Technological advancements are happening so rapidly today; what seemed impossible yesterday is today’s status quo. Combined with the generally optimistic, can-do attitude prevalent in philanthropy, you have the recipe for head-spinning change.

Those of us in the tech sector believe that’s what technology should be... a solution.

So, how can the philanthropic sector look to technology for solutions to help in this (often daunting) endeavor? As we look forward, I want to share with you key trends and processes that will likely impact your relationship with technology over the next five years.

Project Management:  Too often, people start managing new technology in the middle of an implementation. In reality, the most impactful work needs to be done before you ever start. Outlining a project ahead of time (even a simple example) will help you “map” your project management questions to the right solution.

Artificial Intelligence: Our content management system (Uberflip) uses an “AI engine” to track popular pieces of content and then make recommendations to viewers based on traffic and engagement. But it still needs some form of human input to do its job.

Big Data: Turning data into information is all about asking the right questions. There are a multitude of systems (including our own philanthropy management solutions) to help you gather, track, and aggregate data

Communication and Collaboration: The philanthropic industry is not “bad” at communication. But, finding better ways to communicate is not just about passing information.

Relationships: By putting systems and processes in place that will help your organization become more efficient, communicate better, manage and use data intentionally, make better decisions, and foster creative collaboration you are making yourself a better grantmaker - and, by proxy, serving your grantees better.

Read the full article about technology and philanthropy by Mark Larimer at The National Center for Family Philanthropy.