Creating a Strategic Roadmap For Nonprofits: Where To Start

Picture this: a group of enthusiastic volunteers gathered around a whiteboard, brainstorming ideas for their nonprofit organization’s future. They throw out buzzwords like “impactful” and “sustainability,” nodding eagerly as they scribble down every idea that pops into their heads.

Fast forward a few weeks later, and the same group of volunteers is now frantically running around, trying to put together a fundraising event with no clear direction. The buzzwords have lost their lustre, and the once-enthusiastic group is now struggling to know what direction to take.

This is where a strategic roadmap comes in. A roadmap is like a treasure map for nonprofits, guiding them toward their goals and providing a clear path forward. Without a roadmap, nonprofits can find themselves lost and directionless.

If you want to avoid the chaos and uncertainty of running a nonprofit without a plan, we’re here to guide you. In this article, we’ll explain how to create a strategic roadmap that will structure your nonprofit’s efforts. 

What is a Strategic Roadmap?

A strategic roadmap is a high-level plan that outlines the key objectives and initiatives an organization needs to undertake to achieve its long-term goals. It typically includes a timeline and identifies the resources required to achieve these goals.

In the context of a nonprofit, a strategic roadmap is a planning tool that outlines an organization’s strategic objectives, goals, and action steps over a specific period of time. It provides a clear, comprehensive, and cohesive plan of how the organization will achieve its mission, vision, and goals.

The Benefits of Creating a Strategic Roadmap for Nonprofits

Here are some ways in which nonprofits can benefit from developing a strategic roadmap:

Clear direction

This helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and working towards the same objectives.

Nonprofits often have complex goals and many internal and external stakeholders, so a strategic roadmap can help ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same objectives. Everyone in your organization can have a shared understanding of what the organization is trying to achieve and how it plans to get there. 

Developing a strategic roadmap for your organization is also an effective way to position it to achieve your core mission. Your plan, if crafted correctly, will break your mission up into achievable, measurable, and simple-to-track goals that you can reach one by one as steps toward your ultimate objectives.

Better decision-making

A clearly defined strategic roadmap can help guide tactical decision-making for nonprofits. With a clear understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives, decision-makers can evaluate potential options. They can choose the ones that best align with the organization’s overall strategy, especially when faced with change.

Uncertainty is of course a factor in any business operation. However,  your plan can be adjusted and consulted to aid you in proactively planning for uncertainty and tackling challenges when they arise.

Resource allocation

Nonprofits often have finite  resources, and a strategic roadmap can help them allocate those resources more effectively. It can help a nonprofit focus on the most important initiatives and align all of its resources around the same objectives.

By identifying the most important goals and objectives, nonprofits can prioritize their resources to achieve the greatest impact.

Improved collaboration

A strategic roadmap can improve team alignment and collaboration among stakeholders. By creating a shared understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives, everyone can work together towards the same vision. This can lead to better teamwork, and ultimately, positive social change.

Increased accountability

A strategic roadmap can help hold nonprofits accountable for achieving their goals. By setting clear objectives and action steps, your team can measure their progress and make adjustments as needed. This can help ensure that the organization is making progress toward its goals and using its resources effectively.

5 Strategic Plan Models for Nonprofits

Every nonprofit organization is unique. This means that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a strategic roadmap. There are a variety of different models that you can use to craft your own map to reach specific goals and milestones. 

These are the most commonly-used plan models for nonprofits:

1. Standard strategic plan model

Also called the basic plan model, this is the most commonly used planning model among nonprofits. We recommend using this model if your organization’s external circumstances – including the economy and funding sources – are generally predictable and calm, and your nonprofit is well established. This model includes a definition of your organization’s goals and mission; specific, shorter term goals; a clear plan to reach these goals, including responsible parties; and a schedule for completing each goal specified.

2. Issue-based strategic plan model

This is better suited to nonprofits operating in unpredictable and agitated conditions, like periods of high staff turnover over a recent change in your leadership. It’s the best plan model to use to get a straying organization back on track. It includes a brainstorm of the factors holding your nonprofit back; a plan to address each of these factors; and a plan for monitoring progress and adjusting your roadmap when necessary.

3. Real-time strategic plan model

This is best for organizations facing crises like recessions or national disasters. It focuses primarily on short-term goals that help you to withstand the storm. It includes regular meet-ups with your team to define short-term objectives; measurements of daily progress and obstacles; and an inventory of progress and damages that is updated as you weather the crisis period.

3. Alignment plan model

This plan is designed to unify individual departments or teams and improve communication. It includes team meetings to clarify challenges; a reiteration of your organization’s common mission; and strategies you can use to improve communication and transparency.

4. Organic strategic plan model

This nonprofit strategic plan model is also ideal for times of uncertainty. It gathers your team to clarify your organization’s mission and goals and determine actionable steps to reach them. The model includes a team meeting or retreat during which you harmonize your understanding of overarching goals; input from your team members on how to reach these goals by certain dates; and regular team meetings to assess progress.

How To Create A Strategic Roadmap Step By Step

Learning how to create a strategic roadmap doesn’t have to be complicated. You can take inspiration from strategic roadmap examples or use a strategic roadmap template. This will contain outlines of all the sections you need to include to simplify the process considerably.

Step 1

Once you have a template or structure in place, it’s time to start developing your mission, values, and vision. That is, why your nonprofit exists and what it aims to achieve. 

Include in this strategic roadmapping section a mission statement and a clear, honest vision and values statement.

Step 2

Your plan should include a section for your goals and activities. These goals should be specifically chosen to help you work towards your mission. When you’ve identified them, provide more detail about each goal’s objectives and activities.

Step 3

You will need to assess your environment and resources in your roadmap. These can include factors like internal and external support, financial resources, equipment and facilities, training and skills, and Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis to help you to use your resources as efficiently as possible.

Step 4

Now that you’ve filled in the main sections of your strategic roadmap, you can add additional sections to it. This can include an executive summary, timelines of your goals, financial budgets, and strategies for monitoring progress toward your objectives. 

Once you’ve completed your plan, review and edit it as necessary, using your team’s input to clarify points and include realistic deadlines before sharing your plan with your stakeholders.

How Can Exponent Partners Help?

Exponent Partners offers professional roadmapping services for nonprofit organizations. We can help you develop an intentional plan using our strategic discovery process. 

Together, we can identify any challenges holding you back and deliver actionable plans that align your team with your long-term goals. Our team comes to the table with proven techniques and workshop strategies to ensure high engagement and an intentional, forward-thinking plan.

How do you create a strategic roadmap? Simple: Contact us so that you can learn more about how you can take your nonprofit to new heights.

Hands on laptop with change management concept graphics

Change Management Process for Nonprofits: 3 Crucial Steps You Shouldn’t Skip

The effectiveness and long-term success of any company or organization—especially those operating in the nonprofit sector—requires a willingness and ability to deal with and adapt to situations of change. This means that the organization must be ready and able to adapt to changes by identifying new challenges. However, it also requires an ability to spot potential opportunities that may arise as a result of the aforementioned situation change. This requires leaders and managers to inspire stability and steadfastness in the moving components of the company so that the change doesn’t wreak havoc in the short term. 

But what exactly does this entail? 

Well, firstly and most importantly, leaders and managers need to develop and cultivate an organizational culture based on solidarity, unity, and stability. If this culture is created, it ensures that when periods of difficulty arise that could inspire change, the entire organization is equipped with learned abilities that inspire a positive outcome. One way that this organizational change can be cultivated is by implementing the steps of the change management process.

 

Understanding the Organizational Change Management Process

The meaning of change management is dynamic. It can vary according to the specific needs of the business in question. For nonprofits, situations of change might come around more often and more frequently than for a company that operates in a regulated industry such as retail or manufacturing. Nonprofits operate in a different realm, one that is responsive to the social and economic needs of the surrounding communities and environments. Social stability is not something that is easy to come by. So, the leaders of nonprofit organizations need to be ready to deal with any major shake-ups when they eventually do come around. 

The steps of the change management process are therefore much more readily applicable to nonprofit organizations. They provide a set of tools, strategies, and workable skills that will help these organizations deal with difficult periods of instability. These change management techniques and steps will help any organization smoothly transition from one period or situation to another. Plus, they will help to grease the wheels of transformation, should it be necessary. But what are the steps and change management principles that nonprofits should implement?

 

3 Key Steps in the Change Management Process For Nonprofits

Change management relies upon and provides a set of steps and techniques that can help nonprofit organizations manage change. These steps and techniques also ensure nonprofits stay relevant in providing the necessary social and economic services:

 

1. The ‘Why’ Statement

In general, when any person wants to get involved in a project and get on board with inciting change, they need to understand why that project or change is necessary. The “Why” statement is therefore a prediction of what the future will bring. It will build a foundational understanding of the process of change being undertaken. The Why statement should express the vision of the future and the expected effects of the planned change. This step is essential for cultivating an organizational culture that believes in long-term stability and success.

2. The Executive Sponsor

A nonprofit organization must have an executive leader that also acts as a sponsor. This sponsor will successfully navigate and manage the process of change. But this is where things get tricky, especially because nonprofits are often in a position of having to fundraise to support major internal initiatives. When navigating a period of instability and change, the executive sponsor should be someone who does more than simply improve a budget request. Instead, they should be interested in the goals and vision of the nonprofit. And they should be someone who can write up and execute a change management plan.

3. The Reinforcements

In any process of change management planning, there should always be considerable effort and power placed into the bringing in of helpful reinforcements. Bringing more people on board who work in line with the vision of the nonprofit can only help smooth the transitional period that the company is experiencing. But furthermore, the reinforcements that were on board before the change management process started should be rewarded. Doing this will make them feel valued throughout any periods of instability. 

 

Change Management Challenges

Implementing a successful change management process is challenging. So, there’s no doubt that leaders will face obstacles along the way. It’s imperative that you identify these challenges and understand how to solve them when they eventually arise:

 

Lack of executive support

Above, it was explained that an executive sponsor who is involved and passionate is a necessity for any successful change management process. A lot of times, nonprofits struggle because their executive sponsor isn’t able to approve the budget needed for the scope of the project or isn’t able to provide the inspiring leadership to get all internal staff members on board. When exploring potential applicants for the executive sponsor role, take your time and apply a vigorous interview and onboarding process.

 

Lack of effective communication

The process of change requires a unified workforce that understands the situation of the organization. A lack of proper communication can lead to misalignment and a lack of belief in the goals that the nonprofit is attempting to achieve. Make sure to host regular meetings. Give everyone a chance for their voices to be heard and properly manage situations of unease and tension. 

 

Change-resistant culture

It’s natural for any worker to want to work in an organization and environment of stability. Unfortunately for nonprofits, this is simply not always how it pans out. Instead, a lot of the time, a nonprofit might be forced to change due to socioeconomic conditions or a change in executive support. Cultivating an organizational culture that’s aware of these eventualities and prepared to deal with them is imperative to a successful change management process. 

 

How Exponent Partners Can Help Your Nonprofit Deal With Change

Change can be difficult to deal with on your own. Exponent Partners consists of a team of experts that understand the challenges that a period of organizational change can bring. The team can help you to implement the principles of the change management process and create a plan for long-term survival and eventual stability. This is supported by an excellent track record and determination to stand by organizations committed to bringing about social change. 

Partnering with us makes it easier to implement a change management process and to keep your nonprofit organization running smoothly—no matter what challenges it faces. Read our white paper on change management for more useful information on how to plan for change and seize opportunities when adopting new technology in your organization. If you’re interested to know more, contact us today and let’s drive positive change together.

Team collaborating on devices around a table

Finding the Right Change Management Model for Your Organization

Planning a big technology change at your nonprofit organization? There are many important factors to consider at each stage of the process: before, during and after the change. Unfortunately, knowing where to begin and the best way to approach the process can be difficult and that’s where finding the right change management models for your organization comes in. The management of organization-wide change is critical as it affects everyone internally and is a significant factor in team effectiveness, employee morale, technology utilization, and achieving both long and short-term goals.

Like many processes in the realm of organizational behavior, there are countless ways to go about it. Specifically, there are a number of well-established different change management models that offer structured approaches to help ensure success. Finding the change management model that works for your particular organization and project will go a long way in helping you through the process of effectively creating lasting, impactful change.    

Here are just three (of many) different change management models. Take inspiration from some of these approaches and see how you can apply similar principles to your change management project.

ADKAR Model:

This model focuses on the individual impact of organization-wide change and is considered a people-first approach. ADKAR is an acronym for:

  • Awareness of the need for change
  • Desire to support or participate in the process of change
  • Knowledge of how to change or what steps are needed
  • Ability to implement the change
  • Reinforcement of the change on an ongoing basis

Organizational change is ultimately down to the individuals who are impacted. The ADKAR model, by focusing on individuals, helps those impacted by the change to process and understand it through clearly defined stages. The goal is ultimately to get to a state of acceptance. Learn more about the ADKAR change management model here.  

Lewin’s Change Management Model:

First developed around 80 years ago, this model remains popular today because of its simple yet effective structure. Kurt Lewin, this change model’s namesake, envisioned change management being broken down into three manageable stages, known as:

  • Unfreeze
  • Change
  • Refreeze

Kurt Lewin was a physicist and aligned his thinking about change management to the cycle of water (ie: turning a cube of ice into a cone of ice). The unfreeze stage focuses on being honest and transparent about current perceptions and processes as a way to prepare for upcoming changes. The idea focuses on being able to let go of bias or bad habits. (Sounds good, right?) The next step is actually implementing changes (this is a change model after all), and requires clear and constant communication during and after the change taking place. Finally, the refreeze stage focuses on locking the new, changed process into place. 

Some may feel the three step process is too simplistic, but others find it provides the ability to uncover bad patterns or overlooked problems to approach a new way of thinking with a clean slate. Learn more about Lewin’s model here.  

PDCA Model 

This model is slightly younger than the Lewin’s model as it was originally developed in the 1950s by William Denning. PDCA stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act. This model takes a cyclical or iterative approach and focuses on ongoing improvement and changes. In theory, it follows the old parable that ‘the only constant is change’ and reinforces that change should be embraced on an ongoing basis. 

By following this change management model, organizations follow a simple process: devise a plan, test the plan, implement the changes and evaluate the plan’s success. This is both a versatile and powerful cycle of continuous improvement and can be effectively used to develop new processes, uncover inefficiencies, and conduct controlled trials. The fact that it’s cyclical in nature may cause frustration in that the change “never ends”, but that is the reality of the world in which we live. Having a process that embraces that concept can be very effective in promoting the concept of continuous improvement and change.

These three are just a few of the many change management models that have been used across industries for decades. Exploring what model might work best with your internal team and resources can be an important first step on your change management journey.

Speaking of change management journeys, we have recently published a white paper that dives into more detail on how effective change management can be like rocket fuel to organization-wide implementation of new technologies. Get your copy here.

Photo of two women working together at a computer

Change Management Principles for Nonprofits

Navigating change can be hard, even for those who are naturally more likely to be open-minded to new processes and technology platforms. Understanding the challenges that organization-wide change can bring to individual contributors, teams and leadership can allow you to be prepared before, during and after the change. Our white paper, Change Management: Rocket Fuel for Implementing New Technologies, provides practical, deep-dive guidance for those planning – or in the middle of – an organization-wide technology change. Understanding key change management principles can help you increase the likelihood that your technology change will be successful in the long-term. In this article we’ll capture some of the high-level change management principles to keep top of mind before, during and after the change.

Psssst, once again, don’t forget to download our white paper to get access to even more important change management best practices you can implement at your organization today!  

Before the change:

It may seem obvious, but getting buy-in before a change process has begun is critical for building excitement, increasing engagement and encouraging trust in the process. You have to bring the impacted teams along with you on the change journey. Think about your “change story”, which is a way to help internal team members understand why this change will ultimately be good for them. This change story should focus on openness and transparency, provide a clear vision for how things will look when all is done, and allow participants to understand the benefits they will personally experience. And a really important aspect? Focus on listening!

During the change:

So much of the ‘during the project’ energy is focused on the technical aspects of implementation, and understandably so. However, the technology implementation phase offers an important opportunity to engage internal stakeholders in the process, making them feel included and valued as part of the change journey. Conversations around what they like about the current system, what they would change, and things that would make their lives easier can go a long way to make sure the final implementation reaches its full potential. The reality is, very few technology projects truly meet 100% utilization because of missteps at this important phase. Bringing internal stakeholders closely along in tandem with the proposed change will help increase the chances that everything will turn out well in the end.

After the change: 

The system is launched! Huzzah! Now onto the next project. Right? Wrong! It’s important to continually consider change management principles throughout the lifecycle of a project to see it to the finish line and beyond. Training staff members on the new system isn’t nearly enough to guarantee its success. Understanding the critical learning curve period of the process involves resisting the temptation to 1) roll back to the previous system or 2) make changes in the new one haphazardly. Getting through the initial discomfort of a new system is made even easier by celebrating successes and monitoring against established project goals. 

Understanding change management principles can help set your organization on the right track as you plan, implement or adjust to a technology change. We realize this can be intimidating to consider, so we have published a guide to help you dive into the most important tactics for success at each stage of the change management journey. Download our white paper today to learn more on this important topic. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to us if the experienced team here at Exponent Partners can support your organization through your technology change journey!   

Nonprofit HR: The Role of HR in Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit HR: The Role of HR in Nonprofit Organizations

If an organization was a family, Human Resources (HR) would be the caring parent who makes sure everyone gets along and fulfills their potential. They may be responsible for handling administrative tasks and keeping policies in check, but they’re so much more than that. 

In nonprofit organizations, HR managers bring out the best in both employees and volunteers, and empower them to support those in need.

Today, we’ll take a closer look at the role of HR in nonprofit organizations and what makes these incredible people so indispensable to teams across the globe.  

Do Nonprofit Organizations Still Need HR?

Absolutely. In fact, nonprofit organizations are arguably more in need of a strong HR department than most. Here’s why.

Firstly, nonprofits often have limited resources. That means they have to keep employees feeling happy and content on a much smaller budget. Talk about a challenge! Secondly, nonprofits typically involve managing volunteers, who can change often and be from a much wider demographic background. Although cultural diversity in the workplace is always a yes in our books.

To sum up, HR provides crucial structure, empathy, and motivation to support nonprofit organizations in pursuit of their mission. 

What Is The Role Of HR In A Nonprofit Organization?

HR roles in nonprofits aren’t too different from HR roles in for-profit businesses. They have plenty of responsibilities, from recruitment and onboarding to system innovation and policy implementation.  

Here’s a list of typical tasks an HR manager or representative is responsible for: 

  • Compensation strategy 
  • Talent management 
  • Payroll and taxes 
  • Recruitment and training 
  • Volunteer management 
  • Policy implementation 

Implementing policies for nonprofit organizations is one of the cornerstones of this sector’s HR. Good policies build a safe, productive, and legally compliant work environment for nonprofits. 

Policies are always changing, but these are the main areas where they are so important: 

  • Employee conduct 
  • Anti-harassment and discrimination
  • Timekeeping and pay 
  • Health and Safety
  • Adaptive work culture 

With strong policies in force, HR can ensure everything is A-OK when it comes to company culture and workplace regulation compliance. Without a strong policy system, nonprofit organizations run the risk of becoming dysfunctional and ineffective. And that’s something that will inevitably impact the organization’s ability to serve its constituents and focus on the mission.

4 Benefits Of Having HR In A Nonprofit Organization

Having a solid HR department (no matter how small) is hugely beneficial for any organization. If you’re wondering how HR benefits nonprofit organizations, look no further because we listed them below:

1. Improved onboarding and retention

In the US alone, there are 1.8 million active nonprofit organizations. That’s a lot of volunteers! Managing, training, and retaining them is far easier when you have an HR department. 

HR ensures that volunteers’ basic needs are met while protecting them with fair policies and promoting a healthy work environment. This encourages volunteers and employees to stay committed to long-term projects and keeps the nonprofit wheel turning as it should. 

2. Conflict resolution

In any organization, conflict is bound to develop from time to time. Nonprofits are no different. In fact, there can be many reasons for disputes in nonprofit organizations, such as budget spending, ethics, and mission priorities. Nonprofit HR teams are there to help tackle these issues, making conflict much easier and quicker to resolve. 

3. Secure top talent

Nonprofit organizations don’t typically have access to a vast amount of resources. This means that any talent used to push the mission forward needs to be nurtured as much as possible.

Strong HR means a more motivated, efficient, and positive work atmosphere, which can be attractive to high-performing volunteers and employees. 

4. Productive, positive work atmosphere 

Nonprofit organizations thrive on positive workplace culture. Due to limited resources, productivity and consistency can be challenging. But when the HR presence is strong, volunteers and employees alike will find it easier to dig deep and find purpose in the hours they put in. 

Best Practices For Developing an HR Department For Your Nonprofit Organization

When it comes to HR in nonprofit organizations, there are some practices that drive maximum project and customer success. 

Nonprofit HR solutions can be difficult to implement if you have no idea where to begin. Don’t worry because we’ve scoped out the following best practices to get an idea of where to start.  

1. Efficient volunteer management and onboarding 

The way in which HR handles volunteer management and onboarding is key to positive outcomes of nonprofit organization missions. Volunteers are the lifeblood of nonprofits, which makes the task of recruiting, training, and retaining them absolutely crucial. 

An efficient onboarding process will make sure volunteers are properly informed and up-skilled. This way, they can perform their duties that drive the success of a project. This can be supplemented with multiple team members, adequate training budgets, or a software technology strategy that automates processes. 

2. Secure information management 

Although often neglected, secure information management is a very important area of any nonprofit organization – and typically, that responsibility falls under HR. 

Important documents like grants, volunteer applications, leases, and more are integral to running an essential nonprofit, which is why they should be treated as priorities. These documents should be stored in an organized manner and digitalized for easier, more secure access. 

3. Foster a positive, transparent culture 

Nonprofit organizations are there to serve a greater purpose, but that doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing. Nurturing a culture of total transparency and honesty will help attract new volunteers and employees while creating a more positive workplace culture.

The more volunteers and employees enjoy their experience with a nonprofit organization, the easier it will be to maintain productivity levels and reach targets over time. 

Find HR Solutions With Exponent Partners 

At Exponent Partners, we understand how difficult it is for nonprofit organizations to keep up with a complex, uncertain world. We also understand that HR is a key piece to keeping nonprofits functional and successful. 

As a technology-based consulting firm, our team is dedicated to helping nonprofits and their HR departments drive radically better impact. Our leading implementation specialists and expert strategists specialize in case management solutions and Salesforce CRM implementation. Using our innovative tools, we’ll help you set goals in motion and provide essential structure and direction where necessary. 

We’ll walk you through how we can help you develop a strong, sustainable HR department from the ground up. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.

TAG2022 Exponent Partners San Antonio Takeaway Blog Philanthropy Event

What We Took Away From TAG2022

We were excited to be a part of the premier event focused on the intersection of philanthropy and technology: TAG2022, The Technology Association of Grantmakers annual conference. Roughly 375 philanthropy tech changemakers convened in person in San Antonio (for the first time since 2019) to share, learn, discuss, relate, and come away ready to take on the next challenge. Here we will share some of our major takeaways from the event. Enjoy!

Opening keynote: Insights from Afua Bruce and Amy Sample Ward: Afua Bruce and Amy Sample Ward kicked off the official conference program with their insightful and thought-provoking keynote talk highlighting important findings from their recently published book ‘The Tech That Comes Next’. They discussed the importance of building a world around systemic inclusion and dove into what that means in a practical sense. The speakers talked about the importance of being very explicit around values and not making the mistake of building on assumptions. Additionally, acknowledging the knowledge and wisdom of lived experience and ensuring the participation of a diverse group of people, regardless of their knowledge of technology, helps to facilitate inclusion. The pair also shared their hope for a future of neutral technology that doesn’t rely on systematically biased algorithms. Their message to the group was to advocate for proactive policies, commit to inclusion, build equitable knowledge of tools, and fund for failure. This was a very inspiring and thought-provoking start to a conference focusing on the future of technology in philanthropy!     

Highlights from the Salesforce.org Partners & User Group Meetup: We were happy to be invited to participate in a meetup luncheon with other partners of Salesforce.org and Salesforce users attending the TAG conference. Our table’s discussion focused on impact measurement and analytics and we proudly hosted alongside a representative from our partner Vera Solutions. We enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with Salesforce users working at foundations and grantmakers about what their organizations are prioritizing in terms of impact measurement. The conversation steered toward how data is being captured or collected from grantees and how to streamline and consolidate reporting. It was great to see Salesforce users candidly sharing their system integration and data consolidation challenges while gaining inspiration from how others are approaching similar problems. We look forward to the next opportunity to engage with Salesforce users in person!   

2022 State of Philanthropy Tech: An exciting part of last week’s conference was the publication of TAG’s 2022 State of Philanthropy report, available on TAG’s website now. The report is full of key findings including the ongoing, long-term shift to fully remote or hybrid workplaces for the philanthropy sector. In terms of funding technology investments from a budget perspective, 50% of respondents allocated between 1-5% of operating budget to technology. Essentially, technology investments continue to remain stubbornly underfunded. But it’s not all bad news, as the report found that cybersecurity breaches at foundations have significantly decreased in the past two years. Additionally, the report found an increase in the trend of using the same system for both grants management and CRM, further blurring the lines in the philanthropy tech space. Download your copy of the 2022 State of Philanthropy Tech report here to dive into more findings from the report.

Thanks for reading this recap of our experience at TAG2022 in San Antonio. If you would like to connect with us to learn more about how we can support your foundation or grantmaking organization with strategic advisory services or ongoing support, drop us a line!

Future Proof your Salesforce Implementation Customer Success

Future-Proof Your Salesforce Nonprofit Implementation

If you’re a nonprofit using, or considering using, the Salesforce platform to run your organization, you probably made that choice with an eye toward future-proofing. You wanted something that would continue to serve your organization for the long haul. But what does it look like to actually set your organization up for long-term success on a platform with seemingly infinite possibilities? As Salesforce nonprofit implementation partners since 2005, we at Exponent Partners have had the opportunity to see and steward a wide range of solutions within the human services and philanthropy sectors, and we’d like to share a few key lessons we’ve learned along the way.

Unlocking Potential Beyond the Big Change

Implementing a new technology solution, such as transitioning to Salesforce from a legacy system, marks a significant milestone for your nonprofit. This transformative change presents an opportunity to evaluate your processes and identify areas where efficiency gains can be achieved. It’s crucial to consider how daily actions align with your organization’s overarching strategy. Collaborating with a Salesforce implementation partner like us ensures informed decision-making, leveraging our broad perspective on the technology’s capabilities.

However, it’s important to note that the Big Change is merely the beginning. Reflect on how your organization has adapted and evolved in recent years to fulfill its mission. Has your technology kept pace with these changes?

Embracing Change as a Routine is Vital for Your Salesforce Nonprofit Implementation 

Successful organizations have a well-established routine for managing system changes. They integrate change management into their processes, making it an integral part of their operations. These organizations adeptly respond to shifts in funder requirements, launch new programs, and continuously improve existing ones. They harness the rapid technological advancements offered by Salesforce and tools like Exponent Case Management.

Whether through a governance process, a Center of Excellence, or regular technology meetings, they gather feedback from their teams to understand evolving needs. They assess how Salesforce meets (or falls short of) these requirements and plan for the resources necessary to align technology with their strategic objectives.

An effective change routine also prioritizes data security for program participants, addresses questions, trains new users, and ensures smooth transitions for system administrators. These changes are inevitable but need not hinder your organization’s strategic efforts. Moreover, a structured change routine brings predictability to work, easing the navigation of non-technical changes encountered daily.

Collaboration is Key for Your Salesforce Nonprofit Implementation

Your commitment to making a positive impact acknowledges that change requires time, collaboration, and resources. The technology supporting your mission is no exception, and we are here to assist you. Explore our Success Center offerings or schedule a conversation with our experts today to learn how we can support your Salesforce nonprofit implementation.

 

TAG2022 Exponent Partners San Antonio Texas Event Blog

Philanthropy Tex-citement: Why We Can’t Wait for TAG2022

Excitement and anticipation are building here at Exponent Partners as we look ahead to the TAG2022 conference taking place in San Antonio next week. This will be the first in-person annual conference for TAG (Technology Association of Grantmakers) since 2019, and a lot has changed since we last connected with this group of technology-focused philanthropy changemakers. Some very important things have not changed, however. To name just a few: 

  • Here at Exponent Partners we are still committed to helping foundations and grantmakers create radically better impact.  
  • We continue to grow, expand and evolve our expertise in creating powerful grantmaking and impact measurement solutions.
  • We prioritize engaging in-person with the TAG community to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing people in technology roles at foundations.

There is one aspect of our involvement at the TAG conference this year that is a little bit different. We will be exhibiting alongside our partner Vera Solutions, the creators of Amp Impact. The value the Exponent Partners and Vera Solutions partnership brings to the TAG community is one of shared expertise and values-aligned missions focused on helping foundations and grantmakers increase their impact. Our goal as partners is to drive change in the nonprofit technology space. As discussed in a fireside chat webinar this past June, our CEO noted that he’s excited about the shift from individual technologies to centralized information systems. With this top of mind, TAG’s event focuses on exciting sessions around analytics, technology adoption, change management, digital transformation, equitable grantmaking, and more. Check out the whole agenda here!

Another highly anticipated TAG2022 event we’re thrilled about is the Salesforce.org and Partners Meetup. This is a great opportunity for philanthropy tech changemakers using the Salesforce platform to connect, share knowledge, ask questions, and engage directly with partners on topics that are relevant to their work. Learn more and register here! We are looking forward to the additional opportunity to connect with fellow Salesforce.org partners and users at this intimate event on the last day of the conference.

The future is bright for technology changemakers working in philanthropy! We look forward to the opportunity to engage with everyone at TAG2022 next week in partnership with Vera Solutions. See you there!

Process client map journey

Letting Your Empathy Shine Through Your Processes with Client Journey Mapping

Post By: Amy Miesen

“I just want to get through all this paperwork so I can get to the helping people part!”

Over the last 15 years working in the human services field focused on data and compliance, I have heard this frustration more times than I can count. Nonprofit organizations, particularly those in human services, often have complex or lengthy processes to both intake and provide services to clients. We can all list the variety of valid reasons why the path to that helping part is full of forms to complete and documents to get signed. From making sure that we have informed consent, to collecting the data each funder wants to know, and even to wanting more information so that we can learn about and advocate for the people we serve, each step, while important on its own, can start to add up and feel like an obstacle course for both the direct service professional and the person seeking assistance. 

Can we have the best of both worlds?

Luckily, there is a way to structure your processes in a thoughtful way that balances the vital need to check the boxes for data and compliance while embedding focus on the client experience. In fact, I would argue that doing so will improve the quality of the data collected and better engage both your staff and the people you support. For example, a lengthy intake process may be at odds with what program staff ultimately want to achieve: building trust with clients, meeting their immediate needs, and having long-term impact on their stability and success.  

So how do you identify where you can be intentional about embedding your empathy into your processes as part of the client’s overall experience with your teams? Well, there are two complementary tools that are widely used to define and visualize a set of experiences: a process map and a client journey map. I’d like to share the differences between these two tools and how each working together can provide insights into how to balance process efficiency and data/compliance needs with the client experience. While many organizations are familiar with a process map, pairing with a client journey map may be new to you.  A client journey map is a great way to view processes from a new perspective and can be instrumental in helping assess your processes and reorder them to improve client and staff experience.

Process mapping vs. client journey maps: What’s the diff?

The fundamental difference between these two models is that a process map is outlined from the perspective of the staff while a client journey map views the same interactions from the perspective of the client. Both tools are equally important and provide distinct views of an experience. When used together, you get a roadmap to efficient, quality service provision that feels less bureaucratic and more empathetic. 

Process mapping vs. Journey mapping

While the focus for a process map is to identify and visualize every process and task involved in intake or service provisioning, the client journey map looks through a different lens: client motivations and emotions at each phase. In the human services space, clients are often motivated by an immediate, pressing need such as having a safe place to sleep for the night. Understanding their primary motivation and the emotions associated can allow you to prioritize activities and tasks and identify those that can wait until a later date or time.  

A client journey map looks closely at each step of the way to ask:

  • What are the needs at that stage?
  • What is the person thinking or feeling?
  • What interactions are they having with agency team members? Are they in-person, on the phone or in a virtual setting?
  • What other things are going on in the family environment that may impact how they’re feeling?
  • What is needed to move them on to the next stage  in your process?

Client process mapping notesThe real magic here is that by understanding where the client is coming from at each stage of your engagement, you can calibrate your interventions to build on the trust and rapport that happens over time to better sequence your activities for improved impact.  In addition to a stronger client and staff experience, the quality and reliability of the data can skyrocket as well.  

How can you use client journey mapping to incorporate the client experience into  your processes? 

In our advisory services practice, we work with nonprofit organizations in human services, education and philanthropy to map out their client’s journey through their processes and seek out opportunities to structure interactions in a way that best supports their mission.   

We work with the folks delivering services to uncover three critical insights:

  • Moments of truth: touch-points that have the most influence on the client 
  • Moments of glory: opportunities to exceed the client’s expectations
  • Moments of pain: risks for bad client experiences

While we’d all like to just jump right in and get our neighbors what they need immediately, we have a lot of valid, real reasons for filling out those forms and capturing those signatures. Even so, we can restructure when, where, and how we do those important tasks to find the most optimal structure to support our operating demands within the client’s current situation. Going through the activities of overlaying the client journey with your process map can be a powerful tool to find that balance. 

Amy Miesen

Director, Client Services

Prior to joining Exponent Partners, Amy worked for a multi-service human service agency as the Director of Executive Operations for many years. In this role, she was responsible for agency-wide performance management and outcomes management. This experience has instilled a passion for helping other ...
Governance Team

Your system is live! Here’s how to keep it that way.

You spent hours working late on grant proposals to raise the funds. You sweet-talked major donors into supporting an unglamorous infrastructure project with promises of future efficiencies, of freeing up human staff time to do the things that robots can’t. You negotiated with vendors to bring licensing and implementation costs down. You persisted through all the challenges that come with collaborating remotely in a global crisis. You celebrated with your team on the day the system finally went live. And now you have a working, top-of-the-line, flexible system that meets all of your most important needs. (At least, it meets the needs you had when you sat down to write that grant, all those months ago.) And through it all, you and your colleagues worked tirelessly (and sometimes exhaustedly) to make sure that you were meeting your mission and serving your constituents to the best of your ability. You did it.

So … why does it feel like you’re just beginning? Where did those efficiencies go? You know you have new possibilities at your fingertips – how do you find out what they are and make the best use of them in support of your mission?

The truth is, in some ways, you are just beginning. What you’ve done so far is the introduction; welcome to Chapter One.

Where did those efficiencies go?

Of course, computers can do certain things a lot faster than humans can. And it’s exciting to think about not having to do some of the rote tasks we do every day, or at least to not have to take quite so much time on them.

It’s easy to imagine what our lives could look like if we did all the same things, but faster. And in a lot of cases within our organizations, tech can help us realize that vision. 

But if we aren’t intentional and collaborative about how we use and develop the tech, it can also help us do some not-as-exciting things a lot faster, like surface conflict, spend precious resources on changes that don’t impact our mission, and create messy, duplicative data that we can’t trust to make decisions or demonstrate our impact. When we’re confronted with all these things, it can feel like the technology is making things worse, not better.

How do we get back on track?

To keep your investment on track, you need a process to make sure that the efficiencies you’re developing are the ones that will speed your organization along the path toward the outcomes you care about the most. This means gathering a braintrust of key team members from different parts of your organization who can review requests for technology enhancements and ask some important questions:

Who would be impacted by this change? How?

We can make this change… but should we?

When should we make the change?

How should we communicate about it?

How will this change impact our data?

The jargon-y name for this is a governance team, so-called because they are making decisions that will govern how your system gets used and enhanced over time. Your governance team meets regularly and makes decisions about things like:

  • System security (who gets to see what data? How do you handle providing and revoking tech access for new and exiting staff?)
  • What processes need to be fixed with technology, and what really needs more training, documentation, and/or new business processes instead
  • How to prioritize when different users have needs that conflict with one another
  • Which requests need your biggest investments (time, energy, money) because they help move your organization’s big-picture goals forward. 
  • Whether to take on a request that may create more work down the line (technical debt)
  • Whether to build a custom solution, hire a tech role in-house or purchase an existing product or service

They also help set the rules for how technology changes are rolled out across the organization – they define your protocols for development and testing, getting input from stakeholders, documentation, and training.

Who needs to be involved?

Who should be part of your governance team will depend on your organization’s structure. At a minimum, it should include the person or people in charge of making technical updates, someone who can speak to business priorities, and a decision-making representative from each department that uses the technology you need to address. 

You will also need a straightforward path for your staff outside the governance team to submit their feedback about the technology they use. The governance team will probably have thoughts about what to improve, but they shouldn’t be the only ones coming up with ideas for enhancements or identifying when issues need to be addressed; for the system to grow and evolve for the entire organization, you need feedback and contributions from all kinds of users. (And make sure you’re covering all of your stakeholders – if the technology you’re working with impacts your constituents or clients, they should be consulted too!)

Just as importantly, you’ll need a process by which your governance team can follow up with staff once those enhancements are released or issues have been resolved, so that you can understand the impact of your work on their day-to-day and long-term needs.

This feels like a lot. How do we start?

This might feel a little overwhelming. All this might feel like a lot more care and feeding than you expected when you started raising funds for this new system. And that makes sense – many of us in nonprofits are used to working around static technology that was purpose-built … for someone else’s purpose. And chances are, one of the big reasons you signed up for this tech in the first place is because you know your organization needs to be more adaptable than that static technology can accommodate.

The only way to eliminate the need for continued systems work is for your organization and the environment it operates in to stay exactly the same, from the moment you identify your requirements onward. And if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s to expect that won’t be the case.

The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone, or from scratch. Through our Managed Services offering, Exponent Partners can help you establish this critical governance framework, make recommendations for how to develop your team, while also supporting you in executing on those enhancement requests and issue fixes. Reach out to us today for a conversation on how to incorporate governance into your organization’s social impact platform.

Dreamin' in Color logo

Proud to be Dreamin’ in Color

Here at Exponent Partners we do our very best to operate in alignment with our values of impact, diversity, learning and innovation. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a critical aspect of our identity as an organization and is fundamental to how we seek to be as a company.  The past couple of years have given us the opportunity to dig deep, reflect and carefully consider how we can live our values of prioritizing diversity, ensuring equity and promoting inclusion. One way of doing that is identifying events or community engagement opportunities that align. Luckily, there’s a great one happening later this week in Raleigh, North Carolina. We are proud sponsors of Dreamin’ in Color, an event to promote the growth and development of Black Salesforce professionals. As a proud, Black Salesforce professional, I am thrilled to be attending this event and representing Exponent Partners.

Dreamin’ in Color is a conference geared toward current or aspiring Black Salesforce professionals and focuses on how to succeed, grow thriving careers and overcome obstacles to success in the Salesforce ecosystem. We are thrilled to be sending a team of three to Raleigh to attend this important event. Marisa Lopez, Mandy Kutscheid and yours truly (Pamela Fitch) look forward to connecting with attendees there. Better yet, visit us at the Salesforce.org booth from 11:45-1:00 on Thursday or from 1:00-2:00 on Friday. 

We have identified two big priorities in attending this event in Raleigh. The first is to learn firsthand from new and seasoned Black Salesforce professionals in a conference setting that highlights and celebrates their contributions to the Salesforce ecosystem. We also want to share the opportunities that are available for professionals at Salesforce implementation and ISV partners like our company.  We are participating in the hiring fair to promote the roles we are actively recruiting for at our company. Interested to learn more? Check out our open positions. We are always looking to connect with interested candidates. Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to connect with Mandy at the hiring fair at Dreamin’ in Color from 10:00-11:00 on Friday.   

We can’t wait to connect with folks at Dreamin’ in Color. Hope to see you there!