Stop Chasing Tools. Start With the Human Need

Akshay V
May 21
2 min read

If you work in the nonprofit space, you’ve probably said something like this:

“We need a CRM—our donor tracking is all over the place.” “We can’t manage programs without a centralized system.” “There must be a better way to run our community digitally.”

We hear it all the time at EdZola.

The instinct makes sense. When things feel broken, we look for a tech solution—fast.

But here’s the truth: A Data management system or CRM won’t fix broken workflows. It will only amplify what’s already happening. And if what's happening is chaos, the tool just adds another layer to the mess.

The Pain We See (And You May Be Feeling)

You’ve invested in a CRM or MIS, but it’s barely used.
Donor data lives in scattered spreadsheets, inboxes and staff memory.
Reports take days—not because they’re hard, but because data is outdated or incomplete.
Teams are juggling tools with no clear process connecting them.
And worst of all, your team is tired of learning one more tool that promises change and delivers confusion.

This is not a technology problem. It’s a behaviour and process problem. And tools alone won’t fix that.

A Better Way to Think About Tech for Nonprofits

At EdZola, we flipped the question. Instead of asking “What tech tool do you need?”, we now ask:

“What daily behaviour do you want the tool to scale?”

To help organizations unpack this, we created a simple model called the Tech Hierarchy of Needs—inspired by Maslow’s pyramid, but built for digital transformation in nonprofits.

Tech Hierarchy of Needs for Nonprofits

Layer	Human Need	Ask Yourself...
Foundational	Connect • Coordinate • Transact	Are staff talking to the right people at the right time? Are approvals, payments, or donor hand-offs getting lost in inboxes?
Functional	Know • Decide • Remember	Is data captured once and reused across systems? Are people working off live, accurate data—or outdated versions in email threads?
Relational	Nurture • Learn • Belong	Are we deepening relationships with donors, volunteers, and staff? Are we investing in learning and shared knowledge?
Ethical / Secure	Protect	Do our nonprofit data security practices respect privacy and consent? Would we feel proud explaining them to the communities we serve?

Each layer builds on the one below it. Dashboards don’t matter if your team can’t even coordinate tasks reliably.

Before You Buy That Tool, Try This:

Whether you're considering a nonprofit CRM implementation or a new community engagement platform, pause and reflect:

1.Observe your current workflows : What are people already doing—manually or in makeshift ways? If outreach only happens occasionally, don’t expect a CRM to change that overnight.

2.Start at the base of the pyramid : Fix coordination before focusing on dashboards or automation.

3.Prototype with what you have : A shared spreadsheet can reveal whether there's a real need for an MIS. A WhatsApp group can test community interaction before you invest in a custom portal.

4.Let tech amplify, not initiate : Tools don’t build habits. People do.

5.Revisit data ethics often : Responsible, consent-driven data handling is not an afterthought. It’s part of your relationship with the people you serve.

One Question That Changes Everything

When was the last time your team practised the behaviour this software is meant to scale?

If the answer is “rarely,” don’t rush the purchase.

Build the habit first. Then bring in technology to amplify what’s already working.

Want to dig deeper into your organization’s Tech Hierarchy of Needs? We’ve helped nonprofits validate needs using simple tools like Google Sheets before committing to complex platforms.

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