Remote Work for Nonprofits 101: Your Complete Guide to the Top Remote Working Resources

As the world started moving towards a digital space with technology at the forefront of business practices, more organizations started working from home. 

And then, when the pandemic hit, businesses all over the world had to adjust quickly. 

Nonprofit organizations were no exception. 

But as we start to return to normal, the remote work for nonprofits trend is still as popular as ever. 

So, in case your organization is looking to make sure they’re still creating an efficient remote work for nonprofits model, we’ve got a complete guide with the top remote working resources to have: 

*PLEASE NOTE: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means we receive compensation or benefits if you click and purchase something. It does not change the price for you!* 

Is Remote Work for Nonprofits Still Popular? 

The first thing we need to tackle is the question – is remote work for nonprofits still a popular model to adopt? 

As the world tries to get back to normal, are more employees and volunteers looking to return to work in person? 

According to Forbes, 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022. And remote work opportunities across all sectors, including the nonprofit sector, are projected to continue increasing in 2023. 

So it’s clear, at least for the foreseeable future, remote work is here to stay. And that does include nonprofit remote work! 

3 Benefits of Offering Nonprofit Remote Work: 

If you’re not yet sure if remote nonprofit work is a viable option for your organization, it’s worth it to review some of the benefits of it. 

Here are 3 of the many benefits that come along with adopting a work-from-home model: 

1. Broaden Your Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers

Whether you’re looking to offer virtual volunteerism or you need full-time staff members, the world is suddenly your oyster with nonprofit remote work. 

Rather than being constrained by your location, you can now recruit top talent from across the nation (if not the globe)! 

Not to mention, 74% of millennials look for a “work-from-home” option when searching for the right job for them. 

2. Get Your Nonprofit Going Green

Nonprofit work from home options means your organization can prioritize environmentally-friendly practices.

If this is something your organization cares for, then it’s a great idea to offer both virtual volunteer opportunities and remote work opportunities! 

Allowing telecommuting inherently reduces carbon footprint. Now, your staff and volunteers don’t have to drive into work or even spend hours in traffic. Plus, you won’t have the carbon footprint of having a designated, communal work space (more on that in a minute). 

Plus, since everyone will need to communicate digitally, your organization immediately reduces their use of paper! 

3. Reduce Your Nonprofit’s Overhead Costs

Speaking of not needing to have a designated, communal workspace, your nonprofit’s overhead immediately gets smaller. 

When you offer virtual working options, you don’t have to pay rent for a building. Or, you can get away with having a smaller building, which usually means less rent for it! It also reduces the need for daily operational costs like printing documents, custodial and sanitation work, food and beverage costs, parking costs, and even furniture. 

And that all sounds great for a nonprofit budget! 

Tips When Remote Working for Nonprofits: 

While there are many benefits to remote working for nonprofits, it does come with its own set of challenges. 

From no longer having a barrier between your work space and your living space, to feeling temptations of doing house work while on the clock, there are things to keep in mind. 

Here are some of our tips when adopting a remote working model: 

1. Take Your Physical and Mental Health Seriously

When full-time staff or virtual volunteers take on nonprofit remote jobs, they (usually) no longer have a divided space for working and for being at home. 

That can take a toll on an individual’s physical and mental health! 

So, we recommend keeping physical and mental health seriously from the very beginning. 

Set boundaries for work hours. Work those hours diligently, just as you would in the office. Then, once those hours are up, be sure to log off and give yourself time to recharge. 

It’s also a great idea to schedule small breaks throughout the day. Time to get up, stretch, and move your body does wonders for both physical and mental health. 

Finally, if it’s possible, try to designate a specific room or create a section of a larger room that acts as your work area. Keeping your work separated from your home life as much as you can will also do great things for physical and mental health. 

2. Keep Up With Best Practices as Employers and Employees

It can be so tempting to do things, like working on your home chores, while still on the clock for work. 

The best way to tackle this unique scenario is to jot down all of the “ethical, best practices,” you used when you were going into the office. 

Then, follow those during your working hours, even as you work from home. 

3. Set Up Your Working Space at Home Properly

Finally, working in a designated office provided by an organization usually comes with a great setup for getting the job done.

That usually includes a desk, an office chair, and other tools. 

But when your organization moves to working remotely, staff members and volunteers create their own space. 

If that’s your current situation, the best thing you can do is set up your working space properly. Have all of the necessary tools and resources available to you to make sure you’re productive whenever you’re on the clock! 

Your Guide to the Top Resources for Remote Working for Nonprofits: 

So what are the top resources and tools to use to make sure you’re productive? Great question! Here are just some of the top resources for remote working for nonprofits. 

Tools for Internal Communication Among Staff and Volunteers

When nonprofit professionals telecommute or work from home, there’s no more running down the hall to chat with someone. 

So keeping in touch needs to be done virtually. Here are some of the top tools to use to keep staff on top of internal communications: 

• Slack – The modern work from home world’s instant messaging tool. Quickly chat with your nonprofit team members or volunteers to ask fast questions and get input as needed.
• Zoom – Need to have a meeting with your team? Or how about the organization as a whole? Zoom is a great way to do it straight from your work from home space. Video conference with anyone you need to!
• Google Workspace – The all-in-one platform for all of the collaborative and organizational tools you need. You’ll have a calendar, an email account, and a storage folder that anyone on your team can access! 

Platforms for Nonprofit Virtual Events

For many organizations, they relied on fundraising through in-person events. Nonprofits were faced with a unique challenge when the pandemic hit. 

They needed to meet those same fundraising goals, but they weren’t able to have the in-person events they counted on. 

That’s when nonprofit virtual events broke onto the scene! Now, many nonprofit organizations are still using virtual events to aid in fundraising. And many others are creating hybrid events that include an in-person and a virtual element. 

So here are some of the most popular nonprofit virtual event platforms you can use:

• ZGive – This is an awesome tool if you’re planning to have a hybrid event. It’s a digital auction platform, so you can engage both in-person and virtual attendees with this tool! And you can get a free training on the tool at our sister site, Nonprofit Library. Snag your seat here!
  
  
• Run the World – No matter what type of virtual fundraising event you’re planning, this tool can help you get it all done. With panel discussion capabilities, ticketing, one-on-one networking for attendees, live streaming, and reporting and analytics, you can do it all with this platform.  
  
  
• Trellis – Another popular virtual nonprofit event software that has a focus on digital auctions. But it doesn’t stop there! You can take advantage of ticketing, merchandise eCommerce options, live streaming, silent and live auctions, raffles, and more. Get a free look at Trellis at Nonprofit Library! 

Software to Keep Your Nonprofit Organization Secure

Since nonprofits collect donor data, there is more of a risk when it comes to adopting a nonprofit work from home model. 

But that doesn’t mean your organization can’t do it! It just needs to prioritize (even more so!) nonprofit cybersecurity. 

Here are some of our top tools to help you keep your nonprofit secure: 

• LastPass – manage all of your passwords for your nonprofit software among your entire organization. Keep everything secure with this tool! And we’ve got a free training on how to do it!

• MalwareBytes –  protect your nonprofit software from viruses, spyware, and other security risks. Get 24/7 threat protection on all of your registered devices. 

Project Management Tools 

Staying up-to-date and organized can feel a little more jumbled and overwhelming when working from home. 

These project management tools will keep you and your nonprofit teams all on the same page! 

• Trello – a productivity tool that allows collaborative working among your entire team. Use this visual bulletin board to get things done! Plus, you can snag a 75% discount as a registered nonprofit. 

• Asana – organize and track workflows for all of your projects! It’s similar to Trello, so you can figure out which one works best for your nonprofit organization. And you can get a 50% discount as a registered nonprofit. 

Resources to Spruce Up Your Home Working Space

Your home working space is the new office! So make sure you set it up properly to make it comfortable and to help you boost productivity. 

Here’s what we suggest: 

• Standing desk – a standing desk is a great way to reduce physical strain on your body. Plus, it’s a great way to encourage your body to keep moving. If you suffer from back pain, having a standing desk option may be a great idea. 

• Ergonomic office chair – this is another great option if you have back pain. Ergonomic chairs protect your back by providing lumbar support and proper cushioning that reduces straining and slumping. 

• Wrist-padded mouse pad – a mouse pad with an elevated wrist cushion is a small, but powerful resource to add to your ergonomic collection. This can help reduce the possibility of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. 

• Keyboard tray – similar to the mouse pad, having a raised keyboard can provide a more natural angle for your wrists. This can reduce the possibility of carpal tunnel syndrome, too. 

• Good lighting – if you’re spending all day in front of the computer, then it’s a great idea to invest in good lighting. Reduce the strain on your eyes, especially if you’re prone to dry eye or eye twitching. 

Nonprofit work from home opportunities come with plenty of benefits! But it still takes a bit of work to set everything up properly. 

These resources are perfect to help you get started with your nonprofit remote working toolkit!

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