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.

Personify is a software suite that is compact with tools and products that enable nonprofits to manage their donors and grow their organization.  Through their various products, charities can connect with their donors and grow their reach. For This review will be focusing solely on Personify360- a robust constituent management software for nonprofits and charities.

In  Use:

With Personify360, charities can manage their constituents, drive revenue, and expand their reach.  With backend dashboards and reporting capabilities, nonprofits can track metrics that can help them with future campaigns.

Nonprofit organizations can take advantage of Personify360’s four key features.  Nonprofits can see their constituent information using the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) tool; get strategic consulting services and support through eBusiness; browser-based client through PersonifyGO; and analyze statistics and map trends through their Analytics feature.

Ease of Use:

It does take some time to familiarize yourself with the software. It has been described by some users on Capterra as clunky and not so user-friendly. Other reviews have had no problem maneuvering around the platform. It may essentially come down to how techy savvy one is.

Technology Used:

Charities can roll their needs into one sophisticated platform. Need to get in touch with constituents? Need to analyze constituents’ wants and needs? Having trouble understanding how to manage your constituents effectively? Personify360 can get a nonprofit organization on the right track to solving issues that arise when managing a nonprofit.

Recap

According to Personify360, a nonprofit’s first focus should be on their constituents. With their products and solutions they hope to enable a charity by giving them access to technology that will help their organization thrive.

Advantages:

• Free demo to see if the platform is right for your organization
• All-in-one tool that lets your streamline your organization- you don’t have to constantly switch between software to manage donors, constituents, and run reports
• Analytics capability to track metrics and statistics

Disadvantages:

• Platform has been described as clunky and not user friendly

My Opinion:

I think nonprofits will like the fact that the software is all in one. It’s time consuming to have to constantly switch from one software to another. With Personify360 they can manage their constituents, track metrics, and get advice using the same software. Personify offers a free demo, so I would encourage any charity who is interested in growing their reach among their community to give the demo a try.  My only hesitation is that it’s been described as hard to use and clunky. It appears that it will take some time to get use to the software. A nonprofit has to make sure they have time set aside to learn the tool in order to get the most out of it.

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.

Running a nonprofit organization can be extremely rewarding but can also be highly challenging. These issues are what many nonprofits go through today. Lack of adequate preparation for these issues may be catastrophic and can even lead to closure. From changes that take place in the environment such as changing regulations and tax code to increasing competition for both donors and volunteers, managing a nonprofit can prove hard for many. However, these challenges if managed and overcome can make a not-for-profit not only successful but also rewarding. Below are some of the challenges that you should know in your mission to achieve what you desire in operations:

1.      Government Regulations and Tax Reforms

For many businesses, not-for-profits included, a leading area of concern both within and outside is the impact of changing government regulations and taxation schemes. From changing administration to the amendments of tax codes, nonprofits can find it hard to fit into the ever-changing business environment. As such, they find themselves working hard to catch up and end up facing many challenges. The leading concerns are whether the increase in the tax deductions can reduce the likelihood of donors giving money and whether the changes in legislation and regulations will affect service delivery.

2. Funding

Funding is a major challenge to many nonprofit organizations. This has even been worsened by the governments’ increased search for ways of cutting costs which have ended up holding nonprofits back. The increase in the number of nonprofits has also impacted funding due to increased competition for donors. Such competition has led to problems particularly due to the reduced attraction to new donors. Competition for donor money and resources creates an unending risk to the operations of a not for profit as they may not find adequate money for their operations.

3. Inadequate resources

In the current economic climate, inadequate resources have become one of the leading challenges for nonprofits just like all other businesses. However, many players in this sector have resorted to connecting with similar nonprofits to pool resources, and that has proven to have been beneficial. The more partners you connect with the more the resources your nonprofit can pool. However, resource pooling is still a challenge as it is difficult to find a partner who shares the same values and belief system. Despite the collective efforts by the nonprofits, they still face resource constraints which end up affecting their operations in the end.  

4.      Staffing and recruitment

Strength of a nonprofit depends on dedicated and highly motivated employees.  However, recruitment and retention remain the biggest challenge for many leaders in this sector. For upper and middle nonprofits, for instance, there is a rising employee satisfaction levels which include demand for higher compensations, and demand for skilled personnel. Due to the increasing demand for skilled labor, high employment numbers, rising wages and increase in office time, finding employees who match the expectations or even volunteers has become a huge challenge.

5. Member recruitment and retention

Recruiting and retaining existing members is a unique challenge which modern nonprofits have to contend with in the competitive landscape. The entry of new nonprofits makes it hard for the already existing ones to retain its donor base due to new requests introduced to the environment by the new players in this sector. For instance, incorporation of technological aspects makes it increases competition and can make it harder for organizations to retain members. Those who want to retain members or recruit new ones must prove their value and what the future holds for donors.

From the above challenges, it is clear that nonprofits must be aware of their environment as this allows them to see the new challenges and address them accordingly by coming up with an appropriate action plan. Such will result in sustainability even during tough times and unfavorable climate.

Source

http://www.brittenford.com/blog/seven-top-challenges-nonprofits-2018/

Donating to a nonprofit is one of the most personal decisions we will ever make. The act of giving engages us in ways that nothing else can. Unfortunately, many nonprofits struggle to scale truly personal connections with their donors and create long-term loyalty.

Donor retention rates remain incredibly low for most nonprofits. Fortunately, we can take a cue from for-profit brands that have perfected hyper-personal communication that dramatically improves retention, engagement, and advocacy. The strategy they use for this is called personalization.

The term personalization means using highly targeted communication to engage donors, resulting in more generosity and loyalty. Personalization is much more than just addressing your donors by name. It involves communicating 1) the right message, 2) at the right time, and 3) is based on each donors’ individual preferences, capacity, and stage of their donor journey. When fully applied, personalization can work brilliantly for nonprofits, helping to engage donors in a way that inspires them to give more, more often. Here are three things that will help you get started.

Tap Into What Matters

People give because they believe in a cause and they want to be a part of a movement bigger than themselves. Nonprofits can help donors maintain this feeling past the first gift by making an effort to understand the behaviors and preferences of each person. The trick then is to connect donors with the stories and people that make them feel like they are actually PART of the cause, not just a means to an end. Historically, nonprofits haven’t had the time or resources necessary to build this type of relationship with their entire donor list and only major donors feel fully included in the cause

Tech Helps You Personalize

Thankfully, modern technology like social media, data analytics and marketing automation can provide nonprofits with the tools and data needed to authentically scale personal connection to the entire donor list. Today’s tech allows nonprofits to use all of their communication channels to learn about each an every donor in a more personal way. With the right strategy and tools for segmenting donors based on their passions and engagement level you can begin to truly scale personal communication to your donor network.

If you haven’t yet invested in modern technology built for nonprofits, now is a good time to review systems that fit in your technology or marketing budget. If growing donor giving and retention is a goal, then you’re going to need tools that multiply the power of your staff.

Start Simple and Grow

The good news is that there are simple ways to get started with personalization. We recommend a simple process to kick things off First, map out three common donor personas (e.g. the advocate college student, the passionate parent, etc.) Then determine the most compelling success stories to share with each of these personas. Finally, ask yourself -- what are natural asks that come out of each story? From there you can tailor a personalized drip email campaign to each persona based on the stories you’ve mapped.

We recommend starting with a new donor welcome series of emails and calls because it can return tremendous value without having to re-work your entire communication strategy. Personalization is a great way to move to a second gift, improve retention and keep your new donors engaged over time.

It isn’t difficult to start building a personalization strategy. With a little work, you should start to see your donor engagement increase by way of more giving and loyalty.

Gabe Cooper is the Founder and CEO of Virtuous Software, a CRM and Marketing platform helping charities increase their impact and do more good. His drive stems from a passion to create market-defining software and help charities reimagine generosity. He frequently writes and speaks about empowering nonprofits to grow generosity through technology.

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.

Analytics are important to fundraising. Knowing how your donors like to give, in addition to when they give can help your organization keep your fundraising efforts on target.

CRM software like VirtuousCRM help your organization dive quickly and easily into your donor giving history, to make intelligence fundraising calls.

VirtuousCRM also alerts you to a potential donor lapse so you can prevent that from happening.

VirtuousCRM incorporates information from all three of your marketing channels, so you know exactly how your social media, email marketing and direct mail campaigns are working, which can help you tailor your next communication with your donors.

The software also lets you log each interaction with your donor and ensures that you timely and personalized follow ups.

The Virtuous app helps you complete your fundraising tasks even if you not in the office. You can use the app to find nearby donors, log notes and view donor to do items.

Along with helping you with your donor retention VirtuousCRM has additional features that allow you to take donations and control the flow of your marketing campaigns across all channels.

VirtuousCRM is a subscription based service and has tier pricing depending on the number of contacts you have and what additional modules you need. The most basic plan starts at $195/mo.

The Pennsylvania appellate court has provided a ruling that clears up whether a donation app is a money transmitter under Pennsylvania law, reports, Payment Source.

Read the article on Payment Source

According to NBC News, Microsoft is offering election machine vendors an opportunity to get free, open-source software product called ElectionGuard to prevent tapering with election results. 

Read the article on NBC News

Allegiance Fundraising Group, an end to end fundraising services provider, has acquired WeDidIt, an online fundraising platform, reports Cision. 

Read the article on Cision

Solar Sister, a Great Falls nonprofit,  is one of two winners of the 2019 Keeling Curve Prize for energy access, reports Fairfax County Times. 

Read the article on Fairfax County Times