Tech Fixes That Take 15 Minutes But Save Your Campaign
Email authentication, content rights, and other urgent updates
Imagine 30% of your year-end appeal never reaching donors. Not because they unsubscribed, but because Microsoft's new email filters decided your messages look suspicious.
This is happening to nonprofits right now. While you're crafting perfect campaign messages, technical issues are quietly sabotaging your outreach. The worst part? Most problems can be fixed in 15 minutes—if you know what to look for.
Why Tech Problems Explode During Campaign Season
Regular fundraising periods: technical issues are annoying. Campaign season: they're catastrophic.
Higher email volume means deliverability problems affect thousands instead of dozens. Time sensitivity turns delayed emails into lost revenue. Increased competition makes technical glitches competitive disadvantages.
Fix these now, while you can think clearly.
Fix #1: Email Authentication (5 minutes + IT support)
The Problem: Your Emails Are Getting Blocked
Microsoft and Gmail tightened email filtering in 2025. Emails without proper authentication go directly to spam or get blocked entirely.
Nonprofits are seeing 20-40% drops in delivery rates. Donors aren't getting stewardship communications, event invitations, or year-end appeals.
The Solution: DKIM and SPF Setup
What these do:
SPF: Tells email providers which servers can send email for your domain
DKIM: Creates a digital signature proving emails actually came from you
Check if yours work:
Test at MXToolbox.com or Mail-tester.com
Send test emails to Gmail, Outlook, and corporate addresses
Check if they reach inbox or spam folder
Quick setup for common platforms:
MailChimp: Account > Settings > Domains > Add Domain Constant Contact: Account > Email Authentication Campaign Monitor: Account Settings > Email Authentication
When to call IT vs. email provider:
Call email provider first for setup questions
Call IT if you need DNS access or get technical errors
Fix #2: Content Rights Protection (10 minutes)
The Problem: CapCut Owns Your Videos Forever
CapCut's June 2025 terms give them "worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free" rights to any uploaded content. Your donor testimonials could appear in their ads. Even deleted content remains theirs.
The Solution: Immediate Action
If you use CapCut:
Stop uploading new content
Export all existing videos in highest quality
Download source materials (photos, audio, graphics)
Switch to safer alternatives
Better video editing options:
DaVinci Resolve: Professional, free, no content claims
Adobe Premiere Pro: Industry standard, clear licensing
Canva Video Editor: Simple, nonprofit-friendly terms
Content audit checklist:
List all platforms where you've uploaded videos
Check their terms for content licensing claims
Backup important content locally
Create team policy for future uploads
Fix #3: CRM Data Cleanup (15 minutes daily)
The Problem: Bad Data Kills Campaign Performance
Duplicate contacts, outdated emails, and inconsistent records create campaign disasters:
Donors get multiple appeals
Personalization pulls wrong information
Segmentation fails
Analytics become meaningless
The Solution: Daily 15-Minute Routine
Monday: Run duplicate reports, merge obvious matches Tuesday: Check email bounces, remove bad addresses Wednesday: Standardize address formats Thursday: Update phone numbers Friday: Review giving history accuracy
Before any campaign:
Merge duplicates
Verify email deliverability for your list
Test personalization with sample records
Check segmentation accuracy
Free tools: Most CRMs have built-in duplicate detection. Use them weekly.
Fix #4: Security Essentials (15 minutes)
Essential Security Setup
Password Manager (5 minutes):
Choose: Bitwarden (free), 1Password, or LastPass
Generate unique passwords for email, banking, CRM
Install browser extensions and mobile apps
Two-Factor Authentication (10 minutes): Priority accounts: email, banking, CRM, social media
Go to security settings
Enable 2FA with authenticator app (not SMS)
Save backup codes securely
Emergency Contacts: Document who to call for:
IT emergencies
Email provider issues
Banking problems
Legal/insurance questions
Prevention: Monthly Tech Health Check (15 minutes)
First Monday each month:
Email check (3 min): Test deliverability to different providers Security review (5 min): Check for updates, review access logs Data spot check (4 min): Run duplicate reports, verify personalization Content audit (3 min): Review external uploads, check backups
When to Get Professional Help
DIY works when:
Problems are clearly defined
You have staff time to learn
Issues aren't time-sensitive
Get professional help when:
Security problems could harm donors
Technical issues affect revenue
Staff time exceeds professional costs
Solutions require system integration
Your Action Plan
This week:
Test email deliverability at MXToolbox.com
Audit CapCut content and export important videos
Set up password manager and 2FA on critical accounts
Download our Tech Health Checklist [link]
This month:
Start daily CRM cleanup routine
Complete security review
Backup all critical data
Create emergency contact procedures
Before your campaign:
Run comprehensive email tests
Complete major data cleanup
Test donation processing under load
Verify all content rights and backups
The difference between smooth campaigns and disasters often comes down to 15-minute fixes you can do today.
Need help with any of these? Reply to our newsletter with "Tech Check" for a free audit, or download our complete Tech Toolkit [link].
Because your mission is too important for preventable technical problems.
