Your Document Management Knowledge Center

Non Profit Contract Management and Compliance Solutions to be Highlighted at the 2010 InsideNGO Annual Member Conference

Tampa, FL. – June 29, 2010 - The management teams of non-governmental organizations constantly ask themselves – how can my organization better carry out its purpose and mission?

As they focus their attention on maintaining healthy relationships with the public to meet their goals, the last thing they need to worry about is the back-end operations. These operations may include board management, contract processing and execution, and managing the retention period of documents for compliance.

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Thinking About Giving Your Employees the Option to Work From Home?

Your nonprofit has been a successful organization for years, but the economy and workforce have forced you to look for even more areas where expenses can be cut. You’ve thought about cutting back on your marketing efforts, but hesitate. You have even looked at every activity your organization does to see if there is anything that can be eliminated. You’ve cut back where you’re able, but still, it’s not enough. To complicate matters further, you may even have staff, volunteers and vendors all over the world.

After all considerations, have you thought about giving staff and volunteers the option to work from home? If you are the traditional type of professional, you may think this sounds crazy. How is giving a “work from home” option going to cut back on operational costs without affecting the overall efficiency of the business? Cost savings may include the reduction of office space, furniture, network bandwidth and in some cases, computers and phone lines.

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Paperwork for Volunteers, Donors and Service Providers...Oh My!

Paperwork can be overwhelming and sometimes scary. But it really doesn’t have to be. Just like in the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was afraid of lions, tigers and bears until she met the cowardly lion.

Just like the cowardly lion, your paperwork can be helpful; you just have to treat it right.

Make it EASY for your staff to find your documents and information. If you manage a non-profit, dealing with the paperwork can sometimes make you feel like you are walking through a forest with Dorothy. There are volunteer liability release forms, vendor contracts, donor records, operations information and tax documents you need to retain for compliance. Trying to find an easy way to manage all that information does not have to be so  challenging.

There is a great quote by Peter F. Drucker that says, “ Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.” You probably know that there is a better way to manage your paper, but maybe you haven't found a solution that resolves all of the issues just yet. Here are a few ideas that may help you get more organized:

  • When a volunteer completes a liability release form, scan the document and immediately create an electronic file using document management software that will store it by name, date, category etc. in an easy-to-use system.

  • Need to have a quick way to look up what a donor contributed to your organization before making that follow-up phone call? If you store information electronically in a document management system, you can quickly access anything related to the donor by searching your records using only the donors name in your search.

  • Want to make sure your documents are automatically retained for the legal required amount of time? Use the same solution for your records retention needs and it will alert you when retention dates have expired so you can easily dispose of any unnecessary documents that may clutter your system or increase your risk of audit and potential litigation.

  • Have vendor service-provider contracts that need to be reviewed by multiple people in your organization, and signed by individuals outside of your office? An online document management system with version control and e-signature capabilities can help you automate the entire business process.

  • When your volunteers or service-providers are working off-site collecting information for you, instead of having them mail, drop-off, or fax paperwork to your office, allow them the flexibility to upload a document into an online document storage system that they can access from the internet. That way you save on postage, time, and your forms are automatically stored in your secure electronic system.
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Our Ride for Charity Update

Yesterday, Sarel, Dave and I participated in the Tampa Bay Ride Without Limits for United Cerebral Palsy. The Ride Without Limits - Tampa Bay is a one-day, multiple distance cycling event that helps raise much needed funds and awareness for UCP/Achieve Tampa Bay, to provide equal opportunities and access for children and adults with disabilities. Cyclists had the option of riding 35, 65 or up to 112 miles during this amazing ride.
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An Affordable Solution for Credit Unions to Reduce Costs and Maintain Compliance

Although most financial institutions are challenged by the current economic situation, credit unions are especially under pressure to make sound financial decisions. Credit unions are owned and controlled by their members. They want to ensure that the credit union is always making business decisions that will benefit the members, and that budgets are not exceeded. Because of this, credit unions hesitate to allocate money towards implementing the newest technology.

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A Reduction in Volunteers and Revenue Requires Nonprofits to Look for an Automated Approach for Workflow Improvements

The economy has hit businesses hard and it's causing a ripple effect in the nonprofit industry. To save on costs due to a reduction in revenue, companies have not only cut the donations they have given to charities in the past, but they have reduced available volunteer hours due to a reduction in staff and the need to have more people working in the office driving revenue. This cut in donations and volunteers has left non-profits with a heavy burden.

While many organizations are built of teams that wear many hats, this could not be truer for a nonprofit. With fewer volunteers in the field, the staff in the office now needs to get involved outside the office, causing workflows to back-up.

Technology can play an integral role in making the job of these non-profits easier. However, most non-profits struggle with information technology because of the lack of resources; IT expertise and money to fund technology.

It's important for non-profits to allocate the time to research what software and hardware solutions may be available to help them better manage their business. Often times, spending a small amount on technology to improve your business can save you a greater amount of money in other areas, including hiring more staff. One of the greatest areas where savings can be realized is in workflow and processing of paper documents.

Many non-profit organizations spend extra time processing their paperwork in a traditional manner because their technology budgets just do not include the funds for expensive, up-to-date software which typically needs hardware as well. These organizations can benefit from an inexpensive and easy alternative in which they will not have to rely on an IT support team to properly function. An online application that includes document management and compliance management is an affordable, easy-to-use, alternative providing immediate ROI...

How would an electronic document management (EDM) system satisfy the needs of a non-profit organization (NPO)?

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Online Document Management Improves Affordable Housing Efficiency

Many citizens struggle to make their mortgage payments as the foreclosure crisis impacts communities. Because of this, affordable housing departments are experiencing an influx of applications for funding assistance with First Time Home Buyer Down Payments, Housing Rehabilitation, Neighborhood Stabilization, Refinance Assistance and Foreclosure Assistance programs.

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DocuVantage's "Software for Soft Hearts" Benefits Local Nonprofit

Tampa, FL (July 15, 2009) – Document Advantage Corporation, (DocuVantage) has partnered with Tampa area Metropolitan Ministries in their effort to fight poverty and homelessness.  During the months of July and August, DocuVantage will make a donation to Metropolitan Ministries in the name of each new customer that subscribes to DocuVantage OnDemand® as part of their “Software for Soft Hearts” promotion.

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DocuVantage Spins Solutions for Charity During Bike Month

Tampa, FL (May 12, 2009) - In honor of National Bike Month in May, DocuVantage proves its commitment to nonprofits by supporting the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Ride Without Limits event.

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