The Right Fundraising Software for Non-Profits Can Keep Much-Needed Dollars Coming In

Petra Eimiller
27 Aug, 2021

Non-profits struggle with many challenges, from managing tight budgets to getting those they serve connected with the right services.

You want to do good, but the reality around supporting and running the day-to-day operations of a non-profit can get in the way, especially if you’re depending on old, outdated technology or manual processes.

You’re spending hard-earned dollars and tight resources on tasks that should be automated and dealing with increasing demands with one hand tied behind your back. But it’s hard to do anything if you don’t have the money to back it up, so you need fundraising software for non-profits to finance your plans.

Fundraising is hard. And non-profits struggle with it because fundraising is not their mission. According to Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR): “Money is a constant topic of conversation among non-profit leaders: How much do we need? Where can we find it? Why isn’t there more of it? In tough economic times, these types of questions become more frequent and pressing. Unfortunately, the answers are not readily available. That’s because non-profit leaders are much more sophisticated about creating programs than they are about funding their organizations, and philanthropists often struggle to understand the impact (and limitations) of their donations.”

Add to that the fact that you are competing with other non-profits for donor dollars. Donors today are being pressured by non-profits to send support their way. Therefore, these donors are researching each non-profit to determine which organizations deserve that support. They’re demanding more, too, like visibility into where dollars are being spent.

What has made the effort to raise funds even more complicated was, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-profits could no longer depend on in-person events or activities and had to scramble for other ways to engage and secure donor dollars.

They also realized it’s more important now than ever to utilize technology to support their engagement and fundraising efforts. The problem is that technology costs money. Even if you have enough to buy it,  you’re then looking at the time and effort it takes to plan, implement, and deploy it, then train your employees on it. It’s enough to make you say, “Never mind.” But there is a solution.

No-hassle fundraising software for non-profits you can afford and start using right away

The key is to see through the eyes of the donor you want to attract as well as the donors, volunteers, and other constituents who are already supporting you so you can understand what compels them to choose one cause over another. Armed with that knowledge, you can better target messages to communicate your mission in a way that will resonate. Another added complication exists around changing donor expectations. Donors today demand more professional and personalized experiences when making donations, especially those who are donating large dollar amounts.

The Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit provides a single, unified system that makes it easy to track donations and the impact they have on your programs, organization, and donors. This powerful solution tracks and organizes communications to help you decide on which channel to use to engage with each of your donors–as well as what to say that will resonate.

With the ability to analyze and gauge the health of each of those critical relationships at an individual level makes it easier for you to personalize your communications and engagements with them. This is especially important when it comes to major gift donors, whom you want to make sure you keep engaged. It also helps you better pinpoint and target the right people at the right time for maximum results.

The Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit addresses the most common fundraising scenarios non-profits deal with:

  • Attracting, retaining, and strengthening donor relationships
  • Increasing credibility with donors
  • Modernizing communications to improve donor engagement
  • Streamlining processes to free up time for more strategic initiatives

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