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A Reduction in Volunteers and Revenue Requires Nonprofits to Look for an Automated Approach for Workflow Improvements

The economy has hit businesses hard and it's causing a ripple effect in the nonprofit industry. To save on costs due to a reduction in revenue, companies have not only cut the donations they have given to charities in the past, but they have reduced available volunteer hours due to a reduction in staff and the need to have more people working in the office driving revenue. This cut in donations and volunteers has left non-profits with a heavy burden.

While many organizations are built of teams that wear many hats, this could not be truer for a nonprofit. With fewer volunteers in the field, the staff in the office now needs to get involved outside the office, causing workflows to back-up.
Not-For-Profit Organization
Technology can play an integral role in making the job of these non-profits easier. However, most non-profits struggle with information technology because of the lack of resources; IT expertise and money to fund technology.

It's important for non-profits to allocate the time to research what software and hardware solutions may be available to help them better manage their business. Often times, spending a small amount on technology to improve your business can save you a greater amount of money in other areas, including hiring more staff. One of the greatest areas where savings can be realized is in workflow and processing of paper documents.

Many non-profit organizations spend extra time processing their paperwork in a traditional manner because their technology budgets just do not include the funds for expensive, up-to-date software which typically needs hardware as well. These organizations can benefit from an inexpensive and easy alternative in which they will not have to rely on an IT support team to properly function. An online application that includes document management and compliance management is an affordable, easy-to-use, alternative providing immediate ROI...

How would an electronic document management (EDM) system satisfy the needs of a non-profit organization (NPO)?

 NEED

 SOLUTION

    • NPO's have limited office space available, but have many filing cabinets full of important documents they must retain for compliance.
    •  An ideal EDM/ECM application helps these organizations by capturing and converting paper documents into electronic files that are organized, easy to find and securely stored in an off-site data facility and immediately accessible via the internet.
    • NPO's do not have the budget to purchase expensive hardware or software that would help them to store their information electronically.
    • Nonprofits can get started managing their documents online for as little as $10/month. There is no hardware to buy and no software to install.
    • NPO staffs are typically not technology trained therefore have the need to hire outsourced help.
    • With a software-as-a-service application, the provider is always responsible for maintenance ofthe application and support for any questions that arise. Your NPO will not need an IT person or department to help you manage it.
    • NPO's have important documents such as grant applications, donor records, case files, tax forms and more, that need to be retained for compliance. They need an efficient system to make sure they do not lose their documents through staff/volunteer turnover or disaster.
    • Make sure your application has a records management module to maintain your document retention compliance. This provides alerting functionality so that you know when required forms are due or when document retention periods have expired and ready to be purged, freeing up more storage space without the need of a paper shredder, yet maintaining retention compliance needed in case of an audit.


Learn more about the features and uses of an electronic document management system for not-for-profits and how it can save your NPO money, time and worry.

 *(Source: Nonprofit Technology Network)

 

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Topics: Records Management, Business Process Automation, Security, Compliance, Nonprofits/NGOs, SaaS, Small Business

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