Building a Connected Nonprofit Tech Stack with Application Programming Interfaces

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enable disparate nonprofit systems to connect and route data effectively. It’s rare for a nonprofit to operate on a single platform. Fundraising may happen on one platform while donor records might reside on another. Accounting, email marketing, volunteer management, and reporting may require their own platform. Without connections between all these activities, nonprofit organizations can waste time transferring information from one screen to another. The goal isn’t to buy more technology but to make the existing technology work together.

• Connected systems save time spent on administrative tasks.
• Intentional integrations allow the team to act quickly. 

Three Methods for Developing Better Connections in the System

The strongest nonprofit technology strategy often starts with three simple questions: What data moves, where should it go, and what should happen next?

1. Map the right systems

First, focus on integrating systems that move your organization’s important information. A fundraising platform is a great example: it can transfer donor and transaction data to a CRM, making accounting, reporting, and communication easier.

For example, Givebutter offers an API that allows developers to create custom giving experiences and automations. With the systems being interconnected, you can avoid double data entry. For example, a donation does not have to go to an Excel spreadsheet before another department uses it. 

2. Use data to trigger actions

Interconnected systems become even more helpful when information can prompt different actions. For instance, if a contributor donates through a fund-collecting portal, the donor registry can record this action. Afterward, another activity can occur: the contributor can receive a thank-you message, and their contribution history could be updated. Blackbaud’s SKY API is a good example of this: there are REST APIs used across various Blackbaud solutions. The conclusion is that interconnected systems should simplify administrative work, not build another layer.

3. Build around security and purpose

Your stack must be designed with priority for security and a clear understanding of the purposes of connected applications. Integration does not involve connecting everything that can be connected. Nonprofits must know what information they need from each application and limit access accordingly. Therefore, secure credentials and carefully managed data transfers are necessary. 

Salesforce is a good example. For instance, Nonprofit Cloud provides nonprofit organizations with fundraising capabilities,  program management, results monitoring, etc. Additionally, their manuals contain instructions for managing access and permissions. Good stacks always have borders. The fundraising department does not need all volunteers’ records by default. Therefore, a reporting application needs aggregated information, not individual volunteers’ details.

On a larger scale, think of the stack in terms of its connections and don’t regard individual applications as disconnected equipment. Each connection must have a purpose. By connecting applications, a small organization can use its workforce more efficiently and effectively. Information communicated through predefined routes produces reliable reports.  However, you don’t need to change your application at once. You can connect the ones you already use. 

Conclusion

Constructing a connected nonprofit technology solution is more about using already existing tools intelligently than adding the latest software on the market. Begin by identifying important tasks, linking systems purposefully, securing sensitive data, and assessing whether the integration saves time or improves service. The best stack does not have to be the largest stack. It can be the stack that helps people accomplish significant tasks with fewer unnecessary efforts.

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