Nonprofits DO Have the Budget and Time for New Tech Tools, with TechSoup + Nonprofit Virtual Assistants
TechSoup makes innovative technology tools more affordable for nonprofits by securing donated or discounted access. Yet many nonprofits still hesitate to take advantage due to a lack of time to implement systems, train users and fully utilize functionality.
Engaging a Nonprofit Virtual Assistant (NPVA®) for as few as 10 hours/month, for only as many months as needed, can affordably address these challenges.
In this post, I’ll be sharing how More Than Giving Co. clients have put this powerful NPVA® + TechSoup pairing to work.
>>Tech Challenge: Email campaigns were receiving few opens/clicks
>>Staffing Challenge: Lack of inhouse email marketing expertise, unfamiliarity with alternative software
Nonprofit Virtual Assistants have experience with a range of tech tools. They can see how a nonprofit is executing functions and where an additional tool may help.
One of our NPVAs® was engaged for 20 hours/month to support a busy Executive Director. The organization was using their CRM for all marketing outreach. Their open and click-thru rates were low, and they received regular complaints about the unsubscribe process. While some volunteers were familiar with Constant Contact, which is available at a discount through TechSoup, they weren’t familiar with all the functionality. They also didn’t fully realize how consistent, branded marketing, tailored to specific audiences, could improve the effectiveness of their outreach.
Our NPVA® explained that, in addition to customizable email templates they could use to create branded messages, Constant Contact would give them the ability to create event landing pages, polls, SMS messaging and social posts (via integration with Canva).
With the assistance of their NPVA® to upload lists and logos, the client was quickly up and running with Constant Contact. Open rates rose from 3-5% to 30+% and they received outstanding feedback from constituents.
>>Tech Challenge: Cobbling together systems for fundraising wasn’t efficient
>>Staffing Challenge: Lack of time for configuration and training
A charity serving disabled adults was struggling with fundraising. They were using multiple systems to manage donor data, events and communications, and having a hard time keeping everything organized. There were more than a few dusty boxes filled with old donor lists.
After observing their challenges, their Nonprofit Virtual Assistant suggested Little Green Light (LGL), a user-friendly donor management system. LGL can contain and curate donor data, donation records and fundraising reports in the cloud. The TechSoup discount for nonprofits put the system within their budget.
First, the NPVA® spent time learning the development team’s fundraising needs so she understood which LGL features would be most helpful. Next, she configured LGL to their requirements, setting up customized fields and reports, importing data (including corralling and uploading multiple redundant spreadsheets) and creating email templates. She set up users with the specific permissions to protect donor confidentiality. Finally, she provided hands-on training to ensure everyone felt comfortable using the software.
Not only did the new system make it easy to do things like reconnect with former donors; access to new tools gave a big morale boost to the entire fundraising team.
>>Tech Challenge: Efficient file sharing
>>Staffing Challenge: Bandwidth for data migration and training, unsure how to set up durable information architecture
An organization was using a single laptop to store all their files in one individual's personal Microsoft OneDrive folders, making it difficult for remote team members to collaborate. They were preparing for a fundraising event and needed to create multiple documents and presentations. The team had been emailing files back and forth, resulting in version control issues and lost documents. People needed to know about past events, budgets and contacts but could not access the information quickly.
The organization’s Nonprofit Virtual Assistant recommended migrating all their existing files to Google Drive, part of Google Workspace which is donated by Google to TechSoup members. This created a central hub for files. The NPVA® also provided training on how to use Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive. She showed them how to collaborate on documents in real-time and share files securely. With common organization emails assigned, they could communicate with each other instantly, making it easier keep everyone up to date with project developments.
She helped establish a workflow for creating and managing spreadsheets, presentations, etc., eliminating version control issues and lost documents. They could also assign different levels of access to volunteers, controlling who could edit or view files.
The NPVA® also worked with the organization to create a directory to organize a repository of files, images and records. Because More Than Giving Co. virtual assistants only serve nonprofits, they are familiar with best practices across multiple organizations. This NPVA® drew on that knowledge to establish an information architecture that will keep even large volumes of information easily accessible over time.
The right people, delivering needed skills for just the hours they are needed. The right tools at an affordable price. With these two things in place, even nonprofits with the leanest budgets can accomplish more in support of their missions.
Schedule a call to learn how a Nonprofit Virtual Assistant can help implement technology at your nonprofit.