Top concerns and areas for improvement

• Published date: 01 August 2019
• Date: 01 August 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30633

AUGUST 2019 NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

3

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

that’s most sustainable for their organization.

Q: When asking about areas for improvement, many

nonprot employees said there needed to be greater

alignment between leadership and employees. What

should nonprots do to improve on this front?

A: Given what we’ve learned from survey respon-

dents, leadership at nonprots may want to start by

focusing on the three top areas of personal concern

for employees—employee wages, donor retention

and overhead costs. Digging into these three organi-

zational sticking points will provide leadership with

opportunities to improve employee morale, and build

condence and alignment with the entire team.

Additionally, using those who are involved in the

fundraising function of their organization as a higher

marker of job satisfaction, thoughtful executives

should continually nd meaningful ways to connect

employees with the mission and progress of their ef-

forts. Just as donors are looking for impact transpar-

ency around their gifts, employees are also looking

for that from their organizations.

Q: Under investment priorities, fundraisers put

greater emphasis on the tech side of things—especially

online fundraising capabilities. What can fundraisers/

development ofcers do to drive home the importance

of this to others in the organization?

A: For both the front-end and back-end users of

online fundraising technology, smooth and intuitive

digital experiences are imperative. Nonprot profes-

sionals need technology that will help them raise more

money more effectively and thus simplify their roles,

not complicate them further.

We found this desire to be consistent in both this

report and a consumer report we put out at the end

of last year, called Why America Gives. That survey

found that 49% of consumers said that if it were

easier or more convenient to donate to their favorite

nonprot, they would denitely or probably give

more often.

Whether employees feel that their organization

is technologically advanced can depend on who is

discovering and testing their new technology plat-

forms. Those who are more intimately involved with

the fundraising technology tools often recognize the

need to upgrade or innovate on this front, and can

consider some of the following tactics to present this

topic to their leadership or other colleagues within

the organization:

• Identify other nonprot organizations that ap-

pear to be excelling in their online fundraising activi-

ties, ideally those similar in size, sector or audience

to your organization, and share these examples with

your colleagues.

• Determine how your current online fundraising

efforts could be improved by researching all of the

online fundraising options that exist and preparing

feedback on the efcacy of each platform specic to

your organization’s unique needs.

• Ask your colleagues in advance what their main

sticking points are when it comes to online fundrais-

ing software and/or data so that you can speak to

these specic items. ■

For more information

Soraya Alexander is senior vice president of marketing

at Classy, a San Diego–based provider of online fundrais-

ing software for nonprots that helps to modernize the giv-

ing experience to accelerate social impact around the

world. For more information, visit https://www.classy.org.

Top concerns and areas for improvement

What do you believe your organization’s top con-

cerns should be?

• Increase in employee wages 50%

• Donor retention 45%

• Overhead costs 39%

• Fundraiser retention 31%

• Costs of traditional fundraising (i.e.,

direct mail) 15%

• Board favorability 12%

In your opinion, what should be the top investment

priorities for your organization in 2019?

• Better leadership and employee

alignment 45%

• More advanced technology

(i.e., CRM systems, online fund-

raising platforms, etc.) 37%

• Better talent within the organization 35%

• A stronger focus on online fundraising 31%

Source: Classy. ■