NTEN Change Issue Five: March 2012 : Page 8
expensive piece of technology. Several organizations we spoke to were able to solve problems with a function or fea-ture they didn’t know their existing software had, or by using it in a new and different way. A number of organizations are committed to helping nonprofits understand what technologies might be helpful to them. In fact, this article is the result of three of them —look at the resources offered by MAP for Nonprofits, Idealware and NTEN. Connecting the Needs to technology USING EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY ample, create lists of possible needs and existing technolo-gies within your organization, and then randomly select po-tential pairs to try to spark inspiration. This idea of pairing dissimilar items to create a third is a familiar business-world exercise to spark creativity. It could provide a fun workshop for program staff, and may result in an unex-pected solution. Make the Change Happen Some problems have easy solutions, but don’t assume that technologies to fill the gaps you’ve identified will be obvi-ous. In fact, the majority of people we spoke with were in-spired by, or had support from, people outside their own organizations—peer sharing, seminars and funder support all helped them get their creative juices flowing. severAl One person said she was inspired to implement a organizations whole new eLearning program after attending were able to a conference where she solve problems was involved with a peer-learning group that with a function helped her understand or feature they that possibility. You could also think through possible meth-didn’t know ods to connect your their existing needs to the technology you already have. For ex-software had. Unfortunately, you’ll need more than an idea to successfully innovate. In many cases, you’ll also need time and money to implement it. We don’t have a silver bullet or magic wand for funding issues, but we can tell you that a lot of useful technologies—including mobile texting, video conferenc-ing and social networking, to name just a few—don’t cost very much. If you don’t think you’ll be able to fund a large-scale project, try to come up with useful ideas that won’t break your budget. Don’t forget that any change you try to implement will also require staff time and buy-in. Make sure someone is in charge of your new solution and invested in its success. In-novations are meaningless if they’re never used—be sure to educate staff to begin getting them used to the change. Even inexpensive or free solutions will require time to plan, im-plement and roll-out in order to have a substantial impact. NTEN: CHANGE MARCH 2012 PAGE 8
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