Philanthropy is a 24/7 passion, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be a 24/7 job. However, it can be challenging to find balance—especially for philanthropists who take a hands-on approach to making sure their grant dollars are creating the biggest impact. Whether they follow a trust-based philanthropy methodology, or they have more of an ad hoc approach to giving based on opportunity or need, a significant amount of time and energy gets put forward. Burnout, especially at the end of the year during the height of the busy grantmaking season, is a significant problem among philanthropists. But being burned out doesn’t have to be worn like a badge of honor. In this issue of our Tech For Good Series, we’ll explore how philanthropists can benefit from tapping into technology to pursue their passions.
Give On Cloud 9
Cloud-based SaaS technology enables philanthropists to make grant recommendations from all over the world, removes the need to be tethered to a desk, and brings people together digitally. This same technology allows (and challenges) the 24/7 philanthropist to create boundaries.
“It’s important for us as knowledge workers in the new, always-on digital world to set boundaries that create harmony between our work, our relationships and our other interests,” said Scott Serbin, a Fractional CIO and IT Consultant at Serbin Consulting, LLC. “At its best, technology allows us the flexibility to be productive when and where we choose.”
Serbin, who has been working in IT for 30 years, specializes in IT management, digital transformation, governance, and risk management. “For a long time, work culture has been measuring our commitment to causes and organizations by our willingness to suffer in service to those causes and organizations. That’s just not a sustainable model for keeping our people healthy, committed and productive. We, as leaders and managers, need to a better job serving our people so they can be more effective at fulfilling organizational goals.”
What Technology Can Help Philanthropists The Most?
There are many technology platforms that are simply just electronic versions of the traditional paper process. They don’t improve the process, shorten time or increase accuracy. We’ve all seen many traditional email platforms work in this way. Initially, email platforms just brought the same information to us as paper mail. Then they lowered barriers, making it easier for people to send more information, more frequently. After being inundated, the technology advanced to being able to sort out important information, hide spam and even protect us from receiving unwanted information. The same is true for philanthropic giving and foundation management platforms. Many of the traditional platforms are either reiterations of platforms made for another purpose (such as a survey platform, application platform or CRM platform), or they were built when paper was king and simply took the same process and digitized it.
There are a specific technology features that can be used to help optimize time and effort:
- Built-in wizards that make sure you have completed each step of the process.
- ToDos and task management features that send out reminders.
- Automated emails and reports that keep processes moving and your team informed.
- A mobile app or mobile compatible platform so you can see the information you need anytime.
At Foundation Source, our Impactfully mobile app has the information you need at your fingertips:
- As a donor, you can submit grant requests anywhere at any time.
- As a trustee, you can vote on payment requests and get funds out the door.
- As a board member, you can check on the grantmaking balance to ensure your foundation is on track with its giving goals.
The ability to give on the go has never been easier. See how foundation members are giving anytime, anywhere with Impactfully. You can also schedule a call with us to learn more about our purpose-built platform!
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