In keeping with Nonprofit Tech for Good, many nonprofits are leveraging know-how to reinforce their processes—79% use automation know-how in on-line fundraising, and 15% even have synthetic intelligence software program in place to foretell donor conduct. Not each group, nonetheless, has the funds to remain on the chopping fringe of know-how.
That’s the place nonprofit know-how grants are available. These grants provide the mandatory funds for forward-thinking nonprofits to achieve entry to software program options and assets that can enlarge their impression. On this information, we’ll cowl:
To attain larger and higher outcomes, nonprofits should regularly undertake and adapt to advances in know-how that streamline important processes resembling fundraising, advertising and marketing, and donor engagement. By doing so, your group can release extra capability for what issues most: bettering the lives of these you serve.
What are know-how grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit know-how grants present important funding for organizations to accumulate and implement cutting-edge instruments and software program, considerably enhancing their impression and effectivity.
These grants can cowl a variety of technological wants, together with:
- Software program Licenses and Subscriptions: Funding for buying licenses for important software program instruments resembling CRM techniques, accounting software program, venture administration instruments, and different specialised functions
- {Hardware} and Tools: Grants for buying computer systems, tablets, networking tools, and different {hardware} obligatory for every day operations and repair supply
- Cybersecurity Options: Help for implementing cybersecurity measures to guard delicate knowledge and guarantee compliance with knowledge safety rules.
- Web site Growth and Upkeep: Funding to construct, redesign, or preserve a nonprofit’s web site, making certain it’s user-friendly, accessible, and up-to-date with present applied sciences
- Innovation and Growth Initiatives: Help for revolutionary know-how tasks that tackle particular challenges or alternatives throughout the nonprofit’s mission, resembling growing new apps or digital platforms
Whereas common grants can generally tackle technological wants, it’s typically more practical to use for grants particularly tailor-made to know-how. Tailor-made know-how grants are designed to handle the distinctive challenges and alternatives related to implementing and managing technological options, offering extra focused assist and assets.
The place can nonprofits discover know-how grants?
Like most grants, know-how grants are usually supplied by three main sources:
- Authorities companies: Federal, state, and native governments supply grants to cowl totally different wants. Authorities sources typically present funding for nonprofits in search of know-how grants to improve techniques and enhance service supply. Though, these grants are sometimes extremely aggressive.
- Foundations: Foundations are a conventional and dependable supply of funding for nonprofits. They’ll vary from well-known entities just like the Ford Basis and the Invoice and Melinda Gates Basis to area people foundations. Whereas basis grants could not at all times be massive, they are often instrumental in serving to organizations enhance their know-how infrastructure.
- Firms: Main corporations resembling Google and Walmart supply devoted know-how grants for nonprofits as a part of their CSR efforts. Specifically, tech corporations are conscious of the essential position their merchandise play and have developed grant packages to assist nonprofits entry important know-how. Company grants can present important assets, enabling nonprofits to implement state-of-the-art instruments and software program to raised serve their communities.
Irrespective of your group’s focus—whether or not you’re an environmental nonprofit or a nonprofit hospital—entry to the newest know-how lets you serve your beneficiaries extra successfully and obtain higher outcomes. Look to those sources to search out a chance that matches your group’s wants.
How can know-how grants assist nonprofits?
Relying in your particular objectives, a know-how grant can empower your nonprofit to:
- Increase cybersecurity. NTEN’s State of Nonprofit Cybersecurity Report reveals that solely round 20% of surveyed nonprofits have documented insurance policies and procedures in place ought to a cyberattack happen. A know-how grant can present your group with cybersecurity coaching assets and the suitable instruments to maintain your info safe.
- Leverage automation. A know-how grant permits your group to streamline every day operations by automation, considerably lowering the time and assets required for duties resembling knowledge entry and donor administration. For instance, implementing an automatic CRM system can release workers to give attention to strategic initiatives and direct service supply, enhancing total effectivity and impression.
- Streamline fundraising. A know-how grant can allow your group to undertake top-of-the-line CRM software program and digital fundraising instruments that make it straightforward to handle supporter relationships and solicit items.
- Improve knowledge administration. Environment friendly knowledge administration is essential for personalizing communications, participating donors, and deriving helpful insights to refine your methods over time. With a know-how grant, your group can prioritize superior knowledge administration techniques, enabling workers and volunteers to harness knowledge successfully for better strategic impression and decision-making.
- Develop a high-quality web site. A nonprofit know-how grant can present the mandatory funds to raise your present web site or create a wholly new one which conjures up extra assist.
When you’ve pinpointed your group’s particular wants for know-how funding, it’s time to discover a funder that finest aligns together with your mission and values. The extra well-matched you might be to the grantmaking group, the extra seemingly you’ll reach successful the grant.
13 High Expertise Grants for Nonprofits
Use these nonprofit know-how grants as a jumping-off level to your pursuit of know-how funding:
1. Google Advert Grants
Since its creation, the Google Advert Grants program has offered over $10 billion in free promoting to nonprofits. All eligible organizations can obtain $10,000 month-to-month to bid on key phrases for advertisements that can seem on Google’s search outcomes pages. With these advertisements, you may promote key pages in your nonprofit’s web site, resembling your donation web page or occasion registration web page, to generate extra assist in your trigger.
To satisfy this system’s eligibility standards, your group should:
- Be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Not be a authorities, healthcare, or academic establishment.
- Have a high-quality web site.
- Create a Google for Nonprofits account.
Prepared to begin leveraging $10,000 a month free of charge promoting? Join our Google Advert Grants publication to be taught insider suggestions and maximize your outcomes.
This nonprofit know-how grant can equip your group with a strong instrument for spreading the phrase about your mission and attracting extra supporters to your trigger. To make sure that you safe your grant and benefit from it, contemplate turning to a Google Advert Grants company like Getting Consideration that may maintain the complete course of for you.
2. Salesforce’s Energy of Us Program
Salesforce is a number one buyer relationship administration (CRM) platform that gives a complete suite of cloud-based functions and providers. The Energy of Us Program has offered discounted CRM know-how entry to over 56,000 nonprofits and academic establishments. To affix these ranks, your group should:
You possibly can discover the total checklist of necessities right here. When awarding grants, the Salesforce Basis prioritizes alignment with its grantmaking objectives, demonstrated program impression, a dedication to measuring and adapting, and a robust management staff that displays the group it’s addressing.
3. Twilio
Twilio is an SMS and messaging platform that empowers social good organizations to increase their attain. In 2023, an unbelievable 20,000 organizations used the platform to ship over 22 billion messages.
By its Affect Fund, Twilio awarded $7.3 million in grants and investments to develop entry to transformative communications know-how for social impression causes final 12 months. Organizations which can be eligible for this nonprofit know-how grant funding should:
- Be a acknowledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have equal standing.
- Not be a authorities entity, unregistered social impression initiative, political group, or for-profit entity.
At the moment, Twilio is funding tasks in digital transformation, humanitarian help, and local weather motion. To obtain an invite to use, join the Affect Entry Program, which affords further advantages resembling reductions on Twilio merchandise.
4. Okta for Good
Okta is a complete id and entry administration platform that provides organizations safe single sign-on capabilities, authentication and authorization, password administration, consumer provisioning, safety and compliance, and cell system administration.
Okta for Good’s Nonprofit Expertise Initiative strives to fulfill nonprofits’ know-how wants by supplying $10 million in philanthropic funding. They’re additionally offering a further $10 million by way of in-kind donations of their know-how and providers. To be chosen for these funds and donations, nonprofits should:
- Be a acknowledged nonprofit group of their nation of operation.
- Have sturdy management groups and mission alignment with Okta.
Whether or not your nonprofit is in search of to enhance its knowledge safety or transfer to the cloud, Okta’s give attention to digital transformation is price wanting into for any group fascinated about know-how enhancements.
5. Field Affect Fund
Field Affect Fund helps nonprofits on their path to adopting know-how that can improve their every day operations and work. To satisfy Field Affect Fund’s eligibility necessities, organizations should:
- Have authorized standing in your respective nation.
- Give attention to youngster welfare, disaster response, or the setting.
- Suggest a digital transformation venture.
Field lists 4 particular standards for evaluating grant functions: alignment, impression, inclusion, and scale. Be sure that your group matches this funder’s priorities to set your utility up for achievement.
6. Cisco Product Grant Program
Cisco is a multinational know-how conglomerate that designs, manufactures, and sells networking {hardware}, telecommunications tools, and different high-technology merchandise.
The Cisco Product Grant Program provides networking and communications know-how to nonprofits targeted on disaster response, schooling, financial empowerment, and local weather change. To be eligible for this system, organizations should:
- Be acknowledged as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or equal in your nation.
- Serve the group at massive.
- Have multiple 12 months of profitable operations.
- Not be a faculty, hospital, library, or meals financial institution.
- Not exceed an overhead of 25%.
Cisco accepts grant proposals year-round and evaluations them quarterly. To make sure your nonprofit meets all the factors, take this eligibility quiz that Cisco gives on its web site.
7. Microsoft Tech for Social Affect
Microsoft is a number one multinational know-how firm. The corporate launched Microsoft Tech for Social Affect to supply discounted and donated Microsoft instruments to nonprofits. These instruments can empower your nonprofit to securely handle supporters’ knowledge, scale back working prices, and allow distant alternatives for workers and volunteers.
To be eligible for Microsoft’s nonprofit packages, your group should:
- Be a acknowledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public library, or public museum.
- Adjust to Microsoft’s anti-discrimination coverage.
- Solely assign licenses to eligible workers members.
One among Microsoft’s hottest nonprofit know-how grants is the Azure grant, which awards candidates with $2,000 credit per 12 months and entry to the entire portfolio of Azure merchandise and cloud providers. On its web site, Microsoft gives a step-by-step registration course of to entry accessible tech.
8. Expertise Innovation Awards
Tech Ahead is a nonprofit know-how convention that unites organizations to discover how know-how can improve their missions. On the convention, the host gives $10,000 by its annual Expertise Innovation Awards to assist nonprofits in search of funding for technology-related tasks. To be eligible for this grant, your group should:
- Be a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) charitable group.
- Not be a church, personal academic establishment, nonprofit hospital, or governmental unit.
- Have an annual working price range of at the very least $500,000.
- Ship a consultant to the convention to simply accept the award.
As a part of the nonprofit know-how grant utility, you’ll have to current info resembling your mission, providers, and key constituents, together with a full know-how venture proposal.
9. TechBridge
TechBridge makes enterprise-grade software program to empower nonprofits to get rid of generational poverty. TechBridge’s Dream Huge Grant gives a chance for nonprofits to accumulate know-how options that can improve their operations and enhance their impression. To be eligible for certainly one of these grants, your group should:
- Be a acknowledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a minimal two-year working historical past.
- Give attention to certainly one of 4 pillars: starvation reduction, homeless assist, social justice, or workforce improvement.
- Have annual working bills over $2,000,000.
- Have at the very least 5 full-time paid staff who’re paid minimal wage or extra.
The appliance course of for certainly one of these know-how grants for nonprofits consists of an eligibility verify, an utility essay, and a video submission.
10. Verizon Basis
Verizon affords invitation-only grants to assist nonprofits in three essential areas: digital inclusion, local weather safety, and human prosperity. Nonprofits should contact their area people relations supervisor about receiving an invite. For those who’re accepted to use, you’ll nonetheless have to fulfill these eligibility necessities:
- Be a acknowledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit and additional categorized as a public charity or a not-for-profit college.
- Not duplicate or considerably overlap the work of public companies.
- Hold books accessible for outdoor audits and make outcomes accessible to all potential contributors.
Moreover, for those who request funds for IT infrastructure enhancements that complete greater than 20% of the grant’s complete direct prices, you should present particular particulars on how your group will use these IT belongings in your grant utility.
11. HP Expertise for Neighborhood
HP is a multinational info know-how firm that develops and sells {hardware}, software program, and providers. The corporate provides grants to nonprofits in order that they’ll buy know-how to raised serve their functions. To be eligible for HP Expertise for Neighborhood, organizations should:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Not be a member company or a faculty.
- Not be positioned outdoors of the US.
Whereas certified nonprofits can apply from throughout the nation, HP will give desire to these working in or close to the positioning communities listed in its necessities.
12. The Change Occurs Basis
The Change Occurs Basis is a personal nonprofit basis devoted to supporting nonprofits targeted on creating social change round science, the setting, and schooling. The muse affords a number of grants in these areas. To be eligible, organizations should:
- Be a acknowledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Not be faith-based or positioned outdoors of the US.
- Have a three-year historical past of 990 varieties.
When you’ve decided your nonprofit’s eligibility, you should submit a Letter of Inquiry as a first-time applicant to find out if the inspiration’s pursuits align together with your request. Organizations accepted for additional consideration can then submit their grant proposals.
13. TechSoup
TechSoup gives nonprofits and libraries with discounted know-how merchandise, providers, and coaching to reinforce their mission-driven work. Whereas not explicitly a nonprofit know-how grant, it gives unbelievable affords from main manufacturers like Microsoft, Adobe, and Zoom.
To be validated by TechSoup, your group should:
- Be registered as a nonprofit or non secular group.
- Function on a nonprofit foundation for the general public profit.
- Maintain all obligatory permissions to obtain donations from overseas the place relevant.
TechSoup even gives a handy eligibility quiz. Earlier than making use of, discover TechSoup’s full product catalog to find out how entry to totally different applied sciences will impression your group.
How do I discover the suitable know-how grant for my nonprofit?
This checklist is a superb place to begin, however there are a number of straightforward steps you must take to decide on one of the best grant in your staff. With the suitable strategy, you’ll be nicely in your approach to securing funding for transformative know-how initiatives that can improve your nonprofit’s effectivity, effectiveness, and total impression.
1. Seek advice from your objectives and mission.
Earlier than beginning your seek for grant alternatives, it’s essential to root your self in your group’s objectives and mission. This ensures that you simply solely establish and apply for know-how grants which can be well-suited to your nonprofit.
Do not forget that every grantmaking group has its personal mission and pursuits. Consequently, they’re extra liable to fund nonprofits that align with their very own priorities and generate the sort of impression that they’re trying to see.
2. Conduct analysis.
Amongst potential know-how grant sources, there are round 127,595 foundations in the US alone. Due to this, it’s important to be strategic in your analysis to search out one of the best choices. Observe these finest practices to get began:
- Examine comparable nonprofits and find grantmakers who’ve funded them up to now.
- Establish present connections that your board or workers members could have with funders.
- Look by grant directories and databases, resembling Grants.gov and Basis Listing.
Evaluate every nonprofit know-how grant’s utility standards to make sure that you’re eligible to use. As an example, some grantmakers could require your group to be positioned in a particular area or space.
3. Put together your know-how grant utility.
When you’ve discovered a nonprofit know-how grant that you simply’re fascinated about making use of for, personalize your utility based on the analysis you’ve performed on the funder. An efficient grant utility clearly defines your nonprofit’s wants, leverages storytelling to convey your impression, and specifies sensible objectives for the funding you’re requesting.
4. Think about in search of knowledgeable assist.
In case your nonprofit needs further steerage to make your know-how grant functions stand out, contemplate partnering with a nonprofit grant advisor. High nonprofit grant consultants will dedicate themselves to making sure that your group’s grant efforts succeed.
As an example, Getting Consideration’s consultants totally perceive the Google Advert Grants program. From confirming your eligibility to complying with the newest rules, we all know this system’s intricacies and can assist you purchase and retain the grant. Whenever you accomplice with us, our staff will take the time to completely perceive your mission so we are able to craft compelling advertisements that precisely characterize your work and encourage seemingly supporters.
Set excessive expectations in your know-how grant advisor and select one who will do the next:
- Study the ins and outs of your nonprofit, together with your mission, impression, and audience.
- Develop a devoted technique and conduct analysis to establish grant alternatives that align with all that they’ve discovered about your group.
- Deal with your nonprofit grant functions to maximise your probabilities of successful the grant.
- Help your group with constructing relationships with funders to safe extra assist in a while.
A nonprofit grant advisor could be instrumental in serving to your group safe nonprofit know-how grant funding, particularly when you’ve got restricted time and assets to hold out the complete course of successfully.
Wrapping Up
New applied sciences are continually rising, and together with them come higher methods for nonprofits to serve their communities and make an enduring distinction. Determining the best way to incorporate these instruments into your fundraising, advertising and marketing, and communications methods is important to setting your group up for achievement.
Authorities companies, foundations, and firms acknowledge this precedence as nicely. Due to this, there are quite a few know-how grants for nonprofits accessible to fund your initiatives—you simply have to know the place to look and the best way to pinpoint the suitable alternatives to pursue.
For extra info on grants and the best way to deepen your nonprofit’s impression, discover these assets:
