The upliftment of communities largely depends on govt and charitable programs. Most nonprofits operate on shoestring budgets and limited human resources in the current economic climate. Between fundraising, volunteer coordination, and sponsor management, nonprofit organizations have many administrative tasks to juggle.
Keeping up with multi-directional coordination activities can get much easier with the right tools. That is why using specialized community management software like Cocolevio’s custom-built software for nonprofits might be an excellent investment in the long run for your charity organization.
Are you searching for a software solution that’s a good fit for your non-profit – that fills all the gaps in your processes? Here are four essential software features for non profit applications that you should look out for:
Project or Process Management Tools
Though non-profits rely heavily on contributions and volunteer participation, the resource management part can get quite challenging, especially for larger organizations. But by opting for an integrated community management tool, non-profits can make their workflows time & cost-efficient. They can manage their ongoing campaigns, workflows, and deadlines more seamlessly.
Some great ways you can use project management software to streamline your processes are:
- Create, assign, and manage task charts that teams can share and edit remotely. Control responsibilities better with ‘access permission’ functionality.
- Store critical documents on Cloud for easy access.
- Search data on multiple filters and categories.
- Integrate with other data channels – Import or export information into or from other platforms. Connect with specialized software solutions like Breeze Church Management Software.
- Communicate better using bulk-emailing modules, push notifications, and community forums.
- Promote member interactions with chat messenger modules and video conferencing functionalities.
- Plan events efficiently by mapping resource availability information.
- Take team/volunteer/donor feedback using customizable forms and polls.
These features help non-profits reduce their manual paper-based processes and ensure their projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Payment Automation and Accounting Processes
Constantly tracking the inflow-outflow of donations, subscriptions, and memberships is quite time-consuming for non-profits. Adopting an intelligent financial management tool can lessen the burden on staff and free up their time for other important aspects of charity initiatives.
The revenue streams of non-profits are different from those of business organizations. They are collected through pledges, donations, gifts, grants, bequests, memberships, and subscriptions. They all have diverse data points – platforms, documents, projects, accounting duration, mode of collection, etc. So, non-profits need a flexible accounting module (integrated with non-profit management software) that tracks and manages specific restricted and unrestricted donation categories.
In the age of digital fund collection, an automated payment processing module can effectively streamline the back-end processes triggered when a donation or transaction is made. By offering donors a user-friendly online payment processing option, non-profits can ensure higher collections and accuracy in documentation. Automation can help configure timely reminders for donations.
Good financial management software features for non profit applications also help with the following:
- Getting a financial status summary in a single dashboard
- Managing vendor dues and staff payments
- Having a clear audit trail with FASB-compliant reports
- Data mapping with Community management software and CRM database
- One-click access to invoice status with receive/approve/pay options
Reporting and Budgeting Features
Having ready access to reports on the status of finances, projects, and members is a huge time-saving advantage for a non-profit. Many regulatory and audit requirements dictate that charitable institutions maintain clean financial reports and detailed documentation.
Specialized accounting software tools can generate such reports, but it’s best to go for a non-profit Community Management Software with a robust accounting module.
A non-profit organization risks losing future fundraising revenues if it cannot accurately report how donations were collected and used. By automating financial report generation, stakeholders can create reports instantly for any audit. Built-in data visualization tools help stakeholders get an aggregated overview of all transactions and activities in multiple reporting currencies.
A comprehensive community management software contains built-in reporting features that help evaluate various aspects of non-profits:
- Project performance against approved budgets
- Assessing human resource efficiencies
- Logistics for future campaigns planning
- Financial reports for budget proposals
- Prospect research for member revival
- Marketing & outreach strategy planning
CRM Integration Support
Generating steady monetary support for social initiatives requires efforts in outreach programs, fundraising events, marketing campaigns, and collaboration pitches to bring in new donors. But these promotional activities increase overhead costs for non-profits. This is one of the reasons why non-profits first attempt to source funding through existing community members or by reviving dormant donors.
Investing in a good CRM (Constituent Relationship Management) tool is one of the most cost-effective ways to strengthen community participation and build a collaborative ecosystem. It is where all details about members (donors & volunteers) are stored – their demographic specifications, contact information, donation history, giving preferences, volunteer history, and everything related to their community service.
The benefits of integrating CRM features with non-profit management software are endless. It is a powerful aid for conducting many valuable activities:
- Optimizing staff efforts
- Strategizing outreach programs
- Conducting important surveys
- Streamlining prospect research data
- Developing stronger donor relationships
- Keeping track of corporate sponsorships
Conclusion
A recently published ‘State of non-profit Marketing Report 2021’ by Salesforce has provided insights into the top priorities & challenges faced by non-profits today.
The focus has shifted to leveraging data and technology to drive a better overall experience. There has been a massive switch in the digital engagement strategy of 89% of nonprofit marketers! This trend highlights the need for specialized community management software that helps stakeholders build a thriving community and work more efficiently towards their causes.
You should try us if you are looking for sophisticated software for your nonprofit. We build Cloud-based, flexible software with an unparalleled list of features at a low cost and customized for your needs.
Contact our sales rep at (512) 222-5730 to discuss your business software requirements.
