The Smart Nonprofit. Beth Kanter. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Beth Kanter
Издательство: John Wiley & Sons Limited
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Экономика
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781119818137
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smart forms, chatbots, robots, and drones. We want to be expansive in our use and understanding of the term, for instance, by including automation technologies like the one that powered the VI-SPDAT, in order to focus on the essence of the shift in power from people to machines. We substitute the word “bot” for smart tech in many sentences in this book because, well, it's fun to say.

      Smart tech is not the same as digitizing a process. For instance, direct depositing a paycheck replaces printing a check and mailing it or handing it to an employee who has to endorse it and physically deposit it in the bank. Direct deposit is efficient, but it's not automation. Automation takes the power of decision-making and turns it over to machines. Automation turns a regular car into a smart car, and an active, decision-making driver into a passenger.

      Smart tech has some similarities with social media but more importantly, a few fundamental differences. Both are powered by digital technology, computer code, and enormous amounts of data. They also use the data and algorithms to predict future behavior. For instance, Facebook shows you ads based on what you have liked and shared previously. The more accurate Facebook's predictions, the more likely you are to click on an ad, which is how they make their money. However, we can see how Facebook operates or at least the results of Facebook's calculations. Even if Facebook doesn't want to put much work into controlling hate speech on its platform, we can see it unfolding on the platform. And if you can find the button to click to show you the most recent feeds, you can see which posts you've missed because Facebook decided to show you something else.

      Smart tech is best at doing rote tasks such as filling out intake forms and answering the same questions from people (for example, “Is my contribution tax-deductible?”) over and over. However, the technology is quickly moving beyond paperwork and embedding itself into the heart of nonprofit work. This is profoundly changing what we do, why we do it, and how successful we are in meeting our missions.

      Nonprofits are beginning to use smart tech to:

       Screen resumes based on criteria organizations set but without those organizations likely seeing the people who were screened out.

       Determine eligibility for a host of social services such as SNAP food assistance, housing, and childcare.

       Identify prospective donors from your fundraising data or from the web.

       Customize stories for and communications to donors based on their past behavior.

       Stock food pantry shelves.

       Deliver medicine and food to hard-to-reach places.

       Direct refugees to available beds.

      This isn't science fiction; it is real life, right now.

      Automating systems isn't a technological evolution; it is a revolutionary shift in power and autonomy. Those who understand the new technology and how to use it will have more power. Those who are reporting to tech systems and are at the mercy of them are at the risk of losing their ability to determine their own futures.

      Smart nonprofits use a disciplined approach to adopting smart tech carefully and strategically while always maintaining the highest ethical standards and responsible use. Smart nonprofits are:

       Human-centered: A human-centered approach means finding the sweet spot between people and smart tech, while ensuring that people are always in charge of the technology. Smart nonprofits ensure that the use of smart tech always aligns with their values.

       Prepared: Organizations need to take intentional preparation steps. They must actively reduce bias embedded in smart tech code and systems. They also thoroughly correct and label data to be incorporated into a smart tech system. And lastly, they must have a formal process to select systems, vendors, and consultants that align with their organization's values.

       Knowledgeable and reflective: Learning about what smart tech is and does is an ongoing process in the boardroom, the C-suite, and for nonprofit staffs. Once automated systems are in place, organizations need to be vigilant about whether they are performing as hoped or unintended consequences have arisen, and how clients and end users feel about the systems. We have embedded reflection questions throughout this book to help create the habit of asking important questions over time.

      Working this way with smart tech creates a gift of new time.

      Integrating smart tech into organizational functions could create an enormous return on investment that will allow for:

       More time with clients: Instead of spending time checking off lists and filling out forms, case workers will spend more time with clients to understand the origins of their problems, the obstacles that get in the way of their success, and providing real-time support when life gets really hard.

       Crisis prevention and reduction: Smart tech can help identify people at risk of becoming homeless before crises overwhelm them. For instance, the city of London, Ontario, uses a new smart tech system to track people at risk of becoming chronically homeless (with their permission) to prioritize services for them before a crisis.7 Smart tech will help forecast environmental disasters earlier and help with rescue operations. Resources will be directed to victims faster.

       Deeper and more meaningful relationships with donors: Transactional fundraising, treating every donor like an ATM machine, has become the norm for too many organizations. Smart tech frees staff from updating donor bases and researching prospects to spending time getting to know donors in meaningful ways: learning more about their interests and the reasons your cause is important to them and turning these donors into ambassadors to recruit and nurture donors within their personal networks.

       Reduced astroturfing: Advocacy organizations too often substitute marketing efforts for real grassroots organizing. For instance, the use of online petitions that is actually used