Top 5 benefits of technology planning for nonprofits

Planning your technology is an important step when it comes to your nonprofit. John Kenyon, a highly-respected nonprofit technology educator and strategist explains why.

For over 20 years I’ve been helping nonprofits improve the ways they use technology. Whenever I began a new consulting project - be it for a communications plan, a website audit or coaching - one of the first questions I always asked was “Do you have a tech plan?” That’s because no matter how an organization engages with technology, a good plan is the touchstone. Here are five top benefits I have seen organizations reap from technology planning.

1. Effort Coordination

You wouldn’t send your staff out to help people without a plan, so why approach tech – which practically everyone uses in their job – without a plan? Like a lighthouse in a storm, a good plan helps you steer your efforts and helps you avoid the rocks of uncertainty.

2. Saving Resources

Let’s be real, technology can be expensive and confusing. Quick fixes and short-sighted “band-aids” lead to spending much more than is necessary. The bottom line is that, without a plan, you are being inefficient in your use of resources.

3. Increased Effectiveness

By being thoughtful about how they use technology, I have seen organizations increase the number of people they serve by 20% with the same resources. Planning helps identify and reduce inefficiencies. When staff have the right tools for their job, they are more effective in everything they do.

4. Better Decisions

Every technology planning project I’ve been involved in has resulted in improved data management. It often takes the form of reducing the data “noise” that staff and management deal with, focusing on what data is really useful. This in turn improves their ability to make sound decisions based on data.

5.  More Funding  

A good plan connects your mission with your use of technology. For example, if a funder is interested in increasing the amount and quality of mental health services in your community, you can show how funding your technology project will help achieve that goal. It also provides a basis for showing other funders what your technology costs are for projects they fund.

No matter what their age, experience or comfort level with technology, people from organizations of all sizes and types reap these benefits. They are often surprised when I tell them that they already know 80% of what they need to know to be effective in technology planning, because they know their organization’s culture, history, processes and environment.

About John Kenyon

John Kenyon is a technology educator and strategist who’s worked with nonprofits for over 20 years providing advice, teaching seminars and writing articles. Every day he educates and counsels nonprofits about using technology strategically because he knows it can help their organizations operate more effectively and efficiently. John authored the chapter “Effective Online Communications” in the book Managing Technology to Meet your Mission (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2009). Along with Beth Kanter he helped craft curriculum for and present the “We Are Media” social media training for nonprofits and frequently speaks on social media topics. He is a member of the Executive Consultants Select Group at the Alliance for Children & Families and an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. John has been a featured speaker across the US, England, Australia and online. www.johnkenyon.org and twitter @jakenyon