What are the right questions to ask to determine if your nonprofit needs an app?
Are you considering building an app for your nonprofit organization? Part of our job at MilkCrate, besides building a great app platform, is helping organizations assess their technology needs. So here are the questions we have seen prove incredibly useful when deciding if an app might make sense for your organization:
Do you want to save your staff time and your organization precious resources with automating manual processes related to program management and communications?
#1 Is the staff overstretched trying to run the programs?
First you need to ask yourself, “Does your organization already run programs for members, volunteers or participants?” If so, then the next question is “Are your staff and resources stretched trying to run the program?” If you have answered yes to these questions, you may be in need of an app. We realize that what might count as “stretched” depends - it’s often the case that an organization has gotten so used to being pulled in so many directions and making due with what they have they don’t realize how much better things could be with the automation and digitization an app can provide. Depending on the size of your staff, how many programs you have, and the amount of work required to run each program the ‘stretch’ can be more and more painful. Our job is to help relax those aches and pains. We have created useful, unique apps for programs with just 20 participants all the way up to 5,000+ users. So yes, the answer is (like usual) it depends.
Examples when a MilkCrate app helped a nonprofit program:
Educating parents about unstructured play (Smith Memorial Playground) https://milkcrate.tech/news/smith
A gleaning app for volunteers to move food from farmers to those in need (Rolling Harvest) https://milkcrate.tech/news/rollingharvest
Students getting access to activities and challenges to stay active outside of school (PYSC) https://milkcrate.tech/news/pysc
Entrepreneur training program engagement and business owner resources (ICIC) https://milkcrate.tech/news/icic
Want to reach your volunteers or members despite spam filters, crowded social feeds and inbox apathy?
#2 Do you want to make it easier to communicate with and between participants?
Another reason building a MilkCrate app for your nonprofit program can be useful is if your organization is struggling with communication. With a tailored app, you can easily reach program participants with features like: in-app chat, reminders for events, feedback surveys for attendees, and more.
Finding what level of communication and which tools to implement are right for your program(s) is essential in the app building process. We know it can be difficult determining how to help your program track things like participation and communicate effectively, especially without the right tools. If increasing participation is a focus of yours, an app can really benefit! Participation via an app can be tracked, organized, and communication can be utilized for your audiences. With active members of an app varying anywhere from a couple dozen to thousands, we tailor the apps to your programs' specific needs and audiences!
Examples of simplified communication and engagement via an app:
Sending reminders directly to users’ phones (Push notifications)
Polls and surveys about preferences, experiences, or feedback from participants (Polls & Surveys)
Prompting comments and feedback on events, resources, activities and more
Availability to chat with staff or program members (Chat)
Need to encourage hassle free participation of new and old participants in organized events being held?
#3 Do you want to make it easier to engage participants in ongoing activities?
The next question we ask is if you have specific activities for participants to do repeatedly and on an ongoing basis? If like the other questions you answered yes, then an app is definitely something to strongly consider. Activities that can be tracked by users through an app include: listening to podcasts and videos, using directories to find resources, sign up for events, check-in at locations, logging volunteer hours, connecting with other users via chat, commenting on posts, completing assessments, filling out polls, and self-reporting behaviors.
A few examples of trackable activities while using apps:
Signing up for events and sharing feedback afterwards
Utilizing a resource directory and commenting on content
Completing challenges for a series of activities or points earned
Trying to provide concrete reporting with qualitative and quantitative data to funders?
#4 Do you, your funders or your organization’s leadership value program participation and outcome data?
If everything before now was a ‘yes,’ then the answer to this question will just be icing on the cake. Either way, if you are running a program, staff is stretched, you need to facilitate communication and boost activity participation - a mobile app can help! The final step is what are you going to do with all the data having an app for these things can generate? For possibly the first time you will be able to answer questions with verified data like:
How many families attended the event series in the park each week?
Which parents are the most engaged in the program
The ratio of low-income vs. high-income students that met with their mentor
How many hours logged by volunteers organized by zip code
So! You’ve asked yourself some important questions - and hopefully come up with some telling answers about whether or not a mobile app could be a useful too for your nonprofit program. Of course, there’s more to think about and understand so the next step is to reach out and have a conversation with us where we can take the time to answer your questions like:
How does building a MilkCrate app happen?
What can a mobile app do?
How much does it cost to launch and maintain?
How long does it take to launch and maintain?
