For most business owners, time is money. But as the owner of a small nonprofit, time is impact — and that’s a much worse thing to lose. Innovate Non-Profit knows that a nonprofit professional’s time is too valuable to waste. We’ve put together this quick guide to all the tools you need to run your nonprofit efficiently, affordably, and effectively.
Nonprofit Management Tools
Before a nonprofit can worry about raising funds or recruiting volunteers, it needs to get its business in order. These are the essential tools for managing your organisation’s operations:
● Nonprofit organisations need accounting tools to meet their unique reporting needs. Must-have features include the ability to budget according to fund, grant monitoring, and advanced fundraising tools.
● Many charities operate with a lean staff, making it difficult to justify full-service payroll. However, manual calculations make payroll mistakes, like misclassifying employees and failing to factor in breaks and overtime, more likely. If your nonprofit lacks automated payroll, easily calculate accurate timecards using a virtual timesheet.
● Nonprofits deal with a lot of paperwork, some of which must be stored long-term for compliance purposes. Cloud-based file management systems keep documents organised, secure, and accessible.
● Board management software enhances the effectiveness of nonprofit boards through tools for managing meetings, assigning tasks, and organising board materials.
Volunteer Management Tools
Many charities rely on volunteers in addition to paid staff. In fact, some nonprofit organisations are entirely volunteer-run.
● Don’t make it difficult to volunteer with your organisation. Adding a sign-up button to a nonprofit’s website and social media makes it easy for interested volunteers to reach out.
● Google also has a suite of tools designed to support nonprofits with volunteer management.
● The best volunteer management solutions are all-in-one platforms that let organisations advertise volunteer positions, schedule volunteers, sign waivers, and track attendance and hours.
● It’s not enough to manage volunteers. Charities need to engage volunteers in order to keep them coming back. Email marketing is one of the most powerful engagement tools at your organisation’s disposal thanks to the ability to segment and personalise content.
Fundraising Tools
Fundraising is the beating heart of any charitable organisation. These fundraising tools will help your organisation raise more money in less time.
● Customer relationship management software is critical for managing relationships with donors. In addition to contact management and donor insights, a CRM lets organisations segment donors for targeted fundraising.
● Donating is easier than ever thanks to online fundraising tools — and that’s good news for charities. Fundraising platforms like GoFundMe and Classy are popular with small organisations.
● The best fundraising tools integrate with a nonprofit’s website and donor database for a seamless giving experience.
Whether you’re a community organisation operating on a shoestring budget or a nationally recognised charity, the right tools can grow your impact. To learn more about how you can expand your nonprofit’s impact through integration and automation, contact Innovate Non-Profit today.
