As the Technology Innovations Manager at Pro Bono Net, I work closely with legal services and community-based organizations managing initiatives that leverage technology. Technology can be a powerful tool in expanding access to justice to low-income and vulnerable communities. It has also enabled the community of crime victims’ advocates to continue to work with each other and provide services to our clients during the pandemic.

As the pandemic accelerated the shift to working from home, advocates quickly adopted technology for working remotely. Here are a few of the top communication and collaboration tools that advocates are using or can use to maintain, and even improve productivity, regardless of where you work: from home or in the office.

Collaborate using Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite)

Instead of emailing a document, spreadsheet, or slide decks back and forth for your team to add their thoughts, use Google Workspace which includes Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. If you’re one of the 1.5 billion Gmail users, you have free access to G Suite. Simply create a document, add members of your team, and edit the document together. Many of us also manage budgets for the programs we run or want to record data for those programs. Google Sheets is an invaluable tool for this.

Tip: When sharing links to documents with partners outside of your organization, click on the “share” button and adjust permissions to “anyone on the internet can” edit or comment.

Communicate internally using Slack and Teams

When I worked at a legal tech startup years ago our internal email decreased by 80 percent after adopting Slack. You can create open or closed channels for the different programs you’re managing, a channel to post information from HR, a “water cooler” channel to exchange pleasantries as you would at the office, and much more. Exchange attachments such as images, spreadsheets, and documents.

Microsoft Team also has a robust chat feature but the application shines when scheduling and conducting meetings. Simply add participants to a calendar invitation and join them via video or audio. No need to add audio/video information. Many organizations already use the Microsoft suite of products making Teams a convenient tool to use.

Tip: When exchanging messages with someone in Slack or Teams, click on the telephone icon in the top right of the page to connect for an audio or video call.

Communicate externally using Zoom and GoToMeeting

Zoom zoomed past many communication apps during the pandemic. The company nimbly responded to changing needs. Zoom is free for group meetings up to 40 minutes. The cost can add up for the pro versions, especially for larger organizations. Same for Zoom Webinars. Both are superior products and with wide adoption, it’s a familiar interface - important for conducting seamless meetings and presentations.

A viable alternative is GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar. Both have been around for a long time and have ramped up development due to competition from Zoom in the past year.

Tip: In today’s now ubiquitous virtual video meetings and presentations, make sure the light source - such as a window - is in front of you and not behind you. If that’s not possible, consider investing in a ring light. This light goes for around $20 on Amazon.

Manage projects using Basecamp

We manage projects every day, some more complex than others. There are myriad project management applications out there and If simplicity is your goal - as it should be for many of us since complex tools lead to lack of adoption - then Basecamp is for you.

Basecamp is free for a few projects and offers affordable flat-fee nonprofit pricing. Much of the activity centers around the “message board” where you can exchange ideas and documents, add meeting notes, and add comments to anything that’s posted. There’s also a “doc & files” folder where you can add, comment on, and keep track of project artifacts. There are a few other modules you can add such as “to-do’s” and “email forwards.” Once set up, all project members receive an email every time someone posts to the project. The email contains the information that was posted so there is no need to keep logging into Basecamp. This is a simple tool, but very effective.

Tip: You can add external partners and limit access to certain information.