How to Improve the Success of Your Digital Team

Is your digital team achieving the results that you want, especially in terms of engagement and growth? If not, your NFP certainly isn’t alone. According to the results of a study conducted by SSIR, around 40% of nonprofits report that the way that their digital teams are structured causes problems or simply doesn’t work to achieve the results that they want and need to thrive and grow.

The same study found that many NFPs have teams that lack diversity, and, that fail to encourage greater donor engagement with their nonprofits. If you want to improve the results of your digital messaging, your organisation must become more inclusive, and representative of the populations that you are trying to reach. Your messaging must also forge genuine relationships with donors to increase engagement.

The following tips can help your NFP improve the effectiveness of your digital team.

Become More Inclusive and Digital Friendly

Increasing the diversity of your digital team begins with increasing the diversity of your leaders, and your organisation overall. Take steps to review your recruitment and training processes to look for ways that your organisation has unconscious bias or institutional barriers that discourage immigrants, those in the LGBQT community, or other minorities from joining your nonprofit.

Develop onboarding processes that help those that are new to your organisation to understand their role and your NFP’s culture. Create mentorship programs that identify, support and develop leadership candidates that are well-versed in the use of technology and the role digital plays in achieving your mission.

Break Down Silos and Unleash Your Digital Team!

Don’t confine your digital team to the bubble of a single department, such as communications. Wherever possible, encourage greater collaboration with your digital team and other departments within your organisation.  

Have digital report directly to the executive director as the head of any other department would do and involve them in the decision-making process, especially when it comes to the design and implementation of your messaging and fundraising campaigns.

Focus on Engagement

Engagement is a hot topic in nonprofits today, yet, as the above study shows, 43% of NFPs don’t have anyone dedicated to donor engagement, and 75% fail to track metrics that measure and evaluate engagement.

If you want to improve your fundraising results, then your nonprofit must invest in harnessing digital’s power to facilitate relationship building, increasing communication with donors and encouraging greater involvement.

Don’t stop at a petition or donation request. Create regular events for your donors to deepen their connection with your organisation by taking direct action in the real, physical world on a regular basis that advances your mission.

Make sure your budget is realistic, and that it provides the level of funding that is needed to genuinely strengthen your digital teams and empower them to set and achieve ambitious targets!