What can charities do to improve efficiency yet cut costs? Thought about BYOD?

PARNELL, New Zealand - Nov. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- Charities (http://www.exchequersql.com/sectors/charity/) and not-for-profit organisations have been eager to embrace the potential of mobile technology (http://www.exchequersql.com/mobile/), and those that have are well placed to capitalise on the benefits. With more and more people donating through txt and social media via apps and donation websites, mobile technology is a must for a charity in this day and age.

A report published in November 2013 by mobile network company Three (a UK company) found that donations through websites, social media and apps now account for $26 in every $100 donated in the UK. This trend would seem to be similar in NZ, as many charities and not-for-profits are taking advantage of txt to donate and also online donation pages.

As advances in mobile technologies continue to develop, charities face the challenge of how to exploit new technology while continuing to work within their limited budgets. This dilemma has prompted an increasing number of charitable organisations to consider adopting Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) schemes.

BYOD schemes allow employees and volunteers to use their own mobile devices (laptops, tables, smartphones etc) for work purposes and offer improved flexibility and productivity. For charities in particular, the appeal of BYOD is obvious.

Dwindling budgets mean that many organisations have insufficient funds to invest in updating IT hardware and corporate mobile plans. This comes at a time when charities are facing greater demands from staff to use smartphones and tablets to do their job by accommodating flexible working. With more employees and volunteers showing a willingness to use their own personal devices for work purposes BYOD has become a tempting proposition.

Mobile technology significantly increases productivity for field workers as staff can record information ‘on the move’ during visits and deal with queries as they arise. Essential transactional information, such as expenses and time spent on projects, can be entered and authorised remotely using a mobile device. This eliminates the need to return to the office and trawl through mountains of paperwork.

The rise of mobile is also enabling charities to better engage with stakeholders, supporters and younger audiences to boost responses from their fundraising campaigns to drive donations. Trustees are also using mobile devices to gain easier access to financial information and can drill down to the detail in order to offer meaningful advice on the allocation of scarce resources.

To meet this soaring demand Exchequer is continually developing mobile applications to provide organisations with remote access to key information via the Exchequer finance system using smartphones.

While allowing staff and volunteers to use their own devices may provide significant cost savings, it is essential that charities create a consistent and coherent BYOD strategy to prevent data security breaches and the inevitable loss of supporter trust.By doing so, organisations can mitigate the threat of security vulnerabilities, thus empowering employees and volunteers to use mobile technology to help generate vital funds. All without placing donor relationships at risk.

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