Kaia Swift, Author at Heller Consulting

The Basics of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

Kaia Swift — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:51:01 +0000

The Basics of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

Introduction

A global leader in technology innovation, Microsoft offers a strong and steady rollout of products and functionality for the nonprofit sector. For organizations looking to move to a cloud platform, Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is a compelling option.

Microsoft’s vision for nonprofits

Microsoft has a team called Technology for Social Impact (TSI), which focuses on delivering relevant, affordable, and innovative cloud solutions to help nonprofits tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit was developed by this team to help nonprofits realize the true value of their data through a cross-cloud suite of applications that uses the Nonprofit Common Data Model (We’ll explain more about the Nonprofit Common Data Model later in this guide).

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit incorporates nonprofit sector best practices and supports the most common organizational scenarios, including:

Helping organizations to understand their donors and other supporters to drive fundraising and engagement
Improving how organizations deliver programs, including mobilizing volunteers
Helping organizations to accelerate mission outcomes by realizing the full value of their data
Building data security into every activity

So, how do you know if Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is right for your organization? This guide was written to help you to decide.

Answering basic questions about Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

What is Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit?

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is a set of solutions for nonprofits that supports fundraising, marketing, programs, volunteer management, and more. It brings together Microsoft Dynamics, Power Platform, Teams, SharePoint, Azure, and LinkedIn to address common nonprofit scenarios. All of it is based on the Nonprofit Common Data Model to unite data sources. Please note: Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is not its own SKU.

In some organizations, marketing and fundraising teams compete for budget. Others have “shadow CRM” systems to hoard their best donors. The result is inefficiency, inconsistency, lost opportunities, and poor constituent experiences.

What is the Nonprofit Common Data Model?

The Nonprofit Common Data Model is a set of standard data definitions. It was built by Microsoft TSI in partnership with many of the world’s leading nonprofits, institutional donors, private foundations, and industry consultants like Heller Consulting.

The open-source data model interrelates and standardizes data across a nonprofit’s fundraising, constituent management, program delivery, operations, finance, and impact reporting functions. It also makes it easier for Microsoft and their partners to develop solutions for nonprofits that easily work with other Microsoft products.

Shared definitions of data – including accounts, contacts, households, transactions, beneficiaries, program delivery, and key performance indicators – across systems means more understandable, accurate, and actionable reporting and insights.

Where should nonprofits start with Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit?

Microsoft has designed nonprofit solutions to be adaptable – to meet you where you are right now – with the possibility to build and scale as you grow.

So, for example, if volunteer management is the most critical technology that you need today, then start with that. You can add fundraising functionality later. We recommend that you work with a partner like Heller Consulting to determine how to best confirm your nonprofit eligibility, which license types are best for your organization, and a plan for implementing.

What are some benefits of moving to Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit?

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is built on Microsoft’s foundation of security and compliance, empowering nonprofit organizations to stay in control of their data, navigate their risk and compliance, and leverage best-in-class security to manage sensitive constituent data and meet the most stringent privacy and security requirements worldwide.

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is also interoperable with the Microsoft technology stack. That means it works with other Microsoft solutions, including:

Efficiency and collaboration tools – These include systems that support internal work, such as Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams), and finance and operations tools for things like accounting, human resources, inventory, and supply chain management.
Azure tools – These include Microsoft Azure for Cloud Services, Security and Authentication, and Enterprise Mobility Management to provide the infrastructure needed to share and access applications and data securely from any device.
Intelligence and impact solutions – These include tools for business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

4 Considerations When Thinking About Moving to Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

Integrations

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit integrates with the full range of Microsoft products, including (but not limited to) the entire Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate, and Power BI. And since it uses a common data model, third-party integrations are relatively painless.

You can find an enormous range of these products on Microsoft AppSource or use PowerApps or Microsoft Power Automate to develop in-house custom solutions with low code requirements. Having the ability to instantly connect the platform to nearly every other tool in the Microsoft universe can be incredibly useful.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights is a Microsoft-native solution that offers email marketing automation, event management, survey design, LinkedIn integration, and more. For integration with other marketing tools (such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact) and event registration tools (such as Eventbrite), Dynamics 365 Customer Insights can connect using third-party connectors, such as Zapier or Codeless Platforms.

Staffing and User Experience

With an abundance of features and customizable implementation solutions available, Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit requires time to configure. And as with any platform, there will be a learning curve to administer it. With a standard license, there is advanced support available. However, we suggest that your IT team be involved in the process of standing up the solution, running updates, and administering your Microsoft solutions. For staffing considerations, keep in mind that either your staff or a vendor will need to monitor, run, test, and roll out updates.

For end users, there could be a certain level of inherent familiarity for staff who are accustomed to working in other Microsoft tools due to the similar look-and-feel, layout, and way of navigating the user interface of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit. The interface is also highly customizable based on role so that users are not faced with an excess of information they do not need to see.

Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit also has several search and query tools that allow users to easily, quickly, and securely find key information stored in the database, without needing to navigate to a new app or page.

The Unknown

If you are comparing Microsoft solutions for nonprofits directly with those from Salesforce, you will likely notice that Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit hasn’t been in the market as long. Therefore, there are not as many real-world examples of nonprofits using it. But keep in mind that while Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is relatively new, the Microsoft company and its underlying technology are proven and trusted.

Microsoft has demonstrated a commitment to continued innovation and listening to feedback from the nonprofit sector. The company also has a compelling vision for the future of their solutions for the nonprofit sector. And with AI now at the forefront of conversations across industries, Microsoft is not only at the cutting edge of innovating in this space but also is translating those developments into use cases for nonprofits.

Steps to Advancement Success

Unify donor engagement

The antidote to inconsistent communications and oversolicitation is to design a unified donor engagement journey. Especially important in large universities where different departments and colleges have their own systems, this will allow for the personalized approaches and reporting that donors now expect.

Donor personalization best practices

Leveraging data to build automated, personalized engagement strategies is key to maintaining connections with donors. Marketing automation tools can scale these efforts, making it possible to engage with a larger number of donors without sacrificing personalization.

Aligning donor engagement with specific giving opportunities maximizes impact. Automating recommendations based on donor engagement history and surfacing donation impact can build donor trust and loyalty—both are enabled by an efficient tech stack.

Align your team on shared goals

The first step towards integration is understanding each other’s roles and departmental goals. This involves regular meetings where team members share their primary data points, key performance indicators, challenges, and successes.

Using shared metrics quantify the institution’s standing and provide a clear picture of overall performance, identify fundraising priorities and allow better tracking of progress. A unified vision and story across the organization ensures everyone is working toward the same objective as well as producing a consistent experience for constituents.

Use visual tools like relationship maps to illustrate areas of overlap and mutual dependence. This helps in clarifying how different roles support the entire team

Integrate your school's advancement office

An integrated advancement team can significantly enhance the success of an institution by improving coordination, aligning workloads, and achieving greater outcomes across teams like marketing, fundraising, and IT. By working together, team members can ensure that their efforts are well-coordinated, leading to more efficient and effective operations. This integration allows for better alignment of tasks and responsibilities, ultimately resulting in improved performance and outcomes.

Streamline and bolster your tech stack

Every organization wants to grow its donor base in a cost-effective way but understanding how that is done is more than just a CRM conversation. Technology and advancement leaders should take a broad view of your ecosystem and determine what can stay, what can go, and what can be enhanced. You should develop a Technology Roadmap that identifies the technologies beyond your CRM that bring efficiencies, optimize your return on investment, support your current needs, and have the capacity to grow with you.

As Microsoft continues to provide new and enhanced solutions for the nonprofit sector, Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit is a strong option for nonprofits.

Here at Heller Consulting, our partnership with Microsoft gives us extensive knowledge of Microsoft products for the sector. We can help you determine which products are right for your organization and help you implement and support the solutions.

But we don’t work exclusively with Microsoft. We also have deep expertise with other nonprofit technology, such as products from Salesforce and Blackbaud. So, we’re uniquely positioned to help if you need a:

Sounding board to talk about your technology approach
Comparative analysis or fit assessment to confirm your technology direction
Full technology roadmap to take your nonprofit into the future
Partner to help with the technology implementation and support

For nearly three decades, Heller Consulting has focused on helping organizations to plan and implement technology strategies. With thousands of projects and engagements under our belts, our team of experts helps nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions advance their missions and meet their business objectives.

No matter where our clients are in their journey, we help them make the most of technology.

The post The Basics of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit appeared first on Heller Consulting.

The Basics of Salesforce Solutions for Nonprofits

Kaia Swift — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:19:01 +0000

The Basics of Salesforce for Nonprofits

Introduction: More Options

You may be considering using Salesforce solutions for your nonprofit organization. But your choices in Salesforce offerings are different than they once were – even just a year ago. Today, you have more options.

In the past, if nonprofits wanted to adopt Salesforce, the primary approach was to adopt Sales and Service Cloud for core customer relationship management (CRM) functionality and then opt for one or more managed packages built for nonprofits. The most popular packages were Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) for fundraising, the Program Management Module, and Volunteers for Salesforce. These were distinct packages designed for specific nonprofit functions.

Now nonprofits have another option.

In addition to managed packages for nonprofits, Salesforce now offers the new Nonprofit Cloud. This offering gives nonprofit organizations – especially those with multiple Salesforce administrators or developers – the opportunity to take their use of Salesforce data and CRM to the next level, with the ability to unify different types of data across fundraising, marketing, and programs, plus the ability to use powerful new capabilities that are baked into the new Nonprofit Cloud.

The bottom line is that if your organization is considering using Salesforce, you now have a choice: Either use a managed package approach (as many nonprofits have done for years) or choose to be an early adopter of the new Nonprofit Cloud.

A brief history of Salesforce and the nonprofit sector

2008: Start of Nonprofit Starter Pack and Salesforce.org.

The Salesforce nonprofit community starts working on the first version of the Nonprofit Starter Pack (NPSP), a nonprofit data model built on the Salesforce platform and preconfigured for common fundraising needs of nonprofits. Salesforce.org, an independent division of Salesforce, is founded as a nonprofit reseller of Salesforce, delivering the technology to nonprofits and educational institutions. Salesforce.org donates the first 10 Salesforce subscriptions to nonprofits and educational institutions and sells added subscriptions at a discount.

2016: Launch of Nonprofit Success Pack.

The Nonprofit Starter Pack, which lived on the Salesforce AppExchange as five separate apps, is rebranded as the Nonprofit Success Pack, now an integrated product suite. With the ability to get started with Salesforce using NPSP, nonprofits can now use a flexible, configurable, and powerful Fortune 500-level CRM system as the foundation of a robust technology ecosystem.

2019: Salesforce and Salesforce.org combine.

Salesforce.org is integrated into Salesforce as a new industry vertical focused on nonprofits and education institutions with the intent to scale Salesforce’s philanthropic efforts and creating efficiencies. Nonprofits are now an industry market within Salesforce – just like other industries served by the company.

2023: Launch of the new Nonprofit Cloud.

Salesforce announces the release of the new Nonprofit Cloud. While nonprofits can still get NPSP and other managed packages, the new Nonprofit Cloud is built on the core Salesforce platform, giving nonprofits more customizability and access to features that organizations using other Industry Clouds on Salesforce have been able to use for years.

NPSP itself was always and still is free. Underlying Salesforce licenses (Sales/Service Cloud Enterprise Edition) are paid. Some of the other managed packages are free and some of the other managed packages are paid.

Answering basic questions about Salesforce solutions for nonprofits

What are the differences between managed packages for nonprofits and the new Nonprofit Cloud?

NPSP and other managed packages, like the Program Management Module or Volunteers for Salesforce, have been built on the Salesforce platform and are “managed” (or “updated”) by Salesforce or the third party that built them. They use a specific nonprofit data model.

The new Nonprofit Cloud, however, is built using a different data model. It is not a managed package, but rather an end-to-end technology solution built by Salesforce on the Salesforce platform. When Salesforce rolls out three platform updates each year, the new Nonprofit Cloud receives the same updates that are common across all Industry Clouds, plus other nonprofit-specific functionality, and do not rely on package “managers” to update it.

It enables nonprofits to take advantage of powerful features – such as Business Rules Engine, Data Processing Engine, and OmniStudio – that nonprofits did not have access to before, but that other Industry Clouds on Salesforce have been able to leverage for years. Nonprofit Cloud includes the core layer of functionality that allows you to manage things like accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities, cases, and campaigns as well as Program Management, Case Management, and Grants Management.

Fundraising was not included in the initial release of the new Nonprofit Cloud, but it is being rolled out starting in fall of 2023.

Fundraising in Nonprofit Cloud will address three key aspects:

1. Managing a portfolio of major donors and philanthropic partnerships with indicators of propensity to give.

2. Mass market fundraising supported by segmentation.

3. Optimizing fundraising operations.

Can nonprofits still get NPSP and other managed packages?

You can still get (or continue using) NPSP and currently available managed packages from the “old” Nonprofit Cloud, such as those for fundraising, program management, case management, and volunteer management.

However, you now also have the option of becoming an early adopter of the new Nonprofit Cloud instead. This can be an alternative worth considering if you want to take advantage of the advanced features available in the core Salesforce platform.

Fundraising was not included in the initial release of the new Nonprofit Cloud, but it is being rolled out starting in fall of 2023.

Fundraising in Nonprofit Cloud will address three key aspects:

1. Managing a portfolio of major donors and philanthropic partnerships with indicators of propensity to give.

2. Mass market fundraising supported by segmentation.

3. Optimizing fundraising operations.

Are 10 donated licenses still available?

The 10 donated licenses are still available for either NPSP / managed packages or the new Nonprofit Cloud. Here’s how it works:

If your nonprofit has 10 donated licenses of NPSP through the Salesforce Power of Us program, and you intend to stay on NPSP, then there is no change.
If your organization has 10 licenses and wants to move to the new Nonprofit Cloud, you can work with your Salesforce account manager to move your licenses to the new Nonprofit Cloud. The move to the new Nonprofit Cloud will require a migration.
If your nonprofit is moving to Salesforce as a new customer and applying for 10 donated licenses through the Power of Us program, you will have a choice between getting 10 donated Sales/Services licenses (which you then add the free NPSP managed package to) or 10 donated Nonprofit Cloud licenses.

What if my nonprofit is already using NPSP?

If your organization is already using NPSP and other managed packages, you might be wondering if you need to migrate to the new Nonprofit Cloud now. The answer for most organizations at this point is no, it’s not time to migrate.

Here’s why: NPSP is built on a different data model, so going to the new Nonprofit Cloud will not necessarily be a quick process. Salesforce is not doing a forced migration from NPSP to the new Nonprofit Cloud at this point. NPSP is a product that is serving thousands of nonprofit customers, and Salesforce is planning to continue to support it.

That said, if you are seeing new and exciting features of the new Nonprofit Cloud (such as artificial intelligence), and you’re curious about what it could do for your nonprofit, now is a good time to start researching and planning what a migration to the new Nonprofit Cloud would look like and when it would make the most sense to make the move.

Key benefits of Salesforce for Nonprofits

No matter which Salesforce approach you choose for your organization, there are many benefits of moving to Salesforce.

Innovation

Salesforce is constantly innovating. When you work with a company like Salesforce, you get the benefit of a continuous stream of new products, features, and enhancements to help your organization keep up with our fast-paced digital world.

Flexibility

Salesforce is a highly flexible platform, which means your organization can customize and extend products built on it to meet your unique processes and needs. Salesforce also has a large and mature AppExchange marketplace of third-party applications that integrate with the Salesforce platform, which is important if you anticipate needing to expand and enhance your solutions down the road.

Integrated Data

Solutions built around the Salesforce platform are centered around CRM, which gives you a holistic view of donors, volunteers, and other constituents. This full picture can help you work more strategically and efficiently by using data and processes to collaborate more deeply across the organization.

Efficiency

Tools available on the Salesforce platform give you the ability to automate processes, such as notifying key staff members when a major donor gift is received, to help you do more with less manual work.

Opportunities for Improvement

Many organizations moving to Salesforce find that it opens a new path for business process improvement. So, processes that once had to bend to fit your systems can now be redefined and optimized to fit your organization’s needs instead of the systems’ limitations.

Key uses of Salesforce for Nonprofits

Salesforce can help you manage nearly every aspect of your organization, whether you use a managed package approach or the new Nonprofit Cloud.

Fundraising

NPSP is designed to address most of the fundamental fundraising needs of nonprofits, including building donor relationships, accelerating major giving, and connecting multiple giving channels.

As mentioned previously, fundraising functionality in the new Nonprofit Cloud will be available in Fall 2023 and will help organizations with:

1. Managing a portfolio of major donors and philanthropic partnerships with indicators of propensity to give

2. Mass market fundraising supported by segmentation

3. Optimizing fundraising operations

Programs

Program management functionality helps nonprofits organize and manage program data. For example, you can track programs and services, no matter how complex. You can track individual service deliveries and assign program participants to segments based on specific attributes. You can streamline the setup of recurring benefits/services, mass enroll program participants, and track drop-in service deliveries.

Marketing

Using Marketing Cloud, you can segment your audiences and send targeted, personalized communications to donors, volunteers, and other constituents. You can also use pre-built templates to create emails that work and look great on any device.

Case Management

Using case management functionality, you can do things like access information about services delivered, cases, and care plans rendered – all from a single console. You can process inbound client referrals and guided intake, with embedded assessments for deeper insights into clients. You can also build personalized plans for clients and families, including goal tracking, benefit enrollment, and task management.

A note about integrations: In addition to products offered by Salesforce, there are also thousands of third-party apps in the Salesforce AppExchange that integrate with the Salesforce CRM platform to help you extend your Salesforce solutions in new ways. Note that many of these apps may not have been developed or adapted for the new Nonprofit Cloud yet. So, if you have an AppExchange app that is critical to your organization and you’re thinking about investing in the new Nonprofit Cloud, then be sure to check with the vendor that it will work with the new Nonprofit Cloud.

Additional uses for the new Nonprofit Cloud

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

2023 Digital Transformation Trends for Nonprofits

Kaia Swift — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 20:39:09 +0000

2023 Digital Transformation Trends for Nonprofits

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Introduction

Welcome to our annual report about key trends in the nonprofit technology sector.

The past year has been a period of transition and adaptation for nonprofits, as organizations have navigated a rapidly changing landscape of data, technology, and talent. Despite the challenges, nonprofits are now looking forward and thinking strategically about how to best leverage technology to achieve their goals.

Data: Quality and Security Over Quantity

When analyzing trends impacting nonprofits’ technology strategies, data has always been an important consideration.

However, this year, we have decided to give extra attention to data as we see significant shifts in how organizations approach it.

Technology and people factors are just as critical as data strategy. But, the changes in how nonprofits are managing and utilizing data our first item of note.

Let’s dive into the data topics for 2023.

To start, imagine you are about to move into a new house.

Do you pack and move every single belonging, only to wonder later why you brought over that dusty trinket?

Or do you take the move as an opportunity to declutter and let go of items you no longer need?

Data management is much the same.

It may be tempting to hold on to every piece of data your organization has ever collected just in case. But nonprofits are realizing the drawbacks, including increased effort and cost. Many nonprofit technology experts are taking a more strategic approach to data migration.

Heller Tip:

Even if you are not changing your systems, these principles are still applicable. Consider conducting an audit and cleaning your data to realize these same benefits.

Key Trends

There is a greater emphasis on data certainty and accuracy over volume.
Clean data is usable data. It may be tempting to put off data cleanup, but we encourage nonprofits and educational institutions to tackle this task before bringing data over into the new system.
Organizations have been collecting more data than ever about their donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. This “more is more” approach to data collection resulted in massive amounts of information. But even if this data is reliable and tidy, it may not be relevant to your goals. Consider how you plan to use the information to make the best decisions about what data to retain.
Data security and compliance continue to be a top priority for organizations – special consideration should be given to anything that could be considered sensitive information.

Benefits of Strategic Data Management

Lower costs.
As nonprofits continue to look for ways to do more with less and cut unnecessary costs, strategic data management is an attractive promise for leadership. Depending on a CRM system’s fee structure, organizations could end up paying a considerable amount for data storage. By cleaning your data and thinking intentionally about what data you keep, you can save valuable dollars for your organization.

Better performance.
Bogging down your new system with an overwhelming amount of data can lead to sluggish performance. Running reports may take longer. Thinking “clean and lean” will help to ensure that your systems are running optimally.

Greater results.
We encourage our clients to tidy their data before moving it into a new system and establish ongoing data maintenance protocols to ensure that systems are supporting organizational goals.

Storage and Security

Storing and Accessing Data

When it comes to managing and storing large amounts of data, the key is to have data available to the right people at the right time to do their jobs and make decisions. Right now, organizations have several options to choose from when storing data. A caveat to this, however, is that data does not necessarily need to be stored in one place or in a single system.

A popular method is to use data warehouses and data lakes for long-term storage. A data lake is a vast repository of raw data that can be stored for future use. A data warehouse is a more structured approach, where data is cleaned and processed, ready for analysis.

But what if you need quick access to your constituent data for personalized marketing and fundraising efforts? This is where a customer data platform (CDP) could come into play. CDPs aggregate data from various systems within an organization to create a centralized profile of each constituent, making it easily accessible for highly personalized marketing and fundraising campaigns.

How is a CDP different from a CRM?

Read more about CDP >

Security & Privacy: Protecting Stakeholders’ Data

If you are concerned about data security for your nonprofit organization, you are not alone. With cybercrime on the rise, nonprofits are increasingly becoming targets due to the sensitive data they store. However, here are steps you can take to protect your data and safeguard your organization’s reputation.

Prioritize security when making technology decisions. Choosing commercial-grade products from reputable providers can ensure that your data is well-protected. Additionally, by being strategic about which data you retain, you can reduce the risk of sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.
Privacy and consent are also crucial considerations for nonprofits. With stricter regulations and increased public awareness of data privacy, it is essential to have strict processes in place to protect personal information and comply with regulations.
To ensure data security, it is important to establish a strong data governance policy that defines what data is being collected, how it is stored, and what information is considered personal. This is especially important when using multiple systems that may be collecting different data points, as it ensures that stakeholders’ preferences are observed across all platforms.

Tools and Technology

Building for Success in a Complex Environment

Nonprofits are complex. Most organizations that we work with have at least the following core functions (and more) that require many products and solutions to support their work: mission delivery, fundraising or advancement, marketing and communications, finance, and human resources. Technology implementations have high stakes, and the success of a project is often determined before it even gets off the ground.

The most successful implementations have a thoughtful planning component which includes evaluation and selection of their technology. Having a clear vision up front, especially when covering multiple functional areas, can elevate the overall success of a technology implementation project, regardless of what tools you are implementing.

At Heller, we work with organizations to ensure their technology implementations are set up for success. We advise on ways to define expectations and establish clear goals, so that the implementation can meet the organization’s needs and achieve desired outcomes.

Ecosystem is the New CRM

Selecting software is no longer just about selecting a single product to replace another. Today, it’s about aligning technology with organizational goals and selecting a mix of tools that work together to achieve the mission more effectively, even if not all software products are implemented immediately.

Gone are the days of the CRM system as a “single source of truth” with a “360-degree view of your data.” Some nonprofits are actively choosing a CRM approach because of particular business considerations, but forward-thinking organizations are considering their goals and selecting an ecosystem of technologies that fit their specific needs.

The optimal approach is to build your ecosystem on a strong foundational layer that allows for the integration of various functional areas through pre-built applications, direct API connections, and custom configurations.

Salesforce for Nonprofits and Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit are two powerful and secure enterprise-level technologies that support this approach. Platforms also offer development tools to build deeper customizations.

However, transitioning to an ecosystem approach means managing multiple vendor partnerships and requiring more sophisticated expertise for configuration and maintenance. Organizations without in-house expertise should consider managed services to ensure success. Additionally, personalizing constituents’ experience still requires bringing information from different systems together, which can be achieved through data warehouses, data lakes, or customer data platforms (CDPs).

The Story of Two Giants: Salesforce & Microsoft

Microsoft: The Tipping Point. We have been discussing Microsoft’s development of nonprofit offerings for some time, but it was in the past year that the nonprofit market’s appetite for Microsoft reached the tipping point. Microsoft is a world-class, highly secure technology option that provides significant discounts for nonprofits, remains invested in the nonprofit sector, and is a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. We often recommend that nonprofits build their technology stacks on Microsoft when it is the right fit.

Salesforce: What’s Next? Salesforce.org has established a strong presence in the nonprofit market over the years. However, as organizations evaluate their technology options, some may be proactively seeking alternatives. The past year has brought challenges for the company and the integration of Salesforce.org, the nonprofit arm, into the larger commercial organization is expected to continue to have an impact on the nonprofit sector in 2023. And in early 2023, Salesforce announced a vision for a new Nonprofit Cloud. The new Nonprofit Cloud will provide a new offering for nonprofits to consider when examining if Salesforce is the right fit for their organizations.

In the course of the year, Blackbaud has made some incremental changes to some of its products and retains some of its legacy clients, but we are also continuing to see users of Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge migrating to Salesforce.

Technology Assessments and the RFP Process

Ecosystems are continuing to become more sophisticated and there are many options to choose from amongst tools, apps, and customizations. Nonprofits are increasingly seeing the value of working with our team through a technology assessment, a broader approach, to bring into focus what an organization is trying to accomplish. The RFP can be a deliberative part of a technology assessment, but sometimes the RFP cannot do all the work.

A technology assessment is a more holistic way to think about your technology strategy, focusing on the organization’s goals and objectives rather than evaluating individual software products. This is a collaborative and in depth-process that considers various technology approaches to achieve organizational goals, works through the implications and tradeoffs of different combinations of software solutions, and develops a technology ecosystem strategy with the right mix of tools. The assessment gives you clarity on what you want from new technology and allows you to approach the marketplace in a way that gives you meaningful information. At times, organizations have opted to forgo the RFP process altogether. Instead, they have direct conversations with technology providers. On the flip side, other organizations can focus the RFP on the content that is most important to them after going through a technology assessment.

While we do not endorse any specific products, Heller experts do share their opinions based on more than 25 years of experience in helping nonprofits select, implement, and use the software. Organizations benefit from our experience and guidance in navigating the complex landscape of technology options.

People: The Impact of Technology on Staffing

The past three years have brought significant changes and challenges, leading to a need for highly qualified and strategic staff. This shift toward professionalization in nonprofit technology staffing has resulted in a pool of specialized talent that requires a different approach to management and recruitment. As we enter 2023, nonprofits must understand these dynamics and adapt their hiring strategies to attract and retain top talent in the field.

In recent years, Salesforce expertise emerged as a career path in the nonprofit sector. Many professionals see nonprofits as an opportunity to gain valuable and marketable experience in the field. The good news for nonprofits is that there is a rich pool of talent available, with an additional influx of experienced professionals entering the field after the recent layoffs from the tech world. However, managers face the challenge of how to retain staff as attractive opportunities abound.

In our experience, employees who administer enterprise technologies are not satisfied with just mastering their current responsibilities. They are more likely to seek out ongoing professional development opportunities, certifications, and new challenges. As a manager, it’s important to be prepared to support the development and professional growth of your team to retain motivated talent.

Heller Tip

At your nonprofit, consider providing your team with access to support for the most technically challenging parts of their roles. This balances costs by leveraging your current staff while also ensuring they are using their time and talents most effectively, and that they feel supported along the way.

Minimizing The Impact of Staff Attrition

19%

Annual turnover rate in the nonprofit sector.

(source)

16 months

Average time development staff stay in their roles.

(source)

Retaining staff is a critical challenge for many organizations, particularly in the nonprofit sector where the estimated annual turnover rate is 19%, higher than the all-industry average of 12%. Development staff, who play a key role in building and maintaining donor relationships, often have an even shorter tenure, staying in their roles for an average of just 16 months. To mitigate the impact of staff transitions, organizations can leverage technology to ensure continuity and efficiency. Technology and knowledge management can help you hold onto your institutional knowledge and minimize the impact of staff turnover.

Here are a few tips on ways you can leverage your technology to help you manage staff attrition:

Train multiple staff members in key functions and processes within your technology systems to ensure continuity in case of staff turnover.
Establish data entry guidelines and protocols to ensure that data is entered consistently and accurately.
Implement a comprehensive technology training program to provide new staff with the skills they need to quickly get up to speed and feel confident in their roles. This will help to minimize disruption and ensure that the organization continues to run smoothly.

The Impact of Change Management

Staff can be tempted to leave during critical changes at your organization. Change management has been proven to reduce disruption and improve retention during these periods.

AI: Navigating in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making headlines, and with the release of ChatGPT from OpenAI in late 2022 and Google’s recent release of Bard, its capabilities have been further amplified. However, with new technology, there comes a sense of uncertainty and apprehension about its implications. Here at Heller Consulting, we see AI as a powerful tool that opens a new world of possibilities for nonprofits to work more efficiently and effectively.

In reality, AI is a computer’s ability to gather and process data to perform tasks that mimic human intelligence. This could include things like speech recognition, decision making, and language translation. It’s something we’ve been experiencing for years in our daily lives. But with the latest generations of AI tools becoming increasingly sophisticated and impressive, it’s time for nonprofits to start investigating its capabilities.

Where can nonprofits start?

Content generation and segmentation are two areas we see AI having an immediate and positive impact on nonprofits. With AI tools, you can generate fundraising appeals that you can edit and send out, saving you valuable time that can be better used elsewhere. You can also use AI to process large amounts of data and make your fundraising and marketing campaigns more targeted with segmentation.

What's happening with AI in the technology world?

In March 2023, Salesforce announced Einstein GPT, which delivers AI-created content that adapts to changing customer information and needs in real time. The same month, Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is embedded in Microsoft 365 apps (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams) to create AI-generated content. With the growth and evolution of products for nonprofits from both companies, we expect to see AI developments, such as specific use cases for nonprofits, coming from them soon.

There is no need to rush into using AI simply because it's the latest hot topic.

As with any technology, it is important to be mindful of how you are using it and what it can help you to accomplish. We also urge caution when it comes to AI. Inaccuracies, plagiarism, and biases are potential issues that may arise depending on where and how AI tools acquire and process data.

As new AI companies emerge, it’s crucial to choose reputable AI tools and companies you can trust.

A good approach is to look into the AI capabilities that might start to be available in the technology you already have. Get started by using these capabilities to automate and simplify mundane tasks so that your staff members can focus more time on building relationships with donors, volunteers, and other constituents.

What's next?

In 2023, it’s important to keep in mind the shifting landscape of nonprofit technology. Our observations of key trends in the industry suggest that these changes will continue to evolve in the coming year. However, we anticipate that new developments and announcements will also shape the direction of nonprofit technology. At Heller Consulting, we are committed to sharing our expertise and insights with the nonprofit community and will continue to update this guide as new information emerges.

Heller Consulting empowers organizations with technology strategy, CRM planning, implementation, and change management services. Since 1996 we have been providing targeted solutions that are customized based on your unique organizational needs and work with you to find creative ways to make that positive impact. After working on over 3,000 projects, one thing hasn’t changed—our passion for helping clients utilize the right technology strategies and systems to significantly expand the impact of their vital missions. Our team of experts understands specific technology challenges and is dedicated to finding solutions that help organizations succeed by aligning technology with your strategic goals.

The post 2023 Digital Transformation Trends for Nonprofits appeared first on Heller Consulting.

The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making Strategic Digital Tech Decisions

Kaia Swift — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 18:08:42 +0000

The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making Strategic Digital Tech Decisions

A guide for marketers

Technology trends on the minds of marketers

Today’s marketers at nonprofit organizations are under a lot of pressure. Their role has changed dramatically. Marketers are expected to deliver exceptional and personalized experiences. They have taken the reins of complex data segmentations. They are on the front lines of data privacy and compliance. Fundraisers turn to marketing colleagues to help them measure and attribute the impact of marketing activities on dollars raised.

Of course, technology is behind everything we do today. Almost every aspect of marketing is now digital and to keep pace, nonprofit marketers are making more strategic choices about technology.

In this guide we outline key trends impacting the way nonprofits are thinking about technology needs, key data considerations, and how to address the evolving role of a nonprofit marketer. We will make the case for starting marketing technology decisions with a strategy. Starting with business objectives and creating a blueprint will allow you to thoughtfully build out your tech stack.

The Next Big Thing: Customer Data Platforms

There are different approaches to building out organizational technology, from single applications that solve specific needs to best-of-breed ecosystems connected through a powerful foundational layer with ever-growing libraries of applications and programs that are built to integrate.

Decisions about the digital tools that will fold into your overall tech stack are critical. Every interaction shapes how people relate to your organization’s brand. While they do not see the systems behind the scenes that deploy the email or post to social media, it is up to you to ensure a smooth and seamless experience. Having a strategy that guides your tech stack and implementing your digital tools so that they play nicely with your organization’s existing technologies will help you achieve this. Our advice is to carefully consider upfront how the different technologies will connect to exchange information.

Here are some commonly used functionalities in the nonprofit technology space that would influence digital tool decisions:

A foundational platform layer that allows organizations to connect a variety of functional areas through pre-built applications, API connections, and custom configurations. For example, Salesforce has a robust AppExchange full of applications that integrate with the Salesforce platform. Microsoft has the Nonprofit Common Data Model that allows tools built for nonprofits to better interact with one another.
Fundraising tools that allow nonprofits to process contributions using a variety of payment types (credit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, and others) and handle necessary receipting.
Email marketing tools capable of supporting conditional content and segmentation.
Nimble marketing automation tools to create cross-functional journeys to nurture constituents across channels.
Peer-to-peer tools that allow participants to set up and manage their fundraising efforts around fundraising events like walks and DIY fundraisers.
Volunteer management technologies that connect volunteers to relevant opportunities.
Online communities or portals where users can interact in meaningful ways with the organization and each other.
A variety of tools that help organizations bring information together for different purposes: data storage and management, reporting, dashboards, analytics, business intelligence, and much more.

Growing Trend: Online Communities and Portals

Interest in online communities is growing and nonprofits are beginning to view online communities and portals as an essential part of how they do business to help them deliver services, connect with volunteers, build communities, and conduct donor prospecting.

An online community or portal that is part of or connected to your customer relationship management (CRM) system offers the benefit of being able to expose some of the data to your constituents to allow them to securely manage their donations information, sign up for relevant volunteer opportunities, and more. In a community, it’s also common for supporters to interact with each other and your organization. An example here might be a community of leadership volunteers who are planning and executing a large event so that they can collaborate on marketing collateral and event logistics. In the higher education space, an example is communities connecting alumni with college classmates.

Journeys: Are you maximizing the value of marketing automation?

Marketing automation opens up incredible possibilities for nonprofits to meet many objectives across organizational functions to engage stakeholders in a variety of ways. Nonprofits are starting to recognize opportunities and putting powerful systems in place to support automations, but too often these digital tools are woefully underutilized. To maximize the value from your marketing automation technology system, it is important to have a sound technology strategy, a coordinated system design, and strong data integrations between the systems so that you can deploy relevant communications reflective of your donors’ past engagement or giving history.

It's all about data

Data management is complex. Do you have a plan?

Data informs our communications and engagement strategies making touchpoints more relevant and effective through thoughtful segmentation. Data points allow us to measure and attribute impact of marketing activities and mission delivery so that we can make better decisions.

Data management is complex. Is your data secure? Do you have privacy safeguards in place? Is your data accurate and complete? In laying out the groundwork for your technology ecosystem, consider how you are connecting data across different systems.

Creating Exceptional Audience Experiences

Reliable trustworthy data and relevant information about your supporters are prerequisites to accurate personalization and effective segmentation. Today, people expect marketers to understand who they are and even to anticipate their needs. Nonprofit organizations, too, are getting more sophisticated to deliver exceptional experiences. Is your organization keeping pace? Are your communications resonating with your audiences?

Here are just a few reminders to help you approach interactions in a thoughtful way:

Establish key objectives – what are you trying to achieve and what data points are salient?
Bad and inaccurate data can be costly to your credibility, jeopardizing important relationships. How are you ensuring the integrity of your information? Here are a few ways you can protect and improve the quality of your data: establish data standards and business processes, tap address completion and verification services, form validation, and design fields to minimize input errors.
Solution coordination is vital to ensure you have a complete view of your audiences.
Sharing data across departments can help you find ways to deepen supporter relationships. Donors are often great advocates, while volunteers and advocates are likely fundraising prospects.
Finally, don’t overcomplicate your segmentation. It is easy to create a multitude of microsegments, creating unnecessary and unwieldy complexity. We recommend identifying the most meaningful variables.

Leveraging Social Media Data to Improve Constituent Interactions

Social media is a treasure trove of information about constituents. It can provide a window into what your audience cares about and who they know. Folding this data into your CRM can help you supplement your existing data and use your data more effectively.

Integrating social media requires effort, the right technologies, and clear governance around privacy, but it may be well worth it. This information shared by individuals themselves can give you deep insights that lead to bigger fundraising, marketing, and program delivery success.

A world without cookies

With changes coming from companies like Apple, customer privacy features are having huge impacts on nonprofit marketing campaigns and reporting metrics. It’s now critical to rely upon first-party data instead of third-party data. Having a sophisticated CRM in place to manage your first-party data (like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics) will future-proof your technology investments as you continue to evolve to meet privacy requirements.

Putting Your Data to Work: Measurement & Evaluation

To make data-driven decisions, your organization’s data must be accessible and answer your strategic questions. Through reports, dashboards, and by combining data you can make better decisions, optimize user experience, deepen engagement, and evaluate mission impact.

When mapping out your technology strategy and implementing tools, consider what reporting and analysis will be helpful to inform your organization’s work.

Combining data from different systems is not a novel concept. However, creating and automating systems that quickly and easily deliver the information you need without manual analysis requires significant skills and bandwidth and can only be done episodically, will allow you to make data-driven decisions.

Here are just a few of the benefits that organizations garner from thoughtfully combined data:

Make Better Marketing Decisions. When marketers are able to attribute results to specific marketing activities or contributing channels, they are able to design more effective strategies and invest wisely and confidently in areas that are most impactful.
Enhance Mission Delivery & Build a Stronger Case for Support. Evaluating program metrics can be extremely valuable informing mission delivery and highlighting which areas organizations should focus on based on their efficacy.
Save Staff Time. Investing the time and resources to configure evaluation and measurement systems up front will help you save staff time and frustration of manually assembling data.
Inform Marketing Strategy to Raise More Money. Most organizations seek to grow and improve their fundraising efforts to maintain and deliver new mission services. When reporting on revenue via a fundraising platform, we only have insights into what results were actually produced. When we track the impact of various marketing channels, direct and indirect, we have a better understanding of which campaigns produced results, which in turn helps us better design future strategies.

Matt Mastrangelo, Director of Annual Giving and Donor Engagement, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

“The data Pardot allows us to capture for analysis has led to more strategic decisions and targeted outreach than we originally anticipated.”

Security & Privacy: Are you protecting your supporters’ data?

every 39 seconds

a cybercriminal attempts to access government and nonprofit databases.

70%

of charity networks lack a comprehensive risk assessment.

Don’t panic, just get help.

Are you concerned about data security and compliance for your nonprofit organization? For many nonprofits, donor data security is their number one priority this year. The concern is well founded. According to the 2021 Cybersecurity Guide for Nonprofit Organizations, cybercriminals attempt to access government and nonprofit databases every 39 seconds. Yet, up to 70% of charity networks lack a comprehensive risk assessment.

Privacy and consent are also hot topics for nonprofits. While initially nonprofit organizations have been able to comply with regulations loosely, it is not a wise option with stricter enforcement and public sentiment about privacy. Approach form and landing page design with privacy considerations in mind and including relevant language for your jurisdiction.

In selecting technology and configuring your ecosystem, security and privacy are incredibly important.

Establish a strong data governance policy to define what data is being collected, how it is stored, and what is considered to be personal. When using multiple systems that may be collecting different data points, it is critical that supporters’ preferences are observed across the platforms.

An Evolved Nonprofit Marketer: A Unicorn

People are your nonprofits’ most important asset. As the approaches to digital strategy and technology are evolving, nonprofits’ staffing needs are also changing. Whereas in the past, nonprofit marketers were sought out more for their creative skills, today’s most successful candidates combine strategic thinking, tech savvy, creativity, and soft skills.

Whether you are a hiring manager seeking out the right talent for your organization or a professional looking for ways to hone your skills, here are our observations about skills and qualities of a successful nonprofit marketer today.

Strategic Thinker.

Today’s more advanced strategies leverage complex segmentations, marketing automations, and cross-channel efforts, all of which rely on sophisticated technology ecosystems. The marketers at the center of it all play a strategic role. They have access to more data and nimble reporting that allows them to establish clear plans and experiment to improve performance in a fast-moving environment. The most successful hires are individuals who embrace this strategic role. They are comfortable making decisions and are proactive.

Problem Solver.

Marketing today is not always a prescriptive process. Nonprofits are seeking out marketing staff with critical thinking skills to identify creative approaches when there is no playbook, making decisions and implementing solutions.

Creative Brain.

Changes in strategies have redefined creativity. Marketing used to mean catchy taglines and creative direction for graphic design. Today’s creative marketers are the ones who can apply that same outside the box thinking to segmentation, channel selection and innovative use of technology.

Technology Power User.

In the past marketers leaned in on marketing strategies, while data and technology were siloed and managed by others on staff. More accessible technology has democratized access to information. Successful marketing efforts are data driven. It is vital for marketers to be comfortable using technology and understanding data, from hands-on use of new tools to quickly accessing information, making necessary adjustments, and understanding capabilities to inform their thinking and planning.

They Have Soft Skills.

Collaboration is central to the work of today’s nonprofit. Marketers able to understand pain points of their colleagues and audiences and have the finesse to work well with others are an asset.

Bringing It All Together: Strategy First

Technology transformation is a significant investment of resources and time. The senior nonprofit leaders driving these changes are staking their organizational capital on these important decisions. The potential payoffs of technology transformations are significant. The right combination of tools and solutions, configured in a thoughtful way, can transform your business and propel your organization into the future.

But we have also seen digitals implementations fail to meet expectations when quick fixes do not operate well within the context of other organizational tools. With rushed transitions, tools are not configured to meet organizational needs leaving expensive technologies underutilized. The failure to manage through change and train staff is another contributing factor.

We understand how much is at stake for your organization and your mission and wholeheartedly believe that most of the risk factors can be managed and mitigated. There are a few basic principles we apply to our projects that are essential to success:

Strategy First Approach. What are your organization’s strategic goals? Start there. Decisions about tools and solutions must be driven by business objectives – technology is the means to an end.
Imagine the Future. Think beyond the immediate needs. What will your business look like a year from now? Five years or even ten years into the future? Will your technology support growth? While you may not bring your vision to fruition all at once, with an overarching framework, all the pieces will work more seamlessly together.
Inclusive Process. Engage stakeholders across the organization early and often to illuminate potential blind spots and to create a more cohesive ecosystem.
Prioritize User Adoption. Many would-be successful implementations can fall flat due to lack of user adoption. Managing change is about building the buy-in, bringing everyone along, and dedicating real time to training.

Planning the future of your technology takes imagination. This is a bold step of envisioning what the future looks like and mapping out a digital ecosystem that will help you get there.

Most organizations do not stand up their entire technology ecosystem overnight. The initial technology strategy planning process will help you ensure that tools and solutions you put in place over time support your business objectives, integrate with each other, and take in consideration the needs of different business units across the organization.

Benefits of a digital roadmap

One size does not fit all. Unless you are a very small organization or have very modest and typical technology requirements, odds are you will be building an ecosystem of tools, applications, and solutions. It is important that those solutions operate in a holistic way and are built to be scalable for the future to allow your organization to grow and flourish.

● Having a digital roadmap will help you make the best possible decisions for your organization to support your mission delivery, marketing, and operations.

● Tools that adequately solve the challenges today may not be enough to support your evolving business. Having a blueprint helps you look beyond the immediate needs to envision and anticipate the future state and what technology will be required to support it.

● Planning saves organizations money by ensuring that you are investing in technologies and configurations that work together.

● Disconnected tools can create data silos impacting both your constituents’ experience and potentially creating privacy and compliance challenges.

● Planning is an opportunity to bring your stakeholders together, to consider the needs across the organization, and to build buy-in. A defined roadmap will provide you with guidance for a more cohesive ecosystem.

Good planning looks like

Discovery
Experts will take the time to audit your current technologies, meet with stakeholders, and ask questions to understand challenges and desired outcomes.

Identify the Gaps
Based on the information we gather and with your strategic objectives in mind, experts will identify gaps and help you anticipate where new needs are likely to emerge.

Define & Prioritize Requirements
Implementations do not happen all at once and we often have to make trade-offs. We want to help you get the most value out of your investment.

Develop a Digital Roadmap
We will help you imagine the future state and translate that vision into concrete recommendations. The typical roadmap includes:

Technology recommendations to help you in your selection process with consideration of your existing tools
Budgeting that includes coordination and integration costs
Recommendations for solutions design and configurations
A plan for how your data fits together
Necessary processes to support the new ecosystem and to optimize your work
Implementation plan

Case study: Humane Society Silicon Valley

HSSV’s CRM and online marketing solutions could not keep pace with the organization’s long-term goals for constituent engagement and growth. Incomplete view of constituent data due to poor integration among solutions made it difficult to personalize and target constituent engagement and fundraising campaigns. The organization recognized the need to scale marketing and fundraising activities but lacked technology to support these goals. Difficult to use tools created inefficiencies across the organization.

Find out how we helped.

The post The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making Strategic Digital Tech Decisions appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Data Management Tip Sheet

Kaia Swift — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 19:15:02 +0000

4 Tips to Better Manage Your Nonprofit's Data

Digital transformation at nonprofits involves using modern technology and improved processes to enhance the constituent experience. But no matter how great your new technology and processes might be, they won’t work optimally without one key thing: good, clean, and reliable data.

How do you ensure good data at your organization? We put together four pro tips you can start implementing at your organization. Download your tip sheet today!

Get the Nonprofit Data Tip Sheet

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Building an Engaged Community: What You Need to Know

Kaia Swift — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:47:07 +0000

Recent technology and digitalization trends have made it easier than ever for nonprofits to build an engaged community. Communicating and connecting with supporters using online messaging features, group chats, virtual community walls, and live online events have enabled nonprofits across the country to turn their supporters into a vibrant community—strengthening their relationships even further.

Turning your nonprofit’s supporters into a full-fledged community has a number of benefits, too. Supporters who engage with both your nonprofit and other like-minded supporters are more loyal to your cause. Nonprofits who can create this sense of family and commonality also earn more support and improve their supporter retention.

So you know building an engaged nonprofit community is valuable. But how do you get there? In this article, we’ll be covering four strategies that will help you build and maintain an engaged nonprofit community:

Personalized communication.
Leverage multiple communication channels.
Offer valuable content and opportunities.
Partner with sponsors that bring value to your community.

Let’s begin.

Personalize communication.

The better you know your supporters and personalize their experiences, the more loyal and connected those supporters will be. Personalized communication helps each supporter to feel known, directly valued, and individually connected.

Your supporters are more likely to engage with and respond to messages that are tailored to their preferences. You can learn more about their preferences by gathering social media data, and then using that data to tailor your marketing and outreach efforts.

Here are a few simple ways you can use social media data to make your communications feel custom:

Address your supporters by name. Even when sending messages to your entire supporter base, including the recipient’s name in the message instantly grabs your reader’s attention.

Include details about their past engagement. Your database should track details about your supporters, like their past donation amounts, activity, and how long they’ve been a valued supporter. You can reference this information, especially in your thank-you messages, to make supporters feel seen and recognized.

Segment your supporters. This allows you to send specific messages to groups of supporters based on shared characteristics, such as how long they’ve been with your nonprofit, their demographic information, and what their interests are. Segmenting also allows you to target each supporter based on where they’re at in their supporter journey.

People long for community and a sense of belonging. Building a community around your nonprofit gives your supporters a place to interact with like-minded individuals and realize greater value. That, in turn, can lead to those supporters contributing more to your nonprofit, engaging further, and staying with your organization longer.

Leverage multiple communication channels.

Turning your supporters into a lively community requires connecting with them through multiple touch points. Not all of your supporters use the same channels or relate to the same kind of approaches. Creating a multi-touch strategy gives every supporter the chance to engage in their own way. Plus, it keeps your nonprofit at the forefront of their minds.

Keep these tips in mind as you leverage each communication channel to develop your engaged community:

Your website: Before you start building your community, audit your nonprofit’s website for areas of optimization and improvement. Make sure your message is clear and that every site visitor understands the value they get from being a part of your network.

Social media: Social media is a versatile tool that allows you to casually connect with your supporters, build nonprofit awareness, post supporter-generated content, and share updates. To get the best impact from this channel, learn what social media platforms your supporters are most likely to be on, and then focus on those channels. On those channels, encourage supporter engagement by creating polls and surveys, asking questions, posting videos, and re-sharing your supporter’s content.

Email: Use email to reach a wide range of supporters, to share resources, or to show appreciation when a supporter engages or donates. Email is also easy to segment, allowing you to send even more personalized communications. In fact, segmenting your email recipients can lead to a revenue increase of as much as 760%!

Text messaging: If you have a supporter’s permission to utilize text messaging, it can be an effective way to build community. Use text messaging for quick event reminders, thank-you messages, and updates about your nonprofit.

Direct mail: To send donation requests, gratitude letters, and event invitations, consider leveraging direct mail. Having a physical reminder of your nonprofit, something your supporters can hold and read, further solidifies that sense of community you want your supporters to feel.

In-person and virtual events: It’s easy to see how events help every supporter feel like they belong. Gathering a room of supporters together is a great opportunity to share your message, build lasting relationships, and retain your supporters.

Notice how your supporters engage with your nonprofit through each of these channels. Is one particular channel working better than the others? Does one appeal to newer supporters, while another attracts long-time supporters? While you should continue utilizing multiple channels to maximize your reach, noting how each channel aids your overall outreach efforts can help guide your future community-building strategy and maximize your resources.

Note: the fastest way to dismantle the engaged community you’ve built is to over-communicate with your supporters or disregard their communication preferences. Ask your supporters which communication channels they prefer, then follow those preferences carefully.

Offer valuable content and opportunities.

Your nonprofit has the potential to provide significant value to your supporters—if you have the right tools to do so. Remember, creating an engaged community is about more than just increasing your donations to further your nonprofit’s mission. By creating a place where your supporters can connect with one another, volunteer together, share ideas and solutions, and be enriched by your nonprofit’s relevant content and resources, your positive impact instantly expands.

Here are a few ways you can help your supporters engage and connect:

Volunteering opportunities: When your supporters volunteer together to make progress on a shared goal, they develop connections that extend beyond that day’s activities. Planning volunteer initiatives that allow your supporters to work side-by-side is a great way to create community.

Informative articles: Offer greater value to your community of supporters by keeping them up-to-date on what’s happening in your industry. To increase engagement, have a comments section on your articles where supporters can discuss the topic further.

Merchandise: Build camaraderie among your supporters by offering branded merchandise, like hats, t-shirts, backpacks, or stickers. When your supporters run into one another, they’ll instantly feel connected.

Community activities: Hosting a local activity like a father-daughter dance, a recipe contest, or a picnic in the park gives your supporters the chance to meet one another and start building relationships.

Virtual opportunities: Your supporters don’t have to be local to help. Virtual volunteering opportunities, like telethon fundraisers, a community helpline, and administrative tasks can be completed from anywhere.

Remember, by offering events and engagement opportunities where you don’t ask for donations, you’re showing your supporters that you value them for more than just their backing. That appreciation goes a long way in creating a healthy community.

Partner with sponsors that bring value to your community.

The sponsors and businesses you align with have a strong impact on your reputation—for better or for worse. The right partnerships can make community-building easy by helping you attract new supporters and retain your existing ones. But to avoid a costly misstep, ensure that your partners’ goals align with your nonprofit’s before you announce the collaboration.

The right sponsorship can also have a dual benefit, bringing in much-needed funding and offering additional value to your supporters. Here are a few examples:

Donation matching: Some nonprofit partners will match the donations you receive during a certain timespan. Not only does this increase your nonprofit’s funding, it encourages more donations from your existing supporters.

Free resources: If you partner with a business, that business may offer special perks or resources to your supporters, such as a discount on the company’s product or services.

Volunteering programs: Corporate sponsors often have robust volunteer programs that give employees special time off for volunteering with certain nonprofits. If you partner with a business that offers this kind of employee program, you can receive additional volunteer hours with little effort on your part.

Some community engagement platforms allow nonprofits to set up a special marketplace where a portion of all sales support the nonprofit. These kinds of platforms allow supporters to share their products or services while assisting the nonprofit they care about.

A strong community, built through personalized communications, allows your nonprofit to carry out its mission and provide greater value for its supporters. Each supporter has the chance to engage with your nonprofit in their own way, ensuring no supporter feels left out of the community. These custom connections future-proof your organization in a powerful way by both increasing your donations and helping you to retain your supporters. People want to be a part of a vibrant community like this. Shouldn’t they be a part of yours?

The post Building an Engaged Community: What You Need to Know appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Building the Business Case for Nonprofit CRM

Kaia Swift — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 06:44:05 +0000

If you’re like many nonprofit professionals, you might have found that your nonprofit’s technology foundation didn’t hold up well under the stress test of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout that followed. You might also have found that as your organization evolves and adapts to changing world conditions, your data management systems continue to limit your ability to communicate effectively with constituents and donors.

In an age when consumers have come to expect a highly personalized, customer-centric experience, these are problems. Technology that is outdated or hasn’t kept up with your organization can hold you back from providing a great donor experience, working more efficiently, and ultimately raising more dollars.

You might recognize that it’s time for a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. In fact, many organizations today are changing from older systems to those from emerging nonprofit CRM leaders such as Salesforce and Microsoft while some organizations are evaluating other alternatives for fundraising and program management.

Read more about the CRM options out there for organizations like yours in our free resource: At the Crossroads of Nonprofit Digital Transformation

But even if you know it’s time for new technology, one thing stands between you and the CRM system you need to move forward: convincing your leadership, executive director, or board of directors to make a change. This can be especially challenging as many nonprofits are focused more than ever on budget and return on investment (ROI) in our post-COVID world.

Here are some techniques to get you started:

Paint a picture of the CRM vision

Helping leadership understand it’s time for new technology requires more than simply listing things you can’t do with the current system. Instead, one of the best ways to make a compelling case is to paint a picture of the potential benefits a new CRM solution can provide.

Here are three key ways CRM can help transform a nonprofit organization:

Deliver on the mission more efficiently and effectively by streamlining operations so the organization’s staff can focus more on fundraising and mission-focused initiatives, and less on time-consuming processes.
Raise more money through effective donor management, more targeted and personalized communications, and better reporting that informs data-driven decisions.
Step up the way the organization tracks, manages, and communicates with donors, volunteers, and other supporters.

Also, if your organization has struggled to adapt to changing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to mention how updating your technology can help you be more resilient in the face of future needs, such as:

working from home
changing operational processes
adding or modifying programs to meet a growing demand for services
scaling up fundraising
engaging with donors and other constituents in new ways

Talk about return on investment for your Nonprofit CRM

Your executive director and board need to ensure a technology investment will make an impact to the organization that also justifies the expense. So, to translate the CRM vision into language that hits home with leadership, it’s important to talk about the vision in terms of ROI.

A simple ROI formula is a helpful framework for this discussion:

ROI = ((Total Benefit – Total Cost) / Total Cost) x 100

Let’s break down the formula.

ROI — ROI is a way to express the efficiency of an investment. It is expressed as a percentage, which is why the number in the ROI formula is multiplied by 100 (to convert the number into a percentage).ROI must be greater than 0% to be financially viable. A zero percent ROI means the financial benefit of a change to a new CRM system equals the cost of the change. A 100% ROI means that for every dollar invested in a CRM change, the organization would receive $2.00 in cost savings or additional fundraising. A negative ROI means that the costs of change are greater than the financial benefits to the organization.It’s important to decide on a time period for the ROI. For example, the ROI for a CRM change should not be looked at for a single year because the expectation is that the change will carry the organization into the future. At the same time, the CRM change would not necessarily provide ROI forever. A good rule of thumb to look at costs and benefits is five to 10 years.
Total Benefit — Total Benefit is made up of two numbers added together: increased fundraising and cost savings.
- Increased fundraising can be estimated based on multiple factors, including better use of data, improved donor management, impact on grant and major donor management, and improved communications. These benefits of CRM can have a dramatic impact on the organization’s ability to raise more money.Be sure to calculate the impact that compounds over a five to 10-year period. For example, if you believe increased segmentation can boost fundraising by 5% each year, that means year number 10 benefits from all those 5% increases from each previous year. That’s much more than 5% of your current fundraising!
- Cost savings can be calculated based on CRM benefits such as reduction in staff hours needed to complete various tasks, reduction in hardware needed to run technology, and reduced training needs for easier-to-use technology.Another important aspect of cost savings is costs associated with staying on outdated technology. These costs can add up, as upgrading and maintaining aging technology requires dollars and IT resources. Outdated technology can also result in lost fundraising over time due to the inability to drive and process donations effectively, and even due to donor concerns over data security.While any technology change should be made with a sound financial grasp of costs and benefits, one final, but important, aspect of cost savings is the organization’s mission. It’s important to remember that improving mission delivery can be a part of the transformation CRM helps bring about, even though the cost savings associated with those benefits may be harder to quantify. Many organizations use an impact measurement strategy to help articulate these benefits.
Total Cost — The costs of turning a CRM vision into reality can vary greatly. The best way to minimize costs and ensure a smooth implementation that meets expectations is to clearly articulate your CRM vision, list your organization’s needs and goals, and find the right product to meet your organization’s requirements.Costs can be thought of in two categories: one-time expenses and ongoing costs. One-time expenses are typically the costs associated with selecting, configuring, and training staff for the first time on a new system. Ongoing costs include any hardware required and the licensing costs of cloud-based software, or Software-as-a-Service.It’s often valuable to work with a third-party consultant who specializes in nonprofit CRM planning and implementation to help ensure your CRM system delivers on your vision and becomes an invaluable tool in supporting fundraising and mission delivery.

Take the next step for your Nonprofit CRM

Building the business case for new technology starts early — before you begin defining functional requirements and researching (or deciding on) potential CRM systems. Doing this up-front work will help you make the case for CRM and overcome potential objections, such as cost. It also will make the implementation process go smoothly and effectively.

Learn more about how much a CRM change will cost and how to build the business case for the investment: Download the Nonprofit CRM Pricing Toolkit

Find out how Heller Consulting can help you create a clear vision and strategy for your CRM system:

Learn about Heller Consulting’s CRM strategy and planning services.
Schedule a time that’s convenient for you to chat about opportunities and challenges facing your organization and to get a head start on creating a clear vision and business case for your new nonprofit CRM system.

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The Growing Potential of Microsoft Solutions for Nonprofits

Kaia Swift — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 19:19:59 +0000

The world of nonprofit technology is an exciting place these days. As it continues to shift and grow, there is an increasing number of solutions that can help you meet your organization’s strategic goals. Today, I’m sharing how Microsoft is taking the possibilities for nonprofit tech solutions to an entirely new level.

A little background on Microsoft solutions for nonprofits

First, let me give you some background: Microsoft entered the nonprofit tech market a few years ago with Technology for Social Impact (TSI). This division of Microsoft Philanthropies worked with the nonprofit sector and other technology vendors to develop a Common Data Model (NCDM) for Nonprofits. Microsoft the became the first and largest consumer of the NCDM when they launched the Nonprofit Accelerator Dynamics 365 . In effect, these initiatives make it easier for independent software vendors (ISVs) and other solution providers to develop solutions for nonprofits that are built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform and easily work with other Microsoft products.

This approach has opened the way for an unrivaled ecosystem of solutions for nonprofits.

Dive deeper into Microsoft. Download our free guide: What to Know About Microsoft Solutions for the Nonprofit Sector.

The Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem

The Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem includes solutions for every aspect of your organization:

Engagement solutions – These are what we typically think of as customer relationship management (CRM) or donor management tools.
Efficiency and collaboration tools – These include the systems that support internal work, such as collaboration/efficiency tools (Microsoft 365 tools: Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams) and finance and operations tools (for things like accounting, human resources, inventory, and supply chain management).
Infrastructure platforms – These include Microsoft Azure for cloud services, Microsoft Security, Microsoft Exchange, and Enterprise Mobility Management to give you the infrastructure you need to share and access your applications and data securely from any device.
Intelligence and impact solutions – These include tools for business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

One thing that makes this ecosystem a potential game-changer for nonprofits is that the solutions are already successful as stand-alone offerings in the commercial world, yet they work together. So, for example, if you already use Microsoft Office work productivity tools, such as Outlook, and you add a CRM tool from the Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem, they share data. Just think how much easier life would be if your donor/constituent data were connected directly with Outlook.

Read more about our Microsoft services.

Another unique aspect of the Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem is its sheer scale. To put this in perspective, Microsoft’s revenue is 10 times that of the next largest commercial vendor that’s active in the nonprofit sector and more than 100 times that of the leading technology provider focused on nonprofits.

This is significant because research and development budgets correlate with revenue. So, the development and support for technology in the Microsoft ecosystem is far greater than other nonprofit technology on the market today.

The Microsoft partner ecosystem for nonprofits

You might have noticed that the Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem is a combination of solutions offered directly from Microsoft and those built by other solution providers. As I mentioned, Microsoft’s initiatives around nonprofit solutions make it easy for Microsoft application partners to quickly build and adapt Microsoft solutions to meet the evolving needs of nonprofits.

MISSION CRM is a great example.

As a Microsoft Partner with a background in developing on Microsoft technology in the commercial sector, MISSION CRM recognized the power and value that could be delivered to the nonprofit sector. The company began developing an application on Microsoft Dynamics 365 focused on fundraising and engagement. Within a year, the Heller Consulting team began working with their team. We shared knowledge from our deep experience with fundraising strategies, operations, and solutions to help inform the development of key aspects of the solution.

Fundraising and Engagement for Dynamics 365 Sales—a Microsoft solution built with MISSION CRM

Microsoft recently introduced Fundraising and Engagement for Dynamics 365 Sales—a Microsoft solution built with MISSION CRM that will benefit from the full stack of Microsoft technology while also having nonprofit-specific capabilities. According to a recent blog post, “Nonprofits, schools, hospitals, and research institutions can utilize Fundraising and Engagement to uncover new funding sources, strengthen existing relationships, and drive fundraising efficiency.”

The Heller Consulting team plans to continue working with the Fundraising & Engagement development team to take the solution to the market, help nonprofits understand how it fits in their own technology ecosystem, and implement it for nonprofits that decide it’s right for their organization.

Watch the demo video

Where do you go from here?

At Heller Consulting, we see that technology ecosystems at many nonprofits include solutions (and even platforms) from multiple vendors. These types of ecosystems often come about unintentionally due to various decisions made over multiple years in each organization.

As we look to the future, we see those types of ecosystems continuing, but in a much more intentional manner. For example, it’s clear that Microsoft offers great potential for the nonprofit sector. You’re not likely ready to move to an all-Microsoft ecosystem overnight, but the power of the interoperability of the solutions in the ecosystem will require you to use more than just one of the solutions. So, where do you start?

Examine where you are today and determine if the Microsoft ecosystem is right for your organization. If it is, then begin making incremental steps to add Microsoft solutions to your technology ecosystem.

We have several resources to help you think strategically about next steps for your technology ecosystem:

Learn how to identify and prioritize challenges and prepare for the future in a thoughtful way. Read the article, 5 Questions to Ask Before a Nonprofit Technology Change
Discover insights on how to shape your nonprofit CRM environment. Download the guide, At the Crossroads of Nonprofit Digital Transformation
Have a plan! Our team of experts can help you audit your technology infrastructure and develop a clear roadmap. Contact us today to learn more.

For more about Microsoft specifically, read these resources and services:

Get Microsoft Updates Delivered To Your Inbox

Join our Microsoft subscriber list to get the latest on what Microsoft is doing in the nonprofit sector as well as Microsoft tips from our consultants.

The post The Growing Potential of Microsoft Solutions for Nonprofits appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Humane Society Silicon Valley Salesforce NPSP case study

Kaia Swift — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:55:03 +0000

Humane Society Silicon Valley

Salesforce NPSP implementation

Established in 1929, Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) offers quality adoptions, affordable spaying/neutering, vaccinations and microchipping services, pet care services, and education programs to enhance the human-animal bond. HSSV operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Heller Consulting Team helped us plan, find, and implement the right combination of technology to support our strategic goals. They’ve also provided expert guidance along the way that has been critically important to us being able to use our new technology ecosystem as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Joanne Jacobs

Chief of Operations, HSSV

Challenge: Technology Solutions Not Up For The Job

HSSV Chief of Operations Joanne Jacobs was tasked with upgrading the organization’s operations and technology. She quickly recognized that HSSV’s existing customer relationship management (CRM) and online marketing solutions could not keep pace with the organization’s long-term goals for constituent engagement and growth. Some of the challenges the HSSV faced with their existing solutions included:

Lack of a complete view of constituent data due to poor integration among solutions, making it difficult to implement personalized and targeted constituent engagement and fundraising campaigns
Need to scale marketing and fundraising activities and lack of technology support to reach those goals
Tools that were difficult for staff to use, which created inefficiencies across the organization

Solution: Technology Ecosystem That Supports Goals

Having worked with Heller Consulting since 2012, HSSV turned to the Heller team again for a comprehensive technology strategy and implementation solution.

The solution included:
A technology roadmap that aligned HSSV’s technology strategy with their organizational goals
Solution selection and fit assessment that evaluated and recommended a connected ecosystem of technology to support HSSV’s unique marketing, fundraising, and operational efforts
Implementation of new solutions in the technology ecosystem, including coordination of efforts across vendors to ensure a successful launch of all solutions as well as strategic guidance to help ensure HSSV’s business processes optimize use of the new solutions

Results: Efficient And Effective Engagement And Fundraising

HSSV has successfully moved to a new technology ecosystem aligned with the organization’s long-term goals.

For example, HSSV now:

Uses a 360-degree view of data in Salesforce CRM to create personalized constituent and donor communications based on their engagement with the organization.
Delivers highly personalized engagement journeys with pet adopters that mention pets by name and provide specific tips and encourage deeper engagement with HSSV.
Uses Pardot to streamline processes and communications. For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, HSSV was able to:
Rapidly move from in-person fostering and adoption processes to virtual processes when an immediate “shelter in place” order was issued in California
Keep up with a surge in calls from people who were considering pet adoption by automating the initial steps of the process that identify the best leads for new adopters
Rapidly recruit volunteers and future volunteers through an automated email nurturing campaign

The combination of a core Salesforce CRM platform with new digital solutions allows HSSV to streamline processes and improve the effectiveness of their marketing and fundraising efforts.

Ready to get started?

If you’re a nonprofit organization or education institution and you need help with your technology project, get in touch!

The post Humane Society Silicon Valley Salesforce NPSP case study appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Microsoft’s Nonprofit Accelerator for Dynamics 365 Built On the Nonprofit Common Data Model and What it Means

Kaia Swift — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 18:18:48 +0000

For many of our clients, standardizing business processes and increasing efficiency across the organization are key priorities. It can be incredibly challenging to streamline operations when you have an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to manage your warehouse or distribution operations and a Customer Relationship Management (CRM), a digital fundraising solution, and a marketing automation tool that don’t talk to each other. It’s even more challenging to provide a unified constituent experience for your donors, volunteers and clients.

Enter the Nonprofit Common Data Model and the Microsoft Nonprofit Accelerator for Dynamics 365.

Let’s start with the Nonprofit Common Data Model (NCDM). Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact worked with NetHope’s nonprofit members and other technology vendors to define a common data framework that is specific to nonprofit industry. Built in partnership with many of the world’s leading nonprofits, institutional donors, and private foundations, and industry vendors like Heller Consulting, the data model is specific to the nonprofit sector. It continues to evolve as the sector does.

Basically, the Nonprofit Common Data Model (NCDM) is a set of standard data definitions. By using a NCDM when building applications, application developers can ensure their products more easily exchange data with other solutions that are built using the same NCDM.

Hear how the Arthritis Foundation adopted three Microsoft clouds and saved seven figures in our on-demand webinar: Digital Transformation with Microsoft Products for Nonprofits

Microsoft’s standard common data model (CDM) is open and available for use with any service or application. To enhance the value of the CDM, Microsoft works closely with people from various industries, including the nonprofit sector, to make the CDM more relevant to specific verticals by creating “Industry Solution Accelerators.” In short, these accelerators extend the CDM to specific verticals to enable independent software vendors (ISVs) and other solution providers to quickly build industry-specific solutions. The potential of these accelerators is that they will be easier to integrate and maintain because they leverage the CDM. This will translate into lower overall cost of ownership for the end customer. Without the CDM, each ISV would start from scratch to build a custom data model into custom solutions connected through highly customized, costly integrations.

Microsoft’s Nonprofit Accelerator for Dynamics 365 is one of many industry-specific accelerators developed by Microsoft to support the rapid development of solutions on Dynamics 365 for those industries. In this case, the Nonprofit Accelerator builds on both the standard Microsoft Common Data Model and extends that to include the Nonprofit Common Data Model (NCDM).

As a nonprofit professional, it’s not necessarily important that you know the ins and outs of how the NCDM works. It is important, though, to understand what it is and its implications for the nonprofit sector. So, let’s dig in.

Dive deeper into Microsoft. Download our free guide: What to Know About Microsoft Solutions for the Nonprofit Sector.

Microsoft’s CDM-first strategy

Microsoft not only entered the nonprofit market, offering more technology choices for the sector, but also started right off the bat by playing a leadership role in the development of the NCDM and the launch of their Nonprofit Industry Accelerator for Dynamics 365. This is critically important for Microsoft’s strategy of building a strong community of multiple ISVs and system implementers (SIs) that deliver solutions to the sector.

To put this in context, when Salesforce entered the nonprofit sector, they started with the intention of developing a strong ecosystem of partners. However, because they began with a core nonprofit CRM application versus a CDM standard, some ISV partners have found it difficult to build applications that extend the core CRM solution (for functionality such as volunteer management, payment processing, and peer-to-peer fundraising) and also integrate quickly and smoothly with Salesforce-based nonprofit CRM applications.

This paradigm results in added integration and maintenance costs for nonprofits that use these solutions. It also has led Salesforce to shift their strategy and begin to deliver and manage their own nonprofit applications that integrate with each other (yet compete with their own ISV partners — effectively limiting the growth of the partner ecosystem).

With the benefit of hindsight, Salesforce has since made their Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) their default CDM, but this covers primarily donation and volunteer management data structure, and is not as extensive as the NCDM. They also developed the Higher Education Data Architecture (HEDA) as they moved into the higher education market.

Microsoft’s entry to the market and commitment to the NCDM and a vibrant and sustainable partner ecosystem are worth watching. Add to this that Microsoft’s Nonprofit Accelerator, which is build on the NCDM, is not tied to the Dynamics CRM solution, but rather is available to the entire Microsoft tech stack. As a result, the data stored in the NCDM can be used in Dynamics CRM, the Power Platform, and beyond — allowing nonprofits to leverage their data and automations in and across the stack and also leverage Flow and Power BI to automate processes and build model-driven apps between Excel, SharePoint, Teams, Dynamics, and more. In addition, the Nonprofit Data Warehouse Quickstart is a pre-packaged, ‘one-click deployment,’ Azure based data warehouse solution that is currently in private preview, will offer nonprofits further extensibility of the CDM. Over time, this approach likely will have a much greater positive impact to nonprofits than if they started right out of the gate building products for the sector.

Read more about the Nonprofit Common Data Model in our Microsoft guide.

What does the Nonprofit Common Data Model mean for your nonprofit?

In the past, the tech strategy for many nonprofits was to look to a single platform for all their technology needs. In today’s evolving market, though, there are an increasing number of solutions that can help you meet your strategic goals. The three key vendors in the space now offer world-class commercial CRM platforms with accompanying business intelligence tools (Salesforce and Microsoft) and proven nonprofit point solutions (Blackbaud).

The evolution of strategy and approach by these nonprofit technology companies represents a dynamic time in the sector. As a relative latecomer, Microsoft has the benefit of learning from successes and missteps of the two other key vendors in the space, Salesforce and Blackbaud. Salesforce, on the other hand, knows the market well and has made tremendous contributions to nonprofit technology in the past 12 years. With nearly 40 years in the market, Blackbaud also has its own unique foothold in the sector.

Ultimately, your future technology strategy will likely be cross-platform, with a CRM solution at the center, augmented by best-of-breed point solutions from a variety of vendors and tied together through a BI tool. That’s why the Heller Consulting team keeps a close eye on Blackbaud, Salesforce, and Microsoft so we can help you find and implement the right combination of solutions to meet your goals.

Get Microsoft Updates Delivered To Your Inbox

Join our Microsoft subscriber list to get the latest on what Microsoft is doing in the nonprofit sector as well as Microsoft tips from our consultants.

The post Microsoft’s Nonprofit Accelerator for Dynamics 365 Built On the Nonprofit Common Data Model and What it Means appeared first on Heller Consulting.

More Technology Resources for Nonprofits During the COVID-19 Crisis

Kaia Swift — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 18:11:47 +0000

As your nonprofit’s circumstances continue to evolve, we want to make sure you are aware of the latest offerings from the largest technology vendors to nonprofits. In an update to our post of March 20, what follows is a summary of what’s currently available from the “Big 3” vendors – Microsoft, Salesforce and Blackbaud. We’re also including TechSoup, the fantastic nonprofit that has been a trusted provider of technology products and know-how to our industry for decades.

Without further ado, here’s what each have to offer now:

Microsoft

Not surprisingly, Microsoft has the broadest set of offerings. As one of the largest tech companies in the world and with an established history of knowledge and expertise in the realm of global health, they have been well-positioned to immediately offer relevant solutions to nonprofits adapting to remote workplaces, distilling large volumes of data into meaningful information, and directly engaging in services related to the virus.

The Technology for Social Impact (TSI) group is “translating” the vast Microsoft offerings for nonprofits and their leader, Justin Spelhaug, is blogging regularly as they release new solutions. In his latest post he highlights:

This centralized listing of what Microsoft / TSI are making available, their Covid-19 Resource Guide for Nonprofits.
Their Nonprofit Data Warehouse Quickstart to rapidly deploy a solution for intelligence-driven decision making.
The discounts and free licenses available on a variety of their solutions, particularly their cloud-solution – Azure (see body of the post).

We suggest monitoring Justin’s blog and their Resource Guide for ongoing updates.

Salesforce

Like Microsoft, there are two aspects to Salesforce, the “dot com” company that serves the commercial sector, and the “dot org” component that serves the nonprofit sector. We in the latter sector benefit from the actions of both. Salesforce.com has launched Salesforce Cares, a collection of solutions to help any organization responding to the current crisis. Useful information includes:

Their press release, describing the Salesforce Cares offerings.
The homepage of Salesforce Cares, which outlines all the offerings in greater detail, including their 90-day free offer.

Of particular interest to nonprofits may be their solutions to:

Provide support to customers and employees through communities and communications.
Support direct response to the crisis for those with patients and colleagues providing direct services.
Enable corporate partners to engage their employees through fundraising and volunteering.

Salesforce.org is also publishing ongoing educational content through frequent webinars and blog posts, many sharing how other nonprofits are addressing the multiple challenges that most are facing.

Blackbaud

Blackbaud’s focus appears to be providing information to the sector and given their decades of work with nonprofits, they are well positioned to share nonprofit stories and strategies. Important links include:

A roundup of their Covid-19 resources
Valuable information about event fundraising
Webinars, blog posts and additional resources, which is added to regularly
An excellent article for those are beginning to think beyond the immediate circumstances and what they need to plan for in the areas of people, revenue, mission and technology.

They are putting front and center their entry-level peer-to-peer solution powered by JustGiving. As always, the product is free, with Blackbaud earning revenue through the merchant fees.

TechSoup

Many people are familiar with TechSoup through the technology donations they facilitate for dozens of commercial technology vendors. However, they also offer great technology support for nonprofits via their resources and professional services. During this period, we’d highly recommend the following:

Their overarching Covid-19 resources page that includes key technology offers from the likes of Microsoft, Google, Zoo, Box and others to support remote working.
Their informative blog page, which includes posts not only about technology, but also how nonprofits can benefit from the CARES Act, fundraising ideas and hosting virtual events.
Their timely and frequent webinars.

TechSoup’s mission is to support its nonprofit colleagues and help them use technology more effectively. Never has their mission been so clearly aligned with the needs of so many of us in the sector.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve found helpful this summary of resources from the largest players in the nonprofit technology field. In normal times this is where we’d say, “call us is you need help figuring how to choose and implement the best solutions for your organization.” Of course, we’d be happy to hear from you. However, our greatest wish right now is that you take the best care you can of your families, communities, and the constituencies your organization serves.

The post More Technology Resources for Nonprofits During the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Practical Technology Resources for Nonprofits in This Time of Need

Kaia Swift — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 13:47:57 +0000

We’re all looking for new and positive ways to move forward in this unprecedented time. As your nonprofit adjusts daily operations and strategies to continue delivering on your mission, we at Heller Consulting continue to watch the nonprofit technology space for solutions that can help.

We’ve pulled together the following practical resources for nonprofit organizations offered by the “big three” in nonprofit CRM and fundraising technology: Salesforce, Microsoft, and Blackbaud. These tools and resources can help you navigate the impact of coronavirus, COVID-19, for your organization and your mission:

Salesforce

To help teams collaborate while employees are away from the office, Salesforce is offering Quip Starter for free to any Salesforce customer or nonprofit organization through September 30, 2020.

The Salesforce team has created a publicly-available Trailmix on Trailhead with tips on how to work from home and maintain personal well-being during this time.

In addition, for organizations needing to see and understand near real-time coronavirus data, Tableau (which Salesforce acquired last year) has developed a free data resource hub using case data compiled by Johns Hopkins University as well as data from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nonprofits also can connect with the broader Salesforce.org nonprofit community on the Power of Us Hub, the online community for Salesforce.org customers, partners, and staff.

For more information about Salesforce’s response to COVID-19, read A Letter to Our Customers and COVID-19 Update from the Nonprofit Cloud Team.

Microsoft

Microsoft offers nonprofits and educational institutions the following tools for free during this time:

Microsoft 365 has a free nonprofit business package that includes Microsoft Teams to help you and your staff work from home. If you’re interested in Teams only, Microsoft offers this free version.
If you work in education and want to set up teachers, students, and administrators on Microsoft Teams to work from home, use Office 365 A1. This free version of Office 365 is available to all educational institutions.

In addition, Microsoft has joined Amazon and other companies to launch a COVID-19 Response Fund to provide grants to organizations helping at-risk populations. The fund will offer one-time grants to support the work of public health organizations and nonprofits.

For more information about Microsoft’s response to COVID-19, read the article, Our commitment to customers during COVID-19 and visit the Microsoft news page, Responding to COVID-19.

Blackbaud

Blackbaud has pulled together an Event and Fundraising Resources page full of resources for social good organizations adjusting their strategies and operations. Resources include:

Techniques for transitioning in-person events to virtual events
Ideas for event and fundraiser alternatives
Tips on communicating with donors and funders during this challenging time
Links to additional resources

In addition, for organizations using Blackbaud’s education management solutions, Blackbaud has provided the article, Planning for the Coronavirus with Blackbaud’s Education Management Solutions. This article covers features in Blackbaud education management solutions that can help schools communicate and foster classroom collaboration during emergency situations like those we face today.

For more information about Blackbaud’s response to COVID-19, read their business continuity plans as well as the message to customers from President and CEO Mike Gianoni.

We’re ready to help

The Heller Consulting team is ready to help you and your organization in any way we can. Contact us if you would like to talk through your nonprofit technology needs during this challenging and uncertain time. In the meantime, we continue to pay close attention to unfolding events in our industry and will share additional resources as they become available.

The post Practical Technology Resources for Nonprofits in This Time of Need appeared first on Heller Consulting.

Kaia Swift, Author at Heller Consulting

The Basics of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

The Basics of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

Table of Contents

Introduction

Answering basic questions about Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

4 Considerations When Thinking About Moving to Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit

Steps to Advancement Success

The Basics of Salesforce Solutions for Nonprofits

The Basics of Salesforce for Nonprofits

Table of Contents

Introduction: More Options

A brief history of Salesforce and the nonprofit sector

Answering basic questions about Salesforce solutions for nonprofits

What are the differences between managed packages for nonprofits and the new Nonprofit Cloud?

Can nonprofits still get NPSP and other managed packages?

Are 10 donated licenses still available?

What if my nonprofit is already using NPSP?

Key benefits of Salesforce for Nonprofits

Key uses of Salesforce for Nonprofits

Additional uses for the new Nonprofit Cloud

2023 Digital Transformation Trends for Nonprofits

2023 Digital Transformation Trends for Nonprofits

Table of Contents

Introduction

Data: Quality and Security Over Quantity

Tools and Technology

People: The Impact of Technology on Staffing

Minimizing The Impact of Staff Attrition

19%

16 months

The Impact of Change Management

AI: Navigating in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

What's next?

The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making Strategic Digital Tech Decisions

The Nonprofit’s Guide to Making Strategic Digital Tech Decisions

Table of Contents

Technology trends on the minds of marketers

It's all about data

Putting Your Data to Work: Measurement & Evaluation

Security & Privacy: Are you protecting your supporters’ data?

every 39 seconds

70%

Don’t panic, just get help.

An Evolved Nonprofit Marketer: A Unicorn

Bringing It All Together: Strategy First

Case study: Humane Society Silicon Valley

Data Management Tip Sheet

4 Tips to Better Manage Your Nonprofit's Data

Get the Nonprofit Data Tip Sheet

Building an Engaged Community: What You Need to Know

Personalize communication.

Leverage multiple communication channels.

Offer valuable content and opportunities.

Partner with sponsors that bring value to your community.

Building the Business Case for Nonprofit CRM

Paint a picture of the CRM vision

Talk about return on investment for your Nonprofit CRM

ROI = ((Total Benefit – Total Cost) / Total Cost) x 100

Take the next step for your Nonprofit CRM

Join the list

The Growing Potential of Microsoft Solutions for Nonprofits

A little background on Microsoft solutions for nonprofits

The Microsoft nonprofit ecosystem

The Microsoft partner ecosystem for nonprofits

Fundraising and Engagement for Dynamics 365 Sales—a Microsoft solution built with MISSION CRM

Where do you go from here?

We have several resources to help you think strategically about next steps for your technology ecosystem:

For more about Microsoft specifically, read these resources and services:

Get Microsoft Updates Delivered To Your Inbox

Humane Society Silicon Valley Salesforce NPSP case study

Humane Society Silicon Valley

Challenge: Technology Solutions Not Up For The Job

Solution: Technology Ecosystem That Supports Goals

Results: Efficient And Effective Engagement And Fundraising

Ready to get started?

Microsoft’s Nonprofit Accelerator for Dynamics 365 Built On the Nonprofit Common Data Model and What it Means

Microsoft’s CDM-first strategy

What does the Nonprofit Common Data Model mean for your nonprofit?

Get Microsoft Updates Delivered To Your Inbox