NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference: An Opportunity for Hawai‘i Nonprofits to Get Resourced

Nonprofits often lag behind for-profit entities in terms of data capacity and technology access. Lack of general funding and human resources, in addition to programmatic funding and operations structures prioritizing direct services over capacity building are all challenges that nonprofits across the country, including Hawai‘i service providers, often face. NTEN is an organization that supports nonprofits in leveraging technology to increase impact and equity. Similar to our work at Hawai‘i Data Collaborative (HDC), NTEN’s focus is on providing capacity-building resources and support to nonprofits rather than offering direct services that address specific issues.

The Nonprofit Niche

NTEN

There are many data consultants and best practices out there, but in our experience searching for resources, the vast majority focus on for-profit business needs. This makes data and tech for nonprofits a niche space with its own unique challenges to understand, barriers to remove, and opportunities to leverage that differ from for-profit commercial applications. This perspective was validated when we attended NTEN’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in March 2024. In an effort to learn from and connect with other values-driven organizations focused on building data and technology capacity specifically in the nonprofit sector, we sent a few members of our core team to the conference. What we discovered was a whole range of nonprofits looking to data and technology to improve marketing, fundraising, client management, and many other aspects of operations key to achieving impact and mission.

Current Ideas and Tools

NTEN’s conference provides organizations with two valuable kinds of resources – information and perspectives on tech and business topics that are top-of-mind through a nonprofit lens, and opportunities to learn about the actual tools designed for and used by nonprofits. With all speakers selected from participating organizations, we found the conference sessions and topics – ranging from AI for nonprofits to data tools and technologies – accessible and relevant. “It’s so interesting when you go into a room with hundreds of people and they speak the same language, get what youʻre saying, and understand your challenges because they are experiencing the same challenges in whatever part of the country they are from. We often say the problems in Hawai‘i are unique to Hawai‘i, but sometimes they aren‘t. Sometimes solution execution needs to be more localized, but there is a lot to be learned from other communities,” says Adriann, HDC’s Director of Engagement.

Photo credit: Kate Meyers Emery

While sessions support the learning process – assessment, strategy development, implementation – the conference’s arcade of vendors allowed attendees to connect directly with companies that make software and systems designed for nonprofit use cases. Exploring tools is a good place to start learning about what to consider and becoming immersed in the space. Even if an organization doesn’t have dedicated data or tech consultants, attending NTEN’s conference provides exposure to resources, best practices, and tools for implementation. “It’s a great conference for any nonprofit that has the desire and ambition to build data capacity and update their tech, but doesn’t know where to start. HDC’s dream is for nonprofits to be able to build capacity for themselves by having the knowledge and decision-making authority to assess their own needs and parameters, figure out what data products meet that, and then implement,” says Tiana, HDC’s Data Systems and Visualization Lead.

Building Bridges

Photo credit: Sektor3.0

Another valuable aspect of the conference was connecting with others across the country, and the world, who were aligned in a vision of how data and technology can support nonprofits in better fulfilling their missions and making meaningful impact in their chosen causes. With such diversity of perspectives representing a wide range of roles as well as organization budgets, staff sizes, causes, and locations, the conference is a great opportunity for any Hawai‘i nonprofit staff member or leader to grow their network of peers. Speaking to the value of these connections, Tiana explains, “We now have a network of people we can relate to and turn to for fresh perspectives and support with overcoming challenges and developing solutions. It’s inspiring to have a broader network of folks who can validate our work and experience, as well as share their experiences and learnings with us.”

Investing in Equity

Nonprofits stand to make the same gains in efficiency, insight, and ultimately performance that for-profits gain when they invest in data and technology. In the nonprofit sector, however, these gains translate into a sustainable culture and ultimately benefits for community members and the staff that serve them. Hawai‘i’s nonprofit ecosystem can feel insulated, but it doesn’t have to be. NTEN offers organizations the opportunity to learn about national standards and best practices, modern tools and resources, and a way to network and learn with other teams working on similar issues across the country.