Software/Technology

The employee perks at Google are legendary, and they’ve always included an over-the-top holiday gift for every employee. In the past, the company has surprised its 70,000 employees with Nexus phones, Android smartwatches and Chromebooks. This year, employees speculated they might get Google’s new Pixel phones or a Google Home unit, the company’s competitor to…

Charitable planning and giving is going robo. New services are emerging that not only make giving automatic, but help you screen and select charities online that match your objectives. These “robo-donors” are also helping those who are tech-attuned to target their donations. Scott Yak, 27, a software developer with Google in New York City, came…

Supporting your favorite cause through social media just got simpler—and you have Facebook to thank. The social media giant rolled out the update on Thursday, which allows users to fundraise for their favorite nonprofits through Facebook Live. The new feature lets users connect fundraiser pages directly to Live, displaying a donate button and fundraiser progress…

I decided to look at Food for the Poor's website to see if I could learn anything about its growth from its site alone. There are many things I do not know about the charity—but neither do many people considering making a donation. Often, all someone has to go by is a website. So, what’s happening on its siteI decided to look at the charity's website to see if I could learn anything about its growth from its site alone. There are many things I do not know about Food for the Poor—but let’s face it, neither do many people considering making a donation. Often, all someone has to go by is an organization's website. So, how is Food for the Poor using its site to engage donors?...

Apple has had a rule that banned iOS apps from collecting funds for charities or fundraisers via Apple Pay. That means if they collected funds, it would have to take place outside the app, such as through a browser or text. Apple also made it difficult for nonprofits to collect in-app donations without incurring huge…

Apple announced yesterday that its payments service, Apple Pay, will now support the ability to make donations to nonprofits, starting immediately in the U.S. This includes Apple Pay on the web, where it can be integrated into websites’ checkout flow, as well as within mobile applications. The changes are rolling out just ahead of the…

For those of us who have been in the technology industry for some time, Mary Meeker is a household name. Her annual reports about internet trends have been the go-to source for those trying to anticipate what will happen next with e-commerce, online advertising and internet usage, in general. She published her first report in…

All organizations strive for increased efficiency, but it is more important for nonprofits that seek to achieve their missions, often with diminishing resources. To support these efficiency efforts, many nonprofits use modern tools and technology, to take advantage of opportunities to change the way they pursue their missions. Many digital platforms can increase innovation and…

The latest research from M+R looks under the hood at how 105 various nonprofits raise money online. Researchers found that while email metrics (open and click rates) are down, email fundraising is up (email revenue grew by 25 percent in 2015). To summarize, the three most important factors that influence email fundraising response rates. List…

DoSomething.org‘s “1 Star for Hate” campaign is giving out $1,500 scholarships for people who spam one-star, copy/pasted reviews on Amazon listings they believe are “culturally appropriated.” The more one-star reviews users submit, the greater chance they have of winning the scholarship cash...