Digital Transformation in Non-Profit Organizations: Strategies, Challenges, and Successes

Abstract

The ownership of technology in people’s lives has largely increased over the recent past, which has caused major revolutions in all spheres of life including non-profit organizations. This paper reflects on the contribution of digital transformation to the improvement of the operations, access and effectiveness of nonprofits. While these organizations attempt to establish themselves and improve in a society that is going technological, they are faced with different issues and feasibility that other not for profit organizations do not face. The study presents approaches indicating how such a process can be most effectively managed and includes specification of strategic planning, leadership, and capacity development, as well as touching upon issues of technology choice and change implementation. However, beyond a general discussion on issues regarding digital transformation, this paper focuses on the problems non-profits face while executing this process which include; Financial risks, Cultural issues, Constraints on technical expertise. These challenges keep limiting the speed and impact of implementing digital strategies, and may only be solved through specific strategies. The paper includes synthesis of the best and worst practices of non-profit digital transformation, supported by the description and analysis of successful and unsuccessful cases. The main conclusion discusses that the research points to the fact that researchers should not recommend general technological solutions for non-profits, but only those that have to do with their goals and activities. Finally, this paper gives a guide on how non-profit organizations can use technology to improve its functionality in meeting the society’s needs in the ever more digital society.