Most of the top trends for nonprofits in 2021 have two things in common: an emphasis on flexibility and a heavy reliance on high-speed internet access. According to Galaxy Digital’s Top 17 Nonprofit Trends for 2021, flexibility and accessibility will be key themes throughout 2021 and beyond not only because of Covid-19 restrictions, but because of changes in the way people prefer to engage with and support community action.
Understanding the Trends
The pandemic has been a driving force behind many technology trends, no doubt about it. But set aside social distancing requirements and nonprofits still have plenty of advantages to gain from embracing these increasingly popular means of engaging volunteers and donors—for the long haul. Here’s why:
Trend 1: Virtual Volunteerism
One way to get more volunteers is to make it easier for them to help out. And what’s easier than lending a hand from their own places on their own time? Nonprofits are using virtual volunteerism for everything from research and data entry to tutoring and mentorship. Even the Smithsonian is taking advantage. They’re recruiting virtual volunteers from around the country to transcribe historical documents to make them more accessible.
Trend 2: Remote collaboration
Face-to-face meetings don’t have to happen in person anymore thanks to the general acceptance of video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype. When you take location, time and travel costs out of the equation, you can eliminate all kinds of physical, geographic, and financial barriers from event and meeting participation.
Trend 3: Social media
For better or worse, social media is trending everywhere. Platforms such as Facebook, Tik Tok and Twitter can provide nonprofits with fast and far-reaching ways to build communities, share stories and stay engaged—especially with the next generation of supporters. In Galaxy Digital’s article, the author makes it clear why nonprofits can’t ignore the trend: “As of 2020, 3.8 billion people use social media daily, and 90% of people age 18-29 use social media regularly. This number is expected to rise in 2021.”
Trend 4: Mobile apps and digital tracking tools
From volunteer check-in to fundraising and data tracking, mobile apps empower nonprofits to serve members more effectively and manage volunteer activities more efficiently. The great thing about mobile apps is that they are accessible to any team member who needs them, whether they’re in the office or out in the field.
Increasing Reach While Controlling Internet Service Costs
Most of these digital trends rely heavily on high-speed internet access. Beware: the increased data demands could send an organization’s internet fees soaring. That’s a piece of the reason why social equity nonprofit Voqal created the Mobile Citizen project. Mobile Citizen offers the latest wireless internet technology at greatly reduced prices to qualified nonprofits, welfare agencies, schools, and libraries. Their unlimited internet access plans average out to just $10 per month, with no throttling or overage fees. Each of their hotspot devices is small enough to fit in a pocket and can connect 15 Wi-Fi devices and more, including laptops, Chromebooks, and smartphones with high-performance download and upload speeds.
With Mobile Citizen, nonprofits can focus on their work without watching their data usage. After all, the digital divide can only be bridged when nonprofit groups can take advantage of the same high-quality internet standards and digital trends that profit-making corporations enjoy. To get started, contact the experts in the Mobile Citizen Customer Service Center at 877-216-9603.