Organizers View Technology as Important to Their Mission
“We love [technology], but are frustrated that the perfectly integrated system does not exist for us.”"We have the tools, but not enough time to master and get the most out of them.”
Organizers responded emphatically when asked about technology’s relevance to their goals. 95% indicate that they believe technology is important or essential to achieving their mission. In addition:
- More than 40% of respondents see technology as essential to their work, and have embraced it as the wave of the future.
- The remaining respondents (excluding the 5% who hate it or have no use for it) believe technology is important, but feel uninformed and/or frustrated about what they need or how to get it.
- When asked what prevented them from taking advantage of databases and online organizing tools, only 5% cited “staff distrust or discomfort with technology” as a primary factor, indicating that other obstacles, to be discussed in later sections, stand in the way of technology adoption.
- The expansion of Internet adoption in social change organizations most likely reflects expansion amongst the general population. According to a recent Pew study, Internet penetration among U.S. adults has hit an all-time high: a full 73% of respondents (about 147 million adults) are Internet users, which is up from 35% only six years ago.
It is important to note, however, that despite this increase, access for all — especially high-speed broadband access — is still not assured. The federal government has eliminated regulations intended to ensure universal access to communications networks, while city and state-level infrastructure plans are being turned over to private companies with few service obligations.
While comprehensive online access for all communities continues to be an issue of tremendous concern, the high percentage of social change organizations with an appetite for new technologies reflects national trends, and indicates organizers are embracing both the challenge and the opportunity of technology.
Capacity-building agencies, software developers, and technology strategists have been working to help organizations understand and embrace new tools. Evidence of their success shows in the high number of respondents who see technology as essential to their mission, and the low number reporting staff distrust or discomfort with technology.
This report compiles insights from more than 400 social change groups, technology providers, and nonprofit technology capacity builders, examining the needs of organizers working to utilize new technologies, and offering recommendations for how to meet those needs more effectively.
