From Blackbaud, six takeaways from the recent Nonprofit Technology Conference:

Email is Hot

Email should be a critical part of every nonprofits communication strategy. Just like direct mail, email isn’t going away just because some new thing called social media came along.

Mobile (as expected) is On the Rise

From websites, to email, to apps to social media, having a mobile strategy that’s executed across all your online channels is a key part of future growth.

Websites Still Matter (A lot)

Your website is your property and the way a lot of the world will learn about your organization. Don’t let it go to pot because of all your focus on social media or mobile. Keep it nice, effective and evolving.

Strategy, Not Tools (Duh!)

Strategy first. Everything else will follow.

Data Visualization is the Next Big Thing

People starting to put more thought into the area of data visualization, but in order to pull it off nonprofits need to have folks on staff that have journalistic, data analysis and graphic design skills. If they don’t, consider outsourcing the work (as an example, see above; to see this post with data visualization click here).

Gaming for Good

Producing real games for good can be costly and requires a very unique set of skills. Applying game mechanics to existing programs and fundraising initiatives can add a very engaging new layer to otherwise unchanged element of your nonprofits work. In either case, make sure to do your homework and count the cost before you jump in.

image: from rally.org, an example of data visualization based on takeaways from the Nonprofit Technology Conference; click here for a larger view

For more on this year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference see #12NTCJews Talk Networks and Nonprofits.