Weblog
Nov 3, 04:53 pm: Talking behind closed doors
Allan Benamer has started an NTEN Affinity Group group exclusively for the folks working on nonprofit technology in nonprofits. Before I go any further, I want to say that I support group formation of most sorts and know that there are many reasons that you might want to offer closed groups — in extreme situations it can provide physical safety for its members.
But I think this is a shame. It’s a shame not because it’s happening but because it has to happen. Because it seems to me that folks to need this they must not feel that they are being heard in larger forums. Because it means that they must worry about some kind of repercussions if they openly discuss the state of nonprofit software and services.
Allan writes:
You see, nonprofit tech workers have a bit of a problem. We don’t always have the time to make great RFPs nor do we have the time to know our vendors. We use software packages that are unique to our sector alone from Blackbaud’s Raiser Edge to Fund E-Z to CitySoft. Worse, we don’t have forums where the membership is comprised only of tech workers. There are no slick magazines like CIO, InfoWorld or NetworkComputing with tons of information about nonprofit software and nonprofit tech vendors. Worse, we don’t have a way to share what we do know in a private way with our peers.What we do have are the 501tech lists hosted by NTEN. Unfortunately with our vendors also there with us, it leads to odd, stilted conversations where everyone clams up about their vendor relationships. Nobody feels comfortable sharing a frank conversation about their vendors especially with the vendor and the vendor’s competitors listening in on the conversation.
So, while I think this is a terrific step to build community and provide people with a safe space to honestly communicate, I worry about what it means about the broader places they communicate. And, in a way, I worry about the vendors.
Not because their feelings will be hurt if they aren’t allowed. I’d throw my org into the vendor category and, honestly, there are probably some things that people would say that I wouldn’t want to hear in an unabridged version. But here’s the thing: I’d want to hear it. I’d want to hear it so that I could improve my service and our service.
And I want the sector have better software and services. So, how is this valuable information going to get out of that closed forum and into a form and a stream where the people who are working to provide the services can change because of it?
(via Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector)
tagged: nptech,, groups,, community,, change
Katrin Verclas
Thanks for the post, Marnie. The discussion on this erupted on the New York list and the thread there is very interesting, and discussion wonderful. See for example this exchange: http://groups.nten.org/message.htm?hid=9433&mode=view&mmode=sent&start=25&igid=6811
In essence, Deborah did not get this quite right. All the people on the list are committed to giving feedback and elevating issues discussed on the list to the larger community, and we are working out the details of that—quarterly conference calls/briefings and summary posts discussing the issues are in th works. Let me also point out that we have a vendor list where vendors are talking to each other, and hopefully also consultants will have their own active groups. Here are my observations and suggestions. And let me be clear, I come at this from the perspective of lots of good faith – that on the part of nonprofits to get the best service AND have productive conversations about how to achieve that, and hat on the part of service providers and vendors to have informed and educated and discerning customers with whom it is easy and a pleasure to do business.
Since this an imperfect world, it seems to me that there are a number of issues at play. On the NPO side:
* desire to have excellent products and services that serve NPO needs
*desire to get those at a fair price
* desire to have a forum for exchange amongst peers in the same boat about processes, products, and services
* desire to become more informed consumers of products and services
* desire to share information about specifics (RFPs, specific providers, etc)
* ability to do so freely within a peer group
On the vendor side:
* also a desire for more informed customers (shorten, for example, the incredibly long sales cycles NPOs require, streamline RFP processes)
* ability to receive market feedback on services and products
* desire to deliver excellent products and services to NPOs
* desire to make a living within this market or as part of the NPO market
NTEN has a position here and this is as follows: Our mission is very clear:
NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions.
We are a membership organization of nonprofit technology and program staff and technology providers. Our members share a common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively.
We believe that technology allows nonprofits to work with greater social impact. Our goal is to enable our members to do their jobs better, and to help their organizations strategically use technology so that they, in turn, will make the world a better, just, and equitable place.
We are, as the ‘big tent’ umbrella for nonprofit staff AND consultants AND vendors, of course interested in providing the platform and space for all of the groups to form peer communities, exchange information, learn, and improve. We already host a vendor group which is, in fact, discussing issues pertaining to them as a cohort, and I believe we have a consultant group doing the same, so we would be very thrilled to have a professionally facilitated NPO group as well.
But I am also keen on lessons shared and JOINTLY as a field (and that we are) improving on all fronts—more capacity on the consumer side and better services and products, so I would welcome a process by which there are regular (every quarter or so) information sessions and discussion on relevant topics pertaining to both the NPO and vendor groups (effective RFP processes comes to mind, for example) with representatives from all three constituencies engaging in a conversation. I believe Allen and I are in the same wavelength with this and willing to make that happen.
Incidentally, NTEN will be conducting a variety of vendor satisfaction surveys in 2007 and will be inviting a small working group to help prepare those surveys. If anyone on this list like to nominate themselves for that working group (and work WILL be required), please let me know directly off-list.
Thanks for a very engaging conversation!