Technology is a Mission Multiplier

Small technology shifts can unlock new growth opportunities.

Many Christian nonprofits operate with technology that works just well enough. They are unaware that a few small improvements could:

• free hours of staff time so that they can focus on your mission instead of administrative work,
• reduce frustration by making sure systems work together instead of causing confusion,
• and open doors to serve more people, which increases the impact of your ministry.

The growth of your ministry starts with how you use technology, not with buying more of it.

The Key to Growth

For the sake of clarity:

• Technology – software tools, platforms, and digital processes.
• Growth – increase of the reach, results, revenue, or impact of your ministry.

What’s actually stopping growth?

Technology rarely feels urgent until something breaks.

Technology rarely feels urgent until something breaks. Stepping away from the daily grind to tackle technology can feel risky. It feels like you’re only adding more to your plate.

But.

Technology is a mission multiplier that unlocks exponential growth. The payoff is too great to ignore.

Great, where do I start?

A 2025 study on Nonprofit Technology Impact found that 41% of respondents lack automation and organizational efficiency, 35% rely on manual reporting, and 29% experience inefficiencies and delays due to disparate systems.

Clearly, nonprofits are still struggling with technology.

Clearly, nonprofits are still struggling with technology. Process efficiency, reporting, and unified systems are the fundamentals that unlock your ministry’s potential. Here’s how to start enabling your ministry. A simple strategy keeps you focused.

Where is your ministry going, and how are you going to get there?

We must answer these basic questions.

Here are two huge mistakes leaders make when thinking about their strategy:

1. Thinking too small – This causes you to miss what’s truly important in your ministry. Don’t fixate on tactics.
2. Thinking too big – Taking on more than you should, leaves you feeling overwhelmed. It prevents your ministry from being effective.

A One-Page Solution

A happy medium does exist. I tell nonprofit leaders to keep their strategy so simple that it can fit on a single page.

You may be thinking, “One page!? That’s too basic for us!”

It may seem like an over-simplification, but it’s not. Narrowing your technology strategy to one page forces you to focus on what’s most important. It defines where your ministry is going and how you will take it there. It gives clarity and momentum to the decisions you make and the tools you choose.

A simple technology strategy keeps your organization centered on business outcomes.

Don’t waste effort.

Friction kills momentum, and great organizations recognize and destroy it.

• Friction – repeatable and manual tasks.

Friction robs your ministry of its greatest assets, your people, who work day after day serving God. Spirit-led employees and volunteers are the lifeblood of successful ministries. But even the most positive person can find it hard to find fulfillment when they are being underutilized with boring tasks.

You might say, “But Andre, those boring tasks still need done, life isn’t all butterflies and ice cream.”

I agree, but my question is “who has to do them?”

For our purposes, let’s say there are two categories of tasks:

1. Things computers do well
2. Things humans do well

As you may know, the first category is exploding right now. More than ever, those necessary but boring manual tasks can be done by computers. I’m not even talking about AI. Simple automations are ready to take over the mundane.

Automation: The Real Superpower

Examples of processes that can be automated:

• Expense reports
• Financial reports and dashboards
• File organization
• Volunteer and employee onboarding

The first step is to pick a specific area in your business and create a “journey map” of a burdensome process.

• Journey Map – A visualization of everything it takes to complete a process, including actions, mindsets, and emotions.

Once you have clarity on processes that cause friction, then you can unlock the real superpower: automation.

Still stuck?

Many nonprofit leaders I talk with love the idea of digital enablement, but don’t know where to start. Raising your own technological expertise enough to lead that change is a big lift. Most organizations aren’t ready to hire a full-time CIO. If that’s you, consider bringing in a trusted technology advisor.

A few hours with the right consultant can save months of trial and error, keeping your focus where it belongs: on the mission.

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Andre South is the Principal of South Software Solutions. He helps Christian nonprofits use technology to multiply their impact, advancing the kingdom. Andre serves as the Internet and Technology Community Catalyst in Christian Leadership Alliance’s online Member Community.