NFPs rely on social media and their digital connections to fundraise for their organisation. While many non-profits understand that this needs to occur on a regular basis, they are just not sure how to tackle their digital strategy. In a recent report entitled The Australian Company Digital Confidence Report put together by ntegrity, statistics showed that less than 40% of organisations surveyed did not know the best way to utilise their digital space. These statistics were relevant whether the company had five staff or five hundred, is a profit or non-profit organisation, and much of it comes down to poor confidence from those working and volunteering in the organisations.

Without the confidence to progress forward in terms of their digital agenda, Australian non-profits, in particular, are not working as efficiently as they could be. A clear vision needs to be laid out first and foremost so organisations can determine whether or not they are meeting their milestones. This needs to be emphasised by management and carried out by skilled staff in a way that meets the NFP’s budgetary restrictions. Without the organisation ticking all of these boxes, they are going to struggle to achieve their digital aims. There needs to be confidence in all areas from the leadership at the top right down to the entire clarity of vision across each department.

Many problems occur when the digital strategy is determined by a separate team not privy to the information that is coming from the other departments. Integration needs to occur so that the overall image of the organisation can be portrayed online – not just one aspect or one part of the picture. It’s more than the strategy or ROI, it’s the overall compelling storyline which is lacking.

Out of all the organisations surveyed by ntegrity, 30% were not-for-profit organisations. It seems their biggest issue was being pulled into non-strategic areas such as one-off requests or micro-tasks. It is these tasks that were taking the focus away from strategic activities that would have an impact on the overall value of the business. The key is to ensure that your NFP has a clear marketing vision which should align with its corporate vision. Anything else which takes your staff away from achieving that goal needs to be made a second priority.

It is time your NFP uses this knowledge and streamlines the activities coming out of the marketing department. They are undoubtedly the ones who have a huge responsibility in ensuring your business has a long history of success.