With 97% of respondents in the Interactive Investment Benchmark Study reporting that their interactive budgets are growing or staying the same this year, it’s safe to say interactive solutions and budgets are at least being discussed at every organization.
As your organization makes its plans, especially with the common July 1 fiscal year around the corner, you can shine as a strategic leader. Consider these four recommendations:
- Ensure that your functional basics work well. Donation/e-commerce platforms were reported by 51% of respondents as a high priority investment area with more citing this priority above others. As a prerequisite to more sophisticated engagement, it is imperative that these transactional solutions are secure and reliable.
- Strive to maintain a long-term perspective. Constituent engagement/social media tools were cited as a high priority investment by 47% of respondents. Engagement technologies are viewed by the most sophisticated organizations as tools to drive more involvement, maintain long-term relationships and grow donor lifetime value without necessarily an immediate direct impact.
- Begin to invest in mobile solutions. While mobile investment may be a newly emerging priority now for many nonprofits, expect that to rise. There are more than 7 billion smartphones in the world and upwards of 50% of emails are being read on mobile devices today. Engaging constituents on their mobile devices not only bolsters revenue opportunities today, but strengthens relationships for future support.
- Collaborate with your IT team. Often a solution feels like a fundraising or marketing tool or channel and that can often be true. As technology is more deeply integrated throughout the organization though, it is important that the IT team and leadership contribute to the strategy. They can guide you toward solutions that will complement, not compete with or detract from, your existing solutions.
To learn more about interactive solution investment at nonprofit organizations and for more recommendations on smart investing, read the Interactive Investment Benchmark Study from Charity Dynamics.
This article was originally published on Fundraising Success on May 16.