The key to nptech and developing software for nonprofits is understanding the problems and needs they have and building solutions. These needs keep evolving with time and to keep up with them, there needs to be constant connection and conversation with those who use your software i.e. your customers. For us, that comes through our customer support channels as well as well as our social media conversations through comments on our blog, Twitter and discussions on our Facebook page. A lot of the conversations we have had with them and the ideas they have shared with us have gone into making the DonorTools software even better.  The feedback we’ve received has helped us constantly innovate and build on the technology. In short:

Our customers help us as we help them.

We recently spread the word on the pledges and recurring donations capabilities we were working on and got some useful feedback from different customers on how it could be handled. Similarly, these ongoing conversations have helped provide us with some great ideas around other areas such as mobile donations and more. Keeping these open channels  of communication and using the ideas you get from customers can apply across all areas of NPTECH and the symbiotic relationship between customer service and customers is a path to better software. So a big “thank you” to all our customers and everyone who have helped us make DonorTools even better!

Mashables recent post on the surge in the mobile applications market puts into perspective just how quickly the mobile applications market is exploding:

According to the study, created by Chetan Sharma Consulting, mobile app downloads should jump from 7 billion in 2009 to almost 50 billion in 2012. By this time, the market will be worth 17.5 billion dollars, the study predicts, despite the expected lower price of mobile apps, which should drop from the current average of 2 dollars per app to 1.5 dollars in 2012.

Nonprofit organizations have a lot to gain from being able to operate better in a more mobile environment where they have access to their critical information on the move too. Beth’s Blog by Beth Kanter featured a post on the launch Zoetica’s iPhone application. Understanding the need for those in the nonprofit space to have access to their favorite nonprofit and social change blogs, their iPhone app compiles feeds from these publications which can be read on the move from your iPhone.   On the subject of how nonprofits are quickly tapping into the potential iPhone user base and embracing the iPhone trend Beth says:

I’m seeing more and more nonprofits add iPhone apps (or other mobile apps) to their marketing mix.  For example, just take a look at the explosion of mobile apps for museums.  and especially since the dramatic success of the Red Cross Haiti text fundraising.   But text fundraising is a whole different type of project than delivering content which might make a good “toe in the water with mobile” low-cost experiment.

Software and technology are enabling nonprofits to use mobile technology in important areas such as donor management and fundraising like never before and the iPhone seems to be the mobile channel of choice.  The iPhone interface in the DonorTools software is that enabler when it comes to being able to manage donors, donation or fundraising operations on the move. Off too a meeting with an important donor and don’t know much about them? Need to share reports on the fundraising progress with someone? It’s all good as long as the iPhone is within reach. …and that’s the wonder of this device and how versatile it can be! If the marketing and sales guys of the enterprise world are married to their iPhones and their Blackberry’s looking so inseparable… ..is it so hard to believe we fundraisers and nonprofit guys can find a best friend in an iPhone?