Now growing at an incredible rate of 20.5% CAGR, the Unified Communications landscape is taking the world by storm. As companies continue to search for more agile ways to keep teams connected in an unpredictable world, UC has emerged as a powerful solution for productivity and performance.
For non-profit companies, working hard to make the world a better place, the potential of UC could be particularly compelling. With limited finances and big ambitions, non-profits need to be able to keep their team members connected at all times. A consistent stream of knowledge and support empowered by UC lays the foundation for better fundraising, and more creative teams.
Unified Communication and Collaboration solutions in the non-profit sector can enhance collaboration, jump-start productivity, and pave the way for a more mobile network of motivational individuals, committed to driving support for their cause.
The Growing Demand for UC in the Non-Profit Sector
Over the last couple of years, most companies have begun to discover the benefits of UC for strengthening team interactions and boosting productivity.
UC can be particularly useful for those in the non-profit environment, as it allows for seamless communication between constituents in and out of the office. With a lot of today’s non-profit work involving time spent travelling to fundraisers and events, UC helps to keep the entire workforce connected.
Unified Communications ensures team members can stay on the same page as they work towards a shared goal of saving the planet or supporting those in need. The right UC solution in a non-profit environment allows for:
- Enhanced productivity: Raising funding, planning events, and generating support for a crucial cause requires much work. UC solutions help to align all of the team members in a non-profit group in the same, enhanced environment, so they can find all the information and support they need without having to jump between apps.
- Stronger collaboration: Collaboration is often key to success in the non-profit environment. With the right UC solution, teams can stay in touch with donors and supporters on a range of communication channels, plan fundraising events over HD video meetings, and engage in regular day-to-day conversations with team members, wherever they are. Cloud-based solutions even ensure teams can continue working outside of the office.
- Enhanced security: Non-profits are faced with the same pressures as standard companies when it comes to keeping data protected and secure. The right UC solutions can unify more of the data and processes involved in day-to-day activities in one place, so it’s easier to secure interactions and keep track of compliance.
- Better insights: Like many for-profit brands, non-profit organisations benefit from access to regular data and insights. With unified communications, it’s easier to track information in an end-to-end environment, collecting data points which can lead to better business decisions and new opportunities for growth.
- Reduced costs: Budget is a constant concern for non-profit groups. With unified communications, it’s possible to reduce the number of bills you need to deal with on a regular basis, and keep costs low. You can even find new ways to reduce overheads, by allowing team members to work from home (cutting office costs), and minimizing the amount of maintenance required for on-premises equipment with cloud tools.
The Trends Driving UC for Non-Profits
For the non-profit marketplace, unified communications can deliver a host of unique benefits, from better interactions with supporters and donators, to reduced running costs.
A good UC strategy could even help your organisation to achieve more of its goals around sustainability and environmentally-friendly performance. With UC in the cloud through UCaaS, you can allow your teams to work from home and reduce your carbon footprint. While demand for UC functionality has been increasing in the non-profit sector for a while now, there are certain trends which are beginning to generate excitement in the environment, such as:
- The rise of the cloud: The cloud is quickly becoming the ultimate deployment option for UC solutions. With UCaaS, non-profit organisations can easily align teams wherever they are, whether it’s in the field, working from home and in the office. This reduces costs by allowing teams to work from home, and ensures groups can scale functionality up and down at speed. The cloud also allows for business continuity in an unpredictable environment, ensuring people can continue to operate as normal, no matter what.
- AI and analytics: With limited access to finance and funding, non-profits are more reliant than most on the benefits of in-depth insights and data. The right information can make it easier to determine which supporters to seek extra help from, where to run fundraising strategies, and more. With the UC environment, it’s possible to implement AI tools to help with everything from gathering data from supporters, to assisting team members in accessing the information they need quickly.
- Flexible work: Non-profit organisations have always relied on bringing people together from various parts of the working landscape. Aside from behind-the-scenes team members, these groups also deploy on-the-field fundraisers and event managers. With Unified Communications, it’s much easier to ensure everyone can stay aligned and retain access to the same crucial information wherever they are. Non-profits can even access support from specialists in another part of the world, without paying for expensive travel.
- Innovation and the Metaverse: Traditional business leaders aren’t the only ones capable of benefiting from the agility the UC environment has to offer. Non-profits can also use access to the cloud and new technology to take advantage of new solutions as they emerge. This could include leveraging everything from metaverse environments for fundraising, to AI solutions with natural language processing for automated donation collections.
Discovering the Opportunities for UC in Non-Profit
The Unified Communication marketplace is rapidly demonstrating its value to business leaders all around the world, from multiple industries. For the non-profit sector, the right UC technology could represent a powerful opportunity to boost productivity levels, strengthen relationships with sponsors, and unlock new fundraising capabilities.
As vendors continue to offer discounts and specialist support for non-profit entities in the UC environment, there’s never been a better time to invest in the landscape.
