Finding affordable software solutions for your nonprofit

Finding the right software for your nonprofit can be as simple as buying Microsoft Office or as complex as finding a donor management system that integrates with your accounting software. This is where Janna Finch comes in. Janna is a software market research associate at softwareadvice.com. Her job is to measure and track what types of software and features nonprofits are needing and looking to buy. Janna recently wrote and article for Nonprofit Ally and included links to some key findings about the software needs and want of nonprofits. Here is some of what she revealed: Buyers’ top software purchase drivers include a need for more functionality (27 percent) and changes to, or the expiration of, an existing contract (22 percent). Built-in email marketing and outreach tools are a “must-have” for 42 percent of buyers: a 133 percent increase from 18 percent last year. In a sub-sample of buyers who seek fundraising software that integrates with another application, 57 percent want accounting integration. Now, for those of you who may be techno-phobes, Janna has some advice for you. Software can save you time by automating regular processes. So the time it takes to learn something new will save you time in the end. Delegate the responsibility to staff, volunteer or board member. Spend time to find the right solution (there are plenty of user friendly solutions). Resources Contact Janna at: [email protected] Visit the website: softwareadvice.com The software advice, nonprofit software review page (really awesome): softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/ Affordable software for nonprofits: techsoup.com