To be successful in today’s fast-paced and extremely competitive digital arena, you must have access to the best online tools that are now available. In order to attain the best levels of productivity, communication, and effect, you will need to use additional tools, either in conjunction with the core system or independently of it. Yet, given the abundance of options available today, selecting the best effective online application or piece of software may be difficult. Several of them appear to provide the same benefits, and despite the fact that many of them appear to provide the same benefits, the vast majority of charitable organisations are unable to finance many of them.
With so many options, how can you identify which of the countless choices truly contribute to the success of your nonprofit organisation?
Google Analytics
Analytics should be used by any website administrator, commercial or non-profit. Google Analytics measures both hard and soft conversions for your non-profit.
Hard conversions are those that have a direct influence on an organization’s operations or initiatives. Online donations, volunteer sign-ups, and form submissions supply more information. Soft conversions are online behaviours that lead to hard conversions over time. People demonstrate their involvement by downloading an annual report or visiting more than ten website pages.
Another useful function supplied by Google Analytics is the ability to monitor pages with high abandonment rates. This allows you to find websites that discourage call-to-action responses (like donating). Bottlenecks can be rapidly identified and eliminated.
The capacity to make informed judgements about where your nonprofit’s staff should spend their time is Google Analytics’ most powerful feature. Google Analytics assists a number of non-governmental organisations in resolving these difficulties. Learn which images are most effective, which websites receive the most traffic, which marketing activities are most effective, and so on. Knowing what works and what doesn’t aids in generous decision-making.
Pricing
The free basic service is used by the vast majority of websites, whereas Analytics 360 requires a paid subscription.
Asana
Asana, a popular free project management software, is simple to use. Your nonprofit’s team can stay organised and on schedule using Asana’s project workflows, task allocations, team creation, due dates, and comments.
Asana users can join Projects and Teams as needed. Projects have task lists. Tasks can be assigned subtasks, assignees, due dates, attachments, comments, tags, and followers. Work is tracked using tasks and subtasks. You can track the progress of a project using comments and other information instead of email or other types of communication. The task is associated with all task and subtask occurrences and histories.
Asana tells users when email updates have been checked, followed, liked, or commented on. Mentioning a teammate in an assignment comment can draw their attention and keep them updated.
Among the most advanced features include file uploading and integration with Google Chrome, Dropbox, MailChimp, and Okta. Asana supports both private and group chats.
Despite the lack of Gantt charts, time tracking, and other project management tools, it excels in task management, workflow management, and basic process/project management.
Pricing
Asana is free for groups of 15 people. For additional features or users, Asana Premium costs $13.49 per month (when billed monthly). Business plans cost $30.49 per month. Registered non-profit organisations receive a 50% discount.
Buffer
Anxiety and social media management? Do you frequently find yourself pushed for time while considering what to post on Facebook or tweet? Have you ever realised that the day is drawing to an end but you haven’t posted anything? Buffer will publish the material you create and schedule at the time you specify. It saves time to use Buffers to handle all of your accounts. Begin right now. You can schedule social media posts ahead of time.
Schedule posts using a plugin, newsreader, or the Buffer website. When someone is shooting photographs, producing blog posts, or communicating with supporters, Buffer makes it easier to work together.
Buffer allows you to grow your following by allowing you to post frequently and consistently. Its analytics will also determine the best times to post. Buffer makes it simple to track engagement data and report on it.
Their blog is the greatest in its category, and their customer service is outstanding.
Pricing
Buffer’s monthly membership levels range from $5 to $100, with the free plan allowing you to manage three social media accounts. Non-profit organisations are eligible for a 50% discount. To authenticate your nonprofit status, they only require your 501(c)(3) or related papers. Here are the costs.
Slack
If you’re tired of receiving endless emails and losing track of who responded to what and for which project, Slack is for you. Slack stands for “message.” It increases communication and teamwork in the workplace.
Organization in the style of social media. Choose “channels” on the left to create a channel for a project, team, or concept. Everyone can view a channel once it has been created. You can also use private channels to communicate sensitive information to a small group of employees. To communicate quickly, send a direct message to a coworker.
By centralising team interactions, Slack allows your team to use less email, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Skype. Because of the scattered communication, your staff is less prone to feel disoriented.
Slack integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, Trello, and Asana, among others. Websites, spreadsheets, and other files can be shared. Users of Slack can search, call, and screenshare.
Pricing
Slack is completely free. The first paid option, when paid monthly, costs only $8 per user per month (when paid monthly). Eligible organisations can receive a free or discounted upgrade through the Slack for Charity Program. Details can be found here.
Canva
Today’s audiences want aesthetically appealing material. Social media image and video standards continue to rise. Many nonprofit organisations may struggle to achieve this without the assistance of a professional designer. Many people cannot afford one. Canva is a fantastic tool for non-profits that develop visual content.
Canva makes it easier to create social media and marketing materials. Its multiple templates make it easier to create eye-catching images. Canva Pro includes extra functionality. This tool makes it easier to create photos for social networking sites. It is simple to use, has templates, and various how-tos.
Create a brand kit using your company’s logo, colours, and fonts (you can upload a font if you have one). Creating and managing branded templates for your workforce is straightforward.
Pricing
Canva Pro is available for free to qualified non-profit organisations.
