The Technopath Way: Season 3- Episode 2

4 part video playlist below, download audio here, and read the summary below.

I truly enjoyed my conversation with Michael Kolodner on The Technopath Way.  Enjoy the breakdown of what we talked about here or listen to the full conversation on your preferred podcast platform.

*Breaking Down Barriers and Empowering Nonprofits with Salesforce*

In this season of the Technopath Way podcast, we are diving deep into the unspoken realities of Salesforce and technology. We are exploring the frustrations in the nonprofit industry cloud and uncovering untold narratives. We had a special guest, Michael Kolodner, a declarative Salesforce engineer, multi-time Salesforce MVP, and advocate for leveraging technology to empower nonprofits. Michael's expertise can help us redefine the way we perceive and maximize Salesforce within the ecosystem. In this conversation, Michael shares his journey, the challenges nonprofits face when adopting Salesforce, and strategies for maximizing the impact of Salesforce in the nonprofit sector.

The Journey of Empowering Nonprofits

Michael's journey with Salesforce began in 2013 when he became an accidental admin at a nonprofit. He fell in love with Salesforce because it allowed him to customize the system and make it do what he wanted, unlike other technology systems he had encountered before. He also appreciated the Power of Us hub and the generosity of the Salesforce community, who helped him learn and grow in his Salesforce journey. Michael eventually became a full-time Salesforce admin, got involved in the community, and started his own blog, "Free Like a Puppy," where he shares insights and realities of Salesforce for nonprofits.

The True Cost of Salesforce for Nonprofits

One of the key challenges nonprofits face when adopting Salesforce is understanding the true cost of ownership. While Salesforce offers 10 free licenses to nonprofits, maintaining and customizing the system requires time, energy, and resources. Michael emphasizes that Salesforce is "free like a puppy, not free like a beer" and talks about in his blog freelikeapuppy.tech. Michael's blog aims to educate nonprofits about the hidden costs and help them make informed decisions. To truly make full use of the system, nonprofits need to invest in learning, hiring consultants, attending conferences, and integrating other tools to make Salesforce work smoothly and meet their specific needs. Therefore, the “free” licenses do come with a cost.

The Pressing Technology Needs of Nonprofits

When it comes to technology needs, Michael highlights two key areas. Firstly, fundraising is a critical focus for most nonprofits, and organizing fundraising data is a quick win with Salesforce. Secondly, program management is a customized challenge for every nonprofit. Nonprofits are unique in the way they deliver their programs, and building a custom system in Salesforce allows them to align fundraising data with program data and achieve efficiency. While there are program management modules available, Michael believes in the power of customization to meet each organization's specific needs.

Strategies for Maximizing the Impact of Salesforce

Michael's approach to maximizing the impact of Salesforce is rooted in being free and cheap. He leverages Salesforce's built-in features like list views, email functionality, and ScreenFlows to achieve efficiency without additional costs. He also recommends tools like Apsona for document generation and form assembly for data entry automation. By choosing cost-effective solutions and customizing Salesforce to align with nonprofit workflows, organizations can make the most of their Salesforce investment.

The Challenges of the New Nonprofit Cloud

The conversation shifts to the new Nonprofit Cloud, a product built on Salesforce's core platform specifically for nonprofits. Michael expresses his frustration with the lack of documentation available to non-partners, making it difficult for nonprofits to understand and implement the new cloud. He believes the product is not yet ready for primetime and advises nonprofits to stick with the Nonprofit Success Pack for now. Michael also highlights the significant price increase for the new Nonprofit Cloud, which is almost double the cost of the Nonprofit Success Pack.

The Importance of User-Focused Solutions

Michael emphasizes the importance of user-focused solutions in Salesforce. He believes that complexity for complexity's sake is unnecessary and that solving problems should be intuitive for regular users. He appreciates Salesforce's ability to empower accidental admins and provide a platform that can scale with nonprofits.

**Salesforce’s impact on the Modern Classrooms Project**
Michael shares a success story of the Modern Classrooms Project, a nonprofit that scaled rapidly with the help of Salesforce. The organization used Salesforce to train teachers and manage their programs, leveraging the platform's customization capabilities.

Conclusion

In this insightful conversation, Michael Kolodner sheds light on the realities of Salesforce for nonprofits and provides valuable strategies for maximizing its impact. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the true cost of ownership, customizing Salesforce to meet specific needs, and focusing on user-friendly solutions. While the new Nonprofit Cloud presents challenges, Michael advises nonprofits to wait for its maturity before considering migration. Ultimately, Salesforce has the potential to transform nonprofit operations and empower organizations to make a greater social impact.

If you enjoyed this conversation and want to stay updated on more insightful content like this, subscribe to our newsletter for regular blog posts and podcast episodes. Together, we can navigate the complexities and potentials of Salesforce and technology to shape our professional lives and empower nonprofits.

Check out more of Michael's musings on his blog - Free Like a Puppy: https://www.freelikeapuppy.tech/

Learn about the Modern Classrooms Project: https://www.modernclassrooms.org/

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