We live in a world where there are countless tools that focus on virtual entertainment, arguing on social media, and buying things that we ultimately do not need. Big tech has found every way to use modern technology to do everything you can imagine - except really help people in need. Meanwhile, our selfless nonprofit workers who are doing the hard work for the people who need it most often remain stuck with spreadsheets and websites that only talk about their mission, but do nothing to fulfill it.
The problem, which was highlighted in depth in a recent Forbes piece, is often due to a lack of understanding on the part of big tech of what the true mission of a nonprofit is. This is why we see only fundraising software and donor management coming out of Silicon Valley, but nothing that is mission focused. While there is no denying that organizations rely heavily on donations to fulfill their mission, an organization's website means so much more to someone who is struggling and looking for help. The need to offer client focused technology is more critical now than ever. With clients becoming younger and more internet-dependent by the day, the band-aid solution of using Microsoft Excel and pages that only raise money to support their people must come to an end.
To help nonprofits modernize, JobPaths, a leader in providing custom mission fulfilling websites for nonprofits and government institutions nationwide, is launching a revolutionary yet simple new tool called Mission+ for organizations of all sizes to take advantage of.
Mission+ is a tool made specifically to easily support mission-driven programs and people, promising advanced software solutions to the nonprofit community. It offers a suite of tools for clients to improve their lives, along with a website builder to help organization's tell their stories and fundraising software to raise support from the community. The end result allows case managers to track client success in real-time using advanced data metrics and equips nonprofits with powerful fundraising tools to help grow their organization by connecting with potential supporters.
"Nearly twenty years ago, I started my nonprofit, GI Go Fund. I worked, grew, and succeeded there," says Jack Fanous, the co-founder and CEO of JobPaths. "I've been doing the difficult work in the nonprofit space for nearly two decades, and have seen the highs and lows of this industry. I understand the pain points that service providers have been dealing with when supporting their clients because I have been in their shoes. You couldn't ask the CEOs of Linkedin or Apple to create nonprofit resources; they wouldn't know where to begin."
JobPaths has been seen as a vital offering for hundreds of major nonprofits, government agencies, and companies across the country. It includes valuable features like a resume builder, virtual mentorship, skills assessment, online job training, and more. A standout among its suite of tools is a personalized dashboard that connects clients with resources that can aid in their path. The dashboard provides links to supportive services that tackle food insecurity, mental health counseling, housing challenges, and much more. Every resource is curated to ensure its relevance and proximity to the person in need. When creating a website, organizations are able to select from personalized templates that are tailored to support specific demographics, such as veterans, military spouses, the disabled community, the formerly incarcerated, and more. Each of these tools will be available now to nonprofits of all sizes through the Mission+ platform.
"Most nonprofits rely on spreadsheets and contact forms to support their clients, and they lack tools that can support these people with resources and provide detailed analytics on their success," explains Fanous. "Workforce development around the country relies on antiquated systems, but potential hires are becoming younger, and they expect mobile-ready and rapid solutions."
Fanous' remarks are prescient given one recent analysis, which underscored the idea of digital "growing pains" as one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits.
"For decades, nobody had done the work to make nonprofit websites functional," says Fanous. "To put this into perspective, it generally takes a person hitting rock bottom to physically visit a nonprofit organization. Before this, they would do the obvious: search the internet for resources. This person may never hit rock bottom at all if they had access to nonprofit aid online."
The clear potential of an online resource platform is evident with JobPaths' use in cities like New York as well as by major organizations such as Helmets to Hardhats, Source America, and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
"Our effort has led to an enormous uptick in users," says Fanous. "Thanks to our growing network of partner sites on JobPaths, we currently have well over two hundred fifty thousand users using our suite of services."
The importance of nonprofit technology extends beyond broadening and aiding a nonprofit's user base. The vital boost Mission+ provides is its online fundraising tools, which give nonprofits of all sizes the potential for higher funding. At a time when concern about a potential recession may result in the reduction of charitable donations, this has become instrumental for a nonprofit's success and survival.
"Nonprofits in the 21st century should be aware of the rapidly-changing landscape of both their clients and donors," says Fanous. "Technology is the name of the game, and the days of relying on Excel spreadsheets, static websites, and exclusive in-person case management are over. These systems can't provide what modern organizations and their constituents need."
Fanous adds, "Nonprofits should always be looking toward the future. What's next? What strides can we take to make the world better?"
"When the internet was first introduced to the public, it was designed to bring people together and make the world a better place - but now it has shifted to selfies and dividing groups of people. Our company is working to fulfill the original promise of the internet: bringing communities together in a way that helps everyone live a better life."
"Enough with the selfies; be selfless."
