Like it or not, technology is here to stay. What’s more, it’s changing at an ever-increasing pace.
Sure, technology can be detrimental to your productivity and personal life. But when used well, it can enhance your life and make your work as a fundraiser easier and more efficient.
Technology As a Time-Saver
Are you the type of person who camps out the night before a new iPhone release? If so, you’re an early adopter. You probably happily experiment with the latest tools and technology available.
Unfortunately, many nonprofits are the “late majority” or even laggards when it comes to implementing tools and technology to help with fundraising. Sometimes it’s due to financial constraints. Other times it’s simply an unwillingness to try new things.
Hopefully, that’s not the case at your organization. But more than likely, you’re not using all the technology you could be to raise even more money for your organization.
Most Tech is Simple and Affordable
Sometimes the tools are high-tech, expensive, and complicated. But more often, technology is (relatively) simple and affordable… that’s what technology does. The best technology makes complicated tasks simple at an affordable price.
Think about it. If something saves you time, what’s that worth?
Therefore, as a rule of thumb, I encourage you to consider picking one or two new tools to try each year. Take a look at the sections below; pick out a couple tools that you haven’t yet tried and give them a test drive. You might discover a real gem.
Organization Tools for Fundraisers
Organization and time management is the one thing we can all do better (and use more of). These first two tools are great for that.
1. Calendly
Before I started using Calendly (a scheduling program) I was highly skeptical. Would it really sync with my calendar correctly? Would clients/donors find it impersonal? The fact is, it has saved me hours and hours of back and forth scheduling.
2. Trello
I’m a list maker. I still use a notebook and pen to keep track of my daily to-do list, but I use Trello to keep track of longer-term projects and ideas I don’t want to lose track of.
Communication Tools for Fundraisers
Good communication is essential for any nonprofit. These tools can help keep everyone on the same page.
3. Slack
I came to Slack at the urging of my team. It helps us organize our conversations by project. I’m not a total convert, but my team loves it. I still use email more than Slack, but I’m slowly coming to understand the benefits.
4. Zoom
Zoom probably doesn’t need to be on the list, because COVID made it as universal as Google. But only a short time ago, it wasn’t. It took a global pandemic for most people to understand the value of working from home, in addition to the benefits of remote, virtual meetings.
I’ve worked from home for over a decade now, and my latest venture, the Capital Campaign Toolkit, was designed (pre-pandemic) to provide remote and virtual services to all clients, primarily via Zoom. Now everyone knows just how effective and efficient Zooming is to meet with donors when you can’t get together in person.
Donor Management / Data Analytics Tools for Fundraisers
If you’ve got more than a few hundred donors, you shouldn’t be using Microsoft Excel or Access to keep track of them. There are many established services to help you organize your donors and raise more money. Some prime examples include:
5. Give Butter
6. Neon One
7. Bloomerang
8. Salesforce (for fundraising)
https://www.salesforce.org/nonprofit/fundraising/
Wealth Screening / Prospect Research Tools for Fundraisers
Wealth screening helps savvy fundraisers identify prospects among their constituents who have the potential to give bigger gifts. If you get information on only one donor, which leads to a significant gift, the cost of the investment is covered. Here are a few worth a look:
9. WealthEngine
10. iWave
11. DonorSearch
Document Sharing Tools for Fundraisers
This year, my team switched from Google Docs to Dropbox as a file-sharing system. Each has pros and cons. Check them out:
12. Google Docs
https://www.google.com/docs/about/
13. Dropbox
If you’re not sure which will work for you, you may need to experiment to identify which works best at your organization. There’s no “one size fits all” tool. Ultimately, switching from Google Docs to Dropbox is a huge hassle, but only for a few days. By the end of the week, it was smooth sailing, and we were glad we made the change. Sometimes technology is like that!
Stewardship and Cultivation Tools for Fundraisers
Stand out from the crowd by sending donors personalized videos and electronic thank-you notes. Using the right tools and technology, it’s no less time-consuming than writing a heartfelt letter or picking up the phone, and it will stand out! Check out these tools:
14. ThankView
15. Paperless Post
https://www.paperlesspost.com/professional-invitations
16. Concept3D
A quick Google search led me to find Concept3D, a virtual tour company which (in theory… I haven’t tried it) can help you create a virtual tour of your organization.
Capital Campaign Tools for Fundraisers
Considering a capital campaign? Just getting one started? Look no further…
17. BONUS TOOL — Capital Campaign Toolkit
I’m a little biased on this one (as I’m a Co-Founder), so I didn’t include it in the official count for this post. That said, the Capital Campaign Toolkit provides a fantastic collection of tools and resources, combined with expert campaign advising, to help you pull off an efficient and affordable capital campaign.
Additional Resources
WEBINAR: How to Plan and Effective and Efficient Capital Campaign Using New Tools and Technology
- 1 hour FREE webinar with Capital Campaign Toolkit — Friday, October 1, 2021 at 1:00 ET
DEEP DIVE: How to Plan for a Capital Campaign in 2022 Using New Tools and Technology
- 4 hour Deep Dive with AFP — Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 1:00 ET
- 4 hour Deep Dive with AFP — Thursday, December 2, 2021
BOOK: Why Robots Make Bad Fundraisers
Check out the book, Why Robots Make Bad Fundraisers by my friend and colleague, Steven Shattuck, to learn more about the pros and cons of fundraising and technology. (You can find my summary and review of the book here.)
I’m sure there are companies and tools that are missing from my list. What technology do you use for fundraising? Let me know in the comments so we can build this list of resources.
Thank you very much for all the above things.
Regarding fundraising tools I haven’t started but since your there willing to help me I will start.
I like your services and I wish to keep up with.
Thank you Amy.