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:

Capacity Commons 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 companies 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 Schwabb 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.

ThankView makes it easier to acknowledge your donors after an event, volunteer activity, or a donation. Throw away your “Thank You” cards, use your stamps on another project, and put your pen back in the cupholder. ThankView is an effortless way to express gratitude to the donors that are supporting your mission.

In Use:

ThankView is a platform where nonprofit organizations can create and send “Thank You” videos to their volunteers. It can be created in minutes; branded with a university’s logo, and emailed or texted.  The software is geared towards charities, colleges, and hospitals to raise funds; thank volunteers; or for marketing purposes. The idea came about when co-founder JD Beebe got married. He didn’t want to write wedding notes but wanted to show his guests how truly appreciative he was that they were able to attend. The platform which has been serving nonprofits for over three years has been widely accepted by universities, charities, and hospitals alike. “The reception has been pretty phenomenal,” Beebe states. 

Not only can customers record videos, but they can choose from a variety of fonts, colors, and “call to action” buttons. The software automatically edits the video and clients can record a personalized introduction video and then cut to a more generic video; saving the customer the time it would take to continuously record the same message again and again.

Subscriptions start at $2,000 a year and increase depending on the customer’s needs. All subscriptions include cloud-based video storage; and the ability to schedule when they want to send out a video. Subscriptions also come with the ability to include a “Call to Action” button.

In today’s society it’s very important that a customer has insight to metrics. ThankView gives the customer the option to track data using a dashboard that can map who opened the video, who clicked on the call action, and other important information.

Technology Used:

ThankView works on all tablets and phones whether it’s a Mac or Android. Integrations include iMovie and Adobe Premiere. The platform is also compatible with CRMs such as Blackbaud and Salesforce.

Ease of Use:

Beebe wanted to ensure that any client could use ThankView without having to read a manual.  To do that he had to make sure that the platform was easy to use. If nonprofits do run into trouble they can speak to their Customer Success Manager who can answer any questions a nonprofit or university might have.

Recap:

ThankView is a software that allows nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and colleges to record “Thank You” videos to send to donors and volunteers. The videos can also include a “Call to Action” button that nonprofits can use for marketing purposes. These videos can not only be branded but personalized with the recipient’s name - adding a personalized touch. ThankView also comes with a robust dashboard that includes the ability to track how many downloads a video received, who shared their video, and who opened it.

Advantages:

• While ThankView will work with corporations, they mainly focus on nonprofit organizations, universities and hospital.
• While $2,000 may seem like a lot of money- it only equals out to be about $166 a month. While the smallest nonprofits may not be able to afford this- many medium to large charities can.
• ThankView videos have an average of 60% open rate
• Ability to create a personalized introduction and then cut to a generic message

Disadvantages:

• Ease of use when it comes to creating and branding the video
• What if the video goes to the donor’s spam box?

My Opinion:

ThankView isn’t your average “Thank You” note. It’s a fun, innovative way to connect with your donors or incoming students while branding and marketing your organization. While many charities use the platform to send out “Thank You” notes – the software can also be used for marketing purposes such as “Call to Action”, a due-date reminder, or a case study that the organization can use for outreach.

My only hesitation with email greeting cards is the chance that it could go to the recipient’s spam. To counter-act this ThankView works with the client to make sure that the list is clean so they can have a minimal amount of emails that bounce back. Because of this the company has seen an average of 60% open-rate.

As a financial management software, Sage Intacct is used by nonprofits from all different industries whether a faith-based organization, educational nonprofit organization or nonprofit health organization. The site boasts that it allows nonprofits the ability to aggregate transactions and real time analytics. For most nonprofits who rely on accounting to manage donations and keep their 501© status- it’s important that they purchase a reliable accounting platform.

In Use:

“Sage Intacct was the first accounting system built in the cloud,”Joan Benson, Director of Nonprofit Industry Marketing at Sage Intacct confirms. While other accounting systems had to figure out how to make the delicate transfer from on-premise software to the cloud; Sage Intacct was created and built for the cloud. Benson points out that trying to move to the cloud presents issues regarding configuration not to mention information can be lost in transition.

Sage Intacct allows nonprofits to manage all their financials in one software. Some of the benefits that comes along with a subscription to Sage Intacct is that charities have access to both accounts payable and receivable; deprecation tracking; inventory management; and 1099 Support. As an AICPA recognized organization, nonprofits can be sure that their fiscal documents are secure.

Technology Used:

There’s not much technology needed on a charity’s end since Sage Intacct is housed on the cloud. The platform has many different analysis and reporting capabilities – so a nonprofit who is familiar with data visualization tools will find the tool easy to maneuver.

Sage Intacct offers numerous integrations for a seamless process. In the nonprofit sector; Sage Intacct integrates with numerous CRMs and donor registration softwares.

Ease of Use:

With 35% of all of Sage Intacct’s business made up of nonprofit organizations it’s critical that the software is easy to use. Sage Intacct offers customer webinars; on-sight learning, and classes for their customers to learn the software. Sage Intacct conducts an annual conference entitled Advantage that includes training for all users. Advantage 2019 will be taking place in Las Vegas between October 21^st and October 25^th.

Recap:

Sage Intacct is a financial software that runs solely on the cloud. The platform integrates with numerous CRMS and donor management software to make it easy for nonprofits to manage their finances and assets. Among the different capabilities that Sage Intacct helps charities with are; spend management; purchasing; and reporting and analysis.

Advantages:

• AICPA certified
• The software is capable of helping nonprofits with numerous financial issues such as spend management and accounts payable
• Many customers site that Sage Intacct is easy to use and the dashboards are user friendly.
• With 35% of all businesses, nonprofits; Sage Intacct has a good understanding of the types of financial information nonprofits need to excel

Disadvantages:

• According to some customers- tracking capabilities and functionality can be improved
• Other customers site slow customer service as a source of improvement

My Opinion:

I think Sage Intacct is a great option to meet all of your financial and accounting needs. Benson had a very good understanding of the issues that nonprofits face in the financial world.  Along with Sage Intacct, Benson and her team  are trying to implement strategies and tools to help nonprofits succeed. If you are unhappy with your current financial software or are looking to purchase your first one- I would at least speak to a customer service representative and consider watching a free demo.

“[MemberSuite] came into this space with the premise of providing software as a service to the member base organization space and provide new technology,” explained Natalie Cheney, CEO of MemberSuite. While association management software isn’t new (according to Cheney it’s been around since the 90s), MemberSuite is a fresh take on a relatively unchanged industry. MemberSuite was able to disrupt the space by providing cloud-based capabilities that their competition didn’t have.

In Use:

Association management softwares (AMS) are platforms that companies use to manage day-to-day business. Whether for-profit or nonprofit, AMS can benefit all organizations. MemberSuite offers tools and services to benefit all aspects of a nonprofit. Software consist of a robust CRM, an e-marketing tool where users can design and create a variety of emails; and services such as data migration.

Ease of Use:

MemberSuite offers customer service in the form of ready-to-help experts and webinars along with educational assets such as data sheets and infographics. These assets help users familiarize themselves with the products. While some reviews state MemberSuite software is easy to use and intuitive others have found it hard to use and confusing.

Technology Used:

One of the reasons that MemberSuite disrupted the industry is that their product was cloud-based from the beginning. Many of their competitors had to adapt to the cloud space which created numerous growing pains and networking issues. MemberSuite provides nonprofits with numerous capabilities. From donor portals to finance tools and analytics. On the donor-facing platform, donors can renew their membership, pay for a donation, or sign up for a fundraising event allowing members to self-service on everyday activities. “All of these actions are happening 24-7 by clicking on a few buttons, providing capabilities so staff can engage their members,” Cheney states. With these self-service tools, nonprofits can go back to helping their constituents and worry less on the day-to-day responsibilities of running a nonprofit. Cheney refers to industries such as e-commerce and airlines who adopted a similar self-service module. “Consumers are demanding it from nonprofits and it’s expensive. It is up to us to provide that technology,” Cheney said of MemberSuite.

Recap:

MemberSuite is an association management software platform with numerous capabilities to assist nonprofits to manage their business. In fact, CEO Natalie Cheney acknowledged that nonprofits need an AMS but often don’t have much money to spend on one. Most of the nonprofits that purchase MemberSuite are positioned in the middle and upper market with revenue of around $2 million. Cheney noted that other nonprofits that fall into the $1 million range take advantage of MemberSuite through a monthly solution.

Advantages:

• All-in-one software that includes finance, event registration, and donor management software
• Customer support and educational tools to help charities comprehend the software
• Monthly services and yearly subscriptions are available to meet nonprofits needs
• Dedicated in providing nonprofit with the technology they need to run their organization

Disadvantages:

• Too expensive for small nonprofits
• Users state that it’s not user friendly and the interface could use a facelift.
• Reporting capabilities could be more robust

My Opinion:

Often when I review a software that is used by both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, nonprofits are just an afterthought. That was not the case when I talked the CEO of MemberSuite, Natalie Cheney. She was dedicated in creating a software that had the capabilities that nonprofits need to run their organizations. While it may be too expensive for small nonprofits, medium to large charities can benefit immensely from the numerous different tools and products that MemberSuite offers.

If you’re in the nonprofit world, you know how much relationships matter.. So why is it then, that we tend to deprioritize investing in technology that helps us connect, converse and grow these relationships? Like so many nonprofit organizations, United Way of the Boston area faces its fair share of challenges. We’re on a budget fueled by donors. We work across a geo-dispersed region and many of us drive a long way on our commute, or for meetings. We tend to prioritize spending our funds on supporting our mission of serving the community rather than giving our office a facelift.

One day, however, one of our employees decided to enter a contest through Highfive, a video conferencing provider known for the way it combines hardware and software to create a truly unique meeting experience. Upon winning the contest, we were given Highfive’s Premium video conferencing solution, a glass whiteboard, two 65” 4K monitors and a customer mural made just for our United Way location, the features the downtown Boston skyline. For many of our employees, hopping on a Highfive line, instead of our traditional audio-only conference line, was a game changer. I’d compare it to trying a restaurant for the first time, and then wondering how you ever lived without it in the first place. We thrive on relationships-- with donors, with our volunteer network-- and getting to see people, instead of only hearing them, adds so much to our conversation. 

Nonprofits face an interesting conundrum: we are on a strict budget, expected to use a very small percentage of donations for administrative or overhead costs. Yet through this experience, we realized that ROI is often found in unexpected places. The impact we make by relationship-building and feeling like we’re all in one room, even if we’re miles apart, is often times unmeasurable. We can be more productive, read each other’s non-verbal cues better and have come to enjoy meetings just a little more.

Nonprofits tend to think about budget and limitations before potential. What if we started thinking outside these constraints, about ways to actually streamline our work and become better, happier employees ourselves. It might seem like an investment up front, but if relationships are your biggest bet, it’s always worth it in the end.

Mark Lamothe, Senior Vice President, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

Many people believe that nonprofits are technologically outdated. However, as a group,  nonprofits are shedding this stereotype as they adopt and use modern technologies such as big data, currently one of the leading buzzwords in businesses. Despite some nonprofits using big data, they miss some critical steps that can add value for them. Here are 4 things to review in your nonprofit’s efforts to leverage big data.

1. Nonprofits should understand what to do with collected data

Organizations collect data but few of them know how to use this data to benefit of their operations. This is also the case for many nonprofits most of who are taking a little longer to understand how data can be used to gain a competitive advantage. A good indicator is if the organization has no specific member of staff dedicated to managing data, and at the same time lacks policies to govern the use of their data. It gets worse when it comes to implementation of what nonprofits learn from big data in decision making. Decisions made by nonprofits are not always data driven.

2. Lack of training on big data and related software

If a nonprofit lacks understanding of how big data software works, they don’t take advantage of the data due to a lack of training on software, meaning they can’t utilize data they collect. That can be partially due to the fact that the software used lacks user-friendliness or cannot be integrated properly to the organization. It is therefore crucial for nonprofits to dedicate time and resources to understanding and implementing software and procedures to ensure that all their data is collected and used in decision making.

3. Nonprofits believe that data is important strategically but may not be using it effectively

Data alone does not offer value to an organization. It is the ability to analyze the data and make informed decisions that gives your firm a competitive edge and adds value. While many nonprofits collect a massive amount of data, only a handful of them use the data at their disposal to make decisions about their operations. The result of this is astonishing. If an organization is tracking users of their website to understand the behavior of the visitors to their donation pages for instance, they could be able to figure out what they need and offer them a better experience. Considering the fact that the websites are often the first place where potential supporters are introduced to your services, a good understanding of the potential customers and what they like searching for can mean increased engagement and donations to your nonprofit.

4. Unavailability of data governance standards

Most nonprofits are unable to use big data for social problems due to inadequate data governance standards which defines how data belonging to different individuals should be captured, stored and managed for accountability. This can introduce inconsistencies and therefore the data captured is not readily suitable for decision making. In most cases, this data needs to be transformed before being used, a process which can be costly. Data analysts can struggle with integrating different datasets due to lack of proper metadata (data that describe data) and and  if the quality of the data is poor.

The value of data in any nonprofit is undeniably high and should, therefore, be the basis for decision making. However, although data is readily available, practices and culture of using data to arrive at crucial decisions is still low in many organizations and needs to be improved. 

Savvy nonprofits and businesses are always looking for better tools to manage their board of directors. It’s an incredible time for productivity; there are digital solutions for almost every single need. However, there’s also a danger of overkill. An organization starts to patch together apps and software until suddenly the board is using 15 different programs and most likely paying for features and monthly services they don’t want or need. Let’s look at some guidelines to avoid digital bloat in the pursuit of board management.

Beware of “digital duct tape.” Boards need to have email capabilities. Each person has their preferred provider, whether that is Outlook, Gmail, or any number of other options. They also need document storage options like Dropbox. Scheduling tools such as Doodle are helpful for coordinating dates with a large group of people. Don’t forget to pick a calendar and try to sync it up with everyone else’s. Some people like to make documents in Google Docs, while others use Microsoft products. It’s easy to see how a single meeting can be held together by ten pieces of “digital duct tape.”

So, what’s the problem? These are all great solutions, right? One or two of these could be a great supplement to a comprehensive board management software, but relying entirely on these disparate measures becomes a mess. Did the board admin store the last minutes in her Google docs or in Dropbox? The governance committee chair accidentally hit “reply all” and now someone on the staff sees confidential performance reviews of the CEO. Digital duct tape works well, until it doesn’t. It is today’s solution and tomorrow’s mess. It’s understandable how organizations start out relying on digital duct tape, but it isn’t a long-term solution. Board management software is the most professional way forward.

Too many features leads to poor adoption by board members. There’s always the temptation when shopping for software that “more is better.” It makes sense at first, right? If you’re paying for something, you might as well get every single bell and whistle in existence! Unfortunately, that line of thinking ignores one critical element: human nature. Adopting new board software can be a bit of a cultural hurdle. People are often resistant to change and unknowns, and technology can magnify this tendency.

Consider your typical board member. They are generally accomplished in their professional life. That means they are already busy, and might be wary of adding learning another digital tool to their long to-do list. Because board members are established professionally and in the community, they tend to be older than a “digital native” and not necessarily enjoy technology for its own sake. Software solutions with so many features that they require hours and hours of training might solicit a hard “no” board members out of the gate. A long list of extraordinary features is useless if your board members don’t use it. Don’t let the digital feature overload hamstring your efforts to make your board efficient.

Don’t pay for what you don’t need. Digital bloat isn’t only a barrier to adoption, it also impacts the bottom line. Do you really need to pay hundreds of extra dollars each month for digital signatures that you use a few times a year? This is one simple piece of digital duct tape that is efficient, free, and easy to use as an accessory app to your main board management software. If you can manage all your communication, document storage, and meeting planning in one portal, eliminating the cost of features like digital signatures that you only occasionally use makes sense.

Large, unwieldy board management software programs offer expensive features that are in some cases not only unnecessary, but damaging. Two prime examples of dangerous features are live document updating and private chat features. Boards of directors have a duty to keep accurate records and guard against ethical gray areas. Some legacy board software companies charge premium fees for the ability of multiple people to simultaneously edit the same document. That might be helpful for a business presentation, but it is a nightmare for legal record keeping. NGOs also have a vested interest in preserving transparency. Chat features are common in board software behemoths, but they are a huge liability for nonprofits. The perfect recipe for ethical disaster is the ability to alter documents simultaneously and then have a private chat about it!

When shopping for board management software, it’s important to give real consideration to what amount of digital duct tape is acceptable, how much board members are willing to learn, what features are actually needed, and what any “extras” will cost. Try a software review site to compare your needs with costs, and take full advantage of free trials offered by most software providers. With careful consideration and research, a better board member experience is within reach.

Jeb is the founder and CEO of Boardable, a nonprofit board management software provider. He is also the founder of two nonprofits, The Speak Easy and Musical Family Tree, as well as a board member of United Way of Central Indiana and ProAct. Jeb is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Boardable is an online board management portal that centralizes communication, document storage, meeting planning, and everything else that goes into running a board of directors.

I often tell people I’ve never had a bad day at work. That’s how they know I’m not a lawyer. And yet, that’s exactly how I started my career. Looking back, I can recognize that while becoming a lawyer was a great start, for me, it was just that: a start.

I first met the founder and CEO of a retirement community when I was visiting with him hoping to get his company as a client for my law practice. Instead, he got me as an employee.

Listening to him talk with passion and purpose about helping seniors age well, I was confronted with the realization that his work life sounded more engaging, purposeful, and even fun, than mine. On a whim I asked about going to work for him and he hired me. I took a pay cut, moved from Chicago to Baltimore, and began my career in senior living. It turned out to the best professional decision I ever made.

I suspect that many of us will at some point dream of a career change. Let me assure you that it can be easier than you think and more rewarding than you can imagine.

Embrace a less linear career path

As anyone in business can tell you, careers today are not linear. Many of our parents and grandparents worked for one or two companies for their entire careers.

Research tells us that current generations can expect to change jobs and companies seven times in the course of their careers.

Even so, to transition to a different career, and do so abruptly, can be daunting for a host of reasons. When I left my legal practice, I was intimidated by the uncertainty of success or a defined career path but I believed in my decision and embraced the change.

Sometimes you need to take a chance when you see it, if your gut tells you it is the right thing to do. Your experience is probably speaking to you in your gut reaction and, if it turns out wrong, very few decisions are irreversible or uncorrectable.

Switching careers doesn’t mean you’re starting over

A common apprehension for people switching careers is the feeling that all the experience they have in one profession will be going to waste. Essentially, we feel as if we’re starting over.

Almost all skills, even those that seem most highly specialized, have components that allow for creative and successful deployment in different channels.While it may not be clear at the time, professional experience in any industry carries over into your next opportunity. For people hesitating to make a career change, nothing is definite but listening to your instincts might pay off in ways you never even thought possible.

What I’ve found is most people are pleasantly surprised when they make a career change and realize just how much of their past professional experience is applicable to a new industry.

No risk, no reward

If you are happy and engaged with where you are, recognize it and celebrate it. I took a chance and I thrived, not because I became a CEO, but because I gave my working career to a cause I loved working with and for people I respect and admire. I took a chance by listening to my gut and since then, I’ve never had a bad day at work. I hope you can say the same. 

As president and chief executive officer, John Cochrane is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, overseeing operations and serving as the primary liaison to the HumanGood Board of Directors. Cochrane served as president and CEO of be.group prior to the company’s affiliation with ABHOW. Before joining be.group, Cochrane worked for Lifespace Communities, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, where he served as chief operating officer overseeing 11 retirement communities in seven states. Cochrane previously worked as a practicing attorney specializing in real estate and finance, and as executive director of the $150-million retirement community Oak Crest Village in Catonsville, Maryland. He has his law degree from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northern Illinois University.

If you manage your volunteers by clicking open a spreadsheet, it is time you upgraded. Whether you have 5 volunteers or 500 there are software packages that are low cost or even no cost that will let you efficiently manage you volunteers in less time then it takes you to open up that spreadsheet. Of course, not all organizations need an elaborate volunteer database, perhaps your organization rarely needs volunteers then consider using something like Sign Up Genius, Sign Up or Sign Up Zone which allow you to make simple online sign up sheets to cover everything from potlucks to who is bringing snacks for movie night. 

Does your organization rely on volunteers to staff events? Then iVolunteer.com might be the perfect solution. It lets you publish sign up event sign up sheets on your website or social media. You can customize the sign up sheet, so if you are offering your volunteers a T shirt they can indicate their size. 

All volunteers contact information is kept confidential and your volunteers must confirm their sign up via email. You can also track your volunteers showed up for their shift with a sign in feature. iVolunteer.com has tiered pricing with a free option that lets you sign up to 15 volunteers. 

Organizations that use volunteers for many different events and projects might consider using a platform like Your Volunteers or When to Help. Both these platforms have organizations that have large pools of volunteers. 

When to Help is available for registered charities. It lets you assign volunteer time slots based on the volunteers stated availability. When to Help includes a free mobile app making it even  easier for your volunteers to pick a shift to help out. Your volunteers can use the app to check their shift, or even trade their time slot with another volunteer. 

Your Volunteers is a cloud based database system that lets you publish a calendar of events on your website. It also serves as a volunteer database system. It is mobile friendly so your volunteers can sign up from phone, tablet or desktop, quickly and easily. Use it to  sign up volunteers, assign volunteers to shifts, track their attendance and create lists of volunteers. Your Volunteer offers a free version and a priced version. 

Keela is a nonprofit management tool that helps your organization manage every part of the donation cycle, from engaging donors to analyzing the results of a fundraising campaign. 

The software including one centralized dashboard that gives you access to all the tools. The software also has the ability for administrators to grant user permission levels 

You organization can use customizable tags to segment your database making it easier to run reports and with the segmentation you can encourage more donations by sending your donors customized emails. 

After sending out a customized mailing you can use the email metrics to refine your mailing list to get better results. 

Keela helps keep your database tidy with automatic detection of  duplicate records

You can also manage your volunteers within the Keela database. Within the volunteer module you can track, assign and communicate with your volunteers. 

You can use the Keela fundraising module to increase your fundraising efforts. The Keela relationship history lets you see a comprehensive profiles that includes donor engagement history. Track donations, use customizable donation forms, automatic receipts and thank you notes.

The platform lets you integrate with services like mailchimp, eventbrite, stripe and quickbooks.

Keela lets you stay on top of task management too. Use it to leave comments for team members, collaborate or  assign tasks. 

Tiered pricing. Small organizations with under 10 team members $49/mo up to large organizations-up to 75 team members $239/mo

Creating an accurate budget is important to the financial well being of your nonprofit. However, it can be time consuming to collect and analyze the various pieces of data, such as donor giving and expenses.

Adaptive Insights planning software can help your nonprofit get a handle on all its financial data to make forecasting and budgeting go more quickly.

Use the software to analyze and plan for fundraising efforts over multiple channels. In addition, it can help you get a grasp on your operating expenses.

Then you can use the software to make plans and projections based on several different criteria such as average donor contributions and cost per program.

You can analyze the data by fund, program, or project. Use the software to plan and forecast by several different elements. You can forecast by program, project, fund, grant, season, or  location. Incorporate the latest actuals for event registration revenues and expenses, membership renewals, and financials from other events into the projections

The software also lets you track expenses and donor contributions, perform allocations, create a balance sheet and cash flow planning. Streamline your yearly reporting process and create annual financial statements, balance sheets and other regulatory filings

Adaptive Insights works with other nonprofit tools such as Blackbaud,Sage Intaact, & Microsoft Dynamics.

If you're like most people you use your smartphone for practically everything, but is going smartphone only an option for a nonprofit organization?

There are several reasons why you might chose to keep your landline. First, and foremost  is call quality with a landline you are almost certain to have good call quality. While with a cellphone there is a chance that your location has areas where calls can drop or not come through at all.

Also, depending on your location there maybe safety reasons why you need a landline, such as fire alarm, elevator phones or security systems.

With a landline or another unified system such as voice over internet protocol (voip) you can set-up a incoming message, voicemail messaging and directory service that is cohesive and onbrand. You can also easily transfer calls from extensions, and retrieve messages. However, if each employee has a cellphone there will not be a cohesive feel to their voicemail messages. Plus, it can be harder to forward messages from employee to employee.

Next, cost is a consideration depending on the type of cell phone packages you select and the number of employees it can be expensive to outfit each employee with a phone. Plus, you most likely will have to assign an employee to manage the cellphones i.e. issuing new phones, collecting phones from outgoing staff, repair/replacing for the inevitable lost or destroyed phone.

Plus, fundraising calls can contain sensitive financial information, that is perhaps best discussed in a quiet office, not the local coffee house.

The 24/7 aspect of cellphones could also be an issue for your organization, do you expect your employees to answer their company issued cell phones even on off hours? If work/life balance is an important cornerstone to your organization, you will need to institute a policy on phone use during standard non-business hours.

The Gates Foundation is looking to ramp up its digital health division, and to that end they have employed a former Apple researcher, reports CNBC.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a first-of-its-kind role to invest in digital health ventures

Read the article on CNBC

According to Wired, Innovation Law Lab, a nonprofit that develops technology to help human rights advocates, has created a digital storage locker that allows users such as immigrants seeking asylum to upload vital documents to a secure cloud storage That way the documents are available even if the hard copies go missing. 

Last month, a young transgender woman from Central America applied for asylum in the US. Unlike thousands of others requesting asylum at the US-Mexico border, this person was especially fortunate. She had her birth certificate as well as a lawyer to represent her.

Read the article on Wired

Only 18% of computer science degrees are obtained by women, so a new nonprofit was created to help women feel more comfortable in tech, reports Tech Wire. Rewriting the Code connects women who are majoring in the technology fields.

Not fitting in, feeling like the outsider and having “imposter syndrome” are all things women majoring in the computer sciences said they have experienced.

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Nonprofit GivePower may have found a way to turn seawater into clean drinking water, reports Business Insider.

People have been trying to turn seawater into drinking water for thousands of years, but the process is not usually energy-efficient or affordable. 

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