Q: What is the link between volunteering and building leadership in equity-deserving populations? A: Volunteerism is a pathway to develop leadership capabilities in populations that might not otherwise have the opportunity. Engaging in a volunteer activity that allows you to cultivate grit, hone in your abilities to communicate, and own the outcome of something can be a huge boost to confidence that can be brought with the individual into their community and worplace.
Q: How can identifying the appropriate technology can revolutionize the non-profit sector—improving everything from impact reporting to staff well-being? A: It is about getting the right solution for the right problem. We don’t need to over-engineer every solution to integrate the latest shiney things. There are simple solutions baked into tools that many non-profits are already using, but have not had the capacity or expertise to unravel. Many times organizations run towards building something, where more often than not it should be a conversation of where reliable partner solutions can fill in gaps without creating a huge amount of technical debt.
Q: Can you speak to the critical path of tech specialists on boards and committees to guide organizations with care and trust? A: Tech is all the buzz, and there are many organizations offering tech folks the opportunity to skill up in board governance. I personally had great luck with Civic Action’s Boardshift Program, which helped fill in my gaps in relation to understanding board responsibilities and governance as well as connect me to Not Far From the Tree for the opportunity to support.
Q: Tech can provide a lot of support, while also being a source of stress for many, any key bits of advice? A: At the end of the day the tech is usually not the blocker, it is the capacity we have as humans to understand, rationalize, believe in and support transformation. As new technologies show up we are naturally going to go through cycles of hype and disinterest both collectively and individually. There’s an important role in education here, but recognizing that non-profits are often strapped for capacity - explore whether fleshing out your board or leveraging an outside consultant with the right experience can help you to manage the change effectively.