Top 7 Non-Profit Tech Trends To Watch For In 2021

With the COVID-19 hitting the world pretty strong in 2020, every sector has had its fair share of technological disruptions and new upcoming trends. The same goes for the non-profit sector, which has quickly adapted to the growing demands for remote services and virtual service models.

Here are some of the top tech trends in the non-profit sector to watch for in the upcoming year.

Mobile Fundraising

Mobile fundraising has been on the rise for years. According to the Blackbaud Institute’s research, the overall contribution of mobile donations has grown from 9% in 2014 to 26% in 2019. The growing number of mobile fundraising apps, peer-to-peer money transaction apps, and digital fundraising websites have made it easier to donate and attract both the old and the young population, given the convenience of making donations from a mobile app.

Video Conferencing

Most non-profits up until 2020 continued to have physical boardroom meetings and limited use of conference calls. But now, the landscape has changed, and non-profits have duly embraced video conferencing tools and tech to hold their meetings and talk with prospective donors.

Multimedia Storytelling

Compelling storytelling is a big part of fundraising campaigns and creates awareness about the mission of a non-profit organization. With loads of content flooding the internet every day, non-profit companies also choose to make effective use of videos and podcasts to engage with their audience. Cisco has predicted that by 2021 about 82% of all consumer internet traffic will be video content.

Virtual Events

While video conferences serve a great purpose, sometimes they can take up too much of your productive hours and lead to fundraising fatigue among the participants. Non-profits have found another alternative in virtual events that serves best for some instances, like educational services.

Using cloud-based services and on-demand content delivery and collaboration tools, non-profits have started to host virtual events that allow for active participation from their audience.

Online live social media events are also a better alternative to physical gatherings given the social distancing norms and possible commutation and logistics issues.

As the social distancing norms start to relax, we can expect more events to take on a hybrid approach with both in-person and virtual components.

Using AI-Powered Analytics For Personalization

Data is as valuable to a non-profit just as it is to a business. By utilizing AI-backed data analytics, non-profits can better analyze their donors and reach out to prospective donors who are more likely to donate. Additional use of digital tools and marketing channels like email, social media, and text messaging can be integrated with the analytics platform, and much of the process can be automated. Many non-profits employ automation tools, especially on special events like Giving Tuesday, to target the right audience and track all the leads.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a geography-based technology that allows you to target an area up to 300 feet. Non-profits can reach out to the local populace with this feature. Some churches have already been using this cost-effective method to reach out to the local parishioners.

Virtual Assistants

AI-based virtual assistance is gaining popularity as it provides an all-around and immediate point of contact for donors and visitors. Chatbots and virtual assistance can be easily integrated into your mobile apps, websites, and cloud-based solutions.

So, these were the top tech trends we expect to shake up the non-profit sector in 2021. 

Did we miss any of the technology trends that are on your mind for 2021? We are surveying industry insiders for a comprehensive snapshot of the 2021 tech trends and encourage you to share your thoughts in a short survey HERE. All participants will receive a copy of the exclusive Small and Medium Business (SMB) IT Trend Report 2021 that will keep you ahead of the curve—don’t miss out and complete the survey today!