4 Steps for Taking On Technology Today!

Complexity is a word that today's nonprofits are all too familiar with and the manner in which leaders address it can mean the difference between success and failure. 

What is making the difference for many leaders and giving them the competitive edge,  is the understanding, adoption, and implementation of improved and scalable technology solutions. Technology is allowing leaders to manage at scale more effectively, automate processes, and to gather and interpret data productively. These are all necessary functions for an organization to experience successful growth.

However, the adoption of new technology and digitalization can be a culture shift for many nonprofit organizations. The multitude of options, new terminology, and projected costs can - at times - make it feel as though it would be easier to maintain the status quo. For new systems to be successful,  it requires an organization-wide commitment to learning, exploration, and buy-in. This begins with senior leadership making a commitment to the change.

So, where should you begin? 

Before you are ready to answer that question, you must first understand the size, scope, services, and desired level of growth your organization would like to attain. Assessing your organization’s specific needs will not only clarify what your focus should be, but it will also help you seek out the right people and companies to best educate you about your options. 

For example, are you looking to better understand your clients, members, patients, etc.? If so, then considering a customer relationship management system (CRM) would be a good starting point. Or perhaps your organization is experiencing a transition as a result of a recent merger or affiliation, making it more vulnerable to a cyber attack.

Regardless of your organization’s specific needs, we have some recommendations for how to break the process into more manageable steps:

Understand Organizational Needs: Start by building a list of what your organization or department needs, what functionality is important, and what data needs to be captured and/or analyzed. There are business needs and technology needs, so be sure to include your technology staff in this assessment because solutions will need to meet specific criteria to function within your ecosystem.

Research the Options: There are countless solutions and options available in the market. Reach out to larger organizations to learn about the solutions they have been using and what the pros and cons are for each. Connect with solution providers to schedule demos and compare their functionality against your criteria and requirements.

Involve the Team: Technology solutions will be utilized by a number of people throughout your organization so create a task force that is representative of this to help explore each solutions functionality ability to meet your needs. A variety in perspective will help ensure that all levels of your service delivery are taken into account..

Educate and Integrate: Once the selection of a technology solution has been made, It’s time for implementation. This is when a change management process must be established. Adopting a new system will, and should, require more attention and effort at the start, but this investment will pay off as the solution becomes increasingly normalized into operations.

Technology is constantly evolving and improving and in order to remain relevant, your nonprofit should make it a priority to do the same.  Whether you incorporate it into your strategic plan or you make it a stand alone initiative, technology is and will be a major factor in giving your organization a competitive edge in today’s nonprofit landscape.