Most nonprofit organizations rely on grants to fund their operations, meet goals, and achieve their mission. This means these grants are absolutely vital for these types of organizations. There are a lot of different types of grants out there, and many organizations can usually find very specific grants for the type of work their nonprofit does. There are also specific grants for technology, allowing the organization to achieve the funding to develop or refine existing technology, or establish technology that will help them achieve their mission. We’re going to touch on the importance of modern IT and how it can make a massive difference for nonprofits of all types, and talk about a few places to start when it comes to getting technology grants.
How IT Impacts Nonprofits
There are many different types of nonprofit organizations, ranging from religious organizations, social advocacy groups, charities, foundations, social welfare organizations, local employee or trade associations, schools, healthcare, and so many more. No matter what type of nonprofit organization you manage, there are going to be many aspects of your organization that run just like a traditional business.
Much like any other business, nonprofits will store information digitally. They will utilize computers and various applications to manage contacts, donors, clients, staff, and volunteers. They communicate via email, and need to worry about the same types of cybersecurity threats any other business faces.
Properly utilized IT can make a business more effective, and the same can be said for virtually any type of nonprofit organization. The difference is that—when something goes wrong—a business tends to have funds or an easy means of allocating funds into solving a catastrophic problem, where nonprofits don’t tend to have that kind of flexibility. A ransomware attack or major IT issue that prevents you and your staff from working effectively not only stops you from meeting your goals, but it can be devastating on your already-allocated budget.
When a business has to deal with a data breach, it can damage their relationships with clients and customers. When a nonprofit deals with a data breach, it can damage relationships with donors, sponsors, and the overall community.
In other words, IT issues and cybersecurity risks weigh about the same, if not more, for a nonprofit as they do for a business.
Modern IT Can Give Nonprofit Organizations an Edge
Using modern technology to achieve your goals and reduce the number of steps in a process shouldn’t be seen as a luxury. A simple example could be a church maintaining a mailing list. If your current system doesn’t allow people to easily subscribe and manage their subscription, then someone internally is managing the list by hand. Moving to a more modern system not only gives you that automation, but likely includes engagement analytics and other features that streamline the newsletter process and reduces the risk of the newsletter being marked as spam.
There are often expenses associated with these technologies; at the very least, the costs could just be the process of setting them up initially, but the long-term benefits and time-savings result in a return on investment.
Another perfect example is fundraising. The return on investment for fundraising varies, but fundraising events tend to be pretty expensive. Offering online and digital donations makes it more convenient for your donors, and might attract donations that you otherwise would not receive.
These are just a couple of simple examples, but there are likely dozens of ways that modern IT can optimize and improve the work any nonprofit organization is doing.
Technology grants can help nonprofits by:
- Automating processes that take up staff or volunteer time
- Providing access to modern marketing and communication solutions
- Enabling better insights and information on campaigns
- Simplifying the donation process and adding alternative ways for the community to give back
- Investing in technology to meet certain compliance standards
- Providing funds to develop technologies
- Invest in technology that eventually lowers operational costs
- Establishing physical security to protect facilities/offices.
Where to Find Technology Grants for Nonprofit Organizations
Obviously there’s fundraising, but if you want to look for technology grants for your nonprofit organization, it helps to establish exactly what you are looking to accomplish first. Having a detailed IT roadmap detailing the specific technologies needed to accomplish your goals will be much more attractive to any government or foundation reviewing your grant request.
State Grants
Government grants are usually the first place to look for most nonprofit organizations, as they tend to be the most credible. You can look for available Maryland state grants at grants.maryland.gov.
Federal Grants
You should also check for federal funding opportunities at grants.gov
Maryland-based Technology Grants
Maryland also has a fantastic resource for searching for foundations that specifically offer technology grants.
Other Grant Resources
Nonprofits should also check with their chamber of commerce and other local peer groups—there may be local corporations and businesses that provide services or donations, or have 1% pledges.
Getting a Technology Grant Starts with an IT Plan
It’s much harder to seek the funds you need if you don’t know what you need. Establishing a solid roadmap that drives you to accomplish your goals will go a long way in acquiring the funds to do so.
At Dresner Group, we’ve worked with many nonprofit organizations of all shapes and sizes, and we’ve helped to establish IT strategies to win grants that make them much more effective at achieving their mission. If you feel like your nonprofit could benefit from better technology, and need help establishing a path to get there, don’t hesitate to give us a call today at (410) 531-6727.
