npt Labs, LLC is a socially conscious for-profit think-tank that develops web-driven products and solutions to improve the effectiveness, cost-savings or impact of health & human service organizations.  Oh, and we build other stuff for fun too.

History

Inspired by the potential of the Internet for social change, Dan Melton, PhD, MPA formed NonProfit Technologies in 2001 to help nonprofits utilize the power of the world wide web.  After graduating with a PhD in Public Affairs and Economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (go Roos!), Dan joined the KTEC Pipeline program and reformed NonProfit Technologies into npT Labs in 2007 and 2008.

For those that know how to leverage it, the Internet presents a powerful medium for health & human service organizations to connect in meaningful ways to clients, customers, and contributors.  npT helps the Public Sector capitalize on those possibilities with a focus on generating revenue, decreasing costs, reaching a greater number of clients, creating deeper relationships and heightening visibility among core stakeholders. 

Unfortunately, many organizations view their Internet presence as a simple website brochure, leaving their online program potential untapped.  There are several reasons for this:

No role models - There are currently very few organizations that are successfully leveraging the web for core operations.

Overwhelming array of technology providers - Website designers, programmers, software providers, hosting, mobile, mapping, etc. It can be daunting. The amount of research on pricing, service provision and qualifications is enough to scare off any attempts to create an innovative technology plan.

Lack of technical expertise - Truly cutting edge expertise in Web technologies is hard to find and is mostly attracted to a Silicon Valley like start-up environments.  Compounding this issue even further, many public sector decision makers are older and unfamiliar with new technology possibilities, causing the public sector to lag in technology adoption.

Solutions focused on For Profit businesses - out-of-the-box solutions that were intended for mainline business customers are generally a poor fit for the non-profit's needs.  Additionally there are a lot of non-profit specific requirements that aren't easily understood by developers or designers that don't have a background in the public sector.

It was this disconnect, that led to the creation of npT labs.  Extending the impact and the reach of worthwhile social efforts through technology is the basis for our company.

Business Model

npt Labs develops web applications that address critical needs in the marketplace.  We pick projects for their potential for replication across the public sector.  If one nonprofit has the problem, there are many more with the same need.  The client funds the development, and in some cases, we share a small percentage of the profits or free lifetime use with that original client.  Once the product is developed, we expand the code and product beyond the initial client. We deploy the solution using a centralized opensource framework and charge a monthly, budget-based, subscription fee.