5 Things to Think About While Developing Your 2026 Technology Strategy

This blog was contributed by Finnovate as part of an ongoing partnership with ONN. 

Canada’s nonprofits are carrying an enormous share of the country’s social and economic load, contributing roughly 8.3% of Canada’s GDP (or about $216B of economic impact) while employing over 2.5  million people from coast to coast. That scale alone is a reminder that technology choices in the sector aren’t “nice to have” anymore. They shape services, staff capacity, and community trust. In the modern age, a solid technology strategy is fundamental to an organization’s success.

The good news: Canadian nonprofits are not as “behind” as we sometimes think. Recent national data shows nonprofits outpace for-profits in adopting websites, social media, e-commerce, and even cloud tools. This holds across organization sizes, with the largest gap among smaller organizations – proof that mission-driven teams can and do adopt digital tools when the value is clear.

The challenge: adoption without a strategy strains people and budgets. Across Canada, nonprofits consistently report gaps in digital skills and limited capacity to use the tools they already have. One 2024 report from Canada Helps found that close to 60% of small charities say skills are limited, they lack a strategy, and struggle to fully adopt digital technologies; only 13% have dedicated tech staff and a roadmap guiding progress. Even among larger organizations, only 25% report dedicated tech staff and strategy.

Ontario-specific survey data reinforces the urgency. ONN’s 2025 State of the Sector engaged 469 nonprofits across the province, painting a picture of organizations balancing resilience with real operational pressures, as a new wave of economic uncertainty ripples through the sector. Funding volatility, workforce capacity, and administrative load all intersect with technology – because when systems are fragmented or manual, staff time (and morale) pays the price. A sector of this size needs consistent, fit-for-purpose infrastructure – not just point solutions.

Every new tech project or implementation should begin with a clear hypothesis: what measurable outcome are we trying to improve, and how will we know it’s working? Estimating ROI doesn’t require spreadsheets full of financial models – it can be as simple as projecting hours saved, donor retention uplift, or administrative reduction over time. When the cost-benefit story is defined upfront, leaders can make more confident decisions, and funders can better appreciate the operational payoff behind each investment.

So what should nonprofit leaders be thinking about for 2026?

1. Strategy before software. Start with a simple, written tech strategy tied to your strategic plan: the 3–5 outcomes you need (e.g., faster intake, better program data, stronger fundraising ops), the systems that support them, and the governance to keep them current. A one-page roadmap beats an overflowing app drawer every time. Research shows staff and leadership feedback are among the biggest drivers of successful technology adoption, so codify that feedback loop.
   
2. Data you can trust. Whether you’re on a nonprofit CRM or spreadsheets, define your “source of truth” for constituents, programs, and outcomes. Map what’s collected, who owns it, and how it flows. Cleaner data means better reporting to funders and more credible policy advocacy, something that’s critical in a sector that fuels Ontario’s economy and community wellbeing.
   
3. Right-sizing digital skills. Don’t try to hire a unicorn. Pair modest internal upskilling (admin staff, program leads, fundraisers) with selective external support for architecture, integrations, and security. The skills gap is real – acknowledge it and plan for it.
   
4. Consolidate, then automate. Before adding AI or new tools, reduce duplicate systems and shadow spreadsheets. Stabilize your core stack (email + productivity, CRM, finance, case/program management, website, analytics). Then target 2–3 automations that return hours to frontline work (e.g., auto-sync donations to receipts and CRM; standardize intake with forms that write directly to program databases).
   
5. Understand ROI before investing. Every new tech project should begin with a clear hypothesis: what measurable outcome are we trying to improve, and how will we know it’s working? Estimating ROI doesn’t require spreadsheets full of financial models. It can be as simple as projecting hours saved, donor retention uplift, or administrative reduction over time. When the cost-benefit story is defined upfront, leaders can make more confident decisions, and funders can better appreciate the operational payoff behind each investment.

If your technology feels like a tax on your mission rather than a force multiplier, that’s the signal to step back, simplify, and realign.

My team at Finnovate.io has worked with nonprofits of all sizes and budgets across North America to design sustainable tech strategies and deliver the products, integrations, and automations that help organizations thrive. If you’re Interested in learning more about how we can help you achieve your technology goals, or if you’re just looking for a trusted technology partner to get you started, reach out at hello@finnovate.io today!

Let’s make your technology serve your mission in 2026.

Sources:

ONN – 2024 State of the Sector
Statistics Canada – Satellite Account of Nonprofit Institutions and Volunteering (2024 update)
CanadaHelps – The Giving Report 2024 (Digital Skills Survey for Charities)
Imagine Canada – Digital Technology in the Nonprofit Sector
Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience – Digital Maturity Framework for Nonprofits
Ontario Trillium Foundation / ONN – Policy Briefs on Sector Modernization (2022–2024)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Canada’s Digital Adoption Program