Role of NGOs & NPOs in times of crisis – Automation is key

Non-Profit Organisations (NPO/NGO) often answer problems that commercial enterprises and governments cannot quickly solve. In times of crisis, they are called to action, and delivering their mission becomes more critical than ever. They take part in many activities and are faced with many challenges.

They respond to the crisis in society, fight against war, pandemics, energy crises and many others. Their mission during the crisis has to be even more agile and targeted than ever. But at the same time, the crises can be a turning point and an opportunity to reshape and redesign NGOs to serve their purpose better. If they turn their attention to automatisation and make the technology work for them by supporting them in their activities, they can flourish to help those who need help. But they need help and support themselves as well. So, they need a reliable solution that will meet their growing needs. Salesforce proposes a solution tailored to NGOs’ needs and does the technology work for them by supporting them in their activities.

Digital Transformation for Non-Profit to Extend Your Outreach and Expand the Impact

In the age of digitalisation, digital transformation is a vital ingredient of the success recipe for entities in various sectors. Non-government and non-profit organisations (NGOs) are no exceptions. The optimal use of digital tools has proven to improve the impact, revenue, and reach of NGOs across the globe, making them better organisations that can provide better services in their field. Salesforce and the Power of Us program can assist NGOs in achieving their missions with the digital transformation journey.

Digital transformation for NGOs: What and why

Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technology within entities, including NGOs, to maximise efficiency in their daily operation, increase productivity, and achieve their objectives. The improvement can be integrated into all departments within the scope of NGO work, from fundraising to financial management and from program and service management to volunteer management.

One of the significant benefits of digital transformation for NGOs is the boost in productivity. By utilising technology, such as Software as a Service (Saas) tools, the organisation can enhance the productivity of its employees and volunteers. More work can be done in less time, and workers can focus more on more substantial tasks than repetitive ones that can be automated.

Furthermore, digital communication channels are essential in creating effective interaction with all stakeholders: donors, volunteers, beneficiaries and members. and stimulating seamless collaboration. File sharing and progress tracking are effortlessly made, and team members can connect easily, regardless of the physical location. Digital campaigns across all communication channels would reach a broader audience, increasing awareness of the issues and boosting funding.

The integration of digital transformation can also be financially beneficial for NGO operations. Using technologies such as automation can reduce the number of human resources needed by the organisation. It can improve budget efficiency, and the organisation can allocate more funding to create a more significant impact instead of investing unnecessary amounts in manual labour.

Solving NGO’s challenges with digital transformation

According to research by the European Fundraising Association and Salesforce, the most challenging issues faced by NGOs are the ability to raise sufficient funds and reach and engage supporters. Digital transformation provides answers for both challenges, and the majority of organisations are aware of it.

Fundraising is the backbone of the NGOs operation. Over 60 per cent of the NGOs that participated in the survey noted that raising enough donations is their primary concern in their process. The same proportion of respondents is eager to drive up their use of digital channels for fundraising and diversifying their strategy to increase funding.

Meanwhile, the organisation’s visibility is substantial in driving donations. Therefore, it is also essential to have an online presence and maintain stable engagement with donors, which are attainable on digital platforms.

Use-Cases for NPOs

We at Tequma do many projects supporting NPOs and NGOs and therefore we can share also some use-cases. Here are some examples of how NPOs/NGOs can use automation to become more efficient.

1. Wicci Poland-India, an organisation that aims to promote women’s entrepreneurship and leadership organisation, introduced a donations management system to manage all sponsors and improve their time to respond by automating all outgoing communication, including contractual documents
2. Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Dysphagie (Swiss Society for Dysphagia) – an organisation that brings together healthcare professionals with various backgrounds working with patients with swallowing disorders – introduced an automated donation process by automating all fiscal invoicing and reporting
3. Fundacja Nadzieja Imigranta (Immigrants Hope Foundation), established in April 2022 by Ukrainians in Poland to help refugees and immigrants in the country, introduced automation of work process authorisation preparation and tasks followup

Conclusion

No matter their size, all NPOs and NGOs can embrace and reap the benefits of digital transformation at their own pace and capacity. The process does not require a high investment and will quickly give a positive return and increase stakeholder satisfaction. If reaching a bigger audience, boosting efficiency, and creating a more significant impact are parts of your NGOs/NPOs goal, it is worth trying the integration of Salesforce in your NGOs digital transformation journey.

Author: Piotr A. Pyszkowski, Founding Member at Tequma & TylkoAdvisors

Tequma AG

Tequma is a Swiss partner in your Salesforce journey. Our dedicated team of experts helps businesses grow their marketing, sales and services efficiency by providing state-of-the-art solutions on the Salesforce cloud. Our strength lies in our team of experts - we managed leading companies, and we have years of experience in project execution, solution architecture and in software development. Tylko Advisors is a consulting boutique focused on digital transformation in the building sector. The BIM methodology implementation through technology solutions is our major asset and we also ran educational webinars and BIM content for the AEC industry.