While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the benefits of technology for both personal and professional use, technology use already was on the rise in both corporations and nonprofits. At Church Mutual, we provide insurance for many nonprofits and keep a close eye on emerging trends. Here are just a few that we have noticed:
- Carsharing – Some organizations need to use vehicles some of the time, but not enough to absorb the expense of owning and maintaining a car. Over the past decade, carsharing services such as Colorado Carshare have given people another option—only paying for a car when they need one.
- Tracking patient data – There are some nonprofit entities, such as homeless shelters, that greatly benefit from background information about a specific client or patient, such as health history, visits and confidential conversations with social workers. This information, however, needs to remain private and confined only to those who have an immediate need to access it. New technologies, such as missionTracker, have emerged that enable these organizations to track that information and keep it confidential.
- Security and safety sensors – Just as there are now smart homes that alert homeowners to problems or dangers in their home, so, too, there are systems that offer the same service for facilities such as nonprofits. Church Mutual customers can use the CM Sensor temperature and water alert system, which alerts designated staff when water or cold temperatures are detected. Other organizations, such as domestic abuse shelters, are starting to use security sensors that alert them when there is an intruder on their property. These extra security measures allow such nonprofits to protect their clientele.
- Online donations – Well before the pandemic made online donations a necessary part of the business of running a nonprofit, this technology trend was taking off. Nonprofits are using crowdfunding sites such as Classy and FirstGiving to create campaigns that attract not only current donors, but also people who are in those donors’ networks. Additionally, online giving has expanded exponentially in recent years. Potential donors are able to give to their favorite organizations through regular direct deposit, apps on their smartphones and other devices, and easy-to-use buttons on the organizations’ websites.
Learn more about other trends impacting nonprofits at churchmutual.com.