Is Your Non-Profit Organization Considering A Mobile App?
Mobile apps have quickly gained traction in most industries, largely due to the proliferation of mobile devices, but also because of the millions of people who browse the app stores on a daily basis. As business organizations move to deploy mobile apps in increasing numbers, their potential to transform enterprises far and wide becomes increasingly obvious. That’s why we believe organizations in the non-profit sector should also join the ‘mobile apps’ bandwagon.Based on our findings, we’ve noticed that non-profit sector lags behind when it comes to unleashing the full potential from mobile apps. Statistics show nearly 70 percent of social media engagement happens on mobile, and a majority of donors who own a smartphone prefer using mobile to make financial transactions.
Therefore, if these stats have anything to teach us it’s that non-profit organizations should start deploying mobile applications to further their cause.
Keep reading to learn more about some of the hottest use cases for mobile apps in the non-profit sector and how iBuildApp features can help your organization easily achieve this in a cost-effective manner.
Mobile Apps- A Must for Non-Profits
So, the big question is- how can a mobile app benefit my non-profit organization? Non-profit organizations just like any other profit business out there have a lot to gain from deploying mobile apps to better achieve their bottom lines.Here’s a detailed look at how they stand to benefit:
• Access to a wider audience
Data from a study by Mobile Cause shows that 96 percent of all Americans own a mobile device; in fact, more than 80 percent of adults own a smartphone, thus making mobile messaging an important communication tool.The implication here is deploying a mobile app can provide your non-profit organization with access to a wider audience and this means more customers and donors. App stores work in a similar manner to search engines, and with millions of people browsing the app stores on a daily basis, chances are your mobile app will effortlessly bring in many new users.
• Improved Effectiveness and Societal Impact
Numbers from a survey of over 265 non-profit leaders, workers and beneficiaries from the non-profit sector by Accenture strongly prove that by embracing digital tools, non-profit organizations are experiencing efficiency gains of up to 91 percent.A mobile app is a robust digital tool which you can leverage to easily promote your cause. With advanced features such as social media integrations (think Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), Photo & Video features, Push Notifications, Events feature, News feature, Blog section, etc. mobile apps can enhance engagement and remind people about your non-profit organization and its cause.
Pet Poison App VETCPD, for instance, is a good example; the app utilizes iBuildApp features to provide educational materials to other veterinary surgeons and students. It has over 2000 pet poison descriptions which include:
1. Toxicological effects
2. Clinical signs of poisoning
3. Possible canine treatment protocols
4. Highly detailed botanical descriptions of poisonous plants, with around 4000 images to help with identification
5. Six toxin categories- inside the home, outside the home, medications, plants, mushrooms and venomous animals
Additionally, a mobile app allows users to easily create a community which can help further your cause. This roots from the fact that people who download your app have a common interest and, therefore, want to support your cause.
Let’s say your non-profit organization cause is to save children. Users who feel the same way can easily share their thoughts/views with other users and ask questions right on your app thanks to features such as the Fan Wall.
Ultimately, this improves the effectiveness of your cause and its overall societal impact. Free-Range Kids app is a case in point; the app’s aim is to fight the belief that our children are in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, among others.
• Mobile donations- Easily raise money and boost transparency
A research by Lloyds Bank notes that non-profit organizations that deploy a digital approach are 28 percent more likely to increase funding. However, for most non-profits, going digital means hiring expensive IT talent, spending a lot of money, or deploying complex applications.No need to worry because thanks to no-code app development solutions such as iBuildApp, creating a mobile app has become easier and cheaper compared to hiring a developer to create you an app from ground (which normally cost as little as $25, 000 a year and as much as $100, 000, or anywhere from £150, 000 to £400,000 for custom app development).
And the best part is you will start raising money from donors as soon as your app hits the ground thanks to advanced features such as the “donate” button. This feature is easy to set up and easy for users to learn and start using right away.
In essence, the donate button allows you to make the donation process seamless as it comes with different payment options. Donors don’t have to carry cash on them or write checks in case they want to make donations and the added advantage is you will have access to donors all over the globe. You’ll be able to create custom fundraising campaigns, set donors up for recurring donations.
Essentially, this makes it easier for users to easily support your cause.
BIRMINGHAM AIDS OUTREACH (BAO), for instance, is an organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS, at-risk, affected individuals, and the LGBTQ community; the organization utilized iBuildApp platform to create an app that helps users to easily locate the nearest testing sites, access HIV/AIDS information and glossary, and stay current with updated HIV/AIDS related news stories. The app also has a Donate button that enables users to easily make donations and support the cause.
Deploying a mobile app can also be a good strategy in boosting transparency especially in regard to managing donations. It lays the foundation for a much more open environment where individual and institutional donors’ trust needs to be gained and maintained on a constant basis. You will be able to integrate the donate feature/data on donations with your accounting system and this means it will be easier to generate statements and share with all stakeholders, figures on how much was raised during a given time frame and how the money is being spent.
• Enhance Data collection and reporting
Mobile apps can help your non-profit organization reduce the administrative burden it faces on data collection and reporting. Most non-profits have their employees scattered in different regions, and as such, features such as Google Spreadsheets, Excel Sheets can prove beneficial especially when it comes to collecting data and reporting.Users can easily sign up and create an account with all of their information saved within your app; and with advanced features such as Google Forms, Fan Wall, Tap to Call, Tap to Email, Contact Forms, etc. your non-profit organizations can easily collect more data from users through the app.
You can also use the Google Form feature, for instance, to survey both current and potential stakeholders- beneficiaries, volunteers, donors, employees, etc. and, as a result, better understand their needs, motivation, behavior, and challenges.
For example, you will be able to gather metrics such as the number of donors who may want to seek personal connection to your organization and the cause you support, the number of donors and volunteers who want or those who don’t want to commit over time, among other metrics.
Creating A Non-Profit mobile app using iBuildApp Template Features
To start the process, just go to the Non-profit template area where you will have access to a full non-profit category that comes with a number of options ranging from ‘Save The Children’ apps, ‘Pets Rescue’ apps, to ‘Environmental Conservation’ apps.
Select the most appropriate Non-profit template and remember you can change around factors such as branding, colour, among other UI features. Select the Layout tab in the design module which delivers options for deciding on which buttons and tabs you would like to show up on your mobile app.
You can choose to have various tabs such as an About US page, Products section, Volunteer section, Donate button, Blog section, News section, Photo section, Video section, Contact information section, Events section, among others.
Ensure you provide enough details in the contact information section; you can even integrate the Google Maps feature to provide users with the exact location of your Non-profit organization.
If your non-profit organization sells products to raise money, then you can utilize the Products section to display and sell your products to generate additional revenue.
You can also click on the Design tab to modify some of the default template items. Feel free to upload your logo, select a background that fits your Non-profit organization and change the splash screen.
You will be able to send stakeholders project updates and goals through features such as Push Notifications, Photos, Instagram Stories, and Videos on specific projects they support.
You will also have access to over 25 additional app features which include PayPal integration, Advanced analytics, Google Forms, News feature, Acuity Schedule, Fan Wall, Chatzy Chat, Tap to Call, Events feature, Tap to Email, Calendars, Contacts, among others.
The Bottom Line
Mobile applications are arguably transforming the way organizations work, interact and transact in ways that we couldn’t imagine even a decade ago. They are providing users with the best-in-class user experiences and, as a result, are attracting more customers.That’s why non-profit organizations need to deploy mobile apps in order to transform the way they operate- from their volunteer programs to donations to beneficiaries and everything in between- with the user experience in mind.
Is your non-profit organization considering a mobile app? Don’t stress, just head over to iBuildApp non-profit template section and grab yourself the right template that suits your use case and get started with your app. Also please let us know about what other non-profit mobile app features you think are important.
