Software like a CRM (customer relationship management) allow charities to automate otherwise manual tasks so the organization can focus less on managing their nonprofit and more time giving back to their community. Because every nonprofits’ needs are different - there are numerous CRMs to choose from including Microsoft’s offering, Dynamics 365 (D365) which includes many different applications that integrate with D365 that nonprofits can utilize. 

In Use:

CRMs offer nonprofits a centralized view of their organization in terms of analytics, reporting, and donor interactions which allows them to make smart decisions for their organization and work towards achievable goals for the organization. D365 is no different. With their ability to automate their complete donor lifecycle - a nonprofit organization can “enable personalized interactions through a 360-degree view of donor and volunteer engagements.” 

Through D365, a nonprofit can manage their donor database, drive financial growth, automate processes, and report on analyzing data using Microsoft tools like Azure and PowerBI. 

While many CRMs offer similar features to solve for these problems- D365 takes it a step further. Through their offering, nonprofits can leverage Microsoft created tools and services (known as power apps) and integrations with business applications that are heavily discounted or free to further help a charity streamline and automate processes within the organization.

Finally, Microsoft D365 provides nonprofit organizations all of these features for a discounted price. According to their website, “eligible nonprofits can get Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise free for up to 5 seats and discounted pricing of $23.80 (USD)* per user/month for additional users.” This is 75% off the commercial price. Adding on power apps come with additional costs - but Microsoft is dedicated to helping nonprofits access their software through grants and discounts. 

Technology Used:

As stated above - with Microsoft D365, nonprofits have access to utilize Microsoft Power Apps and Business Applications that help nonprofits streamline processes within the company through Microsoft’s App Store. According to Microsoft, Business Applications, “help nonprofits unlock new opportunities to drive digital transformation by breaking down data silos to connect beneficiaries, employees, donors, and volunteers with products, solutions, and operations.”

Among the Business Applications available to nonprofits in the United States are DonorSearch; Now IT Matters; and Wipfli.

Ease of Use:

While small and medium nonprofits can afford Microsoft D365 - a large nonprofit can benefit the most from a powerful CRM. Similar to Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud software, the learning curve for a product like D365 can be time consuming - it’s not a software where a nonprofit volunteer can login and master in an afternoon. There’s also the cost of integration of a nonprofit’s data into the platform that can be expensive and time consuming. 

That being said, once a nonprofit gets used to the software - the dashboard is clean and easy to navigate. Microsoft also provides different trainings and assets to get a nonprofit up to speed with the software quickly and efficiently. 

Recap: 

Microsoft Dynamic 365 is a CRM that enables nonprofits the opportunity to manage their organization with one software. With D365- charities can track donations, manage volunteers and report on metrics.

Microsoft offers nonprofits a 75% discount along with access to Business Applications and other Microsoft software like Azure or Power BI. 

Advantages 

• Nonprofits can access steep grants and discounts
• Charities can take advantage of other Microsoft apps available to them
• Trainings and customer support available to nonprofits 

Disadvantages 

• Even though nonprofits can apply for grants and discounts- it can still be expensive as there are additional costs associated with integration and Business Applications 
• Complex software that takes time to learn and navigate 

My Opinion

Microsoft D365 is a powerful CRM that can help nonprofits automate functions and processes within their organization - leaving them more time to help their community. In my opinion - a D365 would be ideal for a large nonprofit versus a smaller nonprofit with minimal employees. 

D365 is a beneficial yet complex tool that can be pricey even with the discounts Microsoft offers. If your organization is not going to utilize all of D365's tools and features- it might not be worth it. As a small to medium charity a better option would be a simpler CRM that will save an smaller charity both time and money. 

Nonprofits have many online fundraising platforms to choose from - most notably Gofundme. While relatively new, Zeffy has been making waves for being the only zero-free fundraising software - covering platform, credit card, and transaction fees. 

In Use: 

Zeffy, began six years ago by two college students, Thibaut Jaurou and François de Kerret in Quebec.  Originally called SimplyK, the software re-branded in April 2022. Named after the word zephyr or “gentle breeze” - Zeffy expanded their reach into the United States celebrating not only with a new name, but a contemporary logo, color palette and typography. “As Zeffy, we become the wind propelling nonprofits towards their missions. Our goal is to be a force that empowers nonprofits at no cost,” Jaurou who is not only a co-founder but the current CTO of the platform explained. Z

The platform serves over 5,000 charities and organizations today, raising north of $100 million dollars.  Because they only rely on voluntary contributions from donors - Zeffy is truly a free online fundraising solution for charities and nonprofits in North America. Because of this - Zeffy estimates they’ve saved nonprofits over $5 million dollars that they would have otherwise lost to fees. 

Lke other fundraising solutions - Zeffy offers a variety of fundraising tools that charities can utilize. A nonprofit can create unique fundraising pages and personalized forms that they can brand with their logos and colors. These landing pages and forms can then be embedded on the nonprofit’s website or on their social media platforms - automatically sending tax receipts to those who donate.

Zeffy’s dashboard allows nonprofit organizations to see who has donated, their donation history, and upload both donor information and offline donations. 

Finally, charities can advertise, fundraise and sell tickets to fundraisers right on the website - creating registration forms and landing pages. Because it’s free - they do not have to factor in transaction fees when choosing their ticket prices. 

Technology Used:

Zeffy allows donors to pay using different methods such as credit cards, apple pay, and direct deposit - giving donors the power to pay however they’d like. By using Zeffy’s app - nonprofits can also accept payments by using their app - available on Apple Store. 

Ease of Use:

Many users find Zeffy easy to use and intuitive. Nonprofits have found that Zeffy’s customer service representatives are helpful and easy to access. 

Recap: 

Zeffy - is the only zero-fee fundraising platform enabling nonprofits to keep 100% of the money that they fundraise. The software believes that charities should keep all of the money they raise and therefore do not charge them any fees whether it’s a transaction, platform, or credit card fee. Instead, they rely on donations from donors themselves - as opposed to charging nonprofits.

The software comes with numerous solutions from custom landing pages and forms, donor management, and peer-to-peer campaigns. Nonprofits can sell tickets to events, and take multiple methods of payments including direct deposits, apple pay, and credit cards either online or using their app, available on the Apple Store. 

Advantages:

• 100% free for users
• Multiple payment methods for donors
• Easy to set up and comes with many different tools and features like donor management, registration pages, and customizable forms 

Disadvantages: 

• Zeffy’s app is only available in the US - and while coming soon is not available for android users.
• Not as robust as other competitors 

My Opinion:

Never underestimate the importance of “free” to a nonprofit. Unless you’re a huge nonprofit like Red Cross, YMCA, or Feeding America - chances are money and resources are tight and any size donation goes a long way. A Zeffy user sums it up perfectly on Capterra when she wrote, “Just hoping it won't disappear, because it's funded only by voluntary donations.”

Fundraising is essential to the survival of nonprofits, regardless of whether they are run by volunteers or employ a large workforce. Therefore, it’s important that their fundraising platform they employ is efficient and inexpensive so the funds they raise can reach their constituents. Funraise, is a digital fundraising platform that helps charities raise funds easier.

In Use:

Funraise is a “collection of nonprofit fundraising tools designed to make raising…more effortless.” Using tools such as donation pages, automation, and reporting they have helped nonprofits such as Action Against Hunger, Invisible Children, and The American Lung Association with just a click. 

Understanding that every charity has unique needs, they offer both a free option and an Enterprise subscription that starts at $2,500 per year. While the hefty fee may work for some larger nonprofit organizations - many nonprofits can benefit from the free version. Features in the free version include recurring donations, donation pages and forms, automated emails, and both the donor portal app and the Funraise app. A charity can manage their donations and supporters, while also managing ticketing and events. For $2,500 - nonprofits can add peer-to-peer fundraising, robust reporting, text engagement, and multiple integrations that aren’t available through the free version.

Technology Used:

Funraise leverages technology to build the tools within their software. Included in both the free and Enterprise versions - Funraise offers the Funraise mobile app where charities can collect payments as well as the Donor Portal App where donors can access their donor information and their giving history. If a nonprofit opts for the Enterprise subscription they also get access to Funraise’s API and all of their integrations such as, Salesforce, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Paypal and Zapier.

Ease of Use:

Many nonprofits agree that they like Funraise mainly in part to their easy-to-use dashboard and user experience. Many nonprofits take advantage of the widget button that allows them to collect donations right on their website. 

Recap:

A digital fundraising platform - Funraise has a variety of tools and features that can help charities raise funds. The platform connects such features as donation pages, email automation, and reporting to allow a nonprofit to seamlessly manage donor giving from one platform. 

The software has two different subscriptions. One is free and comes with commendable features such as donation management, subscription management and donation pages. The free version also comes with modest reporting and integration features to get a nonprofit started. The Enterprise subscription which starts at $2,500 per year adds more robust integrations and reporting along with migration services, premium support and text engagement. 

Advantages: 

• Free version with an arsenal of features 
• Donation widget that nonprofits can put on their website to collect donations with just a click 
• Recurring donations 

Disadvantages:

• Minimal reporting capabilities for the free subscription 
• Minimal integrations for the free version 
• Enterprise subscription is too expensive for the average nonprofit

My Opinion:

I’m always supportive of nonprofits that have a free version - and Funraise’s version comes with a lot of different features that can help the average charity get the most out of the fundraising platform. I think it’s unique that they offer both an internal app and an app for their donors to see their giving history within the free version. 

While it would be nice to have more integrations and reporting in the free version - I think the capabilities are robust enough that the average charity can get the most out of the features. I don’t think that a small to medium nonprofit needs to integrate Salesforce into their fundraising platform or needs extensive reporting ability.

Donately, a fundraising software was created to help nonprofits get the most out of their donation pages. By combining the ability to create unique donation pages and customize donation forms – Donately is enabling thousands of nonprofit organizations to “spend less time managing donations” and more time helping their constituents.

In Use:
Donately is simple. It’s a platform that allows charities to “Custom Build the Perfect Donation Experience” by either creating a website from scratch or embedding a donation form on their own website. The webpages and forms are fully customizable and are mobile responsive – meaning the interface looks great whether viewed on a laptop or mobile device. Using the form builder – a charity can pick and choose what information they want to collect. Donately comes with the ability to set up recurring donations and offers different payment methods such as credit card payments, ACH payments or donations through PayPal. Donors can even opt to pay the processing fees – allowing the charity to collect 100% of the donation.

While Donately is mainly known for their form builder and fundraising pages – they also have other options that charities can take advantage of. Charities can optimize the text message tool to directly text their donors; peer-to-peer fundraising to spread awareness about their campaign; and a dashboard that the nonprofit can use to track donations and run reports and analytics.

When it comes to pricing, Donately has a “Free” version (plus a 4% platform fee). Among the features of the “Free” version are; customizable forms and donation pages, recurring donations, and live chat support. If a nonprofit organization wants to take advantage of more advantaged customizations and integrations, they will have to opt for either the Starter or Team version which starts at $19 per month (and 3.5% processing fees).

Ease of Use:
Each version of Donately offers customer support. Watch videos to get started on your first donation form or take advantage of the live chat support for any immediate questions. Charities who purchase the “Teams” version are assigned a dedicated account representative.

Many customers have noted how easy it was to get started with Donately - as well as the ease of tracking and reporting on donations.

Technology Needed:
Donately is a cloud-based fundraising platform with numerous integrations available thanks to their partnership with Zapier, a platform that automates the integration of web applications. With Zapier, a nonprofit can integrate data collected through Donately with many other applications -eliminating the need for manual uploads. Some of the apps included in Donately’s Integration Marketplace are - Salesforce, Google Analytics, Hubspot, QuickBooks and Wordpress. While Zapier is not free, it does offer over 1,000 integrations with platforms like Donately.

Recap:
A fundraising platform – Donately offers nonprofits the ability to create fundraising pages and customize donation forms. Charities can choose what information to collect from donors while giving donors the ability to set up recurring payments and/or pay for the processing fees. Payments can be made by credit card, ACH payments or through PayPal.

Besides custom forms and webpages – nonprofit organizations can take advantage of peer-to-peer fundraising and reporting. On top of that – Donately partners with Zapier – allowing their customers to integrate with over 1,000 different applications.

Advantages:
• Customizable forms with the option to embed the form into a charity’s own website
• Ability to set up recurring payments and have donors cover processing fees
• Free version of the platform
• Integrations with over 1,000 applications through Zapier

Disadvantages:
• Reporting is not robust
• Customers have noted that customer support could be more attentive
• Customers would like more customizable templates for both the forms and fundraising pages

My Opinion:
Donately is a great option for nonprofit organizations who are looking to create a fundraising page or donation form. With all of the integrations that comes with a subscription to Zapier – a nonprofit shouldn’t have any issues integrating Donately with their CRM, email automation tool, or accounting platform.

While the fee for the “Teams” version can be expensive for a smaller charity – the “Free” version comes with enough features that allows a nonprofit to set up a website and start collecting donations with just a 4% processing fee.

The most common feedback from customers have been the lack of robust reporting and the customer support. If a charity is OK with the minimal support and reporting capabilities –Donately is a great option for small-to-medium nonprofits who want to start fundraising with just a few clicks.

Effective communication is vital for any leader. In a nonprofit setup, it allows leaders to engage with stakeholders, promote their mission, and drive meaningful change. Whether it is connecting with donors, volunteers, or the community, as a nonprofit leader, you must employ diverse communication strategies to maximize the impact of your charity. This article explores eight essential communication strategies nonprofit leaders can utilize to enhance their outreach efforts.

1. Determine the Organization’s Goals for Communication

Before anything else, nonprofit leaders must identify their organization’s goals to develop an effective communication strategy. Clarify what you want to achieve through communication efforts. Are you seeking to raise awareness, increase donor engagement, recruit volunteers, or advocate for policy changes? By defining your objectives, you can align your messaging and tactics accordingly.

2. Define Objectives

Once you have set up your communication goals, you should define specific objectives that support those goals. Your objectives should be measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, if your goal is to increase donor engagement, a key objective could be to raise funds from a certain number of new donors within a specific period, such as six months or a year.

3. Understand Your Target Audience

Communicating effectively starts with understanding your target audience. Research and analyze your stakeholders’ demographics, interests, motivations, and communication preferences. Tailor your messages to resonate with their needs and interests. Adequately understanding your audience allows you to create personalized and impactful communication strategies that are more likely to generate a response.

4. Have Clear Messaging

Having clear and concise messaging is necessary for effective communication. Therefore, you must develop a core message that accurately conveys your nonprofit’s mission, values, and impact. Create key talking points that support your message and use them consistently across all communication channels. Avoid jargon and technical terms that might confuse or alienate your audience and remember to always keep your messaging simple, compelling, and easy to understand.

5. Leverage Various Channels With Purpose

Different audiences have different preferences regarding communication channels. Therefore, as a nonprofit leader, you should leverage a mix of channels such as social media, email marketing, website content, newsletters, public speaking, and media outreach. Choose the channels that align with your target audience’s preferences and habits. Tailor your content to suit each channel while maintaining a consistent brand voice and messaging.

6. Create Quality Content

As it has always been the case, content is king. This is the case in today’s digital age. With this said, you should always create compelling and valuable content that educates, inspires, and engages your audience. This includes blog articles, success stories, infographics, videos, podcasts, and more. Ensure your content is well-researched, authentic, and aligned with your organization’s mission. With quality content, you will help you establish credibility, build trust, and attract a wider audience.

7. Be Consistent

Consistency is crucial for effective communication. You should maintain a consistent brand voice, visual identity, and messaging across all channels. Consistency builds recognition and strengthens your nonprofit’s reputation. Develop a communication style guide that outlines your organization’s tone, language, and design guidelines. Regularly review and update this guide to ensure consistency in all your communications.

8. Ask for Feedback

Feedback is necessary for continuous improvement. As a nonprofit leader, you should regularly seek feedback from your stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, board members, and community members. You can do this through surveys, feedback forms, focus groups, or one-on-one conversations. Listen to their input, address concerns, and implement suggestions to enhance communication. Feedback allows you to understand your audience’s needs better and refine your strategies accordingly.

Effective communication strategies allow nonprofit leaders to connect with stakeholders and achieve their organizational goals.

As a nonprofit leader, building partnerships with others and sustaining them is one of the things that can keep you growing in a challenging environment. You can only achieve this by collaborating with other businesses, foundations, and individuals, providing increased resources, expanded networks, and enhanced community impact. However, building and sustaining strategic partnerships is easier said than done. It requires careful planning, effective communication, and a genuine commitment to shared goals. Here are some key strategies you need to develop successful partnerships that contribute to the long-term success of your nonprofit organization.

1. Find Where You Intersect

When looking for potential partners, one of the things you should consider is to identify organizations or individuals that share a similar mission or complementary objectives. Look for areas of common interest where collaboration can create synergy and maximize impact. Finding the intersection between your organization’s work and that of potential partners lays the foundation for a strong and meaningful relationship.

2. Sponsor Events

Hosting and sponsoring events and ensuring your partners are invited can be an excellent way to showcase your shared commitment and engage with the community. You can also support each other’s initiatives, demonstrating a genuine interest in your partner’s success and creating opportunities for collaboration and networking.

3. Build Trust and Rapport

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful partnership. Therefore, you should take time to nurture relationships, understand each other’s values and working styles, and build rapport. Furthermore, communicate regularly, and show mutual respect and transparency. These essential elements foster trust among partners but are sometimes overlooked.

4. Be Intentional and Authentic

As you establish partnerships, your approach should be intentional and authentic. Seek partnership opportunities with a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve and how the collaboration aligns with your nonprofit’s strategic objectives. Being authentic is crucial; therefore, you must ensure that your partnerships are driven by shared values and a genuine commitment to making a positive impact.

5. Communicate Regularly

Effective communication is vital for the success of any partnership. Therefore, you should regularly update your partners on your organization’s progress, share information, and actively seek their views and input. Always keeping the lines of communication open, you build a strong foundation for collaboration and adapt to changing circumstances together.

6. Don’t Focus on the Money

Although money is important for achieving your goals and causes, successful partnerships go beyond monetary contributions. Apart from money, you should look for partners who can provide expertise, access to networks, in-kind resources, or other forms of support that align with your needs. A partnership built solely on financial transactions may not be as sustainable or impactful in the long run.

7. Build and Sustain Trust

You cannot achieve trust in a day; you need ongoing effort to maintain it. You should be reliable, deliver on commitments, and demonstrate accountability to be trusted. Building trust allows you to create a solid foundation for long-term collaboration and mutual success.

8. Clarify Expectations

When entering into a partnership, understand each other’s expectations clearly. You must define roles, responsibilities, and desired outcomes from the beginning to achieve this. Regularly revisit and adjust these expectations as the partnership evolves.

9. Always Try to Find a Win-Win

Successful partnerships thrive when it is beneficial to both parties. Therefore, you must seek ways to create mutually beneficial opportunities that contribute to the success of all involved. In doing this, you foster a sense of shared success and commitment.

10. Listen to the Community

Nonprofits are meant to serve the community, which should drive the partnerships you enter. As a nonprofit, you should actively seek stakeholders’ input, including beneficiaries, volunteers, and donors. Listening and incorporating their feedback into partnership initiatives ensures that your collaborative efforts remain relevant and impactful.

Are you tired of spending countless hours writing donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication? Look no further than AI tools such as ChatGPT. With advancements in artificial intelligence, these tools can now automate these tasks for you, leaving you with more time to focus on other important aspects of your nonprofit organization. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of utilizing AI in your nonprofit and how tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize the way you operate.

Fundraising Made Easy with AI Tools like ChatGPT

Fundraising for nonprofits can be a difficult task, but thanks to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, it has become easier. With its ability to process and respond to user queries and generate human-like responses, ChatGPT can be used to automate tasks such as creating custom donation appeals, promoting fundraising events, and tailoring donor communication for increased engagement. However, it is important to note that ChatGPT should not replace human interaction and all generated content must be thoroughly reviewed and edited for accuracy and personalization. 

How Nonprofits Can Use ChatGPT to Save Time and Money

Nonprofit organizations can leverage the power of advanced AI tools such as ChatGPT to streamline their operational processes and save time and money. With ChatGPT, nonprofits can automate various tasks, from creating donation appeals to promoting events and segmenting donors for personalized communication. This not only increases efficiency and productivity but also enables these organizations to dedicate more time and resources to their core mission and activities.

Personalizing Donor Communication with AI-Powered Tools

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing the way organizations interact with their donors. With the ability to automate tasks such as creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication, organizations can now provide a more customized experience for each individual donor. This personalized approach not only increases engagement and loyalty but also improves fundraising results.

The Benefits of ChatGPT for Event Promotion and Ticket Sales

ChatGPT is a powerful AI tool that can greatly benefit event promotion and ticket sales. With its automated features, ChatGPT can create donation appeals, promote events, and segment donors for personalized communication. This tool is incredibly efficient in reducing the workload of event managers and can greatly increase ticket sales, ensuring a successful and profitable event.

Streamlining Donor Segmentation with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence tools, like ChatGPT, can help streamline donor segmentation for nonprofits. By collecting and analyzing donor data, AI can quickly and efficiently segment donors based on demographics, giving history, and interests. This allows organizations to personalize communication, create more effective fundraising campaigns, and ultimately increase donations. Utilizing AI tools can save time and resources while improving overall donor engagement.

ChatGPT and Other AI Tools: Helping Nonprofits Engage and Steward Donors

Nonprofit organizations can benefit from using AI tools like ChatGPT for digital marketing and donor stewardship. These tools automate tasks such as creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication. By using AI, nonprofits can streamline their processes and focus on engaging with donors more effectively. AI tools can help nonprofits identify potential donors, personalize outreach, and build stronger relationships with their supporters.

The Advantages of Using ChatGPT for Customizable Donation Appeals

ChatGPT is an Artificial Intelligence tool that helps automate various tasks, including creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication. The tool provides a customizable and easy-to-use experience that can significantly improve the efficiency of fundraising efforts. Organizations can leverage ChatGPT to target specific donors with personalized messages and appeals, resulting in higher engagement and increased donations. Using ChatGPT can help organizations save time and resources while making their fundraising efforts more effective.

How AI Technology Can Enhance Nonprofit Communications

AI technology has the potential to revolutionize nonprofit communications by automating tasks such as creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication. ChatGPT is a chatbot tool that uses AI to respond to donor inquiries and manage relationships. This type of technology can help organizations save time and resources while providing better service to donors. Additionally, AI-powered analytics can help nonprofits better understand their target audience, anticipate their needs, and tailor their messaging to increase engagement and support.

More Ways Nonprofits Can Boost Donations with AI-Powered Tools

Nonprofits seeking to increase donations can benefit from AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, which can automate tasks like creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication. Additionally, these tools can provide insights into donor behavior and preferences, allowing organizations to optimize their fundraising efforts. With the help of AI, nonprofits can leverage technology to streamline operations and ultimately increase their impact.

The Future of Nonprofit Fundraising with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, are becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of nonprofit fundraising. With the ability to automate tasks like creating donation appeals, promoting events, and segmenting donors for personalized communication, AI is revolutionizing the way nonprofits operate. In the future, we can expect to see even more sophisticated AI tools that can predict donor behavior and tailor fundraising campaigns accordingly, ultimately leading to increased donations and a more efficient use of resources.

Funding fuels nonprofit and NGO missions, but workers are the engine that gets your organization where it needs to go in terms of impact. In the last few years, nonprofits have been forced to engage in the rise of remote work. According to 2023 FlexJobs analysis, the nonprofit category is the career field with the highest remote job growth rates. As a result, there has never been a more advantageous time for nonprofits to capitalize on hiring top talent in the industry, wherever they are in the world.

But first, leaders need to understand the many nuances of hiring globally distributed teams. Whether your organization faces employee classification questions because you’re seeking a new remote hire or because you have an existing employee who has had a change in where they live or their visa status, it’s crucial to ensure your worker classification is accurate and you’re in compliance.

According to a study from the National Employment Law Project, between 10% and 30% of employers misclassify workers. Violations can result in serious fines and reputational damage that takes the focus off your mission.

To avoid this dilemma, nonprofits and NGOs should understand when it’s appropriate to hire an employee versus an independent contractor. Here are some tips to help your organization make the right hiring choices.

1. Consider three critical factors when planning to hire: If you’re bringing new people on board and are uncertain whether they should be full- or part-time employees or contractors, consider behavioral control, financial control and the relationship of the parties:

• Behavioral control: For full- or part-time employees, employers have the right to specify what work they’ll do, how the work is done and what equipment, supplies and support they’ll need to accomplish their tasks. Employers don’t have this level of control over contractors, who carry out duties both parties agree to in whatever manner the contractor sees fit.

• Financial control: Independent contractors usually provide the equipment and tools they need to perform their jobs and are not reimbursed for supplies. Employees receive regular wages via payroll, and the employer provides the equipment and tools necessary to complete the work. Employees may also receive benefits like health insurance, paid time off, etc., whereas contractors typically don’t.

• Relationship of parties: Contractors usually sign a written contract that outlines the term of the agreement, the scope of work, payment terms and any benefits the employer offers, as applicable. Contracts should also be clear and in compliance with local labor laws to avoid complications.

2. Know when to hire an employee versus an independent contractor for specific jobs: There’s often overlap in job descriptions for full- or part-time employees and the work independent contractors perform, but these guidelines can help you determine whether to hire an employee or engage a contractor when you need support:

• Hire an employee when you:
  • Are filling a core business role within your nonprofit or NGO
  • Plan to copyright intellectual property they’ll produce
  • Will provide training to the worker
  • Consider the worker’s services exclusive to your organization
  • Plan to engage the worker on a long-term basis

• Hire an independent contractor when you:
  • Need to bring new skills on board quickly
  • Are hiring for a project that will be completed within a specific timeframe
  • Plan to bring workers aboard for a busy time for your nonprofit or NGO
  • Require specialized skills such as bookkeeping or grant writing
  • Need to tap expertise that you can’t afford on a long-term basis

3. Seek expert advice on employee classification: Considering what’s at stake and the complexity of labor laws, many nonprofits and NGOs choose to work with an expert to avoid running afoul of local regulations when it comes to job classification and other key issues related to employment. Since many nonprofits and NGOs hire staff in other countries to deliver services and serve communities across multiple jurisdictions, some choose to work with an Employer of Record (EOR) to help them navigate the complexity.
   
   Keep these tips in mind to resolve employee classification dilemmas — and avoid the consequences of misclassification.

   ---

Bjorn Reynolds, CEO of Safeguard Global

You can now say “Alexa make a donation to_____” and have Alexa use your Amazon pay account to make a donation up to $5,000.  Currently, this program is only available to select charities that have been invited by Amazon. However, it is likely that this program will be a hit with both donors and nonprofits, so it is something that you should have on your radar for the upcoming year. 

Another high tech trend to watch for 2020 is the rise in giving via a blockchain platform. A blockchain platform is  a public ledger relying on globally distributed historical transactions to prevent tampering and fraud. 

Blockchain was designed to offer a higher level of transparency for transactions. Many donors wish to know that their donations are going directly to the charity that they have selected for the express purpose of funding a certain project. A blockchain giving platform can give them that piece of mind. 

BitGive’s GiveTrack is an example of one such platform. BitGive shares detailed real time information about the financial and project status of the charities that they work with that are accepting donations via GiveTrack.

Global Giving is a crowdfunding platform designed to help small nonprofits raise awareness and money. Global Giving is also a nonprofit, which means it understands what nonprofits need to run a successful fundraising campaign. 

Global Giving also understands that small nonprofits don’t have a large budget, so there is no application fee to join the  Global Giving platform. There is no monthly subscription fee, however Global Givings has a 3% transaction fee along with a sliding scale support fee of 5-12% of collected donations. 

The site offers a host of training and support options for nonprofits that join the platform. There are webinars, training libraries, workshops, one on one phone consultations or site visits.  The platform has tools like gamification and incentives to increase donations. 

The platform offers all the standard fundraising campaign tools, including metrics, donor engagement, social media integration. What it also offers is opportunities to partner with large companies for matching grants, or specific giving programs with the company.

know your audience in order to determine if live streaming is right for your nonprofit. The people you want to engage through a live stream have to be savvy enough to access your video feed so that they aren’t overwhelmed or frustrated by the experience. Beyond this point, your decision should come down to value—both to the viewer and to your organization.

If your organization is exploring adding a livestream to your next event there are a few things that you should consider. First, is your event the type of event that makes for a good livestream. 

The purpose of the livestream is to generate enthusiasm and excitement from those who are unable to attend in person. The event you are live streaming has to be visually interesting enough to keep your online viewer engaged. The most successful live streams are based on events that have an element of excitement to them. Is your event a fashion show? Will there be cute animals?--you can never go wrong livestreaming cute animals.  Also, if your event includes a celebrity guest that you know people who were unable to attend in person would love to see, 

After determining if your event is right for a livestream, it’s time to consider if your intended audience is right for a livestream. If your audience is comfortable using Twitch, YouTube or social media, if you chose to livestream via Facebook than live streaming is a good idea. If your audience is not comfortable with those platforms it doesn’t mean that you can’t do a livestream it just means that you may not get a huge return from the event. 

Next, it’s time to plan your livestream events content. Think of your live stream as the modern equivalent to a charity telethon-except instead of broadcasting on TV your using the internet. A telethon doesn’t consist of a single still shot of the action and neither should your livestream. 

Create a content script. If your are doing a fashion show consider doing interviews with the models or designers (or stores that donated the fashion). Have a host roving the audience,anything to spice up the broadcast. Remember you want to keep the excitement going. 

Many livestream apps allow your organization to collect donations directly from the livestream platform, so make sure your call to action is clear. 

EveryAction wants to be everything to every nonprofit. This cloud based platform offers fundraising, advocacy, organizing and digital all in one package. 

For fundraising, you can use the platform to create a simple donation page for your website. You can also use the platform to track major gifts, pledges and other donations. And, you can run an online auction with it as well. 

Get all your advocacy done with social matching and listening which lets you monitor and track influential supporters and it has an advocacy module that makes it easy for you to turn your advocates into donors. 

Organize your supporters with the built in tools to manage your volunteers and coordinate your canvassing or phone bank events. 

The digital portion lets you build multi channel ad campaigns. The platform includes data visualization tools so you can make use of all the various data sets that your organization accumulates. 

Nonprofits can make the most out the remaining giving days in the year, reports The Nonprofit Times. 

You’ve survived Giving Tuesday – and hopefully come out of it with a nice boost of donation revenue for your nonprofit.

Read article on The Nonprofit Times

New Story, a nonprofit that focuses on using tech to build affordable housing, plans on having 50 new homes erected a Mexico community by the end of 2020. 

A giant 3D printer built two houses in an impoverished, rural part of Mexico last week, breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed neighborhood in the world.

Read article on Fox 2 Now

According to the Biz Tech Magazine, integrated giving is one of several technology trends that will impact nonprofits in 2020. 

Nonprofits have a lot on their plates. Charitable giving took a hit last year, declining for the first time since the Great Recession, forcing organizations to do more with less.

Read article on Biz Tech Magazine

Mobile friendly devices help contribute to the success of #GivingTuesday, reports Biz Tech Magazine.  

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are all behind us, but the long Thanksgiving weekend isn’t over yet. Many will be digging deep into their pockets again today, but not for themselves—this time, it’s for Giving Tuesday. 

Read article on BizTech Magazine