It’s Worth Investing in Efficient Case Management Software Even as Donations Level Out

Everyone feels the effects of inflation. Families are watching their pocketbooks as prices at supermarkets rise. Companies are making panicked decisions as recession speculation creeps into the headlines. While the entire economy grows more conservative on the spending front, nonprofits, including human services organizations, are seeing donations dip or level out. And that creates a domino effect on the programs nonprofits manage and their already slim staff. 

While that probably stresses you out as a nonprofit leader, now is not the time to neglect impactful human services software. Before getting into that, let’s take a look at the numbers. 

The state of human services fundraising

Human services nonprofits serve their communities by helping those swept up in disasters, feeding the hungry, helping victims of crimes, housing the homeless, and advocating for children, among many other causes critical to an equitable and thriving society. 

The work your human services nonprofit does is so important. We know you don’t want to cut back on your programs, and your community doesn’t want you to either. But many human services organizations are facing the difficult reality that donations are leveling out. 

According to Giving USA’s annual report released on June 21, giving overall was flat in 2021 compared to 2020. Five cause categories saw flat or negative growth in giving last year: human services, unallocated giving, education, international affairs, and giving to individuals.  

Bonterra, Social Solution’s parent company, took a deeper look at the highlights of the Giving USA report, but this article focuses on human services nonprofits. From 2020 to 2021, giving to human services increased by about 2.2% in 2021, totaling more than $65 billion. But, adjusted for inflation, human services organizations had a decline of 2.4% in giving. 

Your initial reaction to these numbers may be to cut back on your programs. But what if we told you there was a way to create efficiency with the resources you have while also increasing your nonprofit’s impact? 

Why human services software is critical in case management 

As a nonprofit leader, you probably see a clear need to create efficient and effective processes in order to ultimately increase your funds. But to keep your staff happy, you might feel reluctant to adopt changes in your workflow by buying and implementing human services software. This could mean current, sometimes painful, processes stay in place. If your strained workers are seemingly happy with it, why rock the boat? 

We know that change is scary. Bringing on new software may seem like the last thing you want to do as a nonprofit leader. 

But, by adopting case management software, you can actually reduce burnout and churn in your organization. Implementing technology such as Apricot Essentials, Core, and 360 saves your hardworking staff time and makes their lives easier with features such as intake forms, rules and alerts, scheduling, and workflows. Apricot is so easy to use that there’s no need to hire a data scientist – anyone can use it.  

And because working with understaffed crews is a matter of life in essentially all industries right now, our solutions take some of the burden off of your hard workers. In fact, 3.5-times more programs are delivered on average when organizations work with Apricot solutions. 

Using human services software like Apricot also allows you to track your organization’s progress with easy-to-use reports. That’s big because we know how important reporting is in getting more money from donors and funders. In a recent webinar hosted by Social Solutions, a panel stressed the importance of tracking and reporting in order to boost fundraising. 

At that panel, a nonprofit leader and a funder shared that outcome management is a massive part of an organization’s growth. Specifically, detailed data is key to evaluating your impact. Those data points can then craft a compelling story of your nonprofit’s outcomes.   

By going beyond spreadsheets and embracing a case management software solution, your workers no longer need to crunch all the numbers. Software like Apricot does that for you. 

The ROI of a case management solution is a no-brainer. Interested in discussing Social Solutions’ case management software for your human services organization? Schedule a demo now.