Working with Digital Strategy & Tech Consultants

A.K.A.What My Organization Should Know Prior to Working With a Consultant

Judah FerstFerst SolutionsCongregations 2.0, January 14, 2011

How can Technology Projects be Thought of Strategically?

NeedsAudienceGoals

Mission PriorityAffordabilityIntegrated Systems

Why Do Organizations Start this Process?Website looks old / outdatedPressure from board membersNew staffTo increase donationsTo create a portal for membersHeighten visibility of the organization in the

communityWant to be seen as modern / hip / cool

AssesmentBefore you even begin to start

Take a BIG step back!

What are your technology needs?Web

Design and online marketingContent (is king)Back endPayment processing (donation / e-store)

Desktop computingServer / data & application sharingSocial mediaCRM / donor managementE-mailE-communicationOnline calendar / space management

ICEBERG

Who are your audiences?

Congregants / Members

Board Members

CommunityMembers

Partner Organizations

AffiliatesPotential Members

Funders Clergy

Staff

Who are your audiences? (cont.)Questions:

How will they inform this process? What are their unique needs and concerns?Have you asked them?

Managing the expectations game

What are your goals?Think of each piece of technology as a

program…What will you accomplish with it?

Technology allows us to measure goals in whole new ways…Number of people who read your e-newsletterNumber of people who visit your websiteHow often your staff uses the new technology

How will your organization’s mission inform these decisions?Is your mission current and applicable to the

work you do?What does it list as your priorities?How will your new technology help you carry

out your mission?If it will not, consider reevaluating the projectRemember you will need to justify the expense

to funders and board members

What is yourWhat needs to happen now?What can be done in house?

Will your organization always have the skills necessary to maintain it?

How can you lay the infrastructure for the future?

What can you afford?Too often technological expenses are not

budgeted forWhat would you do if your building’s roof

caved in?It is easier to tell staff just to “deal” with issues

that are not seen by othersItems such as these tend to run over budgetQuality and price are not necessarily relatedLong term costs

Hosting, updating, etc.Maintenance

Integrated Systems

Integrated SystemsMost modern non-profits communicate with their

constituents through a weekly or monthly e-mail.These e-mails contain links back to the

organization’s website. Many of them are events that are on your organizational calendar.

That calendar may contain information about room bookings and set up as well as how to sign up and pay for an event.

Many of those e-mail addresses (that the e-mail is sent to) were collected through a sign up form on your website and entered into your donor management system.

Dangers of Non-Integrated SystemsDuplicate records

People receiving multiple pieces of communication

The more places you need to keep data the more chance for computer and/or human error Personal information Content

Confusion among staffConfusion among those you serve

So…

Why are these pieces of information so often in

multiple systems?

Integrated Systems:A Case Study

Hillel of Greater Philadelphia

Hillel of Greater PhiladelphiaHillel of Greater Philadelphia inspires Jewish

students to cultivate and maintain their Jewish identity, to bond with other Jewish college students and to share a broad spectrum of religious, cultural and social experiences.

In a given academic year, approximately 25 staff engage over 10,000 students through nearly 700 events/meetings across 20 campuses.

How can a system be crafted that serves the needs of students, staff, funders, maintenance staff, etc.

See the BIG Picture!Have attendance data to support fundraising activities

both for numeric outcomes (short term) and data for alumni fundraising (long term).

Allow program staff to track success of programs and see areas to focus on.

A unified back end that distributes content to multiple front facing websites.

Content that populates a weekly e-mail:CalendarAnnouncements, educational pieces, etc.

Eliminate the need for multiple systems.Allow students to RSVP and pay for eventsCollect online donations.

One student record that…Can be created by the student on an

interest form on the websiteReceives weekly listserve e-mails

Click tracking dataCan RSVP (and pay) for eventsHas their attendance trackedHas their interests trackedHas their contact information tracked Becomes an alumni/parent/donor

One Event That…Is automatically fed into our listserveStudents can RSVP (and pay) forStudents records are associated with for

attendance tracking purposesIs used for space reservations in building

Set up / clean up time, room set up, supplies needed

Can be sorted according to interests they have entered and can update as well as internal categories

Events can be private and only viewable to staff

Is tied to evaluation data

How can projects be thought of strategically?

NeedsAudienceGoals

Mission PriorityAffordabilityIntegrated Systems

Questions?

Thank You!Slides will be available at:

slideshare.net/jferst

Judah FerstChief StrategistFerst Solutions

www.ferstsolutions.com

jferst@ferstsolutions.com