In ten years, where do you see your NGO? Most likely somewhere prosperous, serving the needs of the group you've chosen to assist.

Of course, if you're in charge of an NGO, you'd want to see it grow—both operationally and geographically, with operations spanning multiple states, if not entire continents.  However, for many non-governmental organizations, this scenario is far from reality. Because approximately 30% of NGOs in the United States cease to exist after about ten years. And there are several reasons for their failure, the most important of which is their failure to plan for the future.

So, if you’re running a NGO, here’s how human services case management software can singlehandedly be your champion.

Why do people establish non-profit organizations? Some people are deeply committed to a particular cause and want to make a difference. They aspire to bring about positive social change.

However, it is important to remember that many non-profits fail within their first year, and data shows that approximately 30% of non-profits fail after the 10-year mark.

While there are numerous reasons for a nonprofit to fail, the most common are poor leadership and insufficient strategic planning.

Pandemic related labor shortages are threatening the nonprofit sector's recovery. Many smaller nonprofits, virtually shut down during the worst of COVID-19, have begun to revitalize but find progress hampered by a shortage of qualified personnel. Large corporations have raided the nonprofit personnel ranks with lucrative pay increases, flexible work hours, and work from home options that smaller nonprofits find it difficult to match.

Nonprofits in the twenty-first century must embrace innovative technological solutions. In fact, many nonprofits that fail to adapt to the changing technology landscape fail completely in the long run. Even before the pandemic, one of the reasons many nonprofits had to close their doors was a failure to embrace technology.

So, in order to maximize your nonprofit's existing resources, you must invest in the right technological solutions. You can ensure that your nonprofit meets all of its short- and long-term objectives by using the right software solutions.

However, investing in the wrong software can be detrimental to the organization, so ask these simple questions when selecting nonprofit software.

Non-profits have ambitious goals, but they are often buried under a workload of paper. According to an estimate, only 11% of non-profit organizations pay attention to including technology in their operations. Doing things manually takes a lot of time and manpower, so understanding the value of technology is critical for non-profits.  

When agencies dig in and start looking into the advances and potential benefits that modernizing technology can bring to the table, here’s some of the things they consider.

In his new book, Effective Fundraising, Harvard Business School professor emeritus, F. Warren Mcfarlan, identifies the board of trustees as nonprofit's core fundraising asset. The book outlines the broad range of roles trustees can play in contributing to the crucial function of fundraising. While some rare souls are enthusiastic about directly soliciting gifts, Professor Mcfarlan says, others may be more effective at expanding networks, making introductions, lending credibility, or providing the coaching and context that contribute to a successful "close".

Nonprofits exist to assemble assets in support of humanitarian missions. Financial assets are the most obvious but human assets are the most essential. Without hordes of volunteers, many of our most iconic nonprofits would simply disappear.

Nonprofits mostly start with great ideas and big hearts trying to address a problem nobody else seems to care about. From Doctors Without Borders to Feeding America, Americares Foundation, Direct Relief, and United Way Worldwide, there are countless examples of large, successful nonprofits around us—but even these were only just ideas at some point.

Many nonprofits may have started around the same time as these successful ones, but we don’t even know about them—probably because they’ve ceased to exist.

As a budding nonprofit, here’s what you need to avoid.

Turning the calendar page to welcome a "new" year is an ancient time-keeping practice. Celebrating a "new" year is still the perfect opportunity to pause and take stock of life's evolving circumstances and prepare our minds and hearts for the task at hand.

Another whirlwind of a year is coming to an end, and sadly we still haven’t said a final goodbye to the pandemic.

But there’s something festive and warm about December that even coronavirus hasn’t been able to touch. In fact, if anything, the pandemic has brought people’s hearts together like never before, and the giving spirit is stronger than ever.

This is why it’s time to seize the opportunity and put your best foot forward for planning the year-end campaign to ensure your organization has a great start to 2023! That’s right 2023! 

Here are a few tips to get you started for your 2022 year-end fundraising campaign.