Yulia at Giveffect Shares Stories and How to Choose the Right Tech, Ep #65

Episode 65

With Benjamin Johnson and Yulia Zhernovaya

Change is often a bad word among charities. And nothing exemplifies change more than technology. Many charities avoid it for a myriad of reasons, but tech is a valuable piece to cracking the generosity puzzle for decades to come. On this episode, Ben sits down with Yulia from Giveffect to discuss how charities should choose the right technology for their organizations. The two dive into Yulia’s professional journey, the origin and mission of Giveffect, and the resistance to change in the nonprofit sector.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Yulia’s professional journey and what led her to the nonprofit space [0:13]

  • The story of Giveffect and its mission to streamline the tech side of charity [9:01]

  • Unpacking resistance to change in the nonprofit sector [18:46]

  • Where and how to start choosing the right tech for your organization [29:00]

  • Cool Tools and final thoughts [37:23]

Embrace the future of change

Change is difficult for everyone. It is far more comfortable to stay where you are and do what you know how to do than branch out into unexplored territory. This is especially true for those who work in the charity world. Many nonprofit employees fear change because they're afraid of learning a new skill, looking incompetent in the process, or losing their jobs altogether. However, if the past three years have taught us anything, it’s that change is inevitable. If charities want to grow and further their cause and the cause of generosity as a whole, they will have to learn to embrace it. If organizational leaders want to keep up, they will need to start shifting their mindsets and showcase to their people why change is so important to the longevity and success of the charity.

Audit your tools

One area that needs a shake-up in many charities is the area of technology. Choosing the right tech for your organization can be a process, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Every charity is different, including varying structures and budgets. But there are some best practices for looking at tech tools and deciding which ones work best. At the beginning of your charity tech journey, Yulia recommends auditing the tools you're currently using to understand the changes that need to take place. How many tools are you using? How much time is being spent on these tools? Are there redundancies? If employees spend hours doing manual work when a paid resource could save the organization both time and money, it might be time for change.

Destroy departmental silos

Another area that technology can streamline a charity is through data transparency. So many charitable organizations operate in silos where one department has a direct impact on another, but neither department communicates or shares information effectively. An example of this that Yulia shared was a charity’s development team and volunteer team. If these two teams are not on the same page, it’s a huge missed opportunity! Volunteers are twice as likely to donate to an organization. It only makes sense to keep their information in the same place. The desire to avoid overextending volunteers is admirable. But here’s the thing: They already know and love your organization. You are doing them a disservice by not further inviting them to support the cause they love through giving.

Resources & People Mentioned

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Ben Johnson