It’s easy for even seasoned fundraisers to view the integration of fundraising and technology as counterintuitive. After all, fundraising is about connecting with people. And technology has the perception of being cold and impersonal.
The reality is that today’s technology can not only help nonprofits reach more people—but also help them reach more people on a more personal basis. The key lies in implementing and leveraging technology in the right ways to amplify your efforts to connect with donors and potential donors.
So what are the right ways? The answer to that question comes in the form of a question. Actually, three questions…
The Three Most Important Questions Nonprofit Leaders Should Be Asking About Fundraising Technology
To ensure your organization is making the most of your fundraising technology, ask these three essential questions:
• How can we use data to optimize our efforts? You have access to more information and data on your donors than ever before. But are you using it to make data-driven decisions that validate or challenge your assumptions? Taking the time to optimize your data is the key to working smarter, rather than harder, when it comes to solving the fundraising challenges you face.
• How can we integrate our strategy, data, and technology to improve results and make smarter decisions? Many nonprofits collect and organize information in silos or their data is in disarray. Taking the time to connect the dots between all the various types of data you’re gathering is essential. On a macro-level, it gives you the ability to see patterns and trends happening within your organization. On a micro-level, it allows you to create a systematic process for cultivating every donor appropriately.
• How can we use the data we’re collecting to inspire more people to take action? Data and technology are useless unless you can use them to move people to action. Marketing automation and productivity tools allow you to develop a systematic process for implementing the things you learn from data to make a tangible impact.
Using Technology as a Tool to Increase Your Fundraising Reach and Impact
Technology has the ability to make your fundraising efforts more efficient, help you make smarter decisions, and reach people on a personal level. But technology alone won’t get the job done. You have to employ that technology in ways that support and enhance your fundraising strategy.
A few final questions to think about:
- Are you using technology to optimize your fundraising strategy?
- Are you are pulling valuable and useful insights from your data?
- Are you using those insights to better speak to and inspire your donors?