Convio provides an excellent overview of why nonprofits should consider software as a service. Those who want more detail should take a look at the 3-part Kintera White Paper.

The first part, “Rent or Buy: Why Nonprofits Need Software as a Service” details the “Top Seven Benefits of Software as a Service”, including the low up-front implementation costs (#1) and up-to-date technology (#4). One thing some organizations may have overlooked as a benefit is the ability to access SaaS applications remotely (#6) without having to set up complicated remote access software. Because SaaS products are accessed through a web interface, any staff member with a browser and an internet connection can be productive, anywhere, anytime.

In “Before You Leap: What Nonprofits Should Look for in a SaaS Provider”, Kintera’s authors list the many considerations an organization looking to move into SaaS should take into account, from scalability to flexibility to support options. In the same way Convio managed to make the case for SaaS without favoring their own products, Kintera provides a terrific look at what nonprofits should consider when choosing a SaaS provider without cheerleading for their own offerings. Kintera goes so far as to recommend that nonprofits speak to current SaaS clients when evaluating options, a sign not only that they are confident in their own offerings, but that they walk the walk in terms of wanting nonprofits to succeed.

The final, and longest, installment, “The Evolution to SaaS 2.0: Nonprofit Impact Report” recaps the first two before moving into not so much prognostication as leadership. The white paper calls on SaaS providers to improve the reliability, security, and scalability of their products. Though these recommendations drift away from Kintera’s focus on nonprofits in the earlier papers – these are aspects of SaaS that need to improve for corporate entities, as well – the overall theme, that SaaS will continue to make in-roads on the traditional model of software ownership, make this important reading for any nonprofit considering the jump.