Every nonprofit wants to accomplish a goal.
Whether that goal is to increase the number of donors, execute more fundraisers, or build out a more extensive base of volunteers, one common issue arises: How can nonprofits operate efficiently to achieve their goals when they are faced with a limited budget and staff?
A social impact software is the optimal solution, connecting your nonprofit to a community of changemakers willing and wanting to help. Changemakers who can fill your volunteer positions, host fundraisers on your behalf, and help fund your next program through donations.
We look at three goals your nonprofit might want to achieve and how social impact software can help. Let’s explore further:
Goal #1: Donor management
Get your nonprofit in front of the eyes of changemakers who may not find your cause organically (via word of mouth, organic search, or traditional advertising methods).
Changemakers using social impact software comprise of employees, students, and even retirees. Although varying in demographics, these groups all share one common goal of wanting to make a difference.
The act of making a difference often involves donating. In fact, individuals gave $326.87 billion, while corporations gave $21.08 billion to charities and nonprofits in 2021. With thousands of active users utilizing social impact software to find giving opportunities online, imagine how many more donations your nonprofit will receive by being present on a single platform.
In addition to gaining access to a larger pool of donors, your nonprofit can use social impact software to glean valuable insights on your donors, allowing you to tweak your annual donation goals to an ambitious yet attainable level.
Let’s look at how metrics can help adjust your donation goal:
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- Look at the total donation amount in a given year: The data shows us that the total donation amount in 2022 was $96,800.
- Calculate year-over-year (YOY) growth rate: Donations in January 2022 totalled $6,100, whereas donations in January 2023 increased to $11,000. Therefore, the YOY growth rate is 80.3%
- Set a donation goal for 2023: Based on the data, the nonprofit in this scenario can set a donation goal of $174,530.40 for 2023.
Calculation (in point # 3):
- A)2022 total donation amount of $96,800
- B)YOY growth rate of 80.3%
- C) 2023 growth potential $96,800 * 80.3%= $77,730.40
- D) 2023 donation goal= $96,800 (2022 base rate) + $77,730.40 (2023 growth potential)= $174,530.40 donation goal
Goal #2: Fundraiser execution
Fundraisers help bring a community of social change advocates together in real time. Whether these events happen to be in person or virtually, your social good mission will continue to prosper.
However, with a fundraiser comes a great deal of logistical planning. Finding a venue, accruing donors, securing volunteers, attracting attendees, and tracking donation progress are all necessary to run a successful fundraiser.
A social impact software takes some of these tasks off your hands, allowing users of the software to host fundraisers on behalf of your nonprofit.
Using a fictitious scenario, suppose that a group of employees (at a company called CGI Investments) are using social impact software and are looking to host a fundraiser in support of a nonprofit. They first use the platform to discover causes in the children & youth space and come across a cause in that space: The Brooklyn Children’s Club.
Here is how CGI Investments can host a fundraiser on behalf of The Brooklyn Children’s Club:
- Employees will coordinate with the cause to set up an event day, time, donation goal, and location.
- Employees will set up a centralized fundraising page on a social impact software: communicating the purpose of the fundraiser, sharing the event details, and tracking donation progress.
- Employees will share this fundraising page with their network—increasing the number of donors and attendees.
- Once the fundraiser has been completed, all funds generated from the event will be sent directly to The Brooklyn Children’s Club.
Goal #3: Volunteer growth
Ambition is key in the world of nonprofits. Your nonprofit may have a strong desire to execute a number of local events during the year in an effort to enrich the lives of others in your community.
Posting a volunteer opportunity directly on your website can garner some attention and applicants. However, that posting might get less traction than you desire. That’s where social impact software comes in.
Individual changemakers—comprising of employees, students, and retirees—often want to donate something other than money; they are often interested in donating their time. A social impact software enables these changemakers to discover a wide range of volunteer opportunities that match their skill set, interests, and preferences.
Below is the process of building a volunteer network using social impact software:
- Your nonprofit creates a volunteer application using social impact software, outlining the details of the position and adding custom questions to screen volunteers.
- After a volunteer applies through the platform, their information gets sent directly to your nonprofit.
- Your nonprofit reviews the candidate’s application and decides if the individual is qualified for the volunteer position.
- Once a volunteer has been accepted, your nonprofit can schedule, track, and verify volunteer hours within the software.
No matter what goal your nonprofit sets out to achieve, social impact software has the functionality and capabilities to make these goals feasible. Spend less time on monotonous administrative tasks and shift focus to connecting with the users of the software who are there to provide assistance.
It is through these valuable connections that your nonprofit will be able to reach your donation goals, organize numerous volunteer events, and raise funds for your projects and programs.
