Written by “We spend so much time entering data into many different software systems. It takes away from the time we can spend with our clients, and it doesn’t help us improve the services we provide.”
Sound familiar? Sadly, this is a very common complaint we hear from social workers within the human services industry.
In 2015, 41% of nonprofits replaced software. This indicates that many products are failing to meet non-profit needs. In fact, 52% of non-profit software buyers were using general-purpose software, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Drive. (View Source)
Many social workers view software as a burden, but software solutions that are truly useful should:
- Be fast and easy to use
- Allow social workers to gain useful insights into the needs of clients
- Help workers be more efficient in their day-to-day responsibilities
User experience design for non-profit software makes this possible.
User experience design is a greatly overlooked priority within the non-profit industry. When reviewing and selecting software, budget is always tough to secure, and user experience and efficiency is often overshadowed by administrators or who are looking to save on expenses. When this happens, end-users are often left out of the conversation. When it comes time for training and implementation, users will be skeptical and resistant to the new software.
Looking at how nonprofits have traditionally used software, a shift in mindset (and money) needs to happen. Instead of simply acting as a database to generate reports that funders want to see, more emphasis needs to be placed on how easy and beneficial software will be for end-users.
When this shift happens and software is designed to help social workers, the benefits become readily apparent:
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- Less Staff Training: Software that is intuitive and easy to use will require less training, which translates into direct cost savings
- Faster User Adoption: Social workers will be eager (not resistant) to using new software when they see the value it provides for them
- Lower Employee Turnover: Social workers will be happier, which creates indirect cost savings over the long-term
- Improved Services, and more of them: When software is easy-to-use, workers can provide services more efficiently. This means more time with clients, and more services. This means an organization can grow its services without hiring new employees, a direct cost benefit to the organization.
- Better Client Care: Software that is accessible and easy-to-understand for non-technical users will help them to better understand their clients needs, so they can improve the care they provide
- Easier Fundraising: Major donors are usually savvy business people. They understand the value of strategic investments/expenses that improve organizational efficiency and client care. Non-profits can use key performance indicators gathered through new software to demonstrate how donor dollars are being efficiently used. Fundraising is easier with great data.
4 Key Steps to Get Started on User Experience Design for non-profit Software
- Fully understand the needs and goals for the system from all users (not just IT administrators and funders, but also end-users)
- Set and secure a realistic budget and timeline
- Assign someone to internally manage the implementation project
- Work with an experienced non-profit software consultant to understand your software needs and help you design, build, and implement a solution suitable for your organization
Having those pieces in place before you begin will ensure you save money, create efficiencies, and build the best user-friendly software solution for your non-profit.
Conlan Consulting 