Reviewing new technology tools enables boards to be more committed to using their time and talent to the greatest extent. In the past boards were not very comfortable with technology. Some of us remember when note cards and baskets were used for collecting polls & handwritten notes for creating spreadsheets for proposals. This was time consuming and sometimes confusing. A solution for this was turning point from turning technologies. Technology enabled management to easily manage the process and significantly reduced time spent collecting the data and compiling. Attendees were able to respond in real time using mobile phone keypads that were able to tally participants information and tally the outcome onscreen. It was an ideal solution enabling boards to consolidate and streamline proposals and processes.
Exploring new ways to produce profitable outcome can be significant in the nonprofit sector where there is no substitute for money saved while minimising human time and talent. Here are some suggestions:
Part 1 – Some 21st century Tools
Social media is a great way of boards connecting with the community. Sometimes simply sharing an image on Facebook with a quote can reach tens of thousands of people. A picture may be worth more than words. This is easy to do with phenomenal outcomes – letting nonprofits reach underserved regions by integrating and operationalizing technology.
Facebook can be used for recruiting volunteers as well as sharing about upcoming events, planning with colleagues in other nonprofits and networking. It can be very beneficial in the long run. Postings and having members post pictures, holding contests, generating interesting content and engage with the community are all pluses. Developing online relationships with your community through sharing of relevant content can be beneficial to non-profits.
Blog on specific topics – invite members of the non-profit who are experts in specific areas to blog about it and have them post weekly , biweekly or monthly. Make the blog interactive – with a comments section. Everyone has an opinion so ask a question to get people involved and talking. You’d be amazed what comments you will get. Having blogs where members can share either observations, innovations and more can be imperative in the growth to organizations. Get to understand your audience and give them – from the information gathered from their comments – what they want.
Using eBooks as a means of getting the community involved can be an additional resource while an ecommerce membership website; where people can login, buy things and interact with each other may be yet another way to get the community involved.
Look out for Part 2 of this series on Engaging the Boards through Technology – coming soon.