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For leaders and ops team members at small to midsize nonprofits to get guidance, uplifting, and resources for nonprofit data, database, and operations.
Ops Insights #046 Interview Questions You Can Use
When looking for someone to join your team on the data, database, and operations side of the house, looking for someone who understands not just the database, but who understands people, data, and processes. You want someone who can sit as a trusted partner side-by-side with frontline fundraisers and talk about strategy and how the data and database can support the frontline strategies, but also can dive into the weeds and get things done. To find this person, let’s give you some interview questions you can use during interviews.
Ops Insights #045 Hire an Ops Professional Not a Database Admin
When looking for someone to join your team on the data, database, and operations side of the house, you want someone that understands philanthropy operations and can partner positively with the frontline. You do not want someone who only understands database administration and prefers to be isolated in the data or behind a computer.
We will talk through why you need an operations professional over a database admin and what to look for when you are interviewing.
Ops Insights #044 Become a Futuristic Fixer
This edition is for my data and ops peers who are early to mid in their career and want to grow in their role by being a trusted go-to colleague. As we kick off summer and transition into new routines, I’ve been extra observant of who is a fixer. Let’s talk about the types of fixers, why you want to become a futuristic fixer, and steps you can take to get there.
Ops Insights #043 Help Fundraisers Embrace the CRM
I’ve seen fundraisers who embrace the CRM database successfully enter their activity into the CRM, which feeds into the reports to show increased philanthropy results. Being able to show results helps the entire team articulate their effectiveness better. Let’s talk about the 3 steps to make this happen.
Ops Insights #042 Reasons I Write for You
👋 Hi, I’m Jenny. Your personal guide, coach, and mentor for nonprofit data, CRM databases, and operations → Philanthropy Operations, also known as advancement Services, Development Operations, or Philanthropy Services, is the foundational structure that supports all fundraising efforts. For me, I am extremely passionate about philanthropy operations and helping you. I write for you. As I write, I speak to two main audiences. Let’s dive into who and why.
Ops Insights #041 My Top 8 LinkedIn Posts for YOU
It’s my birthday week and I’m incredibly grateful for YOU. For being here, for reading, for learning, for engaging, and most importantly for doing the good work you do and being the good human you are. Thank you for this amazing journey we are on.
In honor of my birthday, I’m going to share the top 8 LinkedIn posts from this year that are a must read.
Ops Insights #037 When Everything is a Priority
When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. These were the words spoken as the ops team member and I were talking about all the projects on the list to tackle for the leader and team. So much to do, so little time.
Ops Insights #036 Debrief from Nonprofits Leaders Summit
Listening to the Microsoft for Nonprofits Leaders Summit was reaffirming and inspiring. We were given permission that it’s okay not to know all the AI right now and the stronger message was we have to come together to learn and be part of developing AI over the next 5-10 years. We have to step up together and take a hold of it before it takes hold of us.
Ops Insights #035 Stop the Internal Drama
As I enter the room, I immediately feel the tension around the table. I squeeze by one individual typing away on her computer while I grab the last seat in the middle. On my right, more individuals were typing away at their computers, and on my left, a few were on their computers, and others were on their phones. No one was talking to anyone, heads down plugging away, but a sense of uncomfortable tension was in the air. First red flag.
Ops Insights #033 How to Say Goodbye to the Past Year
Did your last 30 days feel like this: go, go, go; make those calls, close those gifts, process those gifts, pump out those acknowledgments, make those thank you calls …all hands on deck.. go, go, go? It’s a normal part of fundraising, but it seems each year gets more and more intense with no break during any month of the calendar year. Let’s take a moment to take a breath, and as you head into another year, try not to clear the page and jump right into another year. Take a moment… what are you feeling?
Ops Insights #032 Philanthropy Operations Areas
Philanthropy operations is an essential functional area that takes ownership of data, CRM, and processes, and effectively partners cross-functionally to propel an organization's fundraising forward. Often leaders think of philanthropy operations as only CRM database management, but it goes beyond this and primarily consists of eight key areas. Let’s dive into these eight areas.
Ops Insights #030 Addressing Burnout in the #Nonprofit Workplace
As we navigate the challenges of the nonprofit sector, it's crucial to address burnout to ensure the well-being of our teams and the success of our nonprofit missions. In the spirit of combating burnout, Stephanie and I have been running a series of posts throughout November on LinkedIn to provide awareness and actionable steps for fundraising professionals like yourself.
Ops Insights #029 4 Go-To Tech Tools
There is nothing like tech tools that make your life easier. I thought I’d share four of them that I use often to help you in your daily work. Some of these are free, and others have a cost to them, but they are worth their price for me. I’ll explain why they are worthy as when we can find tech tools that make our work easier and better, I’m all in. Let’s dive in.
Ops Insights #027 Screening and Scoring
Finding and using research tools that prioritize engagement and likelihood over wealth is important in your fundraising efforts. Just because someone is wealthy does not mean they care about your cause to donate anything. And those who care greatly about your cause may give everything they have. Which means it’s important to do both.
Ops Insights #019 Learn to Communicate with Leaders
We are diving into learning to communicate directly with leaders. As you advance in your career, the sooner you can acquire this skill set, the more valuable you will be. The first step is to understand different styles. Have you taken one of those personality tests? The ones where you answer a bunch of questions and it tells you your behavioral style? I’ve always been amazed at how accurate they are. Let’s dive in.
Ops Insights #015 Streamline Another Process
Time is one of our most precious resources, and in the world of fundraising, it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough of it. What if you can get more time back to focus on other tasks? Yes, it is possible through the power of streamlining. Streamlining your operational processes can make a world of difference. Make the decision today to streamline one more initiative. We’ll walk through an example to give you some motivation.
Ops Insights #014 Automate One Process Today
It is such an exciting time to be in philanthropy for many reasons. However, this exciting time has also come with increased demands, but not necessarily increased resources. Doing more with less means we need to help you not only work smarter, but we need to help you work double duty without actually working double duty. This means we need to get you tools, techniques, and processes that are working in the background for you while you work on other things.
Ops Insights #013 Fiscal Year End
It’s that time… another fiscal year is coming to an end. It is a mad dash to get those last-minute gifts in, processed, and thanked. Remember it takes a village in nonprofit fundraising to move forward. Ask for help and show appreciation for the donor's generosity. After all there are 10 million nonprofit organizations for donors to choose from, and they chose you.
Ops Insights #012 Prospect Lifecycle
An intentional process to move prospects through the pipeline is essential to closing more and larger gifts. The Prospect Lifecycle is your answer. Learn to solidify your process.
Ops Insights #011 Track Your Praises
One day you will be ready to make your case for a promotion, a new role, or a new initiative. To make your case, it speaks greater volumes when you have others singing your praises for you. Learn how to keep track of your praises so when that big moment comes, you are ready.