Seven Worthy Tech Investments For Nonprofits
As experts, the members of Forbes Nonprofit Council have mastered technology investments on a budget. Below, seven of them discuss specific tools, software or systems they believe are worth the investment.
Good data is like gold. A right-sized customer relationship management system is a must, but it's only as valuable as the structure behind it and the people using it. It doesn't matter if it's Salesforce or Blackbaud because any tech is useless without consistent use and clean data. Invest in training to ensure team members understand how to work the system. Your data should work for you, not the other way around. - Karen Cochran, Philanthropy Innovators
When investing in tech, I look for tools that act as force multipliers to amplify what our small but mighty team can do. I prioritize systems that extend our capacity and establish repeatable workflows, like Zapier. The right tech can help you scale your work. - Nicole Kim, College of Adaptive Arts
Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Once we added a project management tool, everything got easier. The number of emails was reduced, deadlines were met and the entire team felt confident owning their work. Nonprofits using these tools see up to 30% more productivity—and honestly, you feel it. It's one of the simplest ways to get time and clarity back. - Nicole Lamoureux, NAFC
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is worth the investment for its flexibility and scalability. Its ability to centralize donor management, program tracking and impact reporting is also useful. With free licenses via the Power of Us program, it offers strong ROI for lean teams needing to streamline operations and demonstrate impact. - Yujia Zhu, FASSLING.AI
An important first step is a donor management system that enables you to understand supporter behavior across all interaction points with volunteers, event participants and other individual staff members. This rich data can then become the basis of amplifying fundraising capacity and increasing donor engagement. - Scott Brighton, Bonterra
Donor cultivation and fundraising essentials are key to any nonprofit. Investing in technology that not only manages all fundraising needs, but also uses AI to cultivate donor engagement and the amplification of donations is essential to long-term success for any nonprofit. Plus, you can see the ROI with fundraising and donor engagement software in real time. - Erin Davison, Scouting America
Invest in tools that deepen connection, like a phone call or a handwritten note. Technology doesn't have to be complex to be powerful. The goal is insight, not just organization of information. Tools that help you remember, understand and respond to donors as people, not line items, are the ones that turn transactions into lasting generosity. Connection is the real ROI. - Cherian Koshy, Kindsight
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Howard Marks Sees a Bubble Brewing--And He's Not the Only One
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Oaktree's Howard Marks (Trades, Portfolio) isn't screaming fireyetbut he's definitely pointing at the smoke. In a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg, the famed credit investor said U.S. equities are in the early days of bubble territory, with valuations that feel disconnected from reality. Some of the market's current behavior, he said, reminds him of the late '90s tech craze, when Alan Greenspan warned of irrational exuberanceand the market still marched on for years before collapsing. People get out of the habit of thinking about market corrections, Marks warned, adding that a reversion to the mean is not just possible, but likely. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with HON. What's fueling this exuberance? According to Marks, the market has been enjoying a relief rally since Donald Trump's April tariff announcement. But that rally, he argued in a recent memo, needs a firmer foundation to justify today's price levels. One red flag he's watching: the total market cap of U.S. equities has reached a record high relative to GDP. And with more companies being taken private or staying private longer, that figure could be even more distorted than it looks on the surface. For investors looking to play defense, Marks is leaning into credit over stocks. Even with tight spreads, he sees credit as the safer corner of the room compared to richly priced equities like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). He still calls the U.S. the best place in the world to invest, but with a twist: it's like buying a luxury car at full sticker pricestill world-class, just not cheap. The fundamentals may not be broken, but they're no longer doing all the heavy lifting. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Pushes for Small Crypto Stakes at the Fed
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman thinks Fed staff should be able to dip a toe into crypto literally. Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium on Tuesday, she argued examiners need real-life experience with digital assets if they're going to regulate them effectively. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with NVDA. Our approach should consider allowing Federal Reserve staff to hold de minimus amounts of crypto, Bowman said, comparing it to learning a sport. I wouldn't trust someone to teach me to ski if they'd never put on skis. She stressed this isn't about encouraging speculation, but about giving examiners the hands-on perspective they need. Bowman also warned that strict investment bans might be scaring off talented people who could help the Fed shape crypto oversight. Her comments come just as the landscape is shifting. Congress recently passed the GENIUS Act, aimed at stablecoins, and the Fed shut down its Biden-era crypto monitoring program last week. Trump administration officials now say they want a clearer, more permanent regulatory framework. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Delta and United Sued Over Windowless 'Window Seats'
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Delta Air Lines (DAL, Financials) and United Airlines (UAL, Financials) were hit with lawsuits Tuesday claiming they charged passengers extra for window seats that turned out to be next to blank walls. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with UAL. Proposed class actions were filed in Brooklyn federal court against Delta and in San Francisco federal court against United. Each seeks millions of dollars in damages on behalf of more than 1 million passengers. The complaints cite Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s and Airbus A321s, where window rows are blocked by air-conditioning ducts or electrical conduits. Rivals including Alaska Airlines (ALK, Financials) and American Airlines (AAL, Financials) flag such seats during booking, but Delta and United allegedly do not. Passengers said they purchased window seats to ease fear of flying or motion sickness, entertain children, or simply enjoy the view. Had plaintiffs and the class members known that the seats they were purchasing were windowless, they would not have selected them much less have paid extra, one complaint said. The lawsuits add pressure on airlines already leaning on ancillary fees for revenue, from seat selection to baggage and cabin upgrades. United and Delta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
