The Five Core Elements of Nonprofit Organizational Wellness: Part 4

Five ways to better utilize the technology you already have

by Rebecca Wiggins

In this blog series, we are taking a closer look at Five to Flow’s core elements through the lens of nonprofit teams to help you improve your organization’s sustainability and impact. In Part 1, we focused on people – both internal staff development and donor engagement. In Part 2 of the series, we addressed the need to establish consistent processes for improved efficiency and effectiveness. Part 3 dug deeper into culture development and creating an inclusive environment.

Next, we turn our attention to our core element of technology. While it’s hard to imagine an area of our lives where technology doesn’t provide a solution or benefit, it has also increased our collective pace and potential distractions. In a recent blog post, Jason Haller, Five to Flow’s Managing Director of Health and Wellness, discusses the physiological impacts of this “hurry sickness” and what we can do to improve our ability to focus and reach a flow state. The key, both personally and professionally, is utilizing technology as a tool to align mission and values with behavior and impact.

Before we dig into solutions and recommendations, it is important to start by understFinding the right tools to maximize efficiency and minimize distractions can be complicated, particularly for nonprofit organizations. Not only do many face budget constraints that prevent them from accessing cutting-edge technology, but most often they also lack the capacity and time necessary to assess needs, let alone ensure smooth adoption and implementation. Unfortunately, it often leads to underused or disconnected tools and inefficient or duplicative work for the staff. anding the different types of analytics to develop a more intentional and meaningful strategy:

One important consideration for nonprofit organizations is whether or not they have the resources to manage IT needs internally. Smaller nonprofits might consider partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). These companies manage traditional IT support and troubleshooting, but can also provide infrastructure and security, as well as strategic direction and best practices for your organization.

Despite the enormous challenges presented by the pandemic, it also accelerated the need for technology and innovation across all industries. For nonprofits, in particular, it provided an opportunity to invest or upgrade where funding may not have been previously supported. Because nonprofits are used to being nimble and lean, many were able to adjust infrastructure and processes to the virtual world more quickly than their for-profit counterparts. Innovative solutions were created using artificial intelligence (AI) with smart forms and chatbots to expand capacity and innovative services. One great example is the Rentervention chatbot, developed by a nonprofit in Illinois to help people navigate eviction and other housing challenges and connect them with pro bono legal advice.

Technology helps organizations improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase employee productivity and innovation. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the technology solutions available, or unsure how to better utilize the technology you already have, here are a few tips to help:

Conduct a needs analysis with input from staff and stakeholders to understand your core needs and current tools. Identify ways to consolidate, optimize, or upgrade applications to improve your internal and external experiences. .
Link your tech needs to your larger strategic vision so that your solutions support and enable your mission, and help tell the story of your impact on your donors in a more powerful way.
Ask about nonprofit pricing discounts and check TechSoup, a tech marketplace, that offers products and services at deep discounts for eligible nonprofit organizations.
Create an implementation plan and build it in time for training and onboarding of the new technology. Ensure that all levels of the organization, especially leadership, are committed to the roll-out plan for a smooth and successful adoption.
Define clear rules of engagement for the technology so that all employees are utilizing it consistently.

At Five to Flow, our passion is to partner with you to design meaningful solutions that lead to organizational flow. Explore our Wellness Wave™ diagnostic to measure how well your nonprofit is doing across all core elements, including technology. Based on your results, you will get tailored suggestions to get you started on your journey to achieving and sustaining peak performance. Please contact us for more information about how we can work with your nonprofit to improve business health and alignment for the sustainable growth of your mission and impact. Stay tuned for our final part of this series!