Automating NGO Management:The Technology Way

Organizations in the not-for-profit sector are considered to be voluntary organizations striving to fulfill vital social objectives. Independent from government influence, these organizations differ considerably in size, resources, organizational level, mission, form, and orientation; engaging in wide variety of Programmes ranging from humanitarian causes to economical endeavors. Funded by public and private charitable contributions; accountability, transparency and efficiency are critical in this sector. Although NGOs are not primarily for profit making; the profit generated as part of the mission, if managed well can help the organizations to grow. Contrary to Advocacy NGOs where fund raising is on a smaller scale, Operational NGOs have to mobilize resources, in the form of financial donations, materials or volunteer labour, in order to sustain their projects and programs which is very complex. Finance obtained by grants or donations require time and expertise to be spent on planning, budgeting, accounting and reporting. Major fund-raising events need advertising and media relations. In this scenario while the contribution of technology as a booster to NGO movement and management cannot be denied, they tend to be expensive thus discouraging smaller players in this domain. Non profit software is widely available for a price, but one can find many inexpensive and open source solutions that drive NGOs to achieve operational efficiency like any other profit-oriented organization.