What's in Our Toolbox: Tools to Keep Remote Teams "Thirty, flirty, and thriving!"

Yesterday, Eli Silva shared a powerful message about the future of fundraising: technology should enhance, not replace, human connection. Learn more about our CRD Conference insights here. Building on that insight, we're diving deep into the tools that make this vision a reality today.

Inspired by 13 Going on 30—Embracing New Tech Without Losing Ourselves

"Thirty, flirty, and thriving!" That's what Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30 wished for—but when she woke up 17 years in the future, "thriving" meant navigating a world of technology she barely recognized. The world is faster, sleeker, and packed with technology that didn't exist when she was 13. She's expected to know the ropes, work seamlessly with her team at Poise, and deliver results—despite having no idea how anything works.

Sound familiar?

Technology is evolving faster than ever, and for non-profit communications teams, it can be easy to feel like they're playing catch-up. The key is to use technology as a tool—not a replacement for collaboration, creativity, or connection.

At G-Lab, we've tested countless platforms to find the ones that help teams thrive. Here are our top picks for tools that keep remote teams organized, aligned, and working toward shared impact—without losing the heart of their mission.

Notion – Your Team's Digital HQ

🧠 Why we love it:

Just as Jenna had her Poise magazine mood board for tracking ideas, Notion serves as your team's digital command center. It's more than just a workspace; it's a centralized knowledge hub where teams can store everything from campaign plans to donor engagement strategies. It keeps teams aligned by ensuring that information is easy to find and update—no more hunting through email chains.

🔹 Best for: Keeping team documents, strategy notes, and campaign timelines in one place so everyone is on the same page.

✨ Pro Tip: Create shared team dashboards that serve as living documents for your nonprofit's content strategy, ensuring updates and new ideas are easily accessible to all team members.

Asana – Keeping Projects Moving Forward Together

✅ Why we love it:

Asana helps teams break down overwhelming projects into clear, actionable steps. It ensures that tasks are assigned, tracked, and completed on time. Whether you're planning a fundraising campaign, rolling out a new donor outreach initiative, or coordinating a digital storytelling effort, Asana keeps everything structured and transparent.

🔹 Best for: Keeping team projects organized, ensuring deadlines are met, and creating clarity on who is responsible for what.

✨ Pro Tip: Use the timeline feature to visually map out project milestones, so your team can see how each moving part contributes to the bigger picture.

Sked Social – Seamless Social Media Collaboration

📅 Why we love it:

In today's fast-paced digital world, social media management needs to be as polished as a Poise magazine cover shoot. Sked Social allows remote teams to collaborate on content efficiently—scheduling, approving, and publishing posts without endless back-and-forth messages. It ensures that marketing and communications teams stay aligned on messaging while maintaining brand consistency across platforms.

🔹 Best for: Teams managing multiple social media accounts and needing a smooth approval workflow for scheduled content.

✨ Pro Tip: Implement an internal approval process so your team can review and approve content before it goes live, eliminating miscommunications and last-minute edits.

Calendly – Simplifying External Collaboration

⏳ Why we love it:

Time management in the digital age doesn't have to be complicated. Calendly eliminates the back-and-forth of scheduling by letting people book meetings in your available slots, syncing seamlessly with calendars. It's particularly valuable for coordinating with external partners, donors, and volunteers across different time zones.

🔹 Best for: Booking meetings with external partners, coordinating team calls, and eliminating scheduling headaches.

✨ Pro Tip: Use the team scheduling feature to allow external partners to meet with the right person based on availability, streamlining collaboration.

Sunsama – A Team-First Approach to Work-Life Balance

🌞 Why we love it:

In a world of constant digital transformation, maintaining work-life balance is crucial. Sunsama isn't just another task manager; it's designed to encourage sustainable work habits for remote teams. It helps team members set realistic daily goals, plan workloads, and avoid burnout—because a thriving team is a well-rested team. It integrates with your email, task management tools (*ahem* Asana), your calendar, and more to give you a true holistic view of all you have to do in a day: from answering those emails to approving copy.

🔹 Best for: Teams that want to stay productive without overloading their schedules.

✨ Pro Tip: Encourage team members to use the daily planning feature to prioritize tasks that make the most impact, ensuring that effort is focused on what truly matters.

Technology as a Tool, Not the Brain

At the heart of 13 Going on 30 is a simple lesson: It's easy to get caught up in what's new, but real success comes from staying true to what matters most. For non-profit communications teams, the same applies to technology.

In a world of digital transformation, the best teams don't just adopt new tools—they use them intentionally to support their mission, strengthen collaboration, and make a greater impact. Technology should never replace human connection or strategic thinking; it should amplify it.

The tools we've shared aren't just about making work easier (though they do that, too)—they're about helping teams work better together. They ensure that remote teams can stay aligned, execute campaigns seamlessly, and create meaningful engagement with supporters and stakeholders.

So, whether you're navigating a digital-first fundraising campaign, streamlining donor outreach, or telling your organization's story across multiple platforms, the right tools help you be "Thirty, flirty, and thriving!". And the best part? You don't have to wake up 17 years in the future to start using them.

As we've explored these tools that keep our teams connected, remember Eli's core message from yesterday: technology is a servant of human connection. These tools aren't just about efficiency—they're about creating meaningful, impactful ways of working together.

With gratitude,

Vanessa Leggiero-Silva
G-Lab Communications Team Leader

PS: Also, stay tuned for our final email in this series, in which we'll reveal the complete blueprint for relationship-driven fundraising, including our groundbreaking ALM case study, which demonstrates these principles in action.