How to Create an App for a Non-Profit Organization?

Over the past decade, people’s use of several devices to connect to the web has increased dramatically. As the use of smartphones and tablets grows exponentially around the world, many charitable organizations are reevaluating their online presence. For organizations, creating mobile apps or hybrid apps which is a combination of both web and native mobile applications is a fantastic way to increase their online visibility and better engage their audience. 

A mobile app is one of the most effective means of reaching your target audience. The opportunity to reach out to supporters on their own time and use their mobile devices is the most potent advantage of developing a mobile app. PCs and laptops cannot come close to matching the connectivity that can be achieved with a smartphone or tablet, especially when you consider that a smartphone is often within proximity to its user and your app efficiently exploits all the features of a mobile device. 

Why are non-profits starting to use branded non-profit organization applications? 

Is it worth the time and money to develop and release an app? Many positive outcomes can result from creating an app for your non-profit organization. Now, let us check out a few of them. 

Collect Donations 

Fundraising is one of the most prevalent uses for a charity’s app. More successful fundraisers are guaranteed when customers have access to a mobile app that keeps them informed and motivates them to keep raising money. 

Raise Awareness 

Raising money is easier when reaching out to users directly, and apps make it possible. Having a mobile app allows you to give your supporters instant access to any of the data you would like to disseminate to them. By means of instant messages, you will have a better chance of staying in the customer’s mind as you come closer to a direct connection. 

Building community 

An app can facilitate social interaction in several forms, such as chat rooms, in-person gatherings, and rankings. 

Do more with less 

Thanks to technology, especially applications, your business can accomplish more with fewer resources. One method is through business logic and automation. You may ease the pressure on your team by using apps that incorporate business logic. Whether it is through a combination of automated chores and data integrity checks, they can aid your team’s growth. 

Drive workflows 

Apps are not just for contributors anymore, right? Apps that link information, processes, and groups can drastically alter and quicken how work is done. The widespread availability of useful apps has made it possible for anyone to obtain information and take necessary steps in seconds. 

It is easier to collect information

Using apps allows for increased data collection from constituents and more precise campaigning. Ads that speak to them more effectively will boost your company’s success. 

Cultivate loyalty 

Lastly, customer loyalty is another factor to consider when deciding whether to create your own mobile app. Because of the overwhelming volume of advertising today, our message is steadily losing its ability to resonate with the public. 

How to create a Non-Profit Organization application? 

Establish a firm foundation by developing a plan for a non-profit application 

Focus on a goal 

Having a firm grasp of the results you hope to achieve with this app is crucial. Having a clear goal in mind and understanding the reasoning behind your feature choices will be helpful. Also, choosing which metrics to monitor will be less of a hassle. 

Think of a certain someone

Just who is the app’s target audience? Nothing can be for everyone because then it would be for no one. Find subsets of your constituents with a higher propensity to download and use the app. 

What is the app for? 

Explain the challenge addressed by the app and the approach taken to address it. 

Set a budget and stick to it 

An expense and timetable plan should be made. These limitations will require you to make strategic choices about the product’s design, user experience, and functionalities. If you do this, you may also expect to have a completed product ready for release faster. 

Brainstorm features 

How do you decide what functions should be included in your app? Making a “user map” is one method for accomplishing this. A user journey map is useful for outlining features to be developed and keeping everyone on the same page about how everything connects. It facilitates dialogue, teamwork, and prioritizing features based on user needs. 

A user journey map is a visual representation of the steps that the team anticipates users will take to achieve their objectives. 

Metrics 

How do you plan on gauging success? Look at the result you want to achieve and figure out what kind of evidence you will need to back up your plans. 

Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) 

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a version with just enough features to be useable by early consumers so they may provide feedback for future iterations. If this is the first iteration of the software, starting small can assist the development team zero in on the most key features. 

Benefits of Having an App for Your Non-profit 

Creating an app for your non-profit organization cause can help in several ways. Some of the most evident advantages are as follows. 

Collect Donations

Donations can be easily solicited and collected with the help of an app. The app allows you to communicate with other users and even organize games. 

Additionally, you may maintain tabs on financial contributions, which enables you to recognize your most generous backers and strengthen your bonds with them over time. 

Raise Awareness 

Mobile apps facilitate awareness-raising for charitable organizations. An app is a wonderful way to stay connected with your customers and inform them about upcoming promotions. 

Apps are a fantastic means of spreading the word because users will often show them off to their friends and family, encouraging them to try the app. 

Arrange Events 

Apps can help you plan events and keep track of your attendees. By integrating with Google Calendar, you can help your users keep track of all the events they need to attend. 

How you interact with your volunteers is something to consider as well. Make users feel valued by including encouraging messages in your app. 

Let Users Interact with Each Other 

Users should be able to communicate with one another and build their own communities. People prefer working in groups with others who have similar goals and passions. 

A healthy dose of competition can increase your users’ activity levels. Teams could be formed to participate in charity events or to clear up litter along the roadway. The top fundraising teams can be recognized with awards. 

What features should be included in a non-profit organization application? 

The goals have been completed. But how does one use an app to achieve these goals? Many of the same factors that contribute to commercial success also contribute to the success of apps created for charitable causes. These primarily concern making the system user-friendly or acquiring users (volunteers).  

Design 

Many Sodalities have discussed how important superior design is for attracting new users. There are several parts to a well-made app. 

Excellent and intuitive UI/UX 

Superior usability and ease of use; users will only stick with your software if it is easy to figure out, slow to load, or poorly organized, no matter how noble the cause. If you want to keep your consumers interested and coming back for more, UI/UX (and a streamlined workflow) is a crucial tool. 

Recruiting helpers for a compelling cause amount to marketing a service. Users invest time and money into the service but have not received anything in return. That is why it is crucial to ensure that the struggle of their whole endeavor is as pleasant and stress-free as possible. 

A Beautiful Dashboard 

A Stunning Control Panel to show them the results of their work and where to focus their efforts. Maintaining a neat and functional dashboard is crucial for conveying important data. Combine their volunteer data (funds raised, hours worked) with your aggregate progress and your own goal-oriented data (total amount of trash to pick up or meals to be packed). Doing so will show that you are open to feedback and will help keep your team on the same page and inspired. 

Data Visualization 

To create a stunning dashboard, data visualization is a crucial element. Your communications must be clear, brief, and simple to digest; everybody loves adorable pie charts. So, dress up as a panda and give it a gradient hue that reflects how close you are to your fundraising goal. Try something new, but make sure the message gets across. 

A Donate Button 

If someone has gone to the trouble of downloading your app specifically to hand up their hard-earned cash, you owe it to them to put that incentive to work as swiftly and painlessly as possible by including a Donate button. It is not in your best interest, and it is also rude to require someone to make a lot of effort to hand you some free cash. 

Clear Stated Cause (and financials) 

Maintain open communication with your members, contributors, and volunteers regarding your organization’s stated mission and financial status. People like it when you are upfront about your intentions, processes, and financial arrangements. Just trust us for now; we will explain the numbers behind that later. 

Secure Payment Channels –

The customers giving you money should feel confident that their funds will reach you and that their credit card details will not be stolen by a gang of pirates sailing along the Antarctic Ocean. 

Third-Party Integration – 

Integration with Third-Party Tools Lets You Simplify Your Email, social media, and Text Message Campaigns 

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)–

Using APIs (application programming interfaces) rather than developing your tools will help you save money and provide your users with a more seamless experience. 

Device Compatibility  

Your app must be able to run on a wide variety of different devices. Android? This is a miracle worker, iOS. Beautiful. Blackberry? That is possible. It is important to investigate and do the math to determine if your target demographic consists primarily of rabid Blackberry fans. 

Best options to build a non-profit organization application 

There are typically three primary choices from which to construct a philanthropic app. 

Get an outside developer or company to help you create your app. 

It can be challenging to find a coworker who is as invested in the solution to the problem as you are, so consider outsourcing the development of your app instead. 

It could be a permanent staff member, an independent contractor, or a business. As I mentioned in my last article, this will be the most expensive choice, and the cost can vary widely. You will not have to give up any shares of your business, but you will have to pay the price. 

If you have enough cash on hand, this is a workable choice. 

Use a no-code platform. 

A no-code platform is the most practical and cost-effective choice for most individuals. 

With the help of no-code platforms, anyone can make an app without learning how to code. Instead, you will be given a drag-and-drop style interface to create your app. Compare it to Squarespace, but for mobile apps. 

This has made it possible for anyone to launch a successful app without learning to code, find a technical co-founder, or spend thousands of dollars hiring one. 

This is the best choice for beginners, despite its limits on what can be built. It gives you the freedom to construct precisely what you need, whenever you want, and however you like (for the most part). However, you cannot get the required features and dashboard, so it is not recommended. 

Get a pre-made app White Label Branding 

White-label software, the most popular in 2021, is routinely provided to consumers by application development firms, such as mobile and web app development organizations. 

Since everyone values saving time and money, White label apps can be a great fir for your organization. As mentioned above White label apps are developed by web and app development organizations for a specific niche and then they make changes as per the client’s requirement, this saves both time and money on new app development.  

The Best Platforms for Building Online Fundraising Platform for A Non-Profit Organization 

Sodality is a white-label nonprofit mobile app made available by JumpGrowth for use by charitable groups. It has about everything a growing non-profit organization could need. 

Improve your organization’s fundraising efforts and user satisfaction by encouraging your audience to become generous benefactors in a short amount of time. Sodality is a free tool to help your non-profit organization app expand, attract more users, and maintain their interest and participation. Sodality is also useful for NGOs because it allows them to create a custom mobile app under their own brand, complete with an admin web console to control the app’s content and facilitate communication with their audience. Here are a few of Sodality’s characteristics that are especially useful for groups that are not formally organized: 

Host and promote more fundraising events 

Sodality makes it easy to organize and publicize gatherings amongst a group’s members. There is the option to set separate prices for members and non-members. Keep a tally of how many people attended each function to boost fundraising efforts. 

Get donations faster and repeated 

Donations made using your app for mobile devices are quick and easy for your users. The trouble of making these webpages and requesting designers to incorporate them is unnecessary. With Sodality, your users can make one-time or regular donations from anywhere, all through the convenience of the app. 

Manage members efficiently 

Sodality can assist with covering multi-chapter or single-corporate arrangements with ease. 

You keep track of everyone in your group and work on ways to improve communication with them. 

In-app donations 

Now is the time to begin taking payments via your branded mobile app. The app supports both credit and debit card payments. 

Online library 

Keep track of the books, audio recordings, and scriptures you have made available to readers. Your library is a fantastic tool for maintaining user interest in your non-profit organization’s goals and activities. 

SMS/Text Donations 

Donations can be sent instantly by text message by simply texting the desired amount to the short code you provide. Publish your short code and begin collecting donations immediately. 

Signup for Volunteers 

The Sodality is a great tool for managing your organization’s list of volunteers. Interested volunteers can sign up and express their desire to help via the app. 

Conclusion 

Numerous possibilities exist for charities to benefit from app use. Starting with a detailed, well-thought-out strategy and carrying it out step by step can get you well on your way to developing a useful app for your charity. 

Sodality can help you get your nonprofit apps for your non-profit organization processed quickly and without stress. But do not be afraid to ask for help if you are still feeling uncertain or lonely. Please feel free to contact us to discuss the potential benefits of your proposed app and how we can assist you in its development. 

“Sodality has been recognized as one of the Top Mobile App Development Companies In Texas by DesignRush”