Every nonprofit relies on a wide variety of technologies. They use email, they may have an e-commerce platform to sell items and use the income for activities, and they may request online donations from the community. Most nonprofits also need to keep track of their volunteers and donations for tax and other purposes. Consider these five reasons why all types of nonprofits need to have exceptional IT services like those provided by Artemis.
1. Maintain a Secure Platform for Donations
Most donors want to know that their donations are used for services and programs within the community.[1] They also want to make sure that an organization’s administrative costs are low. With effective IT support performed by experienced professionals, a food bank or community clothing closet won’t have to spend as much of its donations on administrative expenses. A professional IT specialist from Artemis gets projects done right the first time and has a faster project completion timeline.
2. Build Confidence With Smooth Transactions
When a nonprofit, such as a no-kill animal shelter, sells calendars, T-shirts, or other merchandise to raise funds for a project or service, their e-commerce site needs to operate smoothly. Consumers look for pages that load quickly, sites that are easy to navigate, and responsiveness to their mobile device.[2] An experienced IT team ensures that a nonprofit’s website is set up for swift, secure, and timely e-commerce transactions.
3. Protect Confidential Information and Maintain Compliance
Nonprofits must follow state and federal laws to protect confidential donor information.[3] They must also make certain financial disclosures to maintain compliance. These include issuing timely reports about donations, explaining how donations were used, and providing receipts of funds received from donors for tax-related purposes. Maintaining the right balance between transparency and confidentiality is a challenge, and professional IT services can help nonprofit CEOs reach this balance.
4. Keep Donors Interested and Engaged
It’s easier to maintain a pool of existing donors than it is to recruit a new donor. Even so, nonprofits will have to work hard to keep their existing donors interested and engaged. One way to do that is through regular communications delivered in a clear, concise, and timely manner.[4] A nonprofit’s website is one of the first places donors will look when they verify where their funds went and how the project turned out. Donors will look for photos of how the funds were used. They’ll look for regular updates on an ongoing project. An IT team can help with making these site updates. They make it easy to load videos of community service projects to show how donated funds were allocated.
5. Maximize Internal Resources
Volunteers are at a premium. They want to use their time in a way that’s meaningful to them. Not everyone has expertise in IT. By allowing volunteers to focus on what they do best, nonprofits make volunteering more enjoyable. It’s easier for a nonprofit to focus on its core mission by outsourcing tasks that require technical expertise.[5]
Nonprofits depend on volunteers for most or even all of their routine functions. When it comes to IT services, it’s best to rely on trained professionals. A small investment in IT expertise can lead to an excellent return. For more information about the IT services Artemis offers nonprofits, contact us today.
References:
[1] https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=4756
[2] https://www.cio.com/article/2914780/12-ways-to-improve-the-customer-experience-for-online-shoppers.html
[3] https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/ethical-fundraising
[4] https://blog.causeview.com/blog/fundraising/15-ways-to-ensure-nonprofit-donors-are-happy-and-engaged
[5] https://www.nowcfo.com/articles/4-reasons-nonprofits-are-turning-to-outsourced-accounting/