Nonprofit organizations face challenges that other types of organizations do not. Due to their membership and operational model, a nonprofit will typically operate with limited staff and tight budgets. It can be hard to maintain an adequate paper office space with these constraints. Document management systems provide a secure way to manage documents in your organization’s workflow, saving you time and money!
Nonprofit organizations make the world a better place, often with limited time, workforce resources, and funding. Productive document management for nonprofit organizations is a way to maximize the resources- the proper system saves time, eliminates barriers, and helps to stay compliant with state and federal requirements. Like many other industries, nonprofit documentation is also going digital. In that direction, document management software comes in. Moving the paperwork to the cloud has advanced benefits that can break through the entire organization.
Here are four benefits we found when adopting a Document management system for non profit organizations:
1. Combine Donor Information
Managing contacts can be time-consuming and daunting, with many interactions from varied sources. Entering each contact into your database one at a time takes up precious hours of workforce with no visible progress to show for it. A Cloud-Based DMS will benefit a nonprofit organization’s file cabinets by collecting all the data through scanning, consolidating it in an accessible place, eliminating any human error and providing document security.
DMS software is not just a digital documents storage and retrieval system; it also automates repetitive processes with a unique feature called electronic workflow. Instead of distributing physical documents manually, the user can set up the system to distribute them to the right person based on various parameters. The user can also create a workflow to remind managers to approve an invoice or purchase order.
2. Raise Volunteers Effectiveness
Nonprofit version control is staffed by volunteers that leave regularly. Nonprofits without the oversight of documents can be prone to tampering, but these electronic documents offer solutions with limited permissions for user credentials.
Nonprofit organizations have minimal staff and budgets, making the systems an affordable option for those in need. A popular way for nonprofits to work more efficiently on minimal
budget and staff are by implementing a document management system and storing paper documents.
The types of tasks the DMS can provide include automated mailing or producing documents for those who don’t have access to a scanner, freeing up time volunteers could instead invest in meaningful interactions with constituents.
State and federal laws require nonprofits to adhere to data retention policies and keep detailed donations and other financial transactions. The benefits of DMS also include audit trail features that track who accessed and changed specific files and when they are accessed. When government representatives or donors ask for an audit of finances, nonprofits can produce a comprehensive report with a few clicks. Cutting-edge DMS like Docupile allows configuring data retention settings so certain documents are saved and discarded automatically.
3. Less Is More
Nonprofit organizations’ business processes face different challenges when compared to profit-oriented companies. Document Management System DMS benefits these organizations immensely because of their quick ROI and small investment. An electronic document management system can increase productivity, efficiency, and smooth working across the organization. With a DMS in place, you’ll have reduced paper costs, simplified compliance management, and a secure donation process.
Limited funds and budgetary restrictions are a constant challenge for nonprofits. There are associated costs often ignored, like file cabinets, printers and office supplies. It does not even include the extra costs involved with manually organizing, filing and retrieving documents that consume a lot of time and money. Scanning the records into a DMS saves money, free up space, and eliminates costly paper-centric processes. It’s because DMS software automatically indexes the data, ensuring time is kept for access to documents. If the user wants to retrieve a record, he must type the keywords.
Achieving those goals will let your company focus on its core mission of serving people or organizations that need help to better their lives.
4. Switch Easily Between Roles
Nonprofit companies face different challenges than for-profit corporations. Without enough people, they must rely on the flexibility of their staff to do what is required. However, quality tools can help transition between roles and responsibilities. Adopting a document management system will allow your nonprofit to access information when and where needed and help disaster recovery. The staff can juggle between meetings with donors or financial consultation even if they don’t have access to their office computer, so long as they have a smart device.
If you are a nonprofit looking to expand and meet your goals, you must have the right tools. A DMS will store documents to help improve communication with volunteers and keep your community up-to-date on work done.
The best DMS software ensures administration features that restrict access to specific individuals and groups within an organization. It allows to set up rules that prevent volunteers and part-time
employees from viewing financial reports and reserve those uses for managers only. Cloud-based DMS software also guarantees top-level security because the servers it runs on are protected with solid intrusion prevention systems, firewalls, antivirus software, data backup programs, and encryption tools that protect data in storage. They are also monitored and maintained by a team of certified security experts who eliminate potential threats, fix security bugs, and minimize downtime.
Finally, a cloud-based DMS software provides remote access features. So, it does not matter if the workers and volunteers spread around the globe; as long as they have a secured device and stable internet connection, they can connect to the system and work as if they are in the same office.
Overview:
Digital solutions come up with built-in safeguard measures to cope with security accidents. Many systems run on automatic backups to ensure another copy of files on a second server. If an employee by mistake deletes a file or the actual server goes down, one can be assured that the documents and data are safe. In most cases, the system backs up regularly to reduce risk, always ensuring compliance.
Thus, document management helps nonprofit organizations in conserving valuable resources. They have specific requirements for document management, which assist in determining solutions for documentation, saving time and reducing costs.
