allowing nonprofits to save time and money by only logging into one platform
• Mobile friendly website development

Disadvantages:

• Only a few available integrations
• Nonprofits cannot access the entire Arreva platform unless they opt into the Enterprise package
• Reporting can be cumbersome

My Opinion

If you’re looking for an all-in-on solution, I would recommend looking into Arreva. They offer an impressive amount of tools and features for nonprofits and charities. I especially like their mobile- friendly website development tool. With many donors opting to donate on their phone– having a mobile-friendly website is important.

In the future I would like to see more available integrations. Integrations are important and can be a make-or-break for a nonprofit. 

One tool that is not that well-known in the nonprofit fundraising industry but is very well-known to customers and for-profit organizations alike is cashback rewards on e-commerce shopping. Driven by the widespread popularity of services like Capital One Shopping, Honey, and others, e-commerce cashback rewards have gone mainstream. Millions of customers use these tools and others like them, every day to earn rebates on their online purchases.

How Do E-commerce Cashback Rewards Work? 

E-commerce cashback rewards are enabled by thousands of online retailers employing a digital marketing tactic known as affiliate marketing. In affiliate marketing, retailers pay a small commission in the form of a percent of the purchase, to the entities (aka “affiliates”) which refer customers to them.

The affiliates could be anything: from a “study tips” influencer on YouTube, to a recipe blog devoted to clean eating, to a review website about hair coloring products - anything!

Retailers work with these affiliates because they already have a built-in audience for a retailer’s product vertical. In essence, brands short-cut the process of finding a relevant audience for their product, especially if it is very niche: it certainly makes sense for an organic coconut milk brand to work with the editor of the clean eating blog to promote that product line to the blog’s readers.

In the case of a cashback rewards program, they act as that “referrer” for retailers, capturing the attribution as the source of the sale, along with the ensuing commission. But instead of keeping the commission for themselves, the cashback platform passes along part of it or all of it back to the consumer who made that purchase.

Putting cashback rewards to work in the nonprofit world

A creative way to use the “rewards” generated from cashback rewards programs is to divert some, or all of those earnings into donations for a nonprofit. Much like Amazon’s Smile program donates 0.5% of purchases to a cause chosen by the shopper, earnings from a cashback rewards program can be applied to a nonprofit donation. 

Put simply, cashback rewards can power a passive fundraising channel for the nonprofit, because the shopper doesn’t have to think about actively about making a donation. They don’t need to go to a donor’s site, choose an amount, then pay with their credit card. Instead, using cashback rewards to fundraise is a relatively seamless and non-transactional way, from the supporter’s standpoint, to donate money to the PTA, animal shelter, or other favorite nonprofit. 

How nonprofits can benefit from the popularity of e-commerce

Instead of trying to build a complex rewards and donations engine on their own, nonprofits looking to maximize their passive fundraising efforts through donations from cashback rewards should look to partner with platforms that offer:

• A large retailer network, so supporters can earn from as many online shopping sites as possible
• The ability to properly track and attribute supporters’ completed purchases and cashback earnings
• Features which allow the nonprofit to be branded front-and-center as the donation recipient 

For example, our partner Givebacks, a fundraising platform for over a million nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, is using our white label cashback rewards platform to fuel fundraising for good causes across the country, . The cashback earned from these online shopping features on Chrome and mobile Safari browser extensions will enable nonprofits that use the Givebacks fundraising platform to easily switch on passive fundraising efforts. Simply by shopping with the browser extensions enabled, supporters generate donations for their causes from their cashback rewards. 

Tapping into supporters’ everyday ecommerce shopping activities to raise funds is not only straightforward, it generates a passive stream of donations that supporters can feel good about every time they shop online.

 Tristan Barnum is CMO at Wildfire Systems, Inc. where she oversees the Marketing and Client Success teams. Before joining Wildfire in 2017, Tristan co-founded two startups, Tellient, maker of the first analytics platform built specifically for the Internet of Things, and Switchvox, to serve the rapidly growing SMB market for VoIP phone systems. Prior to Switchvox, Tristan pioneered the online delivery of digital media at MP3.com, which Vivendi Universal acquired. Her work included the design of new web services, handheld mp3 players, tablets and interactive TV. While at Vivendi, she was awarded a patent for a system that provides access to electronic works over a network. Tristan has also served as a mentor at non-profit EvoNexus, San Diego’s largest tech startup incubator.

Compliance among the nonprofits is a key element for remaining in operations. Nonprofits must comply with all federal, state and local regulations at all times to guarantee operations. Although nonprofit compliance requirements vary from one jurisdiction to the other and can be complex or unclear, ensuring you comply with them is important no matter where you are. In today’s digital landscape characterized by online fundraising, the internet could lead to new compliance requirements in areas where donors reside. While there is an existing compliance framework, it does not account for online campaigns.

Here is a compliance checklist to help in your compliance journey for nonprofits.

1. Corporate compliance

Nonprofits are required to follow the incorporation like most organizations. The difference between nonprofits and other organizations is in the mission statement. After choosing a mission statement that encompasses the activities of your nonprofit, you need to take various actions to maintain the incorporated status. The first step is to ensure that you register and renew your nonprofit as a legal entity whenever required. This is filed annually in the state that which the nonprofit is incorporated. Additionally, file the corporate annual reports in the state you are registered to conduct operations and designate officially registered agents for your nonprofit.

2. Fundraising requirements

The laws of fundraising allow your charity to seek funds and donations from supporters. These laws also enable the collection of proceeds without payment of taxes. Ensure that you follow all federal fundraising requirements and research your state to see if there are unique requirements. Include written disclosure statements on all your solicitations. Know that not all states require written disclosure statements. However, submitting written disclosure statements will help maintain transparency between nonprofits and donors.

3. Operational requirements

Like all organizations need to develop, approve and conform to the internal operational procedure guidelines. Ensure you have a copy of the bylaws for your nonprofit ensure that you adhere to the bylaws to avoid any lawsuits. Furthermore, ensure the directors, committee members and officers are elected according to your bylaws. Conduct regular board meetings and make sure you carefully plan them to make everything mission-focused. Furthermore, use the meetings to create strategic decisions and plans. Board meetings can allow you to provide oversight.

4. Accounting requirements

Accounting regulations enable nonprofits to enhance transparency and build trust between charities and their donor bases. Up-date your tax-exempt status. Contact the IRS to obtain a letter of determination to prove your tax-exempt status. File IRS Form 990 series returns or time extension requests and note that your tax-exempt status can be revoked if you fail to file this form of returns for up to three consecutive years. If your charity receives grants from the state or federal government, you must provide certification. Ensure your books of accounts are up-to-date and accurate. To achieve this, your organization will need a designated bookkeeper and accountant to help fix your accounting challenges. These two positions are not interchangeable. For instance, accountants have knowledge of financial matters and can be crucial in rectifying financial discrepancies.

5. Employee classification

Nonprofits that have paid staff and contractors are required to be classified appropriately, according to the US Department of Labor and the IRS. Moreover, most states classify employees as exempt or non-exempt according to FLSA. Failing to do this may result in penalties.

6. Record-keeping requirements

Records form an important part of nonprofits. They are also necessary for legal compliance in addition to ensuring transparency in the organization. As such, you need to ensure that you understand and follow the state and federal guidelines or record-keeping. These records may vary from one state to the other. Find out the specific documents or records that are required relating to your organization and the ones that can be availed to the public.

Fraud is a serious concern for every type of company. However, it can be highly damaging, particularly when it comes to nonprofit organizations. Fraud can cause irreparable damage to an organization's reputation, which may result in devastating consequences.

According to the recent Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) survey, a typical organization loses about 5 percent of its annual revenue to fraud. Although fraud in nonprofits leads to smaller losses, according to this study, there are other issues that fraud can cause beyond financial losses. For instance, fraud can lead to a negative reputation and unrelenting media attention to dissuade donors and partners. For nonprofits, reputation is the most valued asset that can be difficult to retrieve once it is lost.

Nonprofits' vulnerability to fraud

Although fraud affects every industry and every organization can be vulnerable to it, nonprofits can be highly attractive targets to scammers and fraudsters. This can be due to executives and board members not being well versed in financial issues and internal controls within their organizations. Furthermore, in most cases, nonprofits have limited resources available to use for internal controls. This makes the organizations vulnerable to employees who understand the systems well and know the internal controls' inefficiencies. They can take the opportunity to commit fraud. The inherent susceptibility of the nonprofit's systems and the conditions within the organization may allow fraudsters to manipulate systems to commit fraud.

Also, considering nonprofits receive thousands or even millions of dollars from grantors, donors and other people to distribute as scholarships, awards, grants or other financial aid to various recipients outside the organization, they become a target to fraudsters.

How fraud occurs

Although nonprofits are a lucrative area for fraudsters, most of the fraud schemes faced by nonprofits might face every organization regardless of the industry. The common fraud schemes for nonprofits include check fraud, ghost workers, funds embezzlement, fictitious vendor, kickbacks, theft of cash and misappropriation of funds.

Billing schemes are one area that nonprofits are vulnerable. It is where an employee submits invoices for payment that they are not entitled to receive. They often involve creating shell companies with a fake identity to bill for goods or services the organization does not receive.

Other scams that may occur in nonprofits can include overpayments to legitimate vendors in what is called pay-and-return schemes. When the excessive payments are returned, the employee embezzles them.

Implementing controls

The management bears the greatest responsibility for identifying the gaps and developing mechanisms to address the issues raised in nonprofits. This can be achieved by avoiding complacency and not assuming that auditors can catch fraud if it occurs. While auditing is important for any organization, it helps less because it uncovers what has already happened. Therefore, nonprofits should find ways of stopping fraud from taking place before it is too late.

The right controls should involve forming an effective and empowered audit team with complete independence from management. Ab effective system of controls should be established and enforced. This system should be a combination of internal and cultural controls that form the core of the anti-fraud program. Another crucial thing is to establish the right tone starting from the top. While compliance with internal controls is good, it can still leave the organization vulnerable if there is a wrong attitude and actions of the management. There is a need for a culture that promotes integrity and ethics and encourages employees to stop fraud. Promoting a culture of integrity and honesty among employees encourages them to be transparent and honest. Clear reporting processes can also help organizations deal with suspicious behaviour before it can escalate into a disaster.

Nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in any country. It offers many services to communities, most of which are not offered by local governments. In the United States alone, there are more than 1.7 million active nonprofits. They contribute over $1 trillion to the national economy.

Given the important role that nonprofits play in the economy and the lives of individuals in the US and beyond, community leaders are always interested in starting nonprofits. As one of the people with a desire to create a nonprofit, there are various considerations that you need to take into account to make it official. Here are the nine things you need to consider when starting your nonprofit.

1. Do research

Before anything else, carry out research on the state of nonprofits in your region and the area that you want to focus on. Throughout your research save all the qualitative and quantitative data you gather because it will be helpful and will act as your base data when monitoring and evaluating the work of your nonprofit in the future. The research will also help measure your impact and know what the area you are focusing on looks like.

2. Know your purpose and business plan

If you want to get more board members and collect starting capital or support, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to do and how you will do it. Give the community the reason to support you and volunteer or donate to your cause. Every developing nonprofit organization should prepare key documents that state the mission, vision and values and business plan. Remember that these documents can be prepared in a draft form. A final version of the document can be created with the help of your board.

3. Build your team

Building your team is a critical step that you should never skip when starting your nonprofit. Consider the board that will help govern your charity by first understanding the legal requirements for a board of any nonprofit. Find crucial board members like the secretary, president and treasurer. The most important thing here is to look for people with proper qualities for the board.

4. Register your nonprofit

Depending on the state you want to establish your operations, understand the requirements and register your nonprofit. Pick a name, create and file an article of incorporation. You should also pay the necessary fees after which you should go ahead and prepare the bylaws.

5. File EIN (Employer Identification Number)

When you are done registering your nonprofit, you are then required to file an EIN with IRS. For a nonprofit and for-profits, this is a critical step. It is basically a Social Security Number. Once you apply online, you will receive your EIN immediately. You should do this as a CEO or founder of a nonprofit.

6. File the IRS tax-exempt status

Tax-exempt status is a key determinant of whether an organization should be a nonprofit or a for-profit. As you register your organization, you will need to consider this before you do everything. The tax-exempt status has benefits, which include exemption from federal and state taxes, and donors will get a tax deduction for their contributions. As a nonprofit, file a tax-exempt status to benefit from these two.

7. Develop a fundraising plan

To help you get donations from different sources, you need to have a comprehensive fundraising plan. You will need to have some amount for branding, website creation and overhead costs. Think of ways you can get this money and think of any potential startup costs. Keep things simple.

8. Set up an office

Once you are done with the registration process. It is now time to start doing the work. Set up an office and working space for your staff. Identify the costs and consider the projects you should work on as you start.

9. Always be compliant

Even after getting all you need from the relevant agencies, remain compliant at all times. File the 990 Form annually and abide by your bylaws. Hold regular board meetings, write, and keep meetings. Keep the applicable licenses and pay taxes on activities that are not related to your operations.

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