Nonprofit Tech: Shipping Value on Tiny Budgets
Practical strategies for nonprofits to get real technology value without enterprise budgets. Prioritization, smart tooling, and finding the right help.
Focus on one thing at a time, use boring technology, and find developers who understand constraints.
The Nonprofit Tech Dilemma
Nonprofits need technology to operate effectively, but they’re often stuck with:
- Donated software that doesn’t quite fit
- Volunteer developers who disappear
- “Enterprise” solutions priced for Fortune 500s
- DIY solutions held together with hope
There’s a better way.
Principles for Nonprofit Tech
1. Ruthless Prioritization
You can’t do everything. Pick the one thing that would make the biggest difference and do that well.
Ask:
- What’s causing the most pain right now?
- What would unlock the most value?
- What can we actually maintain after it’s built?
2. Boring Technology Wins
The latest JavaScript framework might be exciting, but can your one part-time IT person maintain it?
Prefer:
- Well-documented, widely-used tools
- Platforms with strong community support
- Solutions that don’t require specialized expertise
- Technology that will exist in 5 years
3. Own Your Data
Whatever platform you use, make sure you can:
- Export all your data
- Migrate to another solution if needed
- Access data without paying ransom
Vendor lock-in hits harder when budgets are tight.
4. Build for Volunteers
If volunteers will use the system:
- It must be simple (complex = won’t get used)
- Training should take minutes, not days
- It should work on phones (not everyone has laptops)
Where to Spend Limited Budget
High ROI Areas
- Donor management: Good CRM pays for itself
- Automated communications: Email that goes out without manual effort
- Online donations: Friction kills conversions
- Reporting: Know what’s working
Skip For Now
- Custom apps when off-the-shelf works
- AI features that are nice-to-have
- Complete rebuilds when incremental improvements work
- Bleeding-edge technology
Finding the Right Help
What to Look For
- Experience with constrained budgets
- Willingness to say “you don’t need this”
- Clear communication about tradeoffs
- Realistic timelines
- Maintainable solutions
Red Flags
- Overselling complex solutions
- No interest in understanding your actual needs
- Can’t explain decisions in plain language
- “It’ll be done when it’s done”
How We Help Nonprofits
We work with nonprofits because:
- We like solving real problems with constraints
- Shipping value matters more than shipping features
- Every dollar should count
Our approach:
- Understand what actually matters
- Propose the simplest solution that works
- Build it quickly and cleanly
- Hand it off in a maintainable state
Running a nonprofit and need tech help? Let’s talk about what would make the biggest impact.