2023 Review of IT in Not for Profits

This 2023 Review of IT in Not for Profits comes with another year of change.

After years of uncertainty and operational adjustments during the pandemic, I think everyone was hoping for a little more Business as Usual. But it definitely didn’t pan out that way – for better and worse.

Hybrid operations

For many Not for Profits, 2023 required more operational changes, as it was the first full year since COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted. With this came a return to the workplace for many office staff and regular face-to-face events.

Yet, today’s new world is slightly different, with demands for hybrid work arrangements and events now the norm.

Fortunately, the investments in digital communication platforms and Learning Management Systems (LMS) in previous years made it easier to transition.

Fears of an economic downturn

2023 was also a year of inflation, higher interest rates, and general economic concerns that impacted budgets. Large investments in IT may have been postponed depending on the certainty of their funding.

Other organisations recognised the need to increase and diversify their income streams regardless.

For Associations, this may have been enabled through technology, specifically if they had the right CRM to support their growing services.

I also know of charities investing in more for-fee services and implementing online booking tools to help increase revenue.

Uncertainty for NDIS providers

Certainly, the coming changes to the NDIS are bringing concerns for many organisations that cannot forget the cash crunch they experienced about a decade ago. This was when the Australian Government changed their funding model from upfront grants to post-service payments.

These future changes will undoubtedly impact NDIS providers’ IT management and reporting systems again, too. How will these orgs fund these tech changes?

It’s important to consider this now.

International conflicts

The wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip are also impacting many Not for Profits. For some, it may be that fewer donations are coming in as stakeholders redirect their giving to international aid.

For others, especially those who may be supporting specific countries, this has come in the form of deliberate cyberattacks on their websites and systems (though more so abroad than in Australia).

Concerns about Cybersecurity

Indeed, all statistics show a 2023 increase in cybersecurity attacks worldwide, and Not for Profit boards are really concerned.

Unfortunately, these concerns have not necessarily translated to actions, as many organisations lack the internal knowledge to mitigate these risks. If you need any help with cybersecurity, let me know.

Interest in Artificial Intelligence

Finally, there’s a good reason why Artificial Intelligence has been all over the news this year. The promise of increased productivity and the removal dreaded manual tasks is all the buzz.

In reality, few Not for Profits have gone beyond experimentation – content creation is the exception.

In the new year, I’ll discuss my future view of AI in my “2024 IT Trends for Not for Profits” article. For now, organisations need to implement appropriate policies to support this new tech.

Check out my article, “Are you practising safe AI?” for more information.