NTEN Change Issue Five: March 2012 : Page 6
MAny nOnPrOfITs ThInk Of InnOvATIOn As A luxury They CAn’T AffOrd. sTAff TIMe And BudGeTs Are lIMITed, And IMPrOvInG The dIfferenT wAys They use TeChnOlOGy seeMs OuT Of reACh. But technology can offer straightforward, inexpensive means of providing higher quality services and create nu-merous opportunities to do more with less—even in our current economic climate. This makes innovation some-thing organizations can no longer afford not to embrace. When we think about innovation, we often envision cut-ting-edge technology that’s flashy, shiny and futuristic: things like jet packs, flying cars and computers that inte-grate with our homes. But our research shows many non-profits successfully use technology to innovate in more subtle ways. While these solutions may not be as eye-catch-ing as a jet pack, they’re often low-cost and effective, which makes them both easier to implement and easier for other organizations to replicate. MAP for Nonprofits and Idealware collaborated on six months of research that began with a survey of 180 human service organizations in Minnesota. We asked about the technologies they were using and the various ways they USING EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY applied technology to improve their service delivery. Through their responses, and detailed follow-up interviews with 13 nonprofits, we discovered some remarkable and un-expected stories of innovation. One small organization, for example, is using text mes-sages to communicate with teens who participate in a men-toring program. A staff member observed that, though all the teens carried cell phones and used them frequently, few would answer phone calls or emails. Her simple, free solu-tion substantially increased the number of teens who attend programs. In another example, a domestic abuse organiza-tion found a creative way to modify its existing database to provide information to external parole officers neCessITy was who had been reliant upon staff. The innova-the inspiration tion transformed the for innovation relationship from a time-consuming hassle to a for the vast real partnership. A third nonprofit designed a majority of system that helps local organizations pool shared nonprofits in data to better understand our survey. how each community NTEN: CHANGE MARCH 2012 PAGE 6
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