The Selby Foundation recently partnered with Vanessa Lynskey and Heather Hendy, co-founders of Kaldero, to provide a small group of grantees with training and insights to select the right technology for their organizations and to integrate new technology with their teams. As we award more grants focused on technology, knowing that applicants have a strong process in place to choose and implement technology gives us assurance we are making a great investment.
After the two-part virtual series, organizations had a simple, repeatable process for making technology decisions, including tools to help decipher what will work for their organization based on need, capacity, and workflows. Vanessa and Heather shared simple but effective questions to help organizations evaluate options, and after a solution is chosen, to use a realistic implementation plan that reflects staff time, training needs, and long-term sustainability. Knowing that new technology requires change management processes for team members, volunteers, donors, and other constituents, the training also covered important discussion points for conversations with internal and external stakeholders to help align communications and purpose.
An in-depth toolkit was provided for each of the two sessions, giving an easy-to-use guide with essential questions, tips, step-by-step processes, and resources to support current and future technology decision-making and integration.
When applying for a Selby Foundation technology grant, our team will ask organizations what options they have evaluated, what problem or challenge will be solved, what the full cost of new software includes (annual licenses, set up fees, vendor support services, AI integration, and other fees), how they plan to onboard the team with new systems, and what internal/external capacity is needed and present for the technology. We’re not the technology experts, but when nonprofits have taken smart, deliberate steps to work through choosing the right solution for them, we know the process has been a thoughtful one.
If this type of training would be of interest to your nonprofit, email SBowie@SelbyFdn.org. Vanessa and Heather are a great team—approachable, easy to understand, and with experience on the both the vendor and nonprofit customer sides of technology.