Understanding Inflation and its Impact on Communities: How Technology is Helping Nonprofits Address Struggles and Support Those in Need
Exploring the challenges nonprofits face to meet the growing economic struggles caused by inflation, and what some are doing to support their clients during this economic downturn, including through JobPaths fully customizable solutions or its new, out-of-the-box Mission+ software.
Inflation has a real-world impact on communities, especially during times of financial crisis and economic downturn. As prices rise, the cost of living increases and people are forced to make difficult decisions about stretching their limited resources.
These problems are compounded for members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) populations, particularly veterans, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, women, and minorities. These DE&I groups historically face greater challenges when navigating through economic downturns, leaving nonprofits to help them pick up the pieces.
In this article, we will explore the challenges nonprofits face to meet this demand, and what some are doing to support their clients during this economic downturn thanks to the powerful Mission+ technology provided by JobPaths .
Most Nonprofits Lack Technology Solutions to Meet the Needs of Clients in This Digital Age
As inflation rises, nonprofits must be prepared to meet their client’s needs. The modern world is changing, and nonprofits must keep up. Gone are the days of relying on paper and Excel spreadsheets to manage their operations. With the advances in technology, nonprofits need to use more sophisticated tools to support their clients, conduct fundraising activities, and gain valuable data for grant reporting. By doing so, they can ensure they can effectively manage their resources and maximize their impact on society.
The rise of cloud computing has made it easier for nonprofits to access powerful tools that can help them manage their operations more efficiently. With these new technologies, some nonprofits have signed up for tools that help them track donations, manage donor relationships, analyze data trends in real time, and much more. These select nonprofits are better equipped to meet the needs of the people they serve quickly, and with the resources in place to do so effectively.
The next challenge facing clients is far different from the prior ones because the client themselves is different. Virtually all clients needing assistance in 2023 have lived in an era where they have conducted most of their communication by smartphone and have used computers and the internet since their teenage years. The only path forward for nonprofits is taking advantage of modern technology.
Examples of Nonprofits Modernizing Their Tech to Help Their Communities
Nonprofit organizations are increasingly leveraging technology solutions to support struggling communities. By using data-driven approaches, these organizations can identify and address the needs of vulnerable populations more efficiently. Helmets to Hardhats, Source America, and GI Go Fund are examples of nonprofits that are leveraging tech solutions to help those in need. Each leveraging either JobPaths fully customized solution or their low-cost, out-of-the-box Mission+ solution in unique ways, these organizations demonstrate how nonprofits can use tech solutions to serve their communities better and make a positive impact on society.
Helmets to Hardhats
Helmets to Hardhats is a nationally recognized titan in the veteran nonprofit space, having spent the past several decades helping connect veterans with career opportunities in the construction and trade industries.
In 2023, the organization partnered with JobPaths to revamp its online platform to support veterans in finding work digitally while integrating to their internal systems. On this new site, available online at careers.helmetstohardhats.org, military veterans can quickly build free resumes, access 250 free skills-based training courses, and even receive a personalized dashboard that curates the most accurate job matches, benefits, and resources for their job search. Employers and Training Centers can access over 200,000 jobseekers using JobsPaths or one of their many other sites licensing their software through their robust marketplace.
The organization also gets significant support through its reporting dashboard, which provides real-time data on user sign-ups, jobs applied for, postings by industries and trade, and much more. All of these data points are available to Helmets to Hardhats to assist them in providing accurate data reports for their federal and private grant funding requirements.
Source America
Source America is a non-profit organization that uses technology to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. For almost 50 years, SourceAmerica has secured job opportunities that support the needs and talents of people with disabilities through contracts between its network of AbilityOne® authorized providers and the federal government and private sector.
Source America is providing a similar tool to its clients, with a focus on supporting the needs of people with disabilities. With postings and resources specifically geared towards the skills and needs of their clients, the organization is using the JobPaths software in a targeted way to address the needs of their clients.
“At SourceAmerica, we know that people with disabilities make vital contributions to their families, employers, communities, and our nation’s workforce,” said Shane Kanady, SourceAmerica vice president of workforce development. “When the right person is matched with the right job, everyone wins. We are committed to secure job opportunities that support their needs and talents and promote social and economic inclusion and equity.”
GI Go Fund
GI Go Fund to help veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and all people in need providing them with employment and entrepreneurial assistance, housing support, and other resources. On their online page powered by JobPaths’ Mission+ tool, they offer job seekers and employers alike a wide range of employment tools available on JobPaths.
In addition to employment tools. GI Go Fund can create unique fundraisers on their site and provide their donors with fundraising team pages, allowing them to create and manage their own fundraising campaigns easily. The site has also integrated its online credit card processing system into the page to accept donations, including monthly recurring donations.
Conclusion - Understanding the Role of Technology in Supporting Communities Facing Economic Strain from Inflation
Inflation has been a major economic issue for many communities around the world. To help these communities face this challenge, technology can be used to create solutions that improve their lives and strengthen their economies. Technology such as JobPaths and its Mission+ system can provide resources, access to knowledge, and tools to help individuals and families build better lives. By understanding the role of technology in supporting communities facing the current challenges that are being caused by our inflationary market, we can create meaningful solutions that will benefit everyone involved.