TechRadar by Devoteam for Non Profits

Preface – Tech for good

The Devoteam Foundation Mission to Support Nonprofit Organisations Through Digital Empowerment

At Devoteam, our mission as a premier tech consulting firm has always centred around empowering our clients and stakeholders with high-value knowledge, expertise, and strategy. However, our drive to promote better change extends well beyond the confines of our own closed ecosystem. Above all, we believe in the transformative power of technology and that shaping tech for people unlocks the future. It’s with this conviction to #TechforPeople that we first created the Devoteam Foundation, a purpose-built institution dedicated to providing technical expertise and consultation to uplift the nonprofit sector. 

At the core of the foundation is a deep commitment to advocating for ‘tech for good.’ This belief echoes not only Devoteam’s values but also a broader movement within the technology and nonprofit sectors. It holds that technology, when implemented responsibly and purposefully, can be a powerful force for progress. For seventeen years, our foundation has promoted sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and the digital transformation of nonprofit organisations, applying 25 years of expertise and proven methodology to address the unique challenges of their field. It is in line with this mission that we set out to create the Tech Radar for Nonprofits as a way to extend our support and aid organisations through their digital expansion. 

We hope that these contributions enrich your reflections and empower your organisation to navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape with confidence and purpose.

Radar at glance

Tackling the main NonProfit’s organisations digital challenges with the support of TechRadar by Devoteam

In today’s world, where technology is constantly charging forward, non profit organisations stand at a pivotal crossroads.  

The challenges they seek to address are increasingly complex, but so are the tools at their disposal. As smaller nonprofit organisations continue to play an increasingly crucial role in tackling complex societal issues, the pressure to make the most of limited resources has never been more intense. Yet, these organisations often find themselves grappling with challenges without the necessary support to discover and utilise the technologies they need.  

To help bridge the gap between technology and social impact, we’ve created a support: the TechRadar by Devoteam for Nonprofits. 

Within this digital resource, you will find a wealth of information, insight, and recommendations, meticulously curated by the experts at Devoteam and tech partners to address challenges and further help optimise non profit operations across three key areas: Grant management, Fundraising, and Volunteer Management.

The Critical Role of Technology in Nonprofit Evolution in the EMEA region

While technological innovation continues to accelerate, particularly in the EMEA region, most economic players have made significant progress in digital transformation. However, many nonprofit organisations find themselves navigating a landscape where the digital divide threatens to widen – even as they help close the gap for others. An increasing number of nonprofit organisations now focus efforts on helping their employees and beneficiaries acquire digital skills, yet the organisations themselves are not receiving the support needed to facilitate their own digital transformation.

To bridge the digital divide and enable non-profit organisations to meet the challenges ahead, a fundamental shift in mindset is required. It’s essential that organisations, as well as donors, fundraisers, and philanthropists, see digital innovation and investment in digital transition for what it is: a vital catalyst for substantial, measurable, and steerable change. 

The adoption of “Social Tech,” in other words, digital tools and services designed to serve the common good with non-profit purposes – is an increasingly important step forward for nonprofit organisations to improve the way they run their operations, work collaboratively and mobilise their stakeholders. For instance, thanks to data-driven management, organisations can improve their connectivity by better managing and communicating their impact. In addition, fundraising and resource planning tools contribute to sustainability and operational efficiency, while other solutions support volunteer engagement, collaboration, and recruitment.

As the rapid evolution of technology continues to accelerate, digital transformation is no longer just an option but a critical strategic priority for any institution looking to promote progress within their industry, society, or the world. In this way, technology can thus become an incredible lever for building a world that is sustainable, fair, democratic, and respectful of all living beings, provided we question the ethics and model of the tools chosen, even if it means turning to open-source solutions. But in order to make this vision a reality, we must first invest in the technological empowerment of changemakers, respecting a path that is consistent with their values and challenges.

Use case #1: Transforming Grant Management in the Digital Age

When we consider the most important components of nonprofit sustainability, grants are at the top of the list. However, as the world continues to face increasingly difficult economic circumstances, the more competitive the grant landscape is becoming. According to a recent study from the European Fundraising Association (EFA), in 2022, 28% of nonprofits across Europe reported increased grant funding, but 19% faced a decrease. While there are a number of factors that may affect which nonprofits can successfully secure funding, one of the biggest comes down to the grant management systems an organisation has in place. 

From searching for the right grants to filing applications, handling reporting requirements, and evaluation, grant management encompasses the entire lifecycle of a grant. This process demands detailed planning, precise budgeting, expense tracking, vigilant compliance monitoring, and timely donor reporting. These factors, if not managed properly, can have negative effects on resource management and transparency and even limit nonprofits from securing future funding opportunities.

That said, the right software and tools have the potential to tackle the biggest grant management challenges nonprofits are facing. In this section, we’ll explore a cutting-edge grant management solution that can enable nonprofits of all sizes to navigate the complexities of funding, better manage critical resources, and increase operational efficiency.

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud: Bringing Grant Management Operations Together in One Place

The Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a comprehensive solution designed to connect all operations and functions within a nonprofit organisation in one place – from secure funding and delivery to relationship building and impact measurement – creating a single source of truth across the operation.

Among the key capabilities of the platform is Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking, designed to help NGOs optimise the full grant management lifecycle. The platform offers a range of features such as application management, which allows funders to create and publish funding opportunities and comes with out-of-the-box templates for grant applications, as well as external reviews and post-award processing. Additionally, the Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking further provides tools designed to facilitate internal proposal collaboration, making it easier for grant seekers to work together and respond quickly to funding opportunities. Overall, the platform ensures a seamless experience for both funders and grant seekers, helping to reduce administrative strain, foster and strengthen relationships with stakeholders and further their philanthropic mission.

However, our recommendation of the Nonprofit Cloud comes down to not only its powerful capabilities but also its accessibility through both the Power of Us Program, which provides eligible organisations with ten free licences, and The Trailblazer Community, which fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, and empowers users through networking, hosted events, and educational content. These considerations, along with the robust capabilities of the Nonprofit Cloud, make it a highly dynamic and agile tool for grant management. 

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud: Bringing Grant Management Operations Together in One Place

The Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a comprehensive solution designed to connect all operations and functions within a nonprofit organisation in one place – from secure funding and delivery to relationship building and impact measurement – creating a single source of truth across the operation.

Among the key capabilities of the platform is Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking, designed to help NGOs optimise the full grant management lifecycle. The platform offers a range of features such as application management, which allows funders to create and publish funding opportunities and comes with out-of-the-box templates for grant applications, as well as external reviews and post-award processing. Additionally, the Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking further provides tools designed to facilitate internal proposal collaboration, making it easier for grant seekers to work together and respond quickly to funding opportunities. Overall, the platform ensures a seamless experience for both funders and grant seekers, helping to reduce administrative strain, foster and strengthen relationships with stakeholders and further their philanthropic mission.

However, our recommendation of the Nonprofit Cloud comes down to not only its powerful capabilities but also its accessibility through both the Power of Us Program, which provides eligible organisations with ten free licences, and The Trailblazer Community, which fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, and empowers users through networking, hosted events, and educational content. These considerations, along with the robust capabilities of the Nonprofit Cloud, make it a highly dynamic and agile tool for grant management. 

Use case #2: Innovations and Strategies for Enhanced Fundraising

In a world where businesses have to constantly break new ground to stay ahead of their competitors, the Cloud Fundraising is the vital fuel of purpose-driven organisations that supports their sustainability, growth, and their mission overall.. However, ever-changing factors like donor preferences, evolving technologies and economic fluctuations make the fundraising landscape tricky to navigate. A report by the European Fundraising Association states that in 2022, 32% of nonprofits saw a decrease in donation amounts from individual supporters. As the difficulty of securing funds increases, the more important it is for nonprofit organisations to adjust their fundraising approach to focus on innovation, transparency, and adaptability.

Unlike grant management, fundraising involves securing funding from a number of diverse resources, which comes with its own set of unique challenges. For instance, handling donations from various channels creates a large web of data that requires robust systems to capture, store, track, and acknowledge each monetary gift. By implementing these systems, nonprofits can ensure the proper management and allocation of resources and gain insights that can improve the efficiency and efficacy of future fundraising campaigns. 

In this section, we will explore a carefully curated selection of innovative technologies, each designed to streamline the fundraising process. These cutting-edge solutions encompass diverse aspects, ranging from efficient data management and fostering deeper donor relationships to resource allocation optimisation and crafting targeted social campaigns that amplify awareness, offering a comprehensive view of the dynamic landscape of nonprofit fundraising innovation.

Alteryx

Fundraising efforts are critical to the sustainability and longevity of any nonprofit, but often times, the key difference between a campaign that brings in vital donations and one that falls flat comes down to insights (or the lack thereof). Past fundraising rounds can provide a wealth of insight into what motivates donors to give and what simply doesn’t work – but only if you can make sense of the data. 

During fundraising, nonprofits deal with large volumes of data, such as donor information, contribution histories, campaign results, event attendance, and more, across multiple sources. This data arrives in disparate formats and structures, making it challenging to derive meaningful insights. That’s where Alteryx comes in. Alteryx is an easy-to-use, self-service data analytics software platform that enables users to easily prep, blend, and analyse data all in one place. 

Alteryx functions by facilitating the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of data from various sources. It empowers nonprofits to combine, clean, and transform their data into a unified and coherent dataset. Using machine learning capabilities, this enhanced dataset can then be fed to a business intelligence tool (such as Tableau and Power BI) and analysed to uncover trends, correlations, and insights that guide informed decision-making. For example, by identifying past donor trends, nonprofits can create highly focused campaigns that target donor segments that donated multiple times in the past and will likely donate again.  

Finally, another reason we recommend Alteryx is its accessibility to NGOs that have limited budgets and/or technical expertise. Alteryx is a highly intuitive and easy-to-use tool and offers licences to nonprofits at a significantly reduced rate, making it an ideal solution for organisations looking to complete data processes quickly and efficiently. 

Tableau

If Alteryx is the first stop in data preparation and processing, then Tableau can be looked at as the next step that brings a new level of insight and usability to your data. Tableau is a powerful data visualisation and business intelligence (BI) software that helps users understand, analyse, and visualise their data in a meaningful and interactive way, making complex data sets easier to comprehend, explore, and communicate.

In terms of optimising fundraising activities, Tableau can be used to seamlessly connect to various data sources (donor information, campaign results, etc.), making it easier to understand and leverage for successful fundraising campaigns. For instance, this user-friendly software enables users to create interactive visualisations, graphs, and dashboards that highlight insights like donation patterns, donor engagement, and campaign effectiveness that can be leveraged to identify trends and segment donors. Additionally, Tableau’s real-time data connectivity ensures that nonprofits can make informed decisions based on up-to-the-minute information, enabling them to quickly and effectively communicate the outcome of their work to supporters and potential donors.

Similar to Alteryx, Tableau also offers discounts on subscription licensing for nonprofits and further empowers NGOs through the Tableau Community, which provides free expertise to help organisations make sense of their data. Between the two tools, Alteryx is the ideal choice when the importance of data analysis relies on the direct manipulation of a data source rather than aesthetics. For user-friendly output with captivating visualisations, Tableau is the best choice. However, the combination of Alteryx’s data organisation with Tableau’s visualisation prowess is the ideal solution that offers organisations the best of both worlds. But if you’re looking for one tool that does it all, our next recommended technology may be the option for you. 

Power BI

You can think of Power BI as a combination of both the data manipulation and organisation of Alteryx, with the dynamic data visualisation capabilities of Tableau. Developed by Microsoft, Power BI is a powerful business intelligence (BI) tool that enables users to gather, analyse, and illustrate data, providing a comprehensive platform for turning raw data into actionable insights and compelling visualisations. 

At its core, Power BI facilitates seamless data connectivity, enabling nonprofits to effortlessly integrate various data sources, from basic Excel spreadsheets to databases to cloud services. Additionally, like Tableau, Power BI enables data visualisation and is capable of transforming large datasets into interactive charts, graphs, maps, and interactive dashboards that consolidate diverse visuals onto a single page, delivering easily accessible, holistic insights such as donation trends, campaign metrics, etc. Among the key benefits of the platform are its collaborative features, which enable users across the organisation to collaborate on reports and dashboards and share them among colleagues and key stakeholders, as well as Power Query, the data connectivity and data preparation technology that allows users to easily import and transform data from within Microsoft products, including Excel, Analysis Services, Dataverse, and more.

Like both Alteryx and Tableau, Power BI offers subscription licensing to nonprofits at a discounted rate. However, it’s worth mentioning that although the solution is reasonably user-friendly (particularly for those already familiar with Excel), some aspects of the tool do require a basic knowledge of coding to be utilised to their full extent. For this reason, Power BI may be a better fit for organisations that already have in-house expertise at their disposal. 

That said, for nonprofits who want greater reporting power and analytical capabilities without the need for multiple tools, Power BI is a versatile tool that can help transform the way organisations achieve greater impact and efficiency within fundraising efforts and the operation as a whole. 

A Look Forward: The Transformation of Fundraising Through Web 3.0 and the Blockchain

These days you would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of the blockchain and cryptocurrency. However, few people fully understand the potential of this developing technology. As blockchain technology and Web 3.0 have become increasingly relevant topics in the public sphere, new ideas of innovative applications for the technology beyond revolutionising the finance sector have begun to take form. Among these up-and-coming concepts is the use of the blockchain as a vehicle for fundraising for nonprofit organisations. 

The blockchain is defined as a “decentralised, distributed, and public digital ledger.” This decentralised network maintains a permanent record of transactions that are secure, immutable, and transparent. In other terms, the blockchain is a way of transferring assets without middlemen. Instead, the blockchain relies on Smart Contracts, tamper-proof programs that automatically run on a blockchain network when predefined conditions are satisfied. By using this technology in fundraising, organisations can effectively eliminate the potential for internal corruption and any risk of funds being misused or misappropriated. Simply put, organisations and donors will know exactly where their funds are going in real time. 

One particularly adept use case where blockchain potential really shines is in the donation of funds across borders. Traditional cross-border transactions often involve high fees and delays due to intermediaries, but with blockchain, transactions can be conducted directly between the donor and the nonprofit, reducing costs and time delays. Additionally, since the blockchain ledger is immutable, it provides an auditable trail of international donations, making compliance with international regulations more manageable.

However, despite its promising potential, the widespread adoption of blockchain for fundraising faces significant challenges. The lack of set regulations and the absence of unified global standards pose significant hurdles to its macro-scale implementation. Because different countries have varying approaches to regulating cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, nonprofits operating across borders are particularly subject to greater complexities and legal uncertainties. Nonetheless, it is essential to keep prominent blockchain networks, such as Ethereum and Cardano, and specific cryptocurrencies like Ripple (XRP) on the radar as regulations evolve and improve over time. As it is, blockchain technology remains a tool with immense promise to help nonprofit organisations create more accountability and efficiency within their fundraising ecosystem.

Use case #3: Empowering Nonprofit Volunteer Teams: Tools and Strategies

At the heart of every nonprofit’s mission lies a passionate team of volunteers who dedicate their time and skills to support their communities and the causes they believe in. Effective volunteer management is among the most important components in the successful operation of any nonprofit. However, managing this diverse force efficiently presents unique challenges that demand innovative solutions. 

From recruitment to engagement, and communication to coordination, volunteer management is one of the more complex, yet vital systems of an organisation. In particular, the challenges most NGOs face come down to time-consuming administrative tasks, ensuring transparent communication, and volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retainment. For example, according to a report by the European Economic and Social Committee, there is an ongoing shift from long-term, committed volunteering to short-term, one-time activities. As a result, volunteer retainment is becoming increasingly a top concern for many organisations.  

In this section, we will explore an assortment of cutting-edge tools, hand-selected to address key obstacles, with a focus on features including accessibility, ease of use, customizability, scalability, and cost.  By leveraging these and other modern solutions, nonprofits can simplify volunteer management and ensure their volunteers remain informed, engaged, inspired, and motivated. 

A Platform with Purpose – The ServiceNow Approach to Operational Efficiency

ServiceNow’s stated purpose is to make the world work better for everyone, from our humble beginnings in founder Fred Luddy’s home to our current role as the platform company driving global innovation. It’s one reason why the launch of ServiceNow.org in early 2023 is so meaningful to us – creating a dedicated team to bring the transformational capacity of technology to nonprofits, helping organisations maximise their impact and do the work that matters most. 

With the Now Platform, we aim to help organisations work faster, simpler and more efficiently when solving the world’s greatest challenges. Comprehensive functionality, from technology excellence to employee/volunteer experience, brings opportunity to every corner of a nonprofit. For example, customised forms and workflow automation make it easy to qualify and match volunteers for suitable roles, while centralised IT workflows and helpdesk make it a strong platform for managing cases, communication, and program support. ServiceNow also fosters collaboration among volunteers and staff, facilitates feedback collection through satisfaction surveys, and promotes post-journey engagement using data gathered from volunteers’ experiences.

 ServiceNow distinguishes itself by prioritising the people within organisations and its key constituents, offering employees, volunteers, donors and beneficiaries a digital experience that centers everyone around the mission. This, in addition to the platform’s overall intelligence, flexibility and integration capabilities, has made ServiceNow a solid asset for missions worldwide – discover how we’re helping to advance mission-critical work at nonprofits like the UNHCR and others at www.ServiceNow.org. For organisations looking for an accessible multifunctional solution to enhance management across operations, programs, assets, and people, ServiceNow is ready to put our platform to work for you.

Transforming Team & Project Management – 3 No-Code Solutions Leading the Way

FlutterFlow

Effective volunteer management starts with creating an organised system to recruit, track, engage, and retain volunteers efficiently, but this can be challenging for organisations that lack the resources to hire a developer, or the expertise to develop internally. That’s where FlutterFlow comes in. FlutterFlow is a scalable, no-code app development solution built on Flutter (Google’s open-source framework) that enables users to build high-quality, interactive, mobile- and web-based applications. 

Among FlutterFlow’s most beneficial attributes is its user-friendly interface, which allows users to quickly create applications using visual modelling with native features such as pre-built templates, custom codes, plugins, and drag-and-drop modules, housed within the platform’s built-in library for multifaceted functionality tailored to your specific needs. 

To manage multiple languages, Flutterflow allows users to translate all the text of the application at once with Google Translate, or manually. FlutterFlow also integrates with a wide range of other tools and services such as Firebase (a mobile platform that handles backend, database, and analytics), Angolia (a search engine that allows you to add search functionality to FlutterFlow apps), Google Analytics, and more. 

It’s worth noting, however, that there may be a steep learning curve to navigate the platform for users who are unfamiliar with the Flutter framework. Additionally, while the predefined structure used by FlutterFlow ensures a consistent layout throughout development, it may also limit flexibility and customisation compared to similar platforms like Bubble.io. Regarding pricing, FlutterFlow offers several options, including free and paid plans at different tiers. 

Monday.com

Monday.com is an all-in-one cloud-based work management platform that enables users to streamline workflows and more effectively manage complex projects. Unlike the other recommended technologies in this section, monday.com is a more traditional project management platform that focuses primarily on visual management and collaboration.

Two key reasons for our inclusion of this tool in the Tech Radar are its flexibility and ease of use. Monday.com enables the possibility of building custom applications for any workflow and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to create boards, lists, timelines, and pre-built automation templates customised by industry. This includes a number of features geared specifically toward volunteer management, such as onboarding, the ability to track volunteer hours, skills and/or certificates, and availability.

With support in 12 languages, the platform is highly accessible to a wide range of users and features security measures to ensure sensitive data remains secure and protected. The platform also offers over 50 integrations with other popular tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Salesforce, making it easy to connect to existing workflows. 

Though the platform offers many far-reaching benefits, one potential drawback organisations should consider is its pricing model. Monday.com uses tiered, per-user pricing, with added fees charged to add additional users with complete collaboration permissions, which may deter organisations with significant budget restrictions. 

Bubble.io 

Bubble.io is a cloud-based, no-code development framework built on AWS that allows users to develop, host, and scale websites and applications. Similar to FlutterFlow, Bubble.io is designed with ease of use in mind and features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and ready-made templates that non-coders can use to quickly build apps without any prior programming knowledge. However, Bubble.io differentiates itself in a number of ways. 

While FlutterFlow and Bubble.io are both secure, scalable, no-code tools, one way they differ is in their approach to user interface design. Where FlutterFlow offers a predefined structure for a consistent layout, Bubble.io gives users more freedom to customise their interface. Users can choose and place visual elements where needed and have the option to add additional functionality through third-party APIs, add-ons, or plugins, allowing for greater flexibility. Another key difference is that Bubble.io enables users to customise their website for better indexation on search engines (SEO) and offers a smart scaling feature that automatically increases the capacity of the web application as it grows. 

Bubble.io can be used by anyone, but it’s worth noting that users with some development experience can use code to create plugins and supplement Bubble’s native functionality for greater customisation. While Bubble.io is less expensive than traditional software development, both its growth and team plan are on the pricier side as compared to the other two technologies in this section. However, when you consider the platform’s advanced features, development time, ease of integration, and customisation, it remains a strong solution for organisations looking to optimise their volunteer management system.