Fundraising & data peeps! This is where our worlds collide.
Tag: Events
How do you organize work requests? Have you got your system down?
When it comes to project management, I’ve started and fallen off many systems. It’s easy to let yourself get disorganized as things get chaotic!
But it’s important to capture and organize those project needs and updates. Otherwise, details slip through the cracks and communication can break down.
Before we talk tech…
It’s important to remember that technology helps us implement solutions. But we’re the only ones who can actually solve our problems.
So before you jump into a new system, really think about how this tool can serve your process. Make sure you understand the nuances around requests, that you have a framework to support the tech, and that you’ve got a way to intake those staff requirements.
Let’s talk systems.
Have you ever spent tons of a time on a request, only to realize you didn’t build the right thing? *raises hand*
It’s not a great feeling. But miscommunication can happen when you don’t have a way to organize staff requests early on.
It doesn’t matter if you write content, work with data, or submit grant applications. If you do anything highly specialized for your org….you can benefit from a solid request intake process.
When you start getting overwhelmed by staff requests in your org, that’s a clue that it’s time for a new process.
A while ago, I shared tips on how to wrap your mind around creating a new process. We did some pre-work to understand the different types of requests we get, our requestors, and our own capacity.
But now it’s time to translate those notes into a living, breathing workflow. The first step? Coming up with a defining framework.
Does your nonprofit use Google Forms?
Google Forms is a form-builder app that comes with the Google Suite of products. It’s often used to create simple surveys.
Now, Google isn’t sponsoring this post. I’m not even claiming it’s the best survey tool out there. But I’m highlighting it here because 1) I use it all the time and 2) for three very nonprofit-y reasons:
- It’s simple.
- It’s free.
- It’s accessible. Even if your org doesn’t use Google products, you could sign up right now to build your first form with no fuss.
Gang, let’s talk about unconferences. Because I’ve got a lot of mixed feelings.
First, if you’ve never heard of an unconference, let’s start there. An unconference is a “participant-led” learning experience. The main difference from a regular conference is that there’s no pre-set agenda.
Yep, you read me correctly.
There’s no agenda, until you show up to make it. The idea is that the audience –the people who this whole thing is designed to benefit– put forth the topics they want to discuss. Hence, the “un”.