Technology, AI, and advanced machine learning is growing and becoming a fixed part of our society. Futurists and other experts are predicting a massive shift in the way we do work and business operations, from doctors to accountants.
TechSoup and the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, known as NTEN, regularly publish studies that highlight the gap between nonprofits’ tech needs and their ability to be empowered to meet those needs. An NTEN report last year found nearly 70 percent of nonprofits had to make an additional investment in technology to continue operations during the pandemic.
So what should nonprofits do to avoid being left behind?
Ask these 3 questions:
1. How fast does your organization serve a client from onboarding to exiting?
2. Do you have an efficient Customer Relationship Management or CRM system in place that you can use to pull reports and outcomes quickly?
3. Are there systems and tools in place for remote workers and virtual community outreach?
The Big Technology Shift
Shifting your organizations’ infrastructure to support IT will need to be revisited for best practices and solutions regularly. Things you should include in your technology; things such as digital tools, tech skills training, and enhance cybersecurity.
To date, providing tech infrastructure has been the purview of technology vendors and nonprofit organizations such as NetHope, NTEN, TechSoup, and Tech Impact, which offer a range of sometimes overlapping solutions, including technology assessments, training, support, and discounted software. None of these organizations alone supports the full range of nonprofit tech needs, and they often compete with one another for funding, typically from individual foundations.
In the end, be sure to shop around and learn which IT support would work best for your nonprofit team and service population.
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