The following methods were designed to allow you to quickly begin to provide leadership and direction to your IT employees. You can overcome the lack of training and support by focusing on managing your employees well, listening to their needs and keeping the overall goal of your organization in mind.

Technology is About People

Technology is created by people for other people to use. Good technology is created by teams of people that understand people. Hard-to-use or very defective technology is created by teams that focus on technology instead of people.

How can you lead your team and show them that people are important? Start by setting an example and let them experience being important first-hand.

Be Genuine

Show people who you really are. It’s difficult to be someone you are not, and you can spend a lot of your energy doing so. You have a personality, with both its bright spots and rough edges. Let them show through at work. Put some personal items in your workspace that will cause conversation (HR- appropriate, please). Engage others in conversation about items you see in their own workspaces.
They have them there for a reason; find out why. Have a real conversation. Be human and acknowledge humanity in others.

Be Accessible

Talk to anyone who wants to talk with you. Innovations are a result of many people’s thoughts that suddenly meld together in one person’s head and form a raw idea. If you believe that, you need to get out and talk to people to get their thoughts in your head.

I recently had someone from inside the company apply for one of my open technical positions. The person was not qualified for the job, but my personal rule is that if an internal candidate applies, they get an interview. I was upfront with the person in telling them that they didn’t meet the position’s need, and we spent our time instead discussing what she could do to grow so someday she would
be qualified. She was ecstatic that I would spend 30 minutes talking about her career when there was nothing in it for me.

Be There

Communication with humans is complex. We pay attention not only to what is being said but also to many other cues that the speaker intentionally or unintentionally conveys. Body language, tone of speech, gestures, facial movements, and eye movements all convey meaning.

When we communicate with folks remotely, we lose some of this context by not being present. If you can’t meet often in person, find ways to add some of this context back to some of your conversations. Try phone calls instead of instant messages and emails, and webcam sessions instead of phone calls. You’ll see a greater richness of communication and understanding unfold if you vary your communication mediums more.

Remember, IT management is really about relationships. Just as your organization focuses on the needs of people in the community, your leadership focus should be the same. Caring about your employees and supporting them will go a long way to increase the morale of your organization and put passion back into your work.

Sharing

At the heart of social media is the sharing of information. Whether personal, humorous or compelling, the media that people transmit to one another can take on a life of its own and reach quite a few people. Requesting people to draft their own status updates and tweets about your charitable cause is a lot to ask, but simply embedding a “like” or “share” button on your website, blog or specific pages is an easy way to engage. For example: be sure to embed a Like button on your annual gala’s webpage, email invitation and any other digital follow up communications. It’s relatively easy to do and makes it easy to spread your organization’s message.

Lots of Links

Google and other search engines are constantly tweaking their algorithms that govern how certain terms appear on result pages. One of the burgeoning heavyweights in these equations is social media. The more that something is linked to on blogs, Facebook, Google+ and other services, the more likely that search engines are going to deem it worthwhile and deserving of attention. You want to make sure your organization can be found on all the major social networks in particular Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Google +, LinkedIn, Foursquare or similar. At a minimum claim your organization’s profile or page and include a link back to your website. With each tweet or status update, you are building new links to your cause. Once you have established your presence, begin connecting with related causes, entities like Charity Navigator, online directories like Yahoo, DMOZ etc. I call it weaving a web of connections – make it easy for people to find you online.

Turn Links and Likes Into Donations

The new media that the internet represents is so successful in part, because it allows for feedback from your constituents, donors and supporters. When it comes to donors, the feeling that they are doing something tangible to help a cause is extremely important. Consequently, any platforms that allow them to add their own personal thoughts or feelings about a topic will keep them engaged and increase the likelihood that they will be supporters and donors for a long time.

Of course, social media is not the end-all to be all of fundraising, but using technology to build support does give you an advantage. With the abundance of information, not to mention the accessibility, many people turn to the web to look for causes to join. Don’t let technology leave you behind; use it to gain an even greater following and, ultimately, more donor support.

Fortunately, streamlining an organization’s accounting efforts is relatively simple when a good nonprofit software package is in use. So, what makes a good nonprofit financial management software package? Ok, before I answer, short disclaimer; I am the Product Manager for Sage Fund Accounting and Grant Management, two excellent nonprofit financial management solutions. This means I spend a lot of time researching and figuring out what features benefit our customers the most. Here are the four features I find to be the most helpful and that provide the greatest amount of time savings and return on your investment.

Custom Reporting

Nonprofit organizations are almost all operating under varied chronological constraints. Some need to work within the confines of the standard fiscal year, while others are subject to school, calendar, grant or funding years. Whatever the constraints you should be looking for nonprofit accounting software that enables you to run date driven financial statements, for any period of time, without closing the books. A true nonprofit accounting system allows you to create the reports that you need on demand, without external reporting tools and Excel manipulation. I guarantee you will save dozens of hours each month and at the end of major reporting periods if your software does all the above.

Data Intelligence

When your board members want to understand the future cash flow of your organization or when executives want to do a risk analysis on all recent campaigns – you need data intelligence. A good nonprofit accounting package is scalable and includes data intelligence tools. These types of tools automatically analyze data, display trends, and provide tips, tricks, and reminders so that nothing falls between the cracks. They can vary from complex reporting with charting or can reside as a standalone business intelligence (BI) tool that provides insight to many people, not just your accounting users.

Workflow Based Budgets

If there is one thing that all nonprofits have in common, it is budgeting. Not all budgets are alike but the process and the flow is almost always the same.

Create a rough draft > Send for review > Enable all departments to put in their increases and decreases > Review again > Send to the board > Get feedback > Send around again > Edit some more, and the process goes on and on and on…

A good nonprofit accounting package provides a workflow based budgeting system that dovetails into your organizations preferences for budget viewing, editing, and finalization. Regardless of how you get the budget into the application it should be able to produce budget-to-actual financials as well as transaction-to-budget balance checking. These types of features do not cut down on your review cycle/s, but they do help you to stay on track and to keep the budget in check with actual spending.

Clear Audit Trails

There are many reasons why nonprofits need to maintain financial and operational audit trails. New staff members and directors often need to review historical processes. Media and high-end donors often ask for this information when profiling an organization. Recipients of a nonprofit’s goodwill may even want to review records before agreeing to accept donations. Regardless of the reason, this kind of accountability is easy to provide if the right software has been in use. A system with an audit trail, advanced security, and data level encryption is sure to give your auditor and your board members just what they need to feel confident in your nonprofit’s operations.

Continue striving toward successful nonprofit management by reading our “NonProfit Accounting Success Kit”.

Just last month the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania announced a partnership with the Red Cross to analyze the behavior of 500,000 donors who contributed in the last five years. The goal of the initiative is to identify trends, develop a deeper understanding of donor behavior and determine fundraising messages and campaigns that work. Ultimately, the investment in donor
analytics can be used to proactively adjust the strategic direction of the organization and to develop programs that will resonate with Red Cross supporters, hopefully transforming them into donors. Here are some of the data sets and characteristics that analytics software can unearth in your organization.

Lapsed Donors

There are always people who make donations one year but then, for whatever reason, do not repeat their generosity the following year. Some people who had been regular contributors in the past may have stopped giving as well, leaving nonprofits high and dry when it comes to recreating that income. Analytics can help identify patterns of donation lapse and serve to formulate campaigns to bring former supporters back to your organization.

Priorities

Many charities operate with tight resources whether it’s time or money. Consequently, campaigns and efforts need to be targeted to be effective. Analytics can provide insight into the question of which programs and services are the most likely to succeed and which donors are most likely to give. This allows for a premium level of energy and resources to be devoted to the right programs and the
people most likely to give.

Feedback

Nonprofit organizations often run multiple outreach campaigns with a variety of messages simultaneously. Often it can be weeks or months before any concrete feedback is available to indicate which campaigns, messages were successful, and which were not. Analytics and nonprofit software help to make the turnaround on this valuable information even shorter.

The story of RBP Methods, a look inside the establishment of a great company.

RBP Methods was born from a deep-rooted love for the work of nonprofits.  On a shoestring budget Kent and Lynne Arnold, owners of RBP Methods, built their company on the belief that an easy to understand, levelheaded view of technology would be helpful for nonprofits.  Through specialized expertise in nonprofit accounting and administration, they set out to provide accounting technology and training to nonprofit and governmental organizations and have successfully been doing so for over 20 years.

A Solid Foundation Built on a Piece of Good Advice, and the Right Expertise

The very beginning of RBP Methods’ story starts several years before its inception when Kent made the decision to go back to school.  While Lynne provided for the family through her job with nonprofit in Flint, Michigan, Kent sought to study what he thought would be a computer based curriculum.  However as often happens in life, Kent came across one of those rare pieces of advice that would forever change his course.  He explains, “I had a teacher tell me to go ahead and get my computer and system design degree, but that I should also get my accountancy degree, and then take the CPA exam, then I could do whatever I wanted to do…and for one of the first times in my life I listened to an adult!”

After receiving his teacher’s wise council and graduating from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, Kent began working with a CPA firm in Flint, Michigan.  Their primary focus was auditing nonprofit and governmental entities as well as a traditional tax practice, but they also had a software consulting division.  With Kent’s natural knack for computers they asked him to learn a software program that they planned to implement for a township the following week – which he did.  Later, the software publishing company, American Fundware, sent trainers to coach some of the firm’s clients and they ended up offering Kent a job working with them! He agreed to take it, and moved the family to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  Kent explains, “This opportunity provided us with some great experience.  However the most valuable thing it did was lead us to the realization that what we really wanted was to work directly with nonprofits.  Lynne adds, “With my understanding of how nonprofits functioned from the front end office, and Kent’s knowledge of how they function internally we made a great team…and that’s how it went – that was our business plan!” Every business relies on a little bit of luck in order to achieve success, and Kent will tell you that luck is the reward for ‘good planning and the right timing’.  While they may have started out with the simplest of business plans, what they did have was a communication plan and a series of connections to the right people.

The Right Brained People Method

As Kent and Lynne set out to create their consulting firm, they needed to pick a name.  They decided to meet with a marketing friend for lunch to try and come up with some ideas.  Kent remembers the meeting well and explains, “We eventually came up with Right Brained People Methods, or RBP Methods.  Nonprofits tend to be much more right brained – more ‘feeling’ types of organizations based on the very nature of what they do.  This can make computerized bookkeeping and fund accounting difficult to grasp.  Therefore we decided that our niche would be in helping right brained people understand left brained technology.”

When RBP Methods first began they handled the consulting and training which happens to be one of the most valuable services among RBP clients.  Kent reflects, “We really enjoy teaching and making learning fun.  I’ve been on site with our clients where we’re laughing so much that people peek their head in the door and say, ‘I thought you were implementing software – not having a party in here!’” Lynne adds, “We love to make learning enjoyable because accounting can be so droll!  Nonprofit finance departments rarely get to go on business trips because companies usually focus dollars on programs rather than educational opportunities for administrative functions.  Therefore we try to give them the best experience for their dollar so that they not only learn, but can enjoy the experience and have fun at the same time!”   RBP has found that clients enjoy learning and will learn more when they are visually inspired.  People learn best by doing, rather than by being instructed.  Kent explains, “Tactile and visual stimulation go a long way in imprinting memory and have been the basis for our training methods from the beginning.  We use a combination of visualization, practice and easy to understand formats that communicate the left brained logic into straight-forward concepts for right brained people.”

Success Built on the Solid Foundation of Trust, Integrity and Loyalty

RBP Methods values long-term business partnerships with personal relationships built on trust and honesty.  “Our clients appreciate that we are up front with them right from the beginning.  Many organizations don’t realize that there are supplemental costs involved in addition to the software, and we will lay it all out for them.  We want them to be prepared for each step along the way and recognize the various components that make up an implementation.  I want to make sure they can see the big picture before they establish a budget.  We’re not going to just quote them the software and installation without going over other additional middle-market investments that will be necessary for them to achieve success.”

One of the unique things about RBP Methods is that they don’t have a set methodology for every client.  Instead, they recognize that each nonprofit and governmental organization has its own specific needs.  Kent uses what he calls ‘mind mapping’ to determine the true requirements of each potential client in order to give them the most personalized service, solution and training possible.  A great example of this was when RBP Methods put in a bid for a nonprofit RFP.  After reviewing 5 bids, three of which offered the same software as RBP Methods, the agency chose RBP.  When Kent asked what set them apart from the other software providers the client replied, “You were the only one who asked me questions about our organization! Everyone else just told me what they were going to do.  I knew that you truly cared about the success of our implementation and that you would make sure it met our specific requirements.”

Nonprofit Software Specialists That Stand the Test of Time

“Any consultant who deals with technology should at least be current with the trends that are or will be affecting their clients,” emphasizes Kent.  RBP Methods is committed to furthering their education and staying abreast of what’s coming in the industry.  From keeping an eye out for up and coming technology trends, to continuously attend seminars, webinars and reading articles, RBP strives to continually add to their knowledge and expertise.  This enables them to provide the best service and advice possible to the organizations they serve.

“We want to say to our clients that we have been honored to be your choice of trusted advisors.  The world of nonprofit technology is often a fast moving and screwy path and we are happy to be your guys!” says Kent.  As for the next 20 years, Kent and Lynne hope to continue on the path they have started even if retirement looms!  But one thing they agree on – they wouldn’t have done it any differently! Being in the position to establish strong relationships with, and provide service and value to the nonprofit and governmental industry has been an incredible, blessed journey.

“We really enjoy teaching and making learning fun,” says Kent of RBP Methods’ unique training style. “Tactile and visual stimulation go a long way in imprinting memory and have been the basis for our company from the beginning.  We use a combination of visualization, practice and easy to understand formats that communicate left brain logic into straight-forward concepts for right brained people.”

In addition to their unique and creative training style, RBP Methods embraces the individuality of each nonprofit and government organization it works with. They care about the mission of each company which allows them to assess and meet the organization’s specific needs.

Barbara Johnson, Seattle Indian Health Board, expresses, “I’m not surprised that RBP Methods is celebrating their 20 year anniversary. I’ve been impressed with their work for many, many years. Quality work survives the test of time and RBP delivers nothing but the best when it comes to service and guidance. Working with RBP Methods is a pleasure primarily because of their accounting background – they think like we do. They understand fund accounting software and the intricacies that go into setting up an accounting system for nonprofits. They are meticulous and go above and beyond to make sure things are done right and with your best interest in mind. We wish them nothing but the best as they truly deserve it!”

Read more about RBP’s story here.

“The Campbell Awards recognize exceptional performance in nonprofit service, and we congratulate AccuFund for this achievement,” Said Dirk Rinker, President of Campbell Rinker. “The favorable customer feedback we received validates the high quality of AccuFund’s product and support.”

In addition to the likelihood of product referral, the study included topics such as user satisfaction, feature preferences, purchasing habits and organizational dynamics. To read a summary report, click here.

To create and carry out a successful presentation:

1. Do your research. What problems, challenges, economic factors, etc., impact your organization and its clients? How does your idea or program address those issues? Make sure you have all the facts before you try to persuade your audience.
2. Make it relevant. Paint a detailed picture of how your idea or program will best serve your clients. Tailor your information to the interests of your audience. Board members want facts and figures; supporters may want to know how they are helping individual clients.
3. Be professional. Create an attractive presentation that includes graphics and takeaways. Graphics are easier to understand at a glance than a long paragraph of text. A summary sheet or brochure helps your board members or supporters remember key facts later, perhaps when sitting down to write a check or taking a vote on the program. If you don’t have the expertise to do this yourself, get help. If your presentation looks sloppy, you diminish the perceived value of your idea or program.
4. Come prepared. Remember to practice, practice, practice–and make sure you’re ready to answer any questions that could come up. If you’re prepared and confident, and you present relevant information, then your board members or supporters are more likely to trust you.
5. Engage your audience. When appropriate, ask questions that enable your audience to interact with you and see you as a problem-solver. The more involved they are, the more they will remember what you’ve said and feel invested in your idea or program.
6. Always ask for something. Every presentation should have an objective, a request, a next step. Give your audience a compelling reason to take the next step now.

By following these simple steps, you will ”wow” your board members and supporters and generate excitement about your proposal.
Using donor management software can help keep your books in order and your transparency with your board. Learn more about our Automated Donor Management Systems.

To read the full product review, visit www.cpapracticeadvisor.com

Institutional advancement professionals and development officers must not only cultivate prospective relationships with major donors, they must also provide ongoing stewardship of donations, past and present. It is a massive responsibility to balance needs and priorities of your organization’s donor base.

This blog outlines the top 23 things great fund development officers keep in mind every day, but especially as they enter into their first days on a new job. (Please feel free to add your own wisdom to this working checklist to help you manage new major gift officers in your institution.)

#1 – Know your audience
You must be able to successfully identify potential major donors. These are individuals who have both a personal interest in your organization and the financial means to give.

Finding the right prospects takes research and time. Development officers for smaller organizations might want to poll board members for their lists of prospects. Larger institutions typically have massive databases, and must strategically segment their lists to target the prospects most likely to give.

You can start with your favorite search engine for some brute-force researching or utilize some of the in-depth wealth research tools available in your constituent management system or online. Accessing the right web sites can provide insight on capacity, inclination, and motivation, so you can seek out the intersection of capacity and interest.

#2 – Use your scarce resources wisely
Just because an individual has a high affinity for your organization doesn’t necessarily mean they will have capacity to give immediately. Recent graduates, for example, usually fit into the high affinity/low capacity category when it comes to alumni giving. They are fiercely loyal, but cash poor, for now. Keeping them engaged is critical to long-term loyalty and interest in giving back.

#3 – Keep your pipeline full
Experienced fundraisers actively pursue prospects more likely to give immediately, while also cultivating potential future donors. It’s important to have prospects in every stage of the development cycle to ensure stable long-term funding.

#4 – Knowledge is a powerful ally
Every prospect has a story and it’s up to you to find that story. There are some important things to know about a prospect that may not seem obvious, for example:

• Who was their roommate in college?
• What sorority or fraternity were they in?
• Have they just gotten a new job? (Linked in would tell you that.)
• What are their kids’ interests?
• Do they give to other charities such as their local hospital, theater, etc.?

Understanding your prospects’ background builds stronger relationships and knowledge about your targets helps focus priorities. The more you know about a prospect, the better you’ll be able to identify high capacity targets for major gifts.

#5 – Understand their motives
What is the prospect’s affinity to your organization? What will motivate them to give? Better yet, what will motivate them to want to have a long-term relationship involving investment into your programs?

#6 – Nurture first, then solicit
The development cycle starts with getting the prospect’s attention; providing something that piques their interest; creating desire; and then motivating them to take action.

• Consider these top conversation starters for discussing a major gift:
• Being asked by someone you know
• Volunteering with the institution
• Being asked by clergy
• Reading or hearing a news story
• Being asked at work
• Receiving a letter asking you to give
• Receiving a phone call
• Viewing an advertisement, in a printed publication or online
• Seeing a TV commercial

#7 – Get their attention
Your prospective donors are being bombarded by noise–from their business, from other charities clamoring for their attention, from the trials of everyday life, and more. Amplify your voice and your cause above the din of tweets, beeps, and emails by being personal and creating an exceptional donor experience.

#8 – Communicate benefits
What value does your organization bring to the potential donor? How does your organization differ from others? The key to successful engagement is demonstrating benefit, either directly to the donor, or indirectly via goodwill created by donation. Provide donors with reasons to champion your cause above others.

#9 – Be a great storyteller
Once you have the prospect’s attention, you must get their interest. Create a story showing the benefit of giving. Showcase your organization’s accomplishments and goals for the future, and create a connection linking your prospect’s past to the institution. Take the time to remind prospective donors of their history with your organization.

#10 – Create a sense of community
Highlight your ties to the community and what you’re doing on the home front. Demonstrate the benefits your cause brings to a donor’s community. And remember, community doesn’t have to be tied to location. Create a community based on interest; for example, sports, military veterans, or cancer survivors and their family members, etc.

#11 – Motivate giving
Major donors truly want to help the community, but they also want acknowledgement for their support. Recognize and reward them for their actions by establishing defined recognition plateaus. It’s possible a particular reward or incentive could “push” a donor into the next level of engagement. But, remember to be flexible, too. Never force a major donor into a prescribed giving campaign when it may limit the overall lifetime giving potential of that donor.

#12 – Cultivate interest in low affinity, high capacity prospects
It’s your job to find these types of donors and convince them to send a little piece of their money in your direction. This is a three-step process:

• Find the high net worth individuals.
• Learn which of these individuals make charitable donations.
• Create the story that flows their charitable dollars to your cause.

# 13 – Communicate need
Clearly communicate how you will use the funding for which you are asking. Answer this question: “What will donors’ money accomplish?” Provide the facts of what you do with a $1,000 donation, a $10,000 donation, and a $100,000 donation.

#14 – Don’t be sloppy
Savvy donors respond to careful attention to detail and a professional presentation. Even the formatting on your envelope can make a difference. Be a stickler for grammar, punctuation and appropriates titles.

#15 – Make it personal
Cultivate major gift prospects by involving them in the activities of the organization or inviting them to visit the organization. Don’t forget to show your appreciation with a small token or personal note.

#16 – Make the right ask
Be specific and actionable when you finally solicit your prospective major donor. If you’ve done your research on the individual, you should be able to push them right to their limit of giving, without scaring them away. Provide reasons why you’re asking for the specific amount and why you need it. Be flexible in both the type and timing of the donations you accept and always, always be gracious – whether or not the person agrees to give. You never want to burn bridges because the “no” of today might be tomorrow’s “yes.”

#17 – Discover untapped sources of support
Consider all the people who, over the years, have benefited from your organization (as students, alumni, educators, community supporters, etc.). Those people may now be in a position to give, but they simply haven’t been effectively asked to contribute in a way that‘s meaningful for them.

#18 – Thank your donors
Make your donors feel special by recognizing their gift personally, openly, and honestly. It’s important for your donors to feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in supporting your cause – so recognize and thank each one. The options are endless: from press releases to tweets to plaques. You can’t thank your major donors enough.

#19 – Cultivate the ongoing relationship
Help your donors feel good about their donations. Regularly update them on your progress in the community. Invite them to special events, such as graduations and opening night galas.

#20 – Go full circle
Stewardship is one of the most important aspects of a fundraising professional’s career. Always keep prospects informed about what their donation accomplished. You must have concrete answers for where money is going and why it’s needed. Establish and maintain credibility with your donors by demonstrating the return you are getting on their investment. Specificity and clarity will help get major gift givers on board with your campaign.

#21 – Track your contact efforts
It’s important to maintain accurate records of who you’ve asked, what you asked them for and how they responded. Some institutions will say “if it’s not in the donor database, it didn’t really happen.” Although keeping track of every communication involves more effort on your part, it allows you to create a clear record of your interactions with the prospect. This is especially helpful when another development officer moves to a new job and you “inherit” their prospects. Having a full history of all their previous interactions with your team is a powerful asset.

#22 – Create raving fans
References from major donors, detailing their satisfaction in the results of their donations, can help turn skeptics into potential givers.

#23 – Stay positive
Despite a struggling economy, giving is at near-record levels, and the wealthiest individuals still tend to give the most. According to recent survey by Fidelity Charitable, “the majority of American donors (72 percent) plan to maintain or increase their level of charitable giving this year compared to last year. This number is up from 63 percent in 2010.”

Conclusion
Your major donors are your partners. Treat your major donors the way you would treat any great business partner. Provide tangible, local results from the work of your organization. Communicate with your major donors often about your organization and when they give, recognize them publicly. These basic, tried-and-true steps will lead to success.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can maximize Grant Funding, click here to download a free and informative webinar.