I've been thinking alot about the theme of change and how it applies to GiftWorks, the nonprofit community, our GiftWorks team, and organizational dynamics in general. Here, let me explore one aspect.
When an organization using Excel or Access decides to make the leap to fundraising software like GiftWorks, it is not so much a decision of feature sets and functions, but more a fundamental decision to change the way they are running their organization. It is a decision to take donor and prospective donor cultivation seriously and do it methodically. It is a decision to capture, value and use their data deliberately for the benefit of their mission. It is a decision to create institutional knowledge of hard-earned and deserved community support that won't be lost as people move in and out of the organization.
Change is not an easy decision and not one that can be solved by software and tools alone. Change is always hard and nevertheless critical, especially now.
Our role as a company dedicated to nonprofit success is to make the decision to change less difficult by providing multiple layers of support for organizations going on this brave and important journey. We do this through well-designed and intuitive software; through our friendly, knowledgeable and accessible GiftWorks team; through GiftWorks' inherent ease of use; through the detailed and free resources on our website; through the GiftWorks User Group connecting users around the world and expert consultants on topics both broad and specific; through offering a great product at a great value, so that cost does not have to be barrier to any organization willing to make the decision to change.
Please comment and share where your organization is on the decision to change.
Mary Pat Donnellon has been with Mission Research, the maker of GiftWorks, since its early days, working in every area of the company before becoming CEO in 2009. She now gets to do all the things she loves: leveraging great technology to help nonprofit organizations become better and stronger. Mission Research is a sustainable company; Mary Pat enjoys doing her part by walking or biking to work (most days!). She is also sustained by working with her talented colleagues at Mission Research and the company’s thousands of customers and partners.
I'm not sure if this is a comment you are looking for .. As I was discussing the problem non profits face with technology and data, a pastor asked me if I had read the book: Who Moved my Cheese, he said that was a great book for change! I have not read it, but this Pastor is pretty cool and I trust he knows his stuff.
Laurie Kronyak - Summit Software
said on Aug 14 at 6:30PM