A Nonprofit Technology Adventure: Taming the Digital Wilderness

Navigating the vast amount of nonprofit technology options can sometimes feel like trekking through a dense jungle. Fear not! Let us guide you on a nonprofit technology adventure through this digital wilderness, so you can find the right systems to enhance engagement, impact, and efficiency.

Embrace the Unpredictable Jungle

Think of you and your team as courageous explorers going on an unfamiliar venture into the jungle of technology options. Does your organization have the mindset to survive and thrive? Or are you overwhelmed by the amount of attention and focus needed to make decisions and implement new tools? Embrace the uncertainty of the jungle, and prepare for the expedition ahead. Even if you have a guide, like us, everyone on your team needs to be in the loop as to what to expect: ambiguity, shifting priorities, and change being top of the list. It’s much easier to deal with unpredictability when you know it’s coming.

Plan Your Journey

Before diving into a nonprofit technology adventure headfirst, take a moment to plan your journey. Identify your organization’s specific goals, needs, and capacity. Then map out the technologies that align with them. Here’s a “to-do” list to help you make these preparations.

• Look for where technology is falling short in reaching organizational goals.
• Evaluate which needs are not currently being met.
• Take note of your staff’s skill level.
• Be familiar with your organization’s processes.
• Evaluate your organization’s capacity for system management.
• Plan time for training your staff.
• Plan time for project management.
• Plan for maintenance and management after the system is implemented.

Thinking ahead is crucial because it prevents you from being another scary story of getting lost in the wilderness of irrelevant solutions and regrettable technology projects.

Stick With the Group

Traversing the implementation jungle alone can be overwhelming and fraught with challenges. There’s safety in numbers – it’s imperative to bring your whole team along with you.

• Stop periodically and look around to make sure you don’t have any stragglers in the group. If you do, be sure to give them time to get caught up.
• Be patient with your adventurers (staff)! Listen to their suggestions and needs, so everyone sees the value in the expedition.
• Take it one day at a time.
• Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Rely on your implementation partner to be your guide and lead you safely to your destination.

Tame the Wilderness

Remember, the nonprofit technology jungle may seem intimidating, but with the appropriate planning and guidance, you can successfully tame the wilderness. As always, we are here to be your guide on whatever technology expedition you decide to take. Send an email to support or contact us to tell us about your next adventure.