NonProfit PRO recently published a study called “2018 Nonprofit Leadership Impact Study: A Look at the Challenges Facing Nonprofit Leadership and How to Address Them.” One of the findings of that report was the fact that:
- 63 percent of their survey respondents said that digital fundraising accounted for less than 20 percent of their total revenue.
- 20 percent of respondents said that digital fundraising accounted for 21 to 30 percent of their total income.
Not prioritizing technology is a missed opportunity!
Why does mobile matter?
I say it often, mobile, mobile, mobile. It’s all about mobile, and in today’s fast-paced environment, even in the nonprofit sector, the organizations that are succeeding are those that are ditching traditional fundraising solutions and embracing technology fully, especially and including mobile devices.
As reported by August Ash on Global Mobile Facts, in October 2016, there was more traffic on mobile devices to access the Internet than on a desktop computer. Furthermore, as stated in the article, “By 2019, mobile devices are projected to represent 79% of all web traffic. This could mean that only 20% of the time people spend on your website will be from a desktop computer.”
Mobile matters. Period. And nonprofits that don’t optimize their websites for mobile devices or don’t invest in technology will be left behind. Donors searching for your organization are likely to do so on a mobile device, and if your site isn’t mobile-ready, they’ll be closed in seconds.
Why Mobile Devices Matter for Nonprofits
Unfortunately, old habits die hard and the nonprofit sector tends to resist change. The attitude of doing things the way they have always been done is still alive and well in the industry. However, technology is pushing nonprofits to change, and as technology and mobile devices become more ingrained in our daily lives, it will be that much harder not to adapt to change.
The reality is that donors and supporters expect instant gratification and communication that fits the way they operate. Social networks and the digital world have made on-demand something common in our lives.
The NonProfit PRO study also rightly suggested that we live in a world where technology is rapidly developing and advancing. It stands to reason, therefore, that those organizations that do not prioritize and focus on investing in technology will in due course find themselves falling further and further behind, including in fundraising. Why should a donor who spends most of their time communicating and doing business with their mobile device (including paying bills or charity) support a group that isn’t keeping up when there is likely to be another to the other? side? city with a similar mission that has embraced the technology?
If you don’t believe technology is an essential aspect of running a nonprofit in the digital age, you’re showing that you’re old school and can’t think ahead or adapt to change.
We are not in a place where we should say that mobile devices and technology should supplant other fundraising techniques, such as face-to-face fundraising. However, nonprofit leaders should seriously consider at this time how they will begin to integrate technology into their overall operations and fundraising as well. Yes, it means having a mobile-ready site is vital, but it also includes thinking about how to use platforms like Facebook for fundraising.
Making sure technology is an essential element of your marketing and fundraising mix will open up more opportunities for brand awareness and marketing dollars.