Understanding the Video Conferencing Tools Available to Your Nonprofit

TechSoup has a variety of offerings for nonprofits looking to invest in video conferencing tools, and choosing the right one for your needs can be confusing. Here's an overview of the products you can get on TechSoup's marketplace to help you find the perfect tool for your organization.

Zoom: Meetings Made Easy

Zoom provides its users with a reliable cloud platform that can be used for remote video and audio conferencing, as well as chat and collaboration. Zoom connects via desktop computers and mobile devices, as well as conference room systems and telephones. This makes it a great option for organizations that need a flexible system that enables users to connect across variations in available technology.

Zoom can be used for meeting with donors, volunteers, and partners as well as people within your organization. You can record your meetings in video, audio, and text formats and share your screen with others in a meeting. You can also use a free plug-in for Chrome and Outlook to schedule Zoom meetings easily.

Optional add-ons allow you to

• Hold webinars with 100+ interactive video panelists (49 viewable on screen at one time)
• Hold meetings of up to 500 people

Zoom is likely to suit your organization if

• You often need a reliable way to meet remotely with colleagues, partners, or others inside or outside your organization.
• You need to train employees or volunteers remotely.

Microsoft Teams: Simplicity and Integration

Microsoft Teams is a true collaboration tool, designed for document sharing, management, and communication while integrating seamlessly with other Microsoft cloud products. It also allows you to host online meetings using audio and video with anyone within or outside your organization. Features are available that allow you to share your screen, benefit from scheduling assistance, and record meetings. It even includes a translation feature for when you are working across different languages.

The "live events" feature allows you to hold webinars, presentations, and large meetings with up to 10,000 attendees. A global dial-in number and integration with hardware from Microsoft partners gives flexibility for your remote employees or partners all over the world to join your meetings in whatever way is most convenient to them.

To learn more about making the most of Microsoft Teams, check out the Teams for Nonprofits courses from TechSoup.

Teams is available as part of most Office 365 or Microsoft 365 plans. With this in mind, it might suit your organization if

• You already use other Microsoft products or have an existing Office or Microsoft 365 subscription and value the easy integration with Outlook, Microsoft Office, and other elements of the Microsoft packages. It's also great if you're looking to cut costs and use fewer tools in your day-to-day operations.
• You need the capacity to host very large online events or meetings.
• Certain groups of people in your organization meet regularly. Notes and recordings can be saved and accessed in one meeting thread.

Google Meet: A Frictionless and Flexible Solution

Google Meet is part of Google Workspace. Google Meet is the video conferencing element. It's fully integrated with Google Workspace and requires no extra plug-ins, so your colleagues, partners, and volunteers can easily join simply by clicking a link. Meetings can include up to 100 people with the free version of Google Workspace, or up to 250 with the discounted Business Plus and Enterprise versions. Participants can join through any device from a mobile phone to a conference room system.

Android and iOS Meet apps are available, and a meeting-specific dial-in number is offered in the Enterprise edition of Google Workspace. You can get access to Google Workspace through Google for Nonprofits.

We'd recommend giving Google Meet a try if

• You already use Google Workspace or other Google products in your organization.
• You often need to host mid-sized meetings of up to 100 people (or up to 250 with paid accounts).
• It is valuable to have your meetings be accessible from the vast majority of devices, with no need to download any apps or plug-ins.

Webex Meetings by Cisco

Webex Meetings for Nonprofits offers secure integrated audio, video, and content sharing from the cloud. It is a scalable solution that lends itself to remote teams with a range of needs in terms of meeting sizes and purposes. You can use it to host events of up to 1,000 attendees, making it suitable for very large online conferences and webinars.

Webex Meetings by Cisco might be the right solution for you if

• You want to host very large online events as well as smaller training sessions and day-to-day meetings.
• You would benefit from remote support sessions.
• Flexible cloud calling and immersive meeting features would boost your meetings.

Video Conferencing Tools: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Choosing the Video Conferencing Tool That Is Right for Your Organization

All of these are great tools for organizations that need to host meetings with remote workers, external partners, or volunteers. To make an informed decision on which is right for you, examine what is lacking in your current systems, determine how each option would integrate with the other tools used by your employees, and use free trials where they are available to thoroughly explore the best option for you.

More Resources

• Blog: Using Zoom to Increase Impact Around the Globe
• Video: How Microsoft 365 Can Help Your Nonprofit