Tech Tools That You Can Actually Use

We aren’t afraid to admit it; we have a couple technology nerds at Cause. Some may think “tech” is the buzzword du jour but we at Cause know that, used strategically, technology has the power to help all organizations communicate more effectively. Several members of our team attended the 2017 Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) in Washington, D.C. hosted by the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN). We met a ton of cool nonprofit leaders and geeked out on the latest tips and trends in nonprofit tech. Below are our top three tips that anyone (including those who are less tech-savvy) can use to make your organization’s communications go further.

Where to Start?

Whether you are a tech newbie or writing the backend code for your organization’s website, there are a ton of free and affordable resources available to help your organization communicate better. Here are just a few of our favorites.

NTEN – This membership organization provides resources, classes and an online community to any nonprofit professional whose roles touches tech – from web development and digital strategy to fundraising databases. We love that the online community connects members to each other, provides professional development opportunities as well as the latest news and trends on technology use in nonprofits. They also host very cool (and fun!) conferences.

TechSoup – Did you know that your organization might be eligible to receive free or discounted tech tools and trainings? TechSoup provides discounted software, hardware, services, and training to qualifying changemakers. Check out their site to take advantage of all kinds of free resources specifically geared towards nonprofit leaders.

Want more? There are countless other resources available for nonprofits on many different tech topics, including NonprofitReady.org, Foundation Center and the Technology Affinity Group.

Data, Data, Data

Think data analytics isn’t, or doesn’t need to be, for you? Think again. Even a basic understanding of some topline data trends can mean a huge difference for your organization. Data analytics can help mission-driven organizations make better decisions about the most effective ways to allocate their precious resources to maximize social impact.

We recommend starting with your organization’s website. Who is coming to your site? Which pages to people go to first? How long do people spend on each page? What do they click on? Google Analytics is a free and easy analytics service that tracks and reports on your website traffic and can help you find answers all of these questions. Once you start seeing the trends on your site you can then use this data to optimize content to attract and retain donors and volunteers. Need a basic tutorial? Start here.

All About That Mobile

According to Time, Americans are on their phone 8 billion times per day. Okay, so maybe that number is a bit misleading – it’s actually an aggregate of all of the times all Americans look at their phone on a daily basis, but you get the point. Phones are often the first and preferred way your audiences are learning about your cause. If your organization hasn’t optimized its web presence for mobile you could be frustrating your members, donors or volunteers. Your web developer can help you decide if it makes sense to optimize just the well-trafficked pages of your site, create a separate mobile version of your site or build a responsive design that resizes and rearranges content for smartphone users.

Make the mobile experience even more user friendly by presenting your content in short, bite-sized pieces, using bullet points, creating mobile-friendly emails and ensuring your site’s navigation is simple and intuitive. Some causes may also want to explore developing a text to donate campaign and building mobile apps. Mobile optimization is an important step in keeping your stakeholders engaged and educated and shouldn’t be overlooked.

We had a blast at the NTEN conference and are eager to pass on even more of the lessons we learned to our clients. Especially as the political and funding landscape continues to evolve, we know that technology can be a strategic tool in helping nonprofits communicate with their audiences more effectively.