027 – 8 Nonprofit Digital Transformation Secrets You Need to Know

Episode Transcription

Welcome to episode number 27 of the Nonprofit Digital Success Podcast. In this episode, I have 8 Nonprofit Digital Transformation Secrets You Need to Know. You’re not going to want to miss this!

Nonprofit digital transformations are important not only because they help organizations make more money, but they also empower their organization to really make a difference in the world.

Nonprofits like charities, schools, and religion-based organizations are doing everything they can to keep up with digital tools.

For many nonprofits, the internet is the most important tool for them to use in order to continue making a difference. Here are some tips on how to successfully transform an organization into a digital nonprofit.

The importance of nonprofit digital transformation

First, nonprofits need to understand that their digital transformation will help them do their job more effectively. With the internet, they can reach a larger audience and reach people in more places than before. For example, an organization could create videos to show how they are saving lives or how they are helping people all around the world.

Second, nonprofits should be aware of how essential it is for them to use digital tools like social media and email marketing to grow and maintain momentum. Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools available for nonprofits because it helps organizations stay in contact with current donors and potential future donors. Just consider the costs of sending out mail vs email. Between printing and postage costs, it could save you a lot of money – money with you can find better ways to spend.

Third, nonprofits should know that digital transformation is a long process that takes time and effort from everyone’s part, not just the tech savvy and IT staff. This includes making sure everyone in the organization has access to technology for collaboration and communication capabilities as well as creating content on new platforms (i.e., social media). Running training sessions, lunch and learns, and creating some internal video series on your intranet are some simple ways to get your team on board.

Nonprofits need to remember that change doesn’t happen overnight so don’t give up after just one attempt!

1. People must remain at the heart of your nonprofit digital transformation

The key to a successful digital nonprofit transformation is for the people to remain at the heart of your organization.

Without people, a nonprofit would be nothing. With that in mind, it’s important that you keep your people engaged and involved. This includes keeping them updated on what you’re doing and how they can help out.

Your employees are more likely to stay with an engaged company and will have more empathy towards their donor’s needs when they know what it takes to keep the company moving forward. One way to do this is by making sure your employees are trained on the ins-and-outs of digital marketing and technology.

2. Find organizational alignment

The first step of the transformation process should be to determine what’s important to your organization. This is where you’ll find out what it means for your nonprofit in the coming year.

What are your goals? How will you make an impact?

After determining this, it’s time to align your organization with these goals and impact-driven initiatives.

The key is taking these initiatives and turning them into a clear strategy that is not only realistic but also grounded in the overall mission of the nonprofit.

Once you have the strategy in place, it’s time to work with digital tools. Digital tools will help make sure that your organization can meet its goals and reach its potential. It might seem overwhelming at first, but having a clear strategy will give you the structure needed to begin working towards these digital transformations.

3. Create a content strategy

Every organization has a certain goal. For nonprofits, that goal is to raise funds or have more people donate their time and money.

Creating a content strategy will help your nonprofit stay on track with your goals because it will help you focus what you want your nonprofit to be known for, how you want people to find out about it, and also how you want them to experience the website.

When creating a content strategy, it’s important not to overwhelm your audience.

You don’t need to use a lot of fancy words or complicated jargon.

Just be clear and concise with what you want your organization to be known for and how people are going to experience your organization online.

The next step in creating a content strategy is choosing what type of content to produce. There are many different types of content that can work well for nonprofits: blog posts, websites, microsites, social media posts, infographics, videos etc.

Some types of content may work better for certain audiences than others so it’s always best practice to figure out which type of content would suit your nonprofit best before starting any campaigns.

A successful content strategy will help you build trust with donors, volunteers, and the community so they’ll feel connected with your organization and know that they’re helping make an impact on the world.

4. Ditch the paper processes

Ditch the paper processes transform them to digital.

The best way to do this is by using a digital platform like an online database or CRM system. This allows you to make all your information readily available for staff, so you can increase efficiency and decrease costs.

Next, make sure you’re using the correct tools for your organization’s needs. Take time to research what type of software will work best for your nonprofit’s goals, needs, and budget.

You also need to take time for website planning.

Think about what information you want on your site and how much space there is available for content. You should also think about other ways that could be utilized beyond a website–consider platforms like Facebook or Instagram if they’re relevant to your cause. Think about how you could save time by automating content posting between systems and platforms.

5. Update your organization’s technology

Digital transformation is a process that requires updating your technology. This includes updating your website, apps, and other digital products.

A great example of this is when a good friend of mine used to work at a global PR firm. he made the case to switch from paper to PDF – that meant buying licenses of Acrobat Pro for several thousand staff. But data and financial analysis showed even with that expense, the cost savings would be realized within 6 months, and it would be all savings afterwards.

If you want to use the internet to complete organizational goals, you need to use new and up-to-date technologies. Many nonprofits are using cloud computing services because they allow organizations to have more control over their applications and websites. Cloud computing also allows for faster data transfer rates and easier access from anywhere in the world.

Some nonprofit organizations are also using social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram to share their mission with the public. Social media has become an important tool for nonprofits because it provides both a way for people to learn about them as well as a way for them to spread information about them quickly.

Nonprofits should focus on making sure they have up-to-date technology because this will help them be able to accomplish what they’re trying to do: make a difference in the world.

6. Leverage change management to support staff and volunteers

In order to successfully transform an organization into a digital nonprofit, it’s important to consider how change management is going to affect your workforce.

It’s essential that you implement change management methods to support your staff and volunteers. These methods are used so that your team can make the shift from a traditional business model to a digital one in a successful way.

A great way to support your staff and volunteers during this process is through outsourcing. By using outsourcing for transformation, you can allocate your time and resources towards ensuring that everyone on your team is supported in their personal digital transformation journey.

Outsourcing will help inform and educate employees about digital tools, which will allow them to jumpstart the adoption of these tools at work. It will also provide them with the support they need for their personal digital transformations, whether you hire an outside agency or use internal resources.

7. Promote the new digital nonprofit

Every nonprofit has a different culture. It’s hard to say what exactly will come of your transformation, but it’s important to start promoting the new digital nonprofit as soon as possible.

This doesn’t mean you have to be pushy or invasive.

Start small, with simple changes to your website and social media posts.

You don’t want to overwhelm yourself or your audience right away by going too big too fast. But share any news that comes out of your organization in a timely manner so your followers can stay up-to-date and invested in the work you’re doing.

If you’ve already been working on a transformation for a while, now is the time to stop talking about it and start putting it into action! Every step, no matter how small, is in the right direction.

8. How to measure success

Finally, how do you know if it worked?

Well, you need to determine what success means.

Success can mean different things for different nonprofits. For some, success might be an increase in donations. For others, success might be the ability to reach more people and make a bigger impact.

Some organizations have even found success in using technology as a tool to help them close the education gap in their community.

First, figure out what your goals are and how they can be met with digital tools. Once you have this determined, it’ll be easier to figure out the best ways to meet your goals so you can see real success.

Conclusion

Nonprofit digital transformation is not a one-way street. It begins with an organizational change and shift, and the more effort you put into it, the greater the payoff.

Digital transformation starts with you.

Start small. Put together a plan, and get buy-in. Then adjust over time until you get the right formula for your organization.

You’ve got this!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode and I’m looking forward to having you listen to the next ones that we’ve got coming up. If you’ve enjoyed this episode please leave feedback on iTunes or wherever you listen to this podcast, I’d love to hear your feedback and it would also help others find the show.

Be sure to check out the show notes for the episode, head over to wowdigital.com, click on podcast, and search for this episode number and you’ll find all the links, details, and other information that has been discussed in this episode.

Are there any other topics that you would like to hear about? Just send an email to [email protected]. Thanks for listening to the Non-profit Digital Success Podcast!