Managing a nonprofit corporation and always searching for cost-effective ways of operating is not only challenging, but also an opportunity for the Board members to find the best operational systems and available technologies the nonprofit should use. In this newsletter we would like to share 12 technologies that will help you in running and managing the daily activities of the organization. We came up with 12 software, applications and informational resources that will help you run your nonprofit. All the suggested technologies are either for free or you need to pay a small fee. Our suggestions are as follows:
Communication Technologies:
- VoIP – it’s an integrated phone system that will help your nonprofit grow and don’t miss any calls. Nowadays most businesses are using VoIP systems for their incoming and outgoing calls. VoIP systems are easy to set up and use; internet connection is required. There are lots of companies that provide VoIP systems and their price varies based on the services provided.
- Conference Calls – it is very common for the board of Directors of the organization to be residing in different states. In this situation most of the Board meetings take place over the phone through conference calls. There are plenty of software available online that your nonprofit can use to do conference calling. Some familiar technologies for conference calling include: Skype, ooVoo, also there are some companies which provide free conference calls and charge additionally for upgraded services. One of them is: www.freeconferencecall.com
Document Management Technologies:
- Files Keepers – each corporation should have a well-established document retention policy. Speaking of files keeping, you shouldn’t rely on one computer only. Lots of businesses use DropBox, Box, or Google Drive to keep their files. The systems provide online storage for securely sharing and accessing files. The technologies also allow multiple users to see and edit the files.
- Files Operation – Evernote is one of the online applications you can easily download to your computer and organize your files. The technology gives you the chance to save all the content you find online, and at the same time you can share ideas, run projects, etc. Another application with similar features is Microsoft OneNote.
- Online Surveys – the online surveys are a very good source of collecting feedback about the work of the nonprofit organization. Whether your nonprofit organization had a charitable event or organized workshop, you might want to collect some feedback on how your nonprofit organization met the expectations of the participants. Some nonprofits prefer to provide feedback questionnaires right after the event; others prefer to follow up with the participants by an online survey. If you decide to do it online, you can use the following link to create your free survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com
Advertising & Promotion Technologies:
- Social Media – nowadays more and more organizations seek funding and promote their activities through social media. You need to consider creating a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram Some corporations also promote their activities through Pinterest. Social media is a powerful tool to find sponsors and supporters to your charitable cause, and at the same time it’s an easy way to invite people to your nonprofit’s events. If you do not plan on advertising, the above mentioned social networks are all for free.
- Website & Blogging –If you plan on creating an informative website without a lot of features, you can try to do it yourself. Companies like WordPress provide free services and tutorials for successfully creating your nonprofit organization’s website and/or blog. However, please be reminded that the very first thing you need to do before you create your website/blog is to reserve a domain name and a hosting company.
Financial Management Technologies:
- Accounting Software – the choice on which accounting software to purchase for your nonprofit corporation should depend on the activities and services your nonprofit organization provides. Some small organization might need simple accounting software with no additional features. There are companies online that provide special discounts for nonprofits. The most popular accounting software is http://quickbooks.intuit.com/. Some more information is available on the following link: http://charity.lovetoknow.com/charitable-organizations/free-accounting-software-nonprofits.
Meetings & Project Management:
- Pushing Technologies – in this category follow all of those technologies that create urgency and remind you about important tasks. The e-mail calendar is the most common one. You can schedule appointments, push notifications, sent e-mails with a delay, etc. Another option is to take advantage of the online technologies tools, such as www.Todoist.com (manage and organize your task list); BaseCamp (it’s a platform for you and your team helping you run projects, share ideas etc.).
- Online Presentation – one of the best ways to share the nonprofit goals to potential donors & investors is to prepare a presentation. Lots of businesses use a web presenter. You can find some good examples on the following link: https://prezi.com
- Project Management – depending on how big your nonprofit organization is and on the complexity of its projects the Board of Directors should consider using software to manage all the projects. Some free subscription is available on: www.wrike.com
Monitoring & Support Technologies:
- Remote Support – the remote support and access gives you the chance to remotely log in to your team member’s/customer’s computer and provide online support. As if you’re in front of your computer, you can provide the technical support remotely. You can do this using: www.teamviewer.com