Is a Mobile App Right for Your Non-Profit?

As mobile phones are getting more popular and user friendly, it seems like more apps are being created to include everything from music streaming to e-mail access to complex game playing. Cell phones are no longer just used as a form of verbal communication or a handy little answering machine, but now these miniature computers are continually making the world a smaller place. As technology advances, many non-profits are refusing to be left behind and are creating mobile apps to their organization’s advantage.

Jacob Payne and James Brown have explained some great tips for creating apps for charities in The Guardian.  In the UK, these two entrepreneurs help charities create apps for their donors to use based on the fact that, “Smartphones now make up 30% of the three billion mobile devices worldwide, and users spend over half the time on their phone apps.” With such a large audience attached to their phones, it would be a shame to neglect this tool that is rapidly gaining popularity.

Here are the five mistakes that non-profits make according to Payne and Brown when creating apps for their organization:

1)     Forgetting your website – Non-profits need to optimize their website for mobile users. “Information-provision and awareness are often top charity goals, and unless you hit PR gold with a truly exceptional app, then your main website is still the best place to reach supporters,” comments Payne and Brown.

2)     Missing out on exclusive features – “Is your app location-aware? Are you considering the touch interface? What can it do offline, or in the background while it’s sitting quietly in a pocket? Can you make use of the device’s orientation?”

3)     Ignoring your users – Talk to people who are using your app to see if it works well and suits what information they are looking for. “Your users can help you sense-check ideas, decide on the little details, test at every stage, and share the message after launch. If you involve them closely, and listen carefully, then they can become your biggest advocates.”

4)     Hiring the wrong people – You’ll need an iPhone developer and a web master to collaborate to make sure everything syncs together.

5)     Taking a short-term view – “Just over a quarter of all apps are only used once, so it’s important to think about ways your app can encourage repeat use. Just as with your other services and marketing campaigns, this ought to be a long-term exercise that fits in with your broader strategic goals. Regularly examine your analytics, app store reviews and user feedback.”

Now, I’m not saying that every non-profit needs to jump on the app bandwagon, I just wanted to share with you yet another piece of technology that is becoming available to non-profits in the realm of fundraising. Of course what method you use depends on the demographics of the majority of your donor base, but with technology the possibilities for donor connection seems endless. The staff at Fundly would love to partner with you to see how technology can help you reach your fundraising potential.