Nonprofit Incident Management: Ensure Compliance & Safety with Software

The American people look to the nonprofit sector as a trustworthy source of change in society. Fortunately, their hope in nonprofits is increasing: 57% put a high trust in nonprofit organizations, compared to only 18% for the federal government.

However, even with these encouraging results, there is a chance to make systems better. 61% of people say that if nonprofits committed to a set of guidelines and ethical principles for their operations, it would increase their trust. Implementing a robust incident management solution is one of the best ways to do this. In this article, we’ll dive into nonprofit incident management, how your organization can remain compliant, and how software can streamline this process.

No single compliance rule covers every type of nonprofit. It’s essential for your entity to complete thorough research and maintain statutes required at the local, state, and federal levels. However, here are a few typical requirements for different types of organizations.

Title IX Compliance: Requirements from Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which forbid sex-based discrimination for all educational programs that accept federal funding.
Grant and Funder Requirements: Many grant organizations, particularly those that receive federal funding, require recipients to report incidents that impede program delivery or affect their capability to meet the terms of the grant.
HIPAA and Healthcare Reporting: nonprofits involved with healthcare services must comply with HIPAA, reporting data breaches and non-compliance with state and federal regulations.

Incident management software creates a singular place to collect complaints and ensure they’re addressed promptly.

Incident Management Best Practices

86% of hospital errors go unreported. Approximately half of workers harmed on the job don’t say anything. 15% of fatal workplace injuries were cases of intentional injury by another person. Whether required or not, incident management creates a safe place to report harmful incidents and take action quickly to ensure they don’t happen again.

Some best practices that improve risk management for nonprofits include:

Creating a clear list of policies and procedures: Every employee should receive a PDF of an incident reporting policy that defines a reportable incident, the process and expected timelines, and how they will be protected.
Implementing a user-friendly reporting system: Incident management software is ideal because it can be accessed from any computer, and you can utilize document management tools to create forms that capture all the information needed.
Requiring training courses for every employee: Set aside time to educate new employees and clients on the reporting steps for your nonprofit and why it’s important to report as soon as possible.
Encouraging clear communication: Reward proactive reporting and create open spaces for employees to speak up without fear of retaliation.
Following through on investigations: Once a report is filed, create a systematic approach to address the issue. Assign specific people to certain roles and remove anyone with a conflict of interest.
Taking action when necessary: Plan corrective measures once incidents are completed and follow up with relevant parties to make sure daily workflows implement changes.
Using analytics to grow consistently: Utilize reporting features in incident management software to assess trends over time and make changes that keep employees, clients, and other relevant parties safer.

6 Ways Incident Management Software Promotes Safety and Compliance in Nonprofits

While best practices may seem simple on paper, adoption can be complicated without the proper tools. Negligence can become rampant in organizations. Creating policies and outlining systems to follow through and ensure those policies are completed are the best steps to combat this issue.

Incident Management Software creates a central location to submit reports, make policy documents widely available to employees and clients, and find the roots of the problem at your organization. Here’s how incident management software creates a safe and compliant environment for non-profits.

1. Speeds Up the Incident Reporting for Nonprofits

Employees need a safe place to report incidents they see or experience firsthand. Incident Reporting Software gives them the chance to document incidents as soon as they happen, keeping the information reliable. With software such as PlanStreet, employees can report concerns through multiple avenues, such as email, phone, or online forms, allowing them to use the pathway they feel the most comfortable with.

From there, software alerts relevant parties that a new grievance or incident has been filed. This allows Title IX coordinators (and other similar jobs) to handle the problem fast, moving the incident through the chain of command until it’s complete.

2. Creates a Central Location for Data and Documentation

Nonprofits need a centralized location to store relevant notes, evidence, and other pertinent data related to the report to ensure that no case slips through the cracks. PlanStreet offers an easy-to-use visual interface that creates a home base for all incident-related information.

2. Creates a Central Location for Data and Documentation

The program screen offers color-coded stage tracking, so you can see at a glance how many cases are open, where they’re at in the process, and create a clear plan to move forward. Additionally, incident tracking software keeps the documentation organized and easily accessible in a simple dashboard, where you can view complaints and related activities. All relevant parties, including busy high-level stakeholders, can understand what actions have been taken and still need to be addressed, ensuring safety in nonprofits.

3. Automates Workflow for Faster Action

Half of workers who don’t have access to modern digital tools waste 2-3 hours a day on inefficient processes. Manual processes can delay incident conclusion, or worse, make one fall through the cracks. Incident management software offers automated workflows to ensure that every person knows which parts of the case they’re responsible for. Create a template to initiate, track, and complete cases that can be used repeatedly.

PlanStreet particularly helps with this for Title IX compliance. Our compliance software for nonprofits offers automated workflows to stick to timelines required by the federal government, ensuring your educational institution remains compliant.

4. Helps People Complete Reports Through a User-Friendly Interface

70% of organizations are unable to adopt software in the way that they initially hoped. It’s critical that the incident management software you choose prioritizes UX (user experience) design, making it so that any person can use it. PlanStreet offers easy-to-read, detailed case boards with a user-friendly, flexible interface for easy adoption and report completion.

And if someone has an issue filing a report, our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions and problem-solve concerns.

5. Finds the Root of the Problem With Reporting Tools

Problem-solve repeat issues at your organization with reporting tools. Data can also help your team solve problems proactively rather than waiting until it’s too late. Plan Street’s incident reporting tools and analytics offer features to get to the root of the problem, such as:

Customizable fields to collect in-depth information from datasets.
Digestible reports that relay actionable solutions.
Compliant security measures to prevent breaches.
User dashboards, limiting data access by role.

6. Increases Field Reports Through Mobile Apps

Many nonprofit employees, including case managers, work outside the office with clients. They need tools to report incidents immediately rather than waiting until they return to their desk. Plus, people are simply using their phones more often–four hours a day, up 30% from two years prior.

By using a mobile-friendly incident tracking software like PlanStreet, you’re meeting employees and clients where they’re at on the devices they already use every day.

Increase Trust With PlanStreet’s Incident Management Software for Nonprofits

Improve nonprofit crisis management with PlanStreet. Our robust features help you remain compliant on local, state, and federal levels, with additional features for educational institutions that need to follow Title IX.

With PlanStreet, you can build trust and increase safety in nonprofit organizations through:

A wide range of employee intake channels to share grievances.
Incident reporting tools to solve problems proactively.
Automatic initiation of processes to follow state and federal laws, avoiding fines and costly litigation.

Let us show you how we can help your organization build a robust incident management system, and schedule a demo with our team today.

Incident Management Best Practices

6 Ways Incident Management Software Promotes Safety and Compliance in Nonprofits

1. Speeds Up the Incident Reporting for Nonprofits

2. Creates a Central Location for Data and Documentation

2. Creates a Central Location for Data and Documentation

3. Automates Workflow for Faster Action

4. Helps People Complete Reports Through a User-Friendly Interface

5. Finds the Root of the Problem With Reporting Tools

6. Increases Field Reports Through Mobile Apps

Increase Trust With PlanStreet’s Incident Management Software for Nonprofits

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