From spreadsheets to success: Making technology work for nonprofits
Hey there, fellow changemaker!👋
I’ve spent over a decade working with nonprofits, transitioning from a corporate career to founding a digital ops consultancy. What drove this change? A deep-seated desire to amplify positive impact in the world and a realization that values were core to how I wanted to work in the world.
After years in corporate operations, I realized my skills in process optimization and systems thinking could help mission-driven organizations work more effectively.
Working in the social sector, heartbreak is familiar. What’s really been getting my goat, though, is precious time lost – wrestling with admin – tech shouldn’t be distracting from our mission!
What I see time and again with whichever team I work with across the globe, is that the most impactful changes often start with simple conversations. Whether it’s a nonprofit innovation agency in Australia or a youth services organization in North America, the pattern is clear: before diving into new tech solutions, we need to understand the human side of the equation.
Let’s make your work easier
According to NTEN’s 2024 Digital Investments Report, nonprofits are increasingly focused on improving their data systems and basic digital infrastructure. But here’s the thing: you might not need expensive new systems or complicated processes. You need your current tools to work better for your team.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Moving from “we’re drowning in spreadsheets” to “we know exactly where everything is”
- Turning scattered information into shared knowledge
- Making your current tools work together
- Creating more time for mission work, less for admin
What keeps nonprofits up at night
I’ve had countless conversations with nonprofit leaders. These conversations always circle back to the same core truth: the dream of maximizing their organization’s impact. They’re driven by visions of changed lives, protected environments, or transformed communities. But here’s what keeps them up at night:
1. The admin trap
“We spend so much time on admin that we can’t focus on our mission.”
It’s a common story: A small nonprofit starts with passion and purpose. But as they grow, spreadsheets multiply, emails pile up, and suddenly staff are spending more time wrestling with systems than serving their community.
One program manager told me recently: “I got into this work to help people, but most days I’m just fighting with spreadsheets and accounting systems.”
2. The “what if Jane leaves?” problem
This is a real concern. The nonprofit sector faces a 19% turnover rate – significantly higher than the 12% industry average. And with high replacement costs, losing key staff to burnout is the last thing you need! In fact, burnout ranks as the third highest factor in nonprofit recruitment and retention challenges, according to the 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey. When your organization is already under pressure, frustrating systems and processes only make things worse.
3. The time drain
“I didn’t sign up to be a data entry clerk.”
That’s what an ops director told me recently. Her team was spending hours each week copying data between spreadsheets, chasing emails across multiple inboxes, and cobbling together reports from fragmented systems.
It’s not just about lost time – it’s about lost impact. Every hour spent on manual admin tasks is an hour not spent with the people you serve. When systems don’t talk to each other, your people end up being the human glue that holds it all together.
Council of Nonprofits – 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey Results – Barriers Creating Nonprofit Workforce Shortages
Simple steps forward (no tech purchase needed)
Here’s how to start making things better – and I’m not theorizing here. These insights come years of rolling up my sleeves with the social sector across three continents. I’ve seen these methods work in tiny grassroots organizations running on passion and volunteer power, all the way up to established institutions with multi-million dollar budgets.
What I’ve learned is that the size of the organization doesn’t matter as much as the willingness to look honestly at how work gets done. The most successful simplifications I’ve guided started with these straightforward steps. And while I love a good tech solution, that comes later – not at the start.
1. Start with sticky notes, not solutions 🤔
Gather your team (even if it’s just three of you) and ask:
- “What tasks make you want to bang your head on the desk?”
- “Where do you waste the most time?”
- “What information do you always have to hunt for?”
- “Which daily tasks would you love to make easier?”
I recently provided a systems audit for a small nonprofit and helped them see that some of their “sticky note” challenges weren’t as big as they thought they were. It was the simple process of writing it all down that helped bring perspective to all the overwhelm. They did all the hard work which made it easy for me to point a way forward for them!
2. Map out your headaches 🗺️
Don’t worry about being fancy:
- List your main weekly tasks
- Note where you get stuck
- Track what takes too long
- Identify what depends on one person
- Spot tasks you repeat often.
Real example: I recently worked with a Canadian nonprofit that was juggling overly complex processes. The first phase of the work is entirely focused on the existing systems. Removing duplication, technical debt and clunky processes to save time and cost. We’ve helped simplify existing processes, connected the dots, and given them back hours of time each week to work on their mission.
3. Pick one thing to fix first 🎯
Keep it simple:
- Choose one annoying process
- Write down the steps
- Make it clear who does what
- Test improvements
- Ask for feedback.
Remember: Start small, test, learn, and expand based on what works for your unique context.
The human side of change
From my experience often the biggest barriers to improving systems aren’t technical – they’re human factors like staff capacity and organizational culture.
This makes perfect sense – when you’re already stretched thin, any change can feel overwhelming. Here’s what I’ve learned works best for small and medium sized teams:
1. Celebrate small wins
Start tiny. Really tiny:
– “We saved 20 minutes on our weekly report”
– “Everyone can now find donor information without asking Sarah”
– “Our volunteer schedule doesn’t need weekly fixes anymore”
2. Give everyone a voice
Every opinion matters:
– Check in during regular meetings (no extra time needed)
– Ask “what’s working?” and “what isn’t?” often
– Make it okay to say “this isn’t helping”
3. Take it slow
You don’t have to fix everything at once:
– Start with one small thing (like organizing shared files)
– Test changes with one person first
– Give people time to adjust
4. Keep your mission front and center
Every change should help you do more of what matters:
– Less time hunting for information
– More time on impactful work
– Better support for volunteers
The goal isn’t to be perfect – it’s to make things a bit better each week. I’ve seen teams save just 30 minutes a week to start with, but that adds up to 24 hours a year – that’s three full workdays back for your mission!
Ready to simplify?
According to NTEN’s latest research, 75% of nonprofits rate “improving inefficient processes” as their top technology priority. Why? Because they know every hour saved on admin is an hour given back to their mission.
Malcolm Colman-Shearer helps the social sector reduce admin headaches and get back to their mission. Through Optimi, he works with organizations to simplify their systems and processes, one step at a time. His specialty? Making existing tools work better together so teams can focus on impact, not paperwork. Get in touch with him via Linkedin.