Tools are great, but a business plan is better.

"We need to increase our online presence, so we are looking at some tools to do that. Do you provide tools?" At NPA we've heard this type of statement quite a bit. Lately, there is overwhelming sales pressure from companies looking to provide online "solutions" to nonprofits. It feels a little like the dotcom bubble all over again – technology is being touted as the "solution" for everything, whether it is the greatest content management system, a relationship management system, an email communications system or a unified online database.

A recent survey of the impact of the Internet on nonprofit organizations found that there is a growing recognition of the need for good design and navigation. It is not enough to simply put up a website; it must be informative, compelling and encourage repeat visits.

Tools are great, but a business plan is better. Web is no different than direct mail (except for the high-tech part). It's about the right message at the right time to the right person. You wouldn't sign a contract with a mail shop before you know what you need to have mailed. You wouldn't buy the paper for your annual report before you know how many pages it is and how many people you are sending it to.

Before you jump onto the tool or "solution" band wagon, ask yourself these questions:

1. What content will you manage with your content management system? Do you have the capacity to write web content that is user-centric, search engine optimized and compelling?
2. Do you know what your donors and web users want as you manage a relationship with them?
3. Does your online solution provide you with the action plans to meet your strategic objectives?
4. Do you have a plan for using your email communications system? Have you decided what the objectives are? Or the measurements of success? Do you know how often you have something new to say or how often people want to hear from you?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, or you already have a fandangled solution that you are not using effectively, NPA can help you. With a plan, the right internet tools can be selected and used to meet your organization's specific needs. But, don't believe that the tools themselves will solve your undefined internet problem.

At NPA our goal is to help nonprofits succeed online, not sell whiz-bang tools.

April 2005

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