You may already know that there can be some serious benefits to integrating technology into the processes at your nonprofit, but where do you start?
With literally thousands of options to help with everything from donor management, to volunteer management, to bookkeeping. Some of these solutions are free, and some have a reduced price for nonprofits. Some have a subscription based software as a service (SAAS) model, and some are purchased for a one time fee. How can you choose? How do you know what you need first? How can you know which one will provide the most bang for your buck?
Then there’s the hidden costs related to implementation and technological debt. Even though a piece of software may be available at a discount or even free that doesn’t mean that there isn’t associated costs to integrating it into your processes, training staff and changing the way you do business.
It is important to have a very clear understanding of your desired outcome. This becomes your guiding light as you weigh your options. From there, make an analysis of the current business processes that may be affected or integrated into the new technology. Then comes market research. Each solution should be investigated and the implications of its adoption mapped out. Once a possible solution is chosen, trial processes need to be created and the solution tested. Finally by analyzing the result and iterating on the processes a finalized solution can be decided on.
All of this can sound complicated and even onerous but the results can be more than worth the effort. To paraphrase Seth Godin; it will take a lot of work but you’ll get more than you put in.