COVID-19 is Reshaping the Digital Needs of Non-Profits

Nonprofits are the third largest employment sector in the U.S., and like other businesses across the state, they are continuing to try and meet the needs of the communities they serve. The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits surveyed 680 nonprofits between March 16-23, 2020 to determine the types of support needed by their organizations and those they serve. Not surprisingly, a significant number of nonprofits shared challenges with staff and volunteers working remotely (60%) and the need to shift events from in-person to virtual (64%). One in five nonprofits (20%) surveyed specifically expressed a need for free telecommuting software.

In response, the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits has compiled a list of nonprofit pandemic resources that includes technology resources and free or low-cost telecommuting resources. One technology resource is an April 23 webinar on how to shift from in-person service models to virtual. The webinar will be hosted by Apparo, an organization that helps local nonprofits leverage technology. 

For nonprofits responding to COVID-19, telecommuting software tools such as DropBox and Slack are offering free upgrades to their existing services. Google is offering free access to Hangouts Meet, which allows up to 250 participants and live streaming up to 100,000 viewers per domain, and G-suite until July 1, 2020. Loom and others are offering similar support.