To get ahead in today’s competitive business market, businesses must stay on top of the latest trends in technology. While every tech trend isn’t guaranteed to last long term, potential gains in operational efficiency and workforce productivity can be promising for nonprofit organizations looking to stretch limited budgets and do more with less.
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.
1. A Customer Relationship Management System
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
2. Zapier
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
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3. A Project Management Tool
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
4. Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
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
5. A Donor Management System
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
6. Fundraising Management Tools
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
7. Tools That Foster Deeper Connections
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
