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10 Reasons Why You Should Attend Sage Summit

May 25, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

This year’s annual Sage Summit will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee, from August 12th to 17th.   Partner days are designated for August 12th -14th  and customer days are from August 14th -17th.  If you are still debating whether or not to attend.  Here are ten reasons why you should:

  1. It only happens once a year.  Sage Summit brings together all of our gurus who are eager to share their knowledge and tips for using Sage products.  Sometimes a quick shortcut someone shares at Summit ends up saving you hours in your workweek. 
  2. On the spot problem solving.  Get one-one one help by scheduling an onsite appointment in the Support Center.
  3. Training and even CPE credits.  There are over 60 nonprofit specific sessions to choose from!  And, depending on the tracks you choose, you can earn up to 17 CPE credits (Sage Partners can receive 32).
  4. Come for the savings. Sage Summit attendees get access to exclusive money-saving discounts on products, services, training, and more.
  5. See what’s next. Technology is constantly evolving and so is Sage. Come to learn about cloud computing, connected services, mobile trends, fundraising ideas, data wrangling and more.
  6. Network, network, network. Come meet the people you interact with at Sage, your business partner and other Sage users all in one spot.
  7. Yes there is a group discount!  Train all of your new employees and get a refresher for yourself.   
  8. Enjoy an exclusive event.  Yes, there will be Nonprofit and Sage wide exclusive events throughout the amazing Gaylord hotel and at local favorites like, The Grand Ole Opry.  (Even if you’re not a country music fan, you’ll be awestruck by the history, sights and sounds at this legendary music venue.)
  9. Boot Scoot and Boogie.  This year Sage Nonprofit Solutions will be celebrating our customers at a private event at The Wildhorse Saloon.  Yee Haw!
  10. Oh, did we mention Jake Owen, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, and Diamond Rio will be performing?

You only have 7 days left to register for Sage Summit with the early bird discount.  Don’t wait another minute. Register now!

Posted in Events | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Are People Your Biggest Expense Or Asset?

May 24, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

Why are some nonprofits thriving while others struggle? What is the distinctive difference between a good organization and a truly great one? The answers to these questions can only be found when looking at what defines the organization: its people.

Recently our colleagues at Sage HRMS created an infographic to explain the Return on Employee Investment (ROEI™).  What’s that? ROEI is a way for businesses, nonprofits, really all types of organizations, to quantify the positive return of investing in people or employees.  Think about it when you add up the cost of salary and benefits, employees are typically the largest expense, yet without them what do you have?  Employees are any organization’s biggest asset and investment.

Thus, as an investment, what type of return do employees provide their organizations? Check out the measures Sage used to show ROEI in the image below.  What measures are in place at your organization to quantify the value of your people?  Please share with us in the comments.

Posted in People & HR | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

10 Essential Tips For Social Media

May 22, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

Tip # 1 Claim Your Name

Secure your name or your organization’s name – even if you don’t plan to engage with the network right away.  Yes, there are thousands of social networks to join.  My recommendation is begin with the top networks first: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google +.

Tip #2 Complete Your Profiles Completely

Your profile is a virtual introduction. Make it authentic, descriptive and unique. And, please don’t be faceless egg. Include a photo or at least an avatar. You will receive more friends, follows and likes that way. The same is true for your organization’s profile. Include a visual element and an abbreviated mission statement with a link to the website or any social media sites in which your organization is active.

Tip # 3 Listen Before You Start

Every social network has its own unique dialogue.  By listening to the conversations first, you can learn the “language”.  Consider Twitter, tweets are 140 characters or less, can B full of #hashtags and include lots of abbrvs IMO.  Check out http://www.twittonary.com to begin learning.

Tip # 4 Old Etiquette Rules Apply

Social networking online is not so different from face-to-face communications.  Be a part of the conversation versus constantly talking about yourself, sending promotional or fundraising messages non-stop.

Tip # 5 Know Who You Are

Spend some time thinking about your voice, tone, unique point of view and what it is you want to put online.  How do you want your intended audience to perceive you or your organization? Do you want to be approachable, friendly, authoritative, or funny?

Tip # 6 Say Something Interesting

Closely related to tip #5, identify a few core topics or subjects to “talk” about.  Develop messages around your expertise, your mission, the people you serve….  What do you have to say that’s new, helpful, interesting, fun or – yes, interesting?

Tip # 7 Connect & Engage

Follow, “Like” and reach out to your audience in the various social platforms.  Share real messages that are thoughtful and relevant to your audience.  See tip #10.

Tip # 8 Build “Relationships”

Ask and answer questions, respond in as close to real-time as you can.  Acknowledge your social media followers and friends. Share stories.

Tip # 9 Organize

Use a social media management tool to listen, organize, and manage your communications.  A few free tools that are available include: Hootsuite, Seesmic , and Tweetdeck .

Tip # 10 GREAT Content

Social networks need content. Sharing links to what others produce is a good way to participate. However, creating unique content that speaks to your intended audience is even better! How do I define GREAT content?  Well, it depends on your audience.  Are you producing content that’s relevant to them? Does it solve a problem, share a resource, tell a story, motivate or inspire … make your followers and friends smarter, better, richer….

Realize this is a back to basics post.  Actually it’s from a webcast I presented last year, you can see the slides here. However, I think the core concepts are essential for new users to social media and good reminders for those who are currently engaged on various platforms.  What essential social media tips did I miss? Share in the comments. 

Patricia Tynan
Social Media & Community Manager
Sage Nonprofit

Posted in Social Media | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Ten Criteria For Evaluating A Grant Management Solution

May 17, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

Below is an excerpt from Joan Benson’s recent article in the April 2012 edition of Canadian Fundraising & Philanthropy magazine online.  Read the full article here.

If your organization relies heavily on grant funding, you’ll need an automated system to address every stage of the grant life cycle. The top ten characteristics I recommend you look for when you’re evaluating a grant management solution are:

  1. Ability to track and measure success or outcomes – Every nonprofit is different.  When evaluating a grant management solution, make sure it allows you to define, measure, and report on the key outcomes important to your organization.
  2. Intelligence dashboards – Quickly communicate the performance and results for any program, grant, or application giving you the ability to quickly respond and make adjustments.
  3. “Right” reporting – You should be able to configure reports just the way you want or need them. Look for a solution with a user-friendly interface and workflow that employees at all levels of experience will find easy to use.
  4. Collaboration capabilities – The best solutions feature communication and collaboration elements to help you keep track of contacts and deadlines, create budgets and better manage the grant pipeline.
  5. Document management – Seek out a solution that enables you to quickly store, access and update documents for each grant, relationship and application across the entire organization.
  6. Advanced budgeting capabilities – Make sure any grant solution you are considering includes budget building tools by item or dollars, quickly creates pro-forma budgets for grant applications, and integrates with your financial accounting solution.
  7. Access – Grant writers and program managers are often offsite. A web-based grant management solution will allow staff members to maximize productivity and efficiency across the organization.
  8. Grant application tracking – Complete date tracking, reminders, shared documentation and a common contact list allow faster compilation of application components and, therefore, a higher funding ratio.
  9. Strong internal controls – Help ensure the highest levels of accountability and security, building your organization’s credibility and ensuring donors’ trust.
  10. Seamless integration with fund accounting and CRM solutions.

What criteria have you used to evaluate a grant management solution?

Joan Benson

Product Marketing Manager

Sage Nonprofit Solutions

Posted in Grants & Giving, Technology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

10 Easy Ways To Make Meetings More Efficient

May 15, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

Of all the tasks we must do each day, meetings are among the most dreaded. We’ve all been there: watching the clock tick away while coworkers wax poetic about all the work they’ve been doing, falling to sleep with eyes open as they click through another PowerPoint presentation. The lights are dimmed, the projector hums, and the conversation dies. How many times have you left a meeting feeling that absolutely nothing had been accomplished?

When you sit down and calculate the dollar and opportunity cost spent on endless hours of meetings, you start to ask yourself: how can we make these things shorter, less frequent, and more efficient?

Here are a few tips from the experts at the Harvard Business Review (HBR):

  1. Set Objectives & Agenda: Create a clear objective and agenda for the meeting, making sure to exclude tasks that could be accomplished in 1-on-1 huddles or by emailing information.
  2. Prep: Assign pre-meeting “homework” so that each person arrives having brain-stormed or researched relevant topics before arriving.
  3. Cut the Guest List: Only invite participants who must play a key role at the meeting, and make sure they know what that role is ahead of time.
  4. Ditch the PowerPoint: In his HBR blog post, Peter Bregman proclaims the #1 killer of meetings are PowerPoints. Bregman points out that when we create PowerPoint (or Keynote) presentations, we present a thorough and satisfying picture. These kinds of presentations leave viewers to either tune out or to “poke holes.” Employees can review presentations on their own. Meetings should ferret out the questions, not pretend to have all the answers.
  5. Stand Up: Want to discourage your coworkers from wasting time chatting about weekend plans? Make everyone stand for the duration.
  6. Use a Stopwatch: Set aside time for each item in the agenda, with a couple extra minutes left for next steps and assignments.
  7. Shake it Up: Meetings are a great opportunity to get fresh perspectives. Try assigning a vexing issue to a leader from a totally different department and see what they come up with.
  8. Show them the Money: Calculate the average hourly cost to the company for meetings of 3, 5, 10+ employees and post it on the wall. Nonprofits are and should be especially aware of how they spend each dollar.
  9. Record and Recap: Assign someone as the “note taker”. Delegate tasks as you address each topic and recap assignments at each meeting’s close.
  10. Follow through: Assignments made in meetings tend to evaporate as people rush back to their desks. Send out a follow up email with meeting notes and assignments included and set a follow up reminder in Outlook.

What methods do you use to make meetings effective? Have you tried any of the above? What worked and what didn’t? Let us know in the comments!

 Kathleen Denyer Hall

Software Trainer

Posted in People & HR | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Top 10 Fundraising Tips

May 10, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

Here are the top tips I captured during a recent education webcast featuring Darian Rodriguez Heyman and highlights from his book Nonprofit Management 101.

Tip 1: Stage a Thank-a-Thon – getting your board to fundraise can be difficult, a good trick to get board members to fundraise, is to stage a thank-a-thon. Call donors and say “thank you” and this is key – with no other ask.  It’s that simple.  It will help your board recognize fundraising is more than an ask, it’s also about nurturing relationships and stewardship.

Tip 2: Never Submit a Cold Grant  - did you know foundation giving is about 7-8% of the overall fundraising pie?  To get a piece of that pie build relationships.  Get out and network.  Research first, do your homework and be able to answer whether or not the foundation a fit with your organization.   Begin with calls and/or emails.  Don’t ask questions that are already explained on the website.

Tip 3: Make Specific, Direct Asks – once you understand why someone would give to your organization or program, make the ask.  If you don’t ask the answer is always “no”.  Be sure to position your program in the context of what the donor cares about and give a specific number.

Tip 4: Map Donations to Impact  -  people don’t give to you because you have needs; they give to you because you meet needs. Donors don’t want to hear how about the “bad” economy…. They want to know where their donation went the last time and if they give to you today, how their money will be spent.  Make sure to tell stories that show the impact of donor dollars.

Tip 5: Make Your Donation Button Shine – be online. Google analytics is free and a helpful way to see how people come to your organization’s website, how long they stay and when they leave.  Be sure your donation button is visible on every page.  And, don’t be afraid to experiment! Try different colors of your donate button.   Again, online tell the story of how the money will be used, map the impact for example: donate $5 to ‘save a litter of kittens’.

Tip 6: Create and Tap Your Social Network – meet your donors where they are at – in the social networks where they spend their time.  With an audience of 900 million and growing, Facebook is a good place to get started.  Pose questions, they engage the community more.  Post at times of day when your audience is active.

Tip 7: Corporate Partnerships – seek corporate and media sponsorship when you plan events with lots of participants such as a gala, walk-a-thon etc.  Always be sure to show the business the value of their sponsorship.  Another way to develop and nurture businesses relationships is to seek in kind donations like a local brewery that can always provide the beer for your events.

Tip 8: Apply for a Google Grant – they don’t give cash, it’s $10,000/month of free advertising on Google.  This is huge!  Nonprofits take advantage of this today.  It does take about 6 months to get it started.

Tip 9: Use the 2:1 Ratio for Fundraising Events – to avoid the likelihood of an event losing money, create a budget of expected expenses and be conservative in the amount you estimate you will raise. If the amount you expect to raise is $2 for every $1 you spend, that’s a fundraiser.  It’s ok to throw an event that doesn’t make money, you may do it for a different reason, just think of expensive events as friend raisers or fun raisers.

Tip 10: Understand the Social Capital Market – Earned income streams are attractive. To get started, ask yourself, how will it advance your mission?

I know I missed several of Darian’s tips, his webcast was packed full of information.  The notes above stood out to me the most because I am helping to fundraise for a local nonprofit. If you haven’t already, go listen to his webcast here or buy his book on Amazon.  You can also find Darian at  www.SM4NP.org  or on Twitter @dheyman. Thanks for reading!

Patricia

Posted in Events, Fundraising | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Ten Popular Platforms For Sharing “Pictures”

May 8, 2012 by Sage Nonprofit

A picture is worth a thousand words. A cliché because it’s true. One good photograph can convey much more than a thousand words of website or brochure copy any day. What we think of as marketing “content” is evolving. Marketing and communication materials need more than text to tell the story of your organization – they need visual elements: infographics, charts, photos and/or video. What’s more a picture in itself is “multimedia” content, defined as text, audio, photos, videos, presentations, infographics, etc. Why is it important to produce multimedia content for your organization? Because when you share it through social platforms like Flickr, you are amplifying and enabling your organization’s story to be shared, tagged and talked about easily online.

With the increasing popularity of multimedia consumption online: photo sharing in Facebook, video surfing in YouTube and the exponential interest in Pinterest, we wondered what social networks nonprofits are using to share their multimedia content. Can you guess?  Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter topped the list as the most popular platforms. Fascinatingly, no one surveyed identified Instagram a platform Facebook plans to acquire for $1 billion dollars.

Now look at the chart below. Can you immediately identify the top sites for sharing multimedia content?  I bet you can.

The results above are from our Q1 Sage Nonprofit Insights Survey 2012.  A full survey report can be found here.  Did we miss a top site? Let us know what social platforms your organization uses for sharing multimedia content in the comments.

Patricia Tynan
Social Media and Community

Posted in Social Media | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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