BUILDING MORE PRODUCTIVITY INTO OUR HEADSETS WITH AMAZON ALEXA AND TILE

Nonprofit Management

Article | July 20, 2022

Advocacy vs. Activist Roles: Non-profits all over the world are typically divided into those that engage in grassroots activism, those that advocate ideological positions, and those that combine the two to work for the betterment of society. This means that many non-profits, such as the Red Cross and Oxfam, are both activist and advocacy organizations, whereas others, such as the World Watch Institute and the Club of Rome, are primarily advocacy organizations. Furthermore, many non-profit organizations, such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, are primarily activist in nature. The key point to remember here is that no non-profit can exist solely through activism or advocacy and thus must combine both functions to gain legitimacy and credibility. In other words, non-profits must strike a balance between activism and advocacy in order to achieve their social welfare and public good objectives. Of course, there are many non-profits in the United States that primarily function as advocacy groups with a presence only in the country because politics in the United States is driven by lobbying and special interest advocacy, which means that liberals must fund non-profits that advocate for their ideologies. Grassroots Activism, Interventions, and Crisis Management: When it comes to grassroots activism, non-profits must not only have the necessary ideology but also a deep commitment as well as the willingness to endure odds and overcome obstacles. This is because grassroots activism usually entails non-profits confronting the might of the state in areas where they must question the state's practices and point out gaps and anomalies in the implementation of the government's social schemes and welfare policies. Furthermore, grassroots activism necessitates intervention and crisis management by non-profits, which frequently puts them in conflict with vested interests who do not want interference from those they perceive to be unwanted attention and spotlight focusers on their nefarious activities. This is why many non-profits stop at the beginning of their activism and do not move on to interventions and crisis management. This is also why many non-profits collaborate with law enforcement and government agencies so that any interventions and crisis management can be carried out in tandem with the government rather than the non-profits taking on the role that the government must. Of course, this is easier said than done because, in many cases, non-profits discover that governmental agencies have abdicated their responsibilities, forcing them to intervene and correct the problems on the ground.

Nonprofit Management

Article | July 20, 2022

Large non-profit organisations must frequently overcome extreme challenges in order to stay on track toward achieving their mission and goals. There are currently 1.4 million tax-exempt organisations in the United States alone, so there is no shortage of non-profit organisations competing for resources, financial assistance, and talent. The challenge is exacerbated because a large non-profit (or small non-profit) is expected to make all strategic decisions with its organisational mission in mind. The good news is that a non-profit’s mission can guide them in making the right decisions and overcoming obstacles. Large non-profits face numerous challenges on a daily basis in order to stay on track. These issues include sustainability, donor retention and engagement, finding the right volunteers, and organising internal and external processes. Today, we'll go over these issues in greater depth and offer solutions. How Can Large Non-profits Be Sustainable? Sustainability is critical to a large non-profit’s long-term success. Large non-profit organizations frequently must uphold a recognizable brand and reputation. Developing a strategic plan with sustainability as the foundation starts with an organization's mission and vision. How Can Large Non-profits Keep and Engage Donors? Another issue that large non-profit organizations frequently face is retaining and engaging donors. Did you know that in 2015, 373.25 billion dollars were donated to charitable causes? Large non-profit organizations are tasked with acquiring new donors, engaging their donor base, and retaining valuable relationships. Donor retention rates for offline-only donors are 29%, while online-only donors have a 21% retention rate. Raising these averages by a few percentage points can give a large non-profit organization more reach. How Can a Large Non-profit Find the Right Volunteers? A large non-profit can save a lot of money by identifying and recruiting the right volunteers for the right strategic jobs. According to an Independent Sector study, the average volunteer hour is worth more than $24.00 (2016 data). The value of volunteerism can quickly add up large non-profit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers also provide valuable skill sets to non-profits, which can improve an organization's ability across departments. How Can Large Non-profits Improve Processes? Setting up processes is one of the most important things a large non-profit can do to ensure consistency and control throughout the organization. Every aspect of the organization, including but not limited to fundraising, volunteer coordination, training, strategic engagement, and retention strategies, should have a process in place. Organizations that want to create a road map for success must devote time to strategic planning.

Nonprofit Management

Article | July 12, 2022

Salesforce.org has just released a whole slew of new products and feature enhancements that have generated a lot of excitement here at Vera. One of these, the Program Management Module (PMM), has been in the works for a while – we are delighted to see it brought to life and hope it helps many more nonprofits realize the benefits of using Salesforce for program management. On the surface, the PMM may sound redundant or even competitive with Amp Impact – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Whereas Amp Impact offers a portfolio management and portfolio-level impact measurement solution (using logframes, indicators, targets, and results), the PMM is focused on tracking individual beneficiaries and their engagement with programs and services. For organizations working across multiple geographies, tracking at both of these levels is crucial, and data can automatically ‘roll up’ from the PMM objects into Amp Impact’s Indicators and Results.

Article | June 4, 2020

As the fiscal year draws to a close for many U.S. nonprofits, we have decided to spotlight some of the best cloud products we offer. Budgets can be tight at the best of times, and we know that many nonprofits are paying extra-close attention to their finances over the past several months. But cloud-based tools are a good investment for years to come in terms of flexibility, security, and the ease with which they can be used remotely.