Tools Interest is Wide-Ranging
Organizers take advantage of many online tools, such as email newsletters, accepting online donations, interactive event calendars, and Web-based publishing. While their appetite for emerging technologies, such as Podcasting, SMS/text messaging, wikis, GIS mapping, or integrated RSS feeds, is much lower, a considerable number are interested in these new online tools. The organizers we spoke with in-person were interested in augmenting their constituent databases by integrating technologies such as barcoding, SMS/text messaging, handheld synching, GIS mapping, and voter file matching. These tools allow organizers to effectively and rapidly maintain, increase, and leverage existing data about constituents and potential constituents.
Technology needs differed across organizations, and thus no one tool completely governs the market. Beyond Microsoft’s Excel, Outlook and Access, users are spread out unevenly across more than 40 applications, with the majority of applications claiming no more than 5–15 organizations. However, nine out of the top 10 most used or needed tools fell in the communications and fundraising categories, suggesting these to be the most fruitful areas for technology and resource development.
Table 2 and Table 3 provide an overview of respondents’ attitudes toward an array of tools: those they currently use, those they need, those they don’t understand, and those they don’t want.
Technology Fundamentals Remain Elusive
Despite believing in the importance of technology to their missions, a surprising number of organizations are not taking advantage of basic online organizing techniques, such as collecting email addresses, sending out mass emails, posting news and information on websites, providing materials for download, and processing donations online.
These fundamental technologies have been available for many years, a majority of the online public uses them, and they are widely regarded as producing enough value to be worth the initial investment. However, survey responses show that:
- 39% of respondents still don’t use email newsletters.
- 47% still don’t accept donations online.
- 43% would like to, but are not providing materials for download.
- Only a small percentage of respondents are using newer Web 2.0 tools such as Podcasting (3%), public wikis (4%), and social networking tools or SMS/text messaging (9%).
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.
