Agents of Nonprofit

What can you do to connect better with your audience? How do you hear what they are saying beyond what is spoken? What can you do to improve your connection and authenticity with them through more transparent engagement?This episode will help you answer any of the questions above. We welcome Emily Taylor to talk about strategic listening for nonprofits. With teenyBIG, Emily helps nonprofits engage better with their audiences through strategic listening.  Topics covered:What is strategic listening?How Emily came up with the name ‘teenyBIG’Challenges that teenyBIG solves for nonprofitsQualifying questions with clients to evaluate their needsHow teenyBIG measures their work successHow to deliver ‘feelings’ such as connectedness, power or togethernessDemystifying biases to better engage with audiencesThe value of transparency in audience engagementTo learn more and get in touch with Emily TaylorWebsite: https://www.teenybig.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-taylor-teenybig/Support the show

In this week’s episode, I host Zak Pines. Zak has been in the SaaS industry for many years and has diverse experience in sales, marketing, and partnerships. Marketo, HubSpot, and Salesforce are among the software ecosystems he has worked with throughout his career. Currently, Zak is at Formstack where he has been building and managing a partner program and a community of product experts who provide excellent solutions for customers and technology partners with whom Formstack has integrations. In this week’s episode, Zak Pines explains how nonprofits can solve problems and create better processes around data collection, workflow, automating document generation, and collecting digital signatures through Formstack.Topics Covered;Why Zak joined FormstackWhat Formstack doesHow forms work on FormstackImbedding Formstack in emailsHow documents, signatures, platforms, and workflows work on FormstackHow to build your own features on FormstackDifference between the electronic and digital signaturesThe platforms that Formstack integrates with besides SalesforcePersonal branding of Formstack formsData security on FormstackPricing of Formstack appsGuidance offered to Formstack partnersHow to become a Formstack partnerWhat to expect from Formstack in the future To learn more and connect with Zak Pines:Zak Pines LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakpines/Formstack Website https://www.formstack.com/Support the show

In this episode, I talk to my 13-year-old nephew Samuel about nonprofits, customer relationship management (CRM), and how they work. I help Samuel understand what nonprofits and CRMs are and how they work using gaming references.Listen in and giggle away while I explain the following to my young nephew in a language he understands:What is a non-profit organization?What is a CRM and how does it work?What does it mean to be in the cloud?On Cloud vs On-premiseSalesforce, the first CRM to be in the cloudIs a CRM a good thing? Why?What happens if a team player doesn’t want to use the CRM?Support the show

Running a nonprofit requires a lot of planning, tracking and client management, reaching out to donors, staff coordination, task management, and many other tasks. This can be daunting.With new challenges at hand such as great resignations, global economic challenges, there is more nonprofits have to handle, and this requires more seamless technology to run operations, marketing, and communication. Erik Tomalis, the Director of Business Development at Virtuous, joins me on the podcast today to talk about Virtuous, a technology company that supports nonprofits in setting up CRMs, fundraising, volunteering and marketing tools needed to create more responsive donor experience and increase generosity. Topics we cover ●  Erik’s background and what Virtuous does●  The ideal client  Virtuous●  Exploring the different features of Virtuous●  Wealth screening●  How Virtuous supports marketing●  Payment options and payment processors on Virtuous●  Mobile app and volunteer opportunities at Virtuous●  Integrations that are possible in Virtuous●  Professional after-sale services offered by Virtuous to clients●  Partnerships and outsourcing at Virtuous●  How pricing works at Virtuous●  Where Virtuous is on the nonprofit CRM landscape●  Dealing with change management●  What’s in the future for Virtuous  Learn More and Connect with Erik:Virtuous Website: https://virtuous.org/Virtuous Academy: https://academy.virtuous.org/Erik Tomalis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriktomalis/Support the show

Many non-profits face difficulties in acquiring and keeping up with the right technology solutions. Finding and setting up the right CRM, software, and other services is essential for the survival of any business in the modern era.One solution that makes this process easier is TechSoup, a nonprofit that exists to help other nonprofits acquire and use the right technology at a subsidized cost. TechSoup has served 1.4 million nonprofits and saved the sector about $19 billion in software and service fees.TechSoup does that at scale with about 120 technology companies to help manage their discount and donation program. Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Zoom, all rely on TechSoup to administer their donation and discount programs to nonprofits.Eli Vander Giessen from TechSoup joins us in this week’s episode to talk about TechSoup’s offerings, the signup process, and how it helps nonprofits get access to and use best-in-class software at a reduced cost. He also shares his experience working with TechSoup.This episode is helpful if you work in a nonprofit seeking to save much more on software and service fees. Topics we coverEli’s superhero storyHow Eli met and worked with David SuzukiHow TechSoup operates globally amidst multiple languagesWhat attracted Eli to TechSoup  TechSoup’s ideal client profileTechSoup’s offeringsTechSoup’s signup processTechSoup’s partnershipsThe TechSoup forumThe cost of TechSoupHow TechSoup is different from PondResources offered by TechSoup to assist nonprofitsThe future of TechSoup To learn more and connect with Eli:Eli’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahv/TechSoup Website: https://www.techsoup.org/TechSoup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsoup/Support the show

In this week’s episode, Alexander hosts Austin Hattox who shares about his experience creating websites for nonprofits.Austin is the founder of Pixel Lighthouse, a company that he started with his wife to create websites for nonprofits to enable them to paint a clear picture of their vision and enable audiences to interact seamlessly with them online. Listen in to learn more about the strategies, tools and resources to use when setting up a website for nonprofits, learn more about the Pixel Lighthouse story and best practices to focus on when creating the right online presence for non-profit organizations. Topics we cover: Austin’s superhero origin storyOn hiring unskilled staff to create websites for nonprofitsThe origin of the name ‘Pixel Lighthouse’What services Pixel Lighthouse offersUsing the website to tell a storyThe ideal nonprofit that Pixel Lighthouse works withWhat makes the website implementation process successfulHow is website success measuredTechnologies used to implement the websitesClickUp and other apps Pixel Lighthouse to implement websitesThe future of Pixel Lighthouse  To learn more and connect with Austin Hattox:Austin Hattox LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-hattox/Website https://pixellighthouse.com/agentsSupport the show

Nonprofits should invest in technology. It can automate fundraising efforts and get in touch with more donors. It can also keep in touch with stakeholders through newsletters, mail, email, etc., and improve data management by keeping track of donor information and figuring out how well a program is working and how successful a charity is.Frontier is a nonprofit marketing company with a unique fundraising culture and a focus on systems to help nonprofits get results.In the previous decade, Frontier has partnered with Canadian charities to raise over $10 million annually. Frontier develops material, creates designs, segments, and delivers direct mail and internet campaigns. What makes Frontier unique is they analyze the companies' values, beliefs, and missions adapt their strategies and campaigns accordingly.Joining me on the podcast is Frontier’s Champion of Growth, Benjamin Johnson. In this episode, he shares how to get nonprofits started with technology and the kind of tech stack nonprofits should adopt to drive fundraising efforts, improve communication, and data management.Topics we cover:The thinking behind Frontier MarketingThe core competencies of a nonprofitThe solutions that Frontier providesDigital mail vs direct mailFrontier’s customer profileThe Ben Diagram: marketing, measurement, and management The technology Frontier uses for digital agency, print agency, newsletters, and direct mail.The pros and challenging of huddlesWhat Loom offers that Slack doesn’tThe technology nonprofits use to make life easierHow to do messaging for growthHow to adapt to your client’s needsRaising the bar of standards of tech in nonprofitsBen’s podcast and the value of podcastsThe future of Frontier and Ben’s next titleHonoring your cultureTo learn more and connect with Benjamin Johnson: Ben’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/mrbenjohnson Frontier Website: frontier.ioSupport the show

There are approximately 38.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world, and the vast majority of them live in Africa. In 2021, it is estimated that 860,000 people in Africa were newly infected with HIV and 420,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.On the other hand, in 2020, malaria caused an estimated 241 million clinical episodes and 627,000 deaths. An estimated 95% of deaths in 2020 were in the WHO African Region.Despite significant progress made in recent years in expanding access to treatment, only around half of those who need treatment in Africa are able to receive it. Because of this, these diseases still kill a lot of people on the continent every year. One nonprofit combating disease and improving access to healthcare on the continent is GAIA. GAIA’s mission is to strengthen healthcare in underserved African communities. GAIA envisions a world where health outcomes are not determined by who you are or where you live but believes that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, no matter where they live, or who they are.Kelsey Fisher, the Program and Grants Officer at GAIA Global Health, joins me on the podcast today to discuss GAIA's impact in healthcare in Malawa and how this is achieved, how GAIA finds investors and raises funds, collects and tracks data, the use of Salesforce and more.The topics we cover:What Kelsey and GAIA doesKelsey’s motivation to join GAIAThe role of partnerships in GAIA’s mission and workHow GAIA finds investors and raises fundsGAIA's analytics and reporting to fundersKey data points collected by GAIAHow GAIA tracks its dataHow GAIA leverages SalesforceGAIA’s roadmap for CRM and SalesforceChallenges of using SalesforceHow to contribute/get involved with GAIATo learn more and connect with Kelsey:GAIA Global Health: https://www.gaiaglobalhealth.org/ Kelsey Fisher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseylfisher/ Support the show

The United Nations declared water and sanitation a human right, but billions of people worldwide still do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation. Our planet is facing a water crisis, which will only worsen as the population grows and climate change continues to wreak havoc on our water supplies.One Drop is an organization that is taking action to protect this vital resource for future generations and ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for communities facing extreme barriers through innovation, partnerships, creativity, and the power of art.Joining me on this episode to talk about how One Drop is doing this is Tara Maritzer, the Donor Relations and Corporate Development Advisor for the One Drop Foundation, and Lisa Clowery, Chief Philanthropy and Corporate Development Officer at One Drop.The topics we cover:Who are Tara and Lisa and what do they do?Measurement and evaluation: What it is and its importance to nonprofit project success.What it means to be sustainableThe types and roles of partnershipsHow to achieve and strengthen partnershipsPros and cons of SalesforceDifferent ways you can get engaged with One Drop and make a differenceWhat One Drop has coming up in the near futureTo Learn More and Connect with One Drop, Tara Maritzer, and Lisa Clowery:One Drop’s Website: onedrop.org/en/ One Drop’s Facebook: facebook.com/ONEDROP One Drop’s Twitter: twitter.com/onedrop One Drop’s Instagram: instagram.com/1dropwater/ One Drop’s YouTube: youtube.com/user/onedropfoundation One Drop’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/one-drop/ Tara Maritzer LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tara-maritzer/?originalSubdomain=ca Lisa Clowery LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisaclowery/?originalSubdomain=ca Support the show

Hiring a consultant can be a great way for a nonprofit to get advice from an expert on a certain issue or project. However, due to the unique nature of each project and problem, it's easy to waste a lot of money on blanket solutions that don't address your specific situation. Tim Sarrantonio is on the podcast today to talk about this subject.Tim is the Director of Corporate Brand at Neon One, a technology and services company that focuses on small nonprofits and how technology can speed up their generosity in terms of design and execution.In this episode, Tim continues from his LinkedIn post and divides consultants into four groups: searchers, trainers, managers, and coaches. He talks about each category and what they do best. He stresses the importance of knowing which of the four kinds of consultants you need before you spend any money. He also talks about advisors and project overseers and what they bring to the table.The topics we cover:Tim’s superhero origin story. How he started working with nonprofits. The four primary groupings of consultants that help nonprofits and what they do.The impact of consultants in the sales processThe difference between advisors, trainers, coaches, managers, and project overseersWhy nonprofits should make decisions based on budget and not P&LHow reliant nonprofits should be on consultantsIn-house vs. consultant: deciding whether a consultant is neededAddressing the rise in the number of consultants in the nonprofit spaceTo Learn More and Connect with Tim Sarrantonio:Tim Sarrantonio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsarrantonio/ Tim Sarrantonio’s LinkedIn post about categories of consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/timsarrantonio_im-going-to-spend-my-week-talking-about-activity-6980148927777882112-P4sm/ Support the show