Philip King
President & CEO, Artez Interactive

Technology…we love it; we hate it! Some very impressive advances have been made for nonprofits through technology; some very disappointing failures are well known. Technology is here to stay but technology for technology sake doesn’t make sense. Technology is best used to enable better: fundraising, communications and community building.

1. The old rules still apply. As a nonprofit professional you already know more than you think about technology strategy.
Nonprofit organizations are traditionally very good at creating extended organizations, often out of necessity due to a lack of funds and resources. Technology, particularly the internet, is uniquely suited to the creation and support of this type of ‘viral’ network.

Online fundraising has often not worked because there has been no personal relationship made between the organization and the donor – online technology can create this connection with passion and compelling content through email and website interaction. Engage your constituents by providing them with interactive, feedback opportunities on content, i.e. fundraising, volunteer management. Think about using technology in a powerful way without necessarily all the “bells and whistles” that a larger organization might use. Trust your instincts about what has worked effectively in your organization and the larger nonprofit world and translate this into online possibilities.

2. However, there are also important new rules. On the internet, communication is informal and people can opt into and out of relationships with you rapidly.
Email communication can lead to information overload. Email is a powerful communication tool but recipients can just as easily ignore your messages or assign them permanently to the dustbin. Be strategic about what your organization communicates and how often. Design your messages carefully to get within the “from” field of busy people, i.e. have it sent from someone who loves your organization to his or her personal contacts rather than from your organization’s address.

3. Don’t do it yourself. Find partners you trust-companies, volunteers, and other agencies-to help you with technology. You didn’t become a nonprofit professional because you wanted to be a technology expert.
You may be lucky to have an information “techie” in your organization but there are now many companies and individuals that can help you with technology. Look for opportunities to outsource, to partner, to solve your technology through economies of scale with another organization. You don’t have to have all of your own systems running within your own organization. More and more, applications are being delivered through the internet, i.e. email solutions, time management solutions and donor databases. An example of this is www.eTapestry.com. Technology is becoming more of an “appliance technology”, so software becomes a service or a utility that is housed off-site.

Note: An outsourced relationship involving data collection does not violate privacy legislation but it should be acknowledged somewhere in the organization’s privacy statement. It can be safer to house data with a specialist that has appropriate security than having data in-house where security is not kept updated.

4. “Standard” is a positive word in technology. You don’t want to have systems that are “unique”…save that for your campaigns.
Nonprofit organizations often have had someone they know build a database for free. While it is enticing, in technology you do not want to be unique because the cost of ownership of the application becomes quite high in terms of ongoing development and maintenance. A general rule of thumb: buy technology unless you are absolutely certain after a thorough analysis of the market than nothing exists which meets your organization’s needs. Remember the question of long-term maintenance: this is more easily done by a technology company, leaving a nonprofit organization to do what it does best.

5. Be realistic about yourself and your organization. By definition not all organizations must be a leader in technology, and there are some important benefits to being a follower.
Know where your organization is on the ‘technology bell curve’. An ‘enthusiast’ loves technology and adopts technology at an early stage but pays a price, both in monetary terms and in the risk of betting on the ‘wrong horse’. The ‘strategic adopters’ pick up new technology to have a competitive advantage, i.e. fundraising, database management. The ‘early majority’ picks up new technology to solve a specific problem they can’t solve with their current tools. The ‘laggards’ pick up technology so they will not be left too far behind – for this group the technology is much cheaper and they avoid the uncertainly of unproven applications. As you think about your organization’s technology requirements, think about where your organization needs to be strategically on this bell curve. There is often pressure to adopt new technology before it is mature and standards have developed. ‘Old toys’ are cheaper!

Unless your technology is a problem, don’t change it. When exploring the introduction of new technology, don’t forget to consider the issue of stress on the organization and the issue of training and maintenance. Have a conversation on the role of technology at the leadership level in your organization and include a section on technology in your strategic plan. Or, establish a team of management, line staff and technical support staff to design a specific strategic technology plan for your organization.

Philip King

President & CEO, Artez Interactive
A graduate of Harvard University, Philip King remembers taking center stage with Academy award-winning actor Matt Damon in a student production and realizing that acting was not going to be his future (with the exception of a supporting role on the Designer Guys)! These days, Philip finds his niche in empowering nonprofit organizations through his role as President and CEO of Artez Interactive. “Nonprofit organizations are critical to our communities. Artez is the perfect place for me to work with these talented groups to embrace a more digital future…it’s a tremendously rewarding experience.” Artez has managed over $75 million in online donations over the past three years.

Prior to Artez, Philip was the Vice President of e-Business at the United Way of Greater Toronto, where he developed an online workplace fundraising application for United Ways in Toronto, Boston, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Halifax. When not working he has advised multiple levels of government on issues surrounding nonprofits’ use of technology, and has taught a technology strategy course at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where he earned his MBA. Philip serves on the board of directors for the ePhilanthropy Foundation in Washington, DC. Born in Tennessee, Philip says he endures the Canadian winters to enjoy the civil society of Toronto where he lives with his wife, Leta, and two sons, Adam and Sam.

Good Resources on Trends in Technology

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
The ePhilanthropy Foundation, Washington DC
Canada Helps
Microsoft Canada I CAN Community Programs