2022: The Year of (Re)Investment
Steve Jacobson
Chief Executive Officer
Now that we’ve closed the page on 2021 and have begun to see what 2022 will bring us, one thing appears to be evident: 2022 will be the year of reinvestment in technology across the nonprofit sector.
Sure, Covid still remains a risk. There’s always the possibility that the fading Omicron strain will be replaced by another, more virulent and/or more transmissible variant. And there’s the risk that supply chain issues will continue to make hardware upgrades a challenge or that inflation will eat up a good chunk of unbudgeted costs from nonprofit budgets… But, from what we are seeing in the market, organizations are realizing that they can’t put off long-delayed technology projects and remain competitive for their share of donor contributions.
In higher education, we are seeing a surge of interest in replacing legacy fundraising CRM systems, some of which date back 20 or even 30 years. Back then, a number of these advancement systems were included as the poor stepchild in a package of student information systems. Now, though, it’s abundantly clear that colleges and universities—and even some large independent schools—are being held back by the true lack of customer relationship management in these legacy CRM systems. Institutions now need an advancement system that can deliver best-in-breed functionality while seamlessly integrating with other best-in-breed systems for finance, marketing automation, and wealth screening (among others). It’s all about how well these systems play with others as institutions strive to create comprehensive yet streamlined ecosystems that not only increase alumni engagement, but also make back-office processes more efficient.
In the arts and culture world, which has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, recovery has been nascent. Arts organizations have been on a real roller coaster ride with each Covid wave. These cycles of closing and reopening have taken their toll. In order to stay afloat, many organizations have been forced to lay off staff. Similarly, we have seen arts professionals choose to leave the industry altogether, becoming a part of The Great Resignation. The resulting brain drain has translated into a huge loss of institutional knowledge, especially around systems and business processes. While it’s hard enough to fill vacant positions in this jobs market, any new staff will need to be trained on existing technologies, a significant reinvestment expense.
As we look forward to the rest of 2022 and beyond, it seems clear that organizations need to do more with less. Less staff. Less complexity. Less cost. Organizations will need to leverage their investments in technology to gain a competitive advantage. With the right systems, processes, and people, organizations can achieve more, even as they rebuild. More efficiency. More engagement. More revenue. And that all translates into more impact.
Are you looking to do more, with less?
At JCA, we help organizations envision their future by helping them implement the right technology and adopt best practices to more effectively engage their constituency and streamline their back-office processes. Ask us how we can help you.