{"id":6085,"date":"2015-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=6085"},"modified":"2024-05-08T17:55:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T17:55:41","slug":"nonprofits-cloud-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/nonprofits-cloud-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"How Nonprofits Can Benefit From Cloud Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cloud-technology\"<\/p>\n

This week we have a guest from\u00a0Charlotte Ritter is a technology analyst for\u00a0TechnologyAdvice.\u00a0She’s a pro at business intelligence, gamification, project management, and other emerging technology. Let’s see what she has to say about cloud technology for nonprofits.<\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Is your nonprofit addicted to spreadsheets?<\/p>\n

If you use them for everything from accounting, to contact management, project tracking, budgeting, donor tracking, and more\u2014then you\u2019re not alone. Nonprofits commonly rely on spreadsheets to organize any and all information.<\/p>\n

Spreadsheets, email, and internet connection is the extent of many organizations\u2019 business technology.<\/p>\n

But spreadsheets aren\u2019t the right tool for every job.<\/p>\n

Spreadsheets don\u2019t automatically notify you to follow up with constituents, for instance, or submit a grant application. They don\u2019t track relationships between donors, such as spouses with separate donation records or coworkers. And they don\u2019t provide the proper security, reporting, and ad hoc queries you get from nonprofit software.<\/p>\n

Your nonprofit needs dedicated resources to support and grow your efforts.<\/p>\n

But mention software or technology inside a nonprofit and \u201cka-ching\u201d is all the board members hear. In reality, the software allows nonprofits to allocate staff resources away from administrative tasks and to more strategic efforts, like direct services provided by the organization.<\/p>\n

There are many tools that enable nonprofits to increase their social impact and forward the organization\u2019s mission. And right now, they\u2019re more affordable than ever.<\/p>\n

The Charitable Cloud<\/b><\/h2>\n

The biggest trend in nonprofit technology is the movement to cloud-based software. Donor expectations often cause organizations to manage short and long term goals simultaneously, all on a shoestring budget. Cloud services can help minimize costs and are a great way for nonprofits to increase their ratio of spending on core missions versus their overhead costs.<\/p>\n

Nonprofits can experience the benefits of technology that, historically, have only been reaped by businesses or well-known nonprofits. Adopting business technology for use within nonprofits is becoming more popular, as vendors now offer nonprofit versions of their cloud software, often at discounted prices.<\/p>\n

Web-based solutions for donor management, accounting, marketing, and more enable nonprofits to improve workforce and operational efficiencies in business-like ways.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what some of those ways are.<\/p>\n

Stay Top of Mind for Donors with Email Marketing and Relationship Management<\/b><\/h2>\n

The accessibility provided by cloud-based services not only cuts costs, it enables nonprofits to be more interactive. Instead of just focusing on attracting new donors, you can concentrate on engaging and retaining current donors as well. While websites remain a top priority for most nonprofits, modern marketing tactics such as email marketing, landing pages<\/a>, and drip campaigns are increasingly part of a successful toolkit.<\/p>\n

Until recently, Development Directors, who consistently report being strapped for time, was spending extended intervals creating individual Facebook updates and writing new email newsletters each day. Marketing automation software<\/a> can help you take a multi-channel approach to your email communication efforts without the time commitment. This means you\u2019re able to send frequent, targeted appeals that can significantly increase response and click-through rates\u2014 which means more donations<\/a> for your cause.<\/p>\n