Plans to get the word out about your nonprofit through in-person meetings, conferences, and social gatherings mostly went by the wayside last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through all we’ve learned in the past year, we know this does not mean that you can’t continue to grow your membership. Quite the opposite is true.
The virtual world is continually expanding in 2021, and people are turning to their computers more and more during this time of working from home. You can capitalize on this to reach an even wider network of people across the globe to support your cause.
Technology can offer new and innovative ways to manage a nonprofit, provide greater access to more people, and improve efficiency.
There are a variety of tools available that can help to grow a nonprofit — even now. We’ll help you navigate the tools and techniques that can increase your reach and attain your goals.
At the heart of a nonprofit is a cause — the “why” behind your organization. In order to increase appreciation and raise awareness for your mission, you need to create buzz to gain support. People who believe in your cause are more than willing to spread the word and call attention to it.
Businesses and nonprofits alike are increasingly moving to completely digital platforms. Nonprofit organizations may not have the large marketing budgets and liquid assets to spend on advertising that corporations do. There may only be a small handful of people running a nonprofit with little or no cash to spare.
There are several ways to promote your cause without spending a lot of money, and technology is critical to this mission. These tools are low-cost or free:
Social media accounts are free, and they can provide the buzz you need for your cause.
There are several free website-building options for nonprofits provided through companies such as Wix, Weebly, and SITE123.
You don’t need to spend your limited marketing budget on buying an email list either. Instead, you are more likely to generate true interest and grow your nonprofit by reaching the right people, not just with mass marketing. Slow and steady is often the key to building a workable email list.
Video testimonials from real people on your website and throughout social media platforms can encourage others to join you as well. User-generated content and short videos can be quickly shot by your members to create more hype and support for your nonprofit.
Marketing a nonprofit does not have to be expensive. At Gather Voices, we can help you capitalize on content provided from your community. These videos can carry a strong and powerful message to increase the buzz surrounding your cause.
As a nonprofit, you may not have a large staff. Your employees may wear multiple hats.
With employees stepping into many roles, it can be advantageous to use software tools to consolidate projects and tasks. This can help to keep all staff members on the same page and to streamline your business objectives and marketing efforts.
The following types of software can help you run and expand your charity with ease. Many companies offer free options or deep discounts for nonprofit organizations.
There are many kinds of marketing software that can help you to keep track of your social media accounts, manage email communications, and help you to get noticed.
Marketing can be a huge asset for a nonprofit in helping to draw attention to your cause. By using free or low-cost marketing tools, you can free up your time and energy for your true mission, letting the software do some of the heavy lifting for you.
Some of the top options, chosen by experts, include tools that help you manage your social media accounts. Here are some examples:
As a nonprofit, you can get a 50 percent discount on their paid plans.
You can use Awario free for a week and then get the 50 percent nonprofit discount on a monthly plan.
As a nonprofit, you can get half off the monthly plans or use the basic features for free.
Tailwind offers a 50 percent discount to nonprofits.
There is a nonprofit discount you can get by contacting the SocialPilot support team directly.
As a nonprofit, you likely have multiple projects going on at once and several different people running them. It can be difficult to keep up with everything and everyone. Project management software is an excellent tool to keep track of and manage everything with ease.
There are many different options on the market, ranging from software to track deadlines and who is doing what to apps that can allow you to manage everything right from your phone.
Here is a list of some of the expert’s choices for project management software:
Some of these offer free trails or a free version to easily fit into a nonprofit’s budget.
The accounting and financial management aspect of a nonprofit is vital to its success; however, it can also be clunky and time-consuming.
Keeping track of your donations, and making it easy to donate and see where the money goes, is vital. Nonprofits have different accounting needs than regular businesses do. Specific accounting software for a nonprofit is key.
Nonprofits need to be secure and protected from cybersecurity threats. They must be able to track grant funds easily and keep up with ever-changing accounting compliance rules.
Reviews by experts name FreshBooks the top accounting software for a nonprofit. FreshBooks can help make donating easy and secure, and keep your accounting transparent. It also comes with mobile apps and integrates easily with other third-party applications. They offer a free trial period so you can see if it works for your needs.
By successfully managing the business aspects of your nonprofit and using these technology tools to do so, you can spend more time expanding your presence and growing support for your cause.
In our pre-pandemic world, you could gather emails from people interested in your cause through events, flyers, and face-to-face interactions. Now, you need to rely more heavily on the digital world.
The trick to building a solid email list is to connect with people who are genuinely interested in your cause and what you have to say. Email is a cheap and easy way to get the word out about your cause and garner support. It is a great marketing tool.
Here are some tips for growing and using your email list effectively:
An email list is highly effective at helping to grow a nonprofit. When used correctly, it will continue to build over time.
It is increasingly important to find ways to be relevant in the digital world as more and more people and businesses continue to live online. Competition for donations is fierce, and nonprofits must be innovative to connect with potential donors and retain them.
Here are some tips:
Gather Voices makes it easy to collect videos from your donors and people who have benefited from your nonprofit. Videos can be easily recorded on a smartphone, and we offer easy tools to edit and share them. These video testimonials can then be shared on your social media pages, website, and even through email and direct marketing in order to grow your nonprofit.
We make it easy to share these short video clips and encourage donors to support your cause even in the midst of a global pandemic. While last year presented new challenges, you can still see your nonprofit continue to grow.
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