5 Common Reasons Non-Profits Struggle to Survive. Non-profit organizations work hard to accomplish the goals they strive for. They do good for the world. However, running one is definitely much harder than it looks. The common issues that any business faces, such as adapting to new technology and staying up-to-date with accounting and regulatory requirements. Non-profits face some additional challenges specific to their sector. These can be quite challenging and arduous for the companies. We strive to help in whatever way we can. Some of the different challenges are listed below:

1- Money:

This is common for every business. But especially for non-profits as it can be harder to find ways to generate revenue for the organization. They have to develop creative ways. To raise funds, interact with various donors, and work with government opportunities to raise money. This can cause a lot of stress as it is hard to know where future income may come from. We find it is helpful to have a good working knowledge of the business’ expenses, income, and operating budget. Previous donations, fundraising, and grants are also important to have on record. As well as previous donors, how much they have donated. And how often you are in touch with them, whether through reports or fundraising or just touching base. This is important to sustain long-term donor relationships.

2- Technology:

This may not seem as high on the list of challenges, but it is very important as well. Having good technological infrastructure can take your business/organization a long way. When technology is not up to date, it can cause issues to connect with volunteers, board members, and donors. Bad hardware, or your software and security settings are not up to date. You risk your business getting in hands of hackers and losing data and confidential information and resources. You might also have to do a lot of manual work that could’ve easily been automated and saved time. 

Here at IBITS. We have YEARS of experience with this and are continually working to stay up-to-date with new trends and technology. We have been helping non-profits and various organizations with their IT services for over 10 years. IBITS has many clients who are willing to give references as to their satisfaction with our services. We are very easy to contact and have multiple mediums of contact – Email, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter. One of the things that our clients appreciate the most is our Managed Services packages. Where you can call us for every IT issue you have – big or small, it is covered under your plan. This is better than receiving multiple invoices for services rendered.

3- Staff and Volunteers:

Managing staff can be an issue for every business. For non-profits, the hardest thing can be finding staff who are willing to work for a salary that may be less than if they were working in a for-profit business. Trying to recruit volunteers can also be challenging as they are using their free time to help which may be difficult to coordinate. Non-profit workers are always overworked and under-appreciated. Some form of appreciation can go a long way. It does not need to be in the form of money, you could use words of affirmation, public or internal recognition, and any other creative way to appreciate the employee’s/volunteer’s hard work, and encourage breaks or social gatherings to increase morale. How we can help with this is by ensuring that their IT support is smooth and not difficult to maneuver, thereby decreasing their stress levels and increasing workplace satisfaction.

4- Community Engagement:

Involving the community is crucial for any non-profit organization, which can be difficult and challenging to work on creative ways to actively engage them. This can be done through organizing events, fundraising campaigns, sports events, or even virtual events. Social media is a good tool to keep the community aware and up to date on events and future plans, and businesses need to be posting very often with engaging and attractive content in order to engage people. This is definitely something we can help with, as IBITS also provides social media and website services for multiple clients and enjoy doing this.

5- Putting it all together:

Non-profits also need to function as a business and need to spend time incorporating multiple facets into a smooth operation including community outreach, finance, marketing, technology, etc.  At IBITS, we aim to help your business automate most of these functions from an IT standpoint, so that you can focus your attention where it is needed without worrying about the basic functions of the business.

Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can help you with any of your IT needs, IBITS is here for you, and can offer our services at a reasonable and sustainable rate, to help make your business run more smoothly and efficiently, and will be there for you when you need us. Again, you can contact us through any of these means Email, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter, or call us at 306-205-8889. Read the last blog here

Thank you for your attention, please let us know how we can help you!