DDiAdmiNMany NGOs and nonprofits have various objectives and missions. Some focus on providing humanitarian aid and relief, while others prioritize social services, welfare, or environmental preservation and sustainability. Regardless of their specific goals, certain activities are critical for nonprofits to achieve their missions successfully. These activities include communication, project management, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation.
Performing these activities effectively requires significant effort. Fortunately, various software and AI tools can help nonprofit organizations manage these activities more efficiently. This article will explore some of these activities and the different software and AI tools that can be used for them.
Project Management and Collaboration
Asana
Most nonprofits work on various projects and programs to achieve their missions. Asana is software that can help nonprofits track and manage their projects from start to finish. It allows teams to create tasks, assign them to members, and set deadlines based on the project timeline. Asana also enables teams to set organization-wide objectives and track progress in real-time with reporting dashboards. Team members can monitor connected projects under a portfolio and collaborate across teams.
Asana also employs AI to simplify the process of managing projects. Asana AI offers features like smart goals, which help teams draft more effective goals and standardize them across the organization, and smart status, which allows teams to create status updates faster to identify barriers to achieving goals.
Asana offers a free plan and two paid plans. The free plan includes many features but only allows up to 10 teammates. However, Asana provides a 50% discount for eligible nonprofit organizations.
Trello
Trello is another powerful project management software that can help nonprofits manage their projects effectively. Trello uses boards, lists, and cards to organize projects. The boards make it easy to organize tasks and get a quick overview of tasks that need to be done and those that have been completed. The lists show the different stages of a task, including to-do, doing, and done. Cards represent tasks and ideas and are used to keep all the details required to complete a task. Trello is highly visual and intuitive, making it easy for teams to see what tasks are in progress, what needs attention, and what has been completed.
Trello offers different plans, including a 100% free plan. The free plan includes most features but has some limitations. Trello provides a 75% discount for eligible nonprofits.
Internal Communication
Microsoft Teams
Effective communication among team members across projects and departments is crucial for the success of any nonprofit organization. Numerous communication platforms are available, but few combine chat, audio calling, video conferencing, file sharing, and storage in one place like Microsoft Teams. This makes Microsoft Teams an excellent tool for internal communication in nonprofit organizations.
Microsoft Teams allows organizations to create different channels tailored to specific purposes. This makes it possible to organize teams based on their projects or functions for more effective communication. It also enables teams to share documents relevant to their project. Team members can chat individually or in groups and initiate calls outside of the channels. Video calls can be scheduled, allowing team members to prepare.
Microsoft Teams is included in Microsoft 365, a package that combines several
Microsoft products. Eligible Nonprofits can receive a free Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan, which allows up to 300 members and includes all major Microsoft tools. Nonprofits also qualify for a 60% discount on the Business Standard plan.
Slack
Slack is a great alternative to Microsoft Teams. It allows organizations to create digital workspaces for internal communications. The Slack workspace offers most features of Microsoft Teams, including messaging, file sharing, channels, audio, and video calls. It also offers additional features like Canvas, which allows teams to gather relevant resources in one place, including text, links, files, and rich text. Slack also has an extensive search feature for finding specific conversations and files.
Slack offers several plans, including a free plan and three paid plans. The free plan is limited to one workspace per organization and 90 days of message history. However, Slack offers a free upgrade to their pro plan for non-profits with less than 250 members and an 85% discount for the business+ plans for eligible organizations.
Microsoft Teams and Slack are beneficial for nonprofits with team members working from different locations, which is typical of most nonprofits. They make communication seamless and more effective.
Monitoring and Evaluation
LogAlto
Measuring the impact of projects is one of the major activities of nonprofits, done through monitoring and evaluation. LogAlto is a tool designed specifically to help NGOs and nonprofits carry out effective monitoring and evaluation. It helps organizations track project indicators, collect data, and generate reports. LogAlto also assists with data analysis using tables, maps, and charts that can be displayed on a dashboard. LogAlto offers a data collection tool that allows organizations to create forms and surveys to share with partners or beneficiaries, eliminating the need for third-party data collection tools. Organizations can create indicators, connect them to survey forms, and have the indicators’ values calculated based on the collected data.
TolaData
TolaData is another excellent monitoring and evaluation tool for nonprofits. It allows for real-time data collection and visualization. TolaData integrates with mobile data collection tools like KoboToolbox and ODK, making it easier to gather data from field activities. TolaData has a user-friendly interface and reliable security features. It provides customizable dashboards and reports that give stakeholders clear insights into project outcomes and impact, making it easier for nonprofits to make informed decisions and show accountability to donors and beneficiaries.
External Communication and Public Relations
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an excellent email marketing platform that nonprofits can leverage for effective external communication strategies. Mailchimp allows organizations to create engaging email campaigns to reach out to donors, volunteers, and supporters. The user-friendly interface enables nonprofits to design visually appealing newsletters to highlight success stories, upcoming events, and fundraising initiatives to keep their audience engaged. Mailchimp also offers analytics tools to help organizations measure campaign performance, track audience interaction, and optimize future outreach efforts.
Mailchimp offers a free plan that allows organizations to add up to 500 contacts. They also offer a 15% discount on other premium plans for eligible nonprofits.
Buffer
Social media serves as a powerful platform for nonprofits to raise awareness about their missions and garner support. Buffer is a social media management tool that can help nonprofit organizations manage their social media presence and communication effectively. Buffer allows for scheduling posts across multiple platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, helping organizations maintain a consistent outreach strategy without the need for constant manual updates. Nonprofits can plan and organize their social media content in advance, aligning posts with fundraising drives, awareness campaigns, or volunteer recruitment efforts. Buffer’s analytics tools provide valuable insights into audience engagement, allowing nonprofits to refine their content strategies for better impact.
Buffer offers a free plan that allows organizations to manage up to three social media channels. They also provide a 50% discount for eligible nonprofits on their premium plans.
Canva
Another way nonprofits can effectively convey their message to the public is by using visual content. Canva is a design tool that makes it easy for nonprofits to create compelling visual content that enhances their external communication efforts. With Canva’s user-friendly design platform, organizations can create professional-quality graphics, posters, infographics, and other promotional materials. Nonprofits can also design eye-catching social media graphics to complement their posts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, enhancing visibility and engagement. Canva provides a wide range of templates that make it easy to create any kind of content, including short videos.
Canva offers a free plan and two paid plans: one for individuals and another for teams. It also provides a discount for eligible nonprofit organizations.
Financial Management
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is an accounting software that helps NGOs manage finances, track expenses, and generate financial reports to ensure compliance with financial regulations. QuickBooks allows organizations to categorize expenditures based on donors or projects. It also allows organizations to track their budget spending for different projects or programs. QuickBooks makes it easy to instantly create various financial reports from the organization’s financial records, which can also be automatically generated and emailed. Using QuickBooks makes it easier for nonprofits to be prepared for audits and tax filing, ensuring transparency with stakeholders and government authorities.
QuickBooks offers different plans based on the organization’s size. They are currently offering a 90% discount when you purchase a plan before July 31, 2024.
Xero
Xero is another powerful accounting software that nonprofits can use to manage their finances efficiently. It offers similar features to QuickBooks, including the ability to keep track of cash flow with an intuitive analytic dashboard and create and share reports with stakeholders. Xero also helps nonprofits manage payroll, making it easier to pay staff on time.
With Xero’s mobile app, finance teams can access and manage the organization’s finances from anywhere.
Xero doesn’t have a free plan, but they offer a 30-day free trial and a 25% discount for registered nonprofits on all their plans.
These are some of the software tools that are valuable for nonprofits to operate effectively. Most of these software tools have free and paid plans. Although the free plans often offer limited features, some software providers offer significant discounts for nonprofit organizations on their paid plans. To take advantage of these discounts, organizations need to understand the eligibility requirements and apply for the discount with all the needed documents.
Nonprofits can benefit greatly from using some of these software tools to carry out their objectives efficiently and achieve their missions.