The 2 tech problems that keep popping up in non-profits
One type of organization I love working with (and feel really grateful that I get to work with) is non-profits.
Mainly because working with them aligns so much with our mission to help change the world. They’re doing the work that means so much to me and the team here at MBS.
So of course, we want to help as many non-profits as possible throughout work.
And one thing I’ve noticed working with non-profits is that often, their organizations might be functional but they aren’t thriving.
But to create real change and leave a true impact on the world, your organization needs to be thriving.
The truth is, there are two main ways I’ve seen non-profits hold themselves back from working in an easier and more efficient way.
So let’s look into it!
Problem 1: The focus is on their tech tools
Non-profits often feel pain when it comes to their tech tools and naturally (and understandably) they think that just putting in new tech tools and automating things is going to help their business.
But the truth is that it isn’t their lack of tech tools that is the problem…it’s the lack of processes that are put in place before implementing the tech in the first place.
Your processes need to exist first.
Even if they aren’t documented, you need something in place before you invest in tech tools to help you decipher which tools are going to work best for your business.
This can also help you pinpoint key automation you need and streamline your system!
A prime example of processes not being in place first is a non-profit I’ve worked with recently. Their entire tech stack was manual and a lot kept slipping through the cracks. They even had to hire a team member whose whole job was to manually manage the admin work their tech tools weren’t set up to handle.
Meaning they were wasting a year’s salary and a valuable team member on work that could have been easily integrated and automated with the right tech stack.
All they needed to do was document their processes and refine their tech stack.
This way, that team member could focus on doing other things like helping with funding and carrying out their mission.
No prizes for guessing what we helped them do!
Problem 2: Lack of documentation
As we’ve established, processes come first…but they do need to be clearly documented and distributed throughout your organization.
If not, things can get a bit chaotic.
For example, another client we worked with thought they had processes in place…yet they had 25 tech tools within their organization…some of which did the same thing and several were completely redundant!
This happened because new hires would come into work and would find that they couldn’t function in that environment. So to cope, they would implement their own way of doing things, creating new processes and setting up their own tech tools to support them in the process.
That situation isn’t a one-off occurrence either. I actually see this pretty often, especially with non-profits because typically, there tends to be high turnover within these organizations.
So if there is nothing clearly documented in place or it’s not clear how the organization functions, people are just left doing what they need to, in order to get their job done!
And you can’t blame them for doing so!
The benefit of properly implementing processes
The pattern when it comes to the two big problems I see non-profits experience is that they don’t have clear, documented, and shared processes.
Which as you can see, leads to a bit of chaos with your tech tools.
But besides getting a bit more organized, what are the benefits of investing in a team like mine to help you get your processes, tech, and people up to speck?
There are 3 big things we notice in companies after they’ve worked with us!
- They start saving money.
This often happens for two reasons. Firstly, they no longer have to pay for any redundant tech tools because we can help them identify the tools that are working best for them. Secondly, their team and general systems get a lot more efficient meaning there’s less time spent on the nitpicky things and instead, the team can focus on doing their job properly!
- Increase in job satisfaction
It’s amazing the difference in job satisfaction levels when staff doesn’t constantly feel overwhelmed or confused about processes. Your team will feel happier in their work environments and more confident about how things work!
- The people you’re serving are happier
Whether that is the community you’re building, the founders or partners or subscribers and members of your organization, they’ll start noticing a difference because your organization would feel so chaotic for them to be a part of. Things won’t be falling through the cracks or be forgotten!
So…what next?
If you’re ready to more effectively see out your mission and escape the chaos and redundant tech tools in your business, enquire about our services via our website for more information!