We sometimes forget that IT stands for Information Technology. As a society, we have become obsessed with the “Technology” half—the tools and devices that infiltrate our lives—and with producing, updating, and controlling these devices. But information is the fuel that drives any technology machine: it is what our devices collect, store, synthesize, and distribute. And every advocate for social good has much to gain by paying attention to the Information half of IT. We succeed when we provide just the right information to our end users, where they want it, when they need it, in a format that g ..read more

In digital philanthropy, it has never been more important to seek out and embrace innovations, especially innovations in online donation forms. Your online giving form is the primary instrument you use to process a donation, and it’s also the key tool you use for collecting valuable information about your donors. You’re expecting a lot from your donation form.  On the giving side, donors also are expecting a lot from your donation form. They demand the online giving experience to be nearly instantaneous, easy, secure, personalized, mobile-friendly, and reflective of your brand and mission ..read more

The ongoing FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) delays have left students with less time to compare financial aid offers and make a college decision than in a typical year. In response, many colleges have postponed their commitment and financial aid deadlines for the 2024–25 academic year. According to the US Department of Education, about 330,000 federal financial aid applications will need to be reprocessed following yet another data error. This development continues a tumultuous cycle of glitches and technical difficulties with the updated “Better” FAFSA that are havi ..read more

In the realm of social impact and nonprofit work, the quest for sustainable, innovative solutions to society’s challenges is ceaseless. As someone entrenched in the mission to address food insecurity, I have come to appreciate the indispensable role of intrapreneurship within our sector. This approach, which champions the spirit of entrepreneurship within existing organizations, is not just beneficial; it is vital for recruiting and retaining the talent that will drive our missions forward. I first learned of this concept from Professor Arthur C. Brooks’ nonprofit management course at the Harv ..read more

The low-code, no-code revolution has made it possible for anyone at your organization to create software applications without all the extra overhead of traditional software development. By leveraging low-code platforms, such as the Microsoft Power Platform, your staff members have a vast ecosystem of emerging technologies at their fingertips. Your “low-coders” or “citizen developers” can use technology to optimize the unique business processes they already know intimately. I’m a product manager, so I have the privilege of being on a team producing software every day. Unlike low-code, it’s a co ..read more

You know how important it is to manage your funds according to their purpose and source. That includes ensuring that you use restricted donations, grants, and other revenues in accordance with your donors’ and funders’ wishes. Plus, you need to report on these financial activities to various stakeholders, such as the board of directors, the government, and the public. Is your accounting system designed to handle these complexities? Or do you have to rely on manual workarounds, spreadsheets, and guesswork to track and report on your restricted funds? If this mess of circumvention sounds familia ..read more

Since she signed the Giving Pledge in 2019 and began her momentous campaign of organization-changing donations, MacKenzie Scott has given away more than $17.3 billion. All in unrestricted funds with no reporting necessary. While Scott is far from the first to focus on giving major gifts with no strings attached, the scale of her philanthropy is causing many funders to rethink long-held beliefs about what requirements should be paired with a donation. While nonprofits will hopefully see an increase in unrestricted funds—and a decrease in burdensome reporting requirements—as part of this and oth ..read more

Let’s face it—budget planning can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for nonprofits. Do we have the funds this year to maintain our programs? And what do we do if the answer is “no”? Most organizations face frequent budget cuts, which creates organizational uncertainty and a scramble for new funding options. But what if your organization could engage in a more thoughtful and systematic practice to build your organizations’ financial capacity without making this tradeoff? Building your organization’s financial capacity involves investing in solid financial systems, but also engaging in more stra ..read more

You’ve been grant shopping for some time now, but are you prepared for what’s next once you start to receive them? Many grants come with significant—and detailed—compliance requirements. To meet those requirements, you’ll need to be able to successfully track and manage your grants and effectively report on how you allocated these funds. If you are a grant-funded organization, it will be important to manage spending restrictions and meet reporting requirements. You will want to think ahead about being able to easily capture grant information, set up tasks and deadlines, and then run accurate r ..read more

Working in the nonprofit sector is hard. You and your grantees are driven by a passion for your mission that sometimes leads to burnout. And salaries in many nonprofit organizations can’t compete with the for-profit sector. According to The Council of Nonprofits 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey, almost three quarters of nonprofits that completed the survey have current openings at their organization. Hiring and staff turnover are common occurrences for nonprofits and grantmaking organizations. This can cause problems when tasks fall through the cracks or emails go to inboxes that no longer exis ..read more