Kaia Swift, Author at Heller Consulting

CRM

5 Steps to Evaluate the Cost of a New Nonprofit CRM System

There comes a point in most nonprofit organizations when it’s time for a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. In fact, according to the 2019 Fundamentals of Marketing and Engagement at Nonprofit Organizations Report by Salesforce.org, 32% of nonprofits in the U.S. plan to invest in a CRM system in the next fiscal year. When

Kaia Swift January 7, 2020

Team Heller

Employee Volunteering Spotlight: Stand Up KC

When our team members aren’t at their computers, they are often busy applying their time to positively impact their communities. Our company is committed to supporting those efforts. That’s why our employees get paid time off to work as a volunteer at the organizations of their choice. Consultant and Kansas City resident, Bobby Wright spent

Kaia Swift December 16, 2019

Technology Strategy

Successful Digital Transformation in A Nonprofit Starts with Its People

What is digital transformation? The term digital transformation can mean different things to different people. Depending on your role and focus area, your objectives and processes will differ greatly. To a communications director, it might mean having a website and social media channels. To an IT director, it might mean moving from on-premises to cloud-based

Kaia Swift December 5, 2019

Technology Strategy

Gathering in San Juan: Presenting at the NetHope Global Summit

Last month, nonprofit thought leaders from across the globe gathered together in San Juan, Puerto Rico to share what they’re seeing in the nonprofit space and how we as a community can better serve the world. It was inspiring to not only being at the conference itself, but also having the chance to visit San

Kaia Swift November 20, 2019

Change Leadership

Guest Post: 4 Executive Search Tips for Nonprofits

Big changes at your nonprofit can be scary, but there’s no doubt that they’re also exciting. When your organization opens the search for your next chief development officer or another top-level executive, you’re looking for a dynamic individual with ideas about how to increase support for your organization. Your nonprofit will want to find and

Kaia Swift October 29, 2019

CRM

Pitfalls to Avoid in Your CRM Selection

In deciding whether to migrate to a new CRM system — and if so, which one — there are a variety of factors and variables to consider. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the “gotcha” problems we’ve seen organizations encounter, along with some effective strategies for avoiding them. Understand the Case for Change Perhaps

Kaia Swift October 22, 2019

CRM

How to Know Whether Your CRM Project is Floundering — and What to Do If It Is

If your nonprofit organization is implementing a new constituent relationship management (CRM) system, there’s a lot riding on success. But if your CRM project is beginning to flounder, how would you know? And if the project is indeed having problems, what could be the cause, and what can you do about it? You and your

Kaia Swift October 8, 2019

Change Leadership

Preparing for Technology Change

I co-wrote a blog post with Classy to share our combined tips on preparing for technology change. We hope you’ll pop over to the Classy blog to check it out! Here’s a quick summary of what you’ll find: A technology change in your organization can be exciting, but it can also create tension, confusion, and

Kaia Swift July 15, 2019

Change Leadership

4 Obstacles to Effective Project Sponsorship at Nonprofits — and How to Overcome Them

In a survey by change management research organization Prosci, project teams were asked to identify the greatest contributor to success when managing change — and the universal response was “executive sponsorship.” Yet, project managers consistently report a lack of visible and active sponsorship on the part of their leaders. In fact, nearly 50 percent of

Kaia Swift July 2, 2019

CRM

Designing for Accessibility is Designing for Everyone

In 1973, Congress passed the Rehabilitation Act to make buildings and transportation accessible to individuals with disabilities, ensuring that they have the same access to structures and ways to get from one place to another as those with greater freedom of movement. Lawmakers soon realized that same freedom must apply to information – the digital

Kaia Swift June 18, 2019