Manual, time-consuming reporting necessitated by inefficiencies and lack of process automation topped the frustrations of 600 nonprofit finance leaders responding to a recent survey on technology trends.

It’s a concern because too many of these leaders are bogged down in mundane tasks and minutiae that limit time available for strategic work and planning that their organizations require for long-term success, wrote the authors of the “2023 Nonprofit Technology Trends Report” by enterprise software company Sage.

The finding was underscored by the 71 percent of respondents who said they would like to spend half or more time working on strategy and planning versus the just 34 percent of that group of 71 percent who actually do. Researchers also found that 42 percent of respondents spend 80% or more time on tactical and routine tasks.

“For nonprofit organizations to thrive, especially in times of economic uncertainty, nonprofit executives and finance leaders must allocate more dedicated time to strategic planning,” the authors wrote.

It’s partly for this reason that 72 percent of respondents cited the ability to do automated financial reporting as their top priority, which was up from the 63% who gave the same answer when the survey was last done a year ago. “It’s a theme we’ve seen every year in our conversations with nonprofit leaders, that their biggest frustration is around reporting,” Natalie Anderson, senior nonprofit industry marketing manager at Sage, told The NonProfit Times.

If your nonprofit is growing and you’re wondering what the best way to structure it to enjoy sustainable growth, our nonprofit lawyers are here to help. Below, we answer some of the most common questions our attorneys get surrounding the topic of expanding a nonprofit organization. From franchises to multi-site churches, Charitable Allies covers a high-level view of the topic. However, keep in mind, this can’t substitute legal advice for your unique situation.

If you’re wondering if you can “franchise a nonprofit,” the answer is no, but you can still accomplish your goal. There is a more cost effective and compliant way to go about having other people start different locations of a nonprofit. Create an affiliate model instead. You can still provide training to those affiliates and allow them to use your nonprofit’s name and branding. Some nonprofits with affiliates even keep a record of all their affiliates on their main website to help them reach new people.

Keep in mind, it’s prudent to still have safety and quality standards in place for affiliates to ensure the program is consistent and safe no matter where it’s being offered. We helped Rock Steady Boxing with this challenge and would be happy to advise on creating an affiliate model, and how to ensure standards across affiliates.

There are a few ways to go about structuring a national nonprofit to have state or local chapters, with pros and cons either way. First, if you’re looking to start a local chapter of an existing organization, reach out to the original organization to learn about the process of doing so.

Re-released Join Bryan Orander as he speaks with Damian Dunn of Your Money Line about an innovative program to provide on-call financial advice and coaching to employees and increase job satisfaction and retention. The pair also talk about the two student loan forgiveness programs that could benefit nonprofit staff.  Listen

91 Place, a near-east side nonprofit, has purchased Neidhammer Coffee Co. to give youth work experience that can lead to the disruption of generational poverty and chronic homelessness. Read more

LUNA Language Services has announced a new partnership with GLOBO, a technology-focused language solutions company. The partnership, which includes the shared use of a revolutionary cloud-based platform for both onsite and remote language services, will allow the companies to expand language access solutions to clients nationwide.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County received $12,000 from Kroger’s Community Rewards program in 2022 — a fundraising milestone that was recently recognized. Through the program, Kroger shoppers can card link their account to their preferred charity — directing a portion of their transactions to the nonprofit. Learn more

Get on Board is accepting exhibitor applications for its event on June 27. The gathering supports nonprofits’ efforts to recruit board members and volunteers. Last year’s Get on Board event, which is sponsored by Leadership Indianapolis, attracted nearly 90 nonprofits and more than 500 individuals. Get on Board also sponsors informative workshops on June 6 and 13. The exhibition cost is $85. Learn more and apply by June 2.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is offering a free comprehensive nonprofit essential management course program. The program, which is fully funded by The Allstate Foundation, includes flexible learning formats for emerging nonprofit leaders and those new to the sector. Learn more

Emergency relief funds are available for Monroe County and Sullivan County, areas that recently experienced damaging tornadoes and severe weather.

Floors for Good, an initiative launched by Floors to Your Home, is accepting nominations from nonprofits that need new flooring and installation. The deadline for nominations is April 14. Nominate

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is seeking volunteers to support its goal to plant 100,000 large trees in strategic locations. The organization seeks to grow the city’s tree canopy, making Indianapolis a better place to live, work, and play.

VonLehman CPA & Advisory Firm Consider outsourcing to solve understaffing challenges

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