How Salesforce Managed Services can help Non-Profit Organizations make the world a better place
Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) have inspirational, ambitious and impactful mission statements and visions for the communities and people they serve. They address a massive range of social ills and play a significant and valuable role in society. However, they face many challenges in their day-to-day operations, which can hinder their efficiency and effectiveness. These challenges fall under three main categories:
Donor Fatigue and Expanding the Network.
The first is the challenge of organizational growth vs. obtaining the necessary funding to see their vision come to pass. Donor fatigue is a concern in fundraising because, without the capacity to expand their network, the same donors or network of people are being approached multiple times for funding needs. It is vital for the NPO to access new potential funding opportunities.
Staffing, Burnout and Volunteers.
The second issue is related to staffing and volunteers. Minimum wage and the cost of living is always on the rise, making it difficult for NPOs to afford enough staff to meet their daily workload. Often, staff are underpaid and stretched thin, taking on portfolios of work better suited for a team to handle, leading to burnout and frustration. To offset the heavy load, volunteers become even more important. However, volunteers may not have the necessary technical skills or experience, or they have limited time available, leading to sub-par work performance and outcomes. This can often lead to a high volunteer turnover rate.
Outdated or Non-Existent Technology.
Thirdly, there are often technology and software concerns. Many NPOs still operate on paper, or on outdated platforms, like spreadsheets. This can cause bottlenecks, information gaps and a lack of collaboration when it comes to reporting, making it difficult for an NPO to keep track of data, retain transparency, and communicate effectively.
Unlocking NPO Potential
The above challenges may be significant, but they are not insurmountable. A cloud-based end-to-end CRM platform that has been specifically refined to assist NPOs can make all the difference. The Salesforce NPO solution enables non-profits to align their donors, volunteers, members, and other constituents, providing virtual administration, issue resolution and organizational maintenance. NPOs are empowered to measure the impact of their work, gather insights, and achieve program delivery. Taking it even further, to assist NPOs in managing their Salesforce.org platform, Salesforce Managed Services is a powerful key that can unlock potential for NPOs. A Salesforce Managed Services team gives an NPO a specialized extension to its own staff and can significantly help to streamline and optimize their operations, with services that include technical expertise, strategy, training, and marketing automation. This greatly alleviates the burden on overloaded staff and volunteers, allowing their focus to remain on growth, fundraising, and the wellbeing of their members and beneficiaries.
Benefits and Support
Having a Salesforce Managed Services team means the NPO has certified expertise at their fingertips, with none of the added strain of having to manage a complicated Salesforce platform. Engaging in a Salesforce Managed Services contract ensures access to specialist and certified resources – whether it is in a local community or on another continent. Non-profits can also benefit from Annual Org Assessments; Security and Health Checks; and proactive enhancement services at an agreed ongoing rate.
The CloudSmiths Edge
CloudSmiths is the largest Salesforce Partner in Africa, having worked with 50 non-profit customers across the globe over 7 years. We offer non-profits a competitive rate without compromising on quality and expertise, with access to a team of certified non-profit professionals. We provide NPOs with extra time to focus on their priorities, with clients such as Médecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) that rely on CloudSmiths Managed Services to keep their organization streamlined as they grow their impact and achieve greater results, even in less connected environments.
To make our services even more affordable to our NPO clients, we offer a referral program, with one month free to your NPO for every new non-profit referred that signs up for a Managed Services contract with us.
We recognize that the goal for any NPO is to serve their beneficiaries, achieve organizational growth, connect with constituents, and manage their programs and events – and we work in committed partnership with non-profits to make this happen. Our mission is to empower non-profits to achieve their full potential.
Written by Alexis Horne
