Valley First and Vantage Point partner to enhance not-for-profit leadership and capacity building in the Okanagan.

Kelowna, B.C. – Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, and Vantage Point have partnered to expand Vantage Point’s leadership programming and services to not-for-profit organizations in Kelowna, B.C. In February, Valley First, KCR Community Resources, and Vantage Point will be holding a session focused on tools, resources and models that are driving innovation and impact in the sector.

Valley First has provided a generous contribution to enhance leadership training and capacity building resources available to not-for-profit board members and staff in the region. This partnership and ongoing programing leverages both local knowledge and the expertise of Vantage Point and KCR, to maximize the benefits of this training for Okanagan not-for-profit organizations. Based on work completed in 2018, project partners have been working together to explore future possibilities for professional development training in 2019.

Mark Friesen, Director of Capacity Development at Vantage Point explains, “We’re excited to support leadership training and capacity building opportunities available to not-for-profits in Kelowna. Strong leaders make strong organizations; investing in people strengthens the sector overall.”

“As an organization that works closely with many non-profits across our region, we see the incredible benefit to supporting the development of capacity and training for leaders of these important organizations,” says Paulo Araujo, president of Valley First. “First West has been working with Vantage Point for some time in the lower mainland and along with our Kelowna community partners like KCR, we are looking forward to contributing to the professional development of non-profit organizations.”

Valley First and Vantage Point have connected with other organizations in the Okanagan, including Okanagan College and KCR, to understand key opportunities to support the sector in the area. By working together with local funders and expertise additional resources for governance, planning, and leadership training are being made available to community-based organizations.

About Valley First

Valley First is a premier provider of banking, investment and insurance services for residents and businesses in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. As a division of First West Credit Union, B.C.'s third-largest credit union, Valley First brings innovative products, an extensive branch network and local decision making to the banking experience. We’re proud to partner with Vantage Point to bring non-profit capacity building programming to our community.

About Vantage Point

Vantage Point offers an array of innovative learning opportunities for not-for-profit executives, managers, boards directors, senior and emerging leaders throughout B.C. We focus on building strong organizations with excellent governance, leadership, planning and human resources. Our transformational model of people engagement allows organizations to attract, meaningfully engage and integrate the abundance of talent available in the community.

Media Contact:

Mark Friesen
Director, Capacity Development
604-630-5821
mfriesen@thevantagepoint.ca
thevantagepoint.ca

In the last blog in our not-for-profit technology series, we took a look at finding right tools for your organization. It’s always best to ask as many questions as possible to your technology vendors, to make sure you feel comfortable. Once you find the right tool – here comes the fun part. Finding the budget for it.

Be Realistic

When you start setting a budget for your technology purchase, it’s important to be realistic. If you have the benefit of historical perspective, take a look at similar purchases in the past. Look at some of the biggest purchases that your organization has made, and examine the context those purchases were made in.

For example, you might come across a large expense in the past and think, “We’ve spent this much money before – I’m sure we can spend that money again.” While this may be true – it’s important to put things in context. Do your best to understand the “why” behind each large purchase before drawing such a bold conclusion.

Once you have a better idea of what you can realistically spend, this helps you to narrow your search even further.

PRO TIP: See if there is any wiggle room in the pricing. Ask for not-for-profit discounts or any other avenue to lower the overall cost. TechSoup is a great resource for discounts on software like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Quickbooks, and more.

Look for Alternatives

By this point, you’ve clearly identified the technology need that you’re facing as an organization. You’ve also identified several possible solutions that comes with a cost for your team.

To cut costs, this is a great time to start looking at possible alternatives to those solutions. You can look for free tools that help you accomplish the same outcome. While this might not be the ideal solution, the cost-savings could make this option worthwhile as a short-term solution.

The problem with free tools is that they are free the same way a puppy could be free. There might not be any upfront costs to get the puppy, but the cost of keeping the puppy long-term could really add up over time. The same is true for a lot of free tools in the market today. So be sure to add these to your considerations.

Another option you have available is to look at the tools that you team already has. If you’ve been in operation a few years, it’s likely that you have some subscriptions to various online tools – and many trial accounts. Take stock of what you have and see if you can solve the challenges you are facing with those existing tools. While this might feel like an inefficient solution – it’s worth trying if you can’t find any flexibility in your budget.

Calculate Your Productivity Metrics

One of the best ways to justify a purchase is by first calculating how productive you are without the tool, and then contrasting that with how productive you are with the tool.

This can be tricky, but it’s an important step to take. Here’s how you do it, but measuring your time:

1. Identify some of your key performance indicators (KPIs). For example: sending out 20 emails.
2. Break apart the tasks that lead up to that KPI. For example: writing copy, setting up segmented lists, or creating images to go with content).
3. Time how long it takes you to accomplish each of those tasks and average that number. For example: writing copy takes 20 minutes, setting up segmented lists takes 8 minutes, and creating images takes 10 minutes.

What you’re left with is the average amount of time it takes to reach your KPIs. But why is this so important?

When you measure these things before a purchase, you are able to set a benchmark. Your next step is to jump on a free trial and start using those tools that you want to purchase.

Do the same exercise with this new tool in place: 1. identify KPIs, 2. break apart tasks, and 3. calculate the time it takes to complete each task.

Now you’re left with a new number – the average time it takes you to reach your KPI using the tool.

When the difference between these two numbers is large, it’s easier to justify the purchases – even on a shoe-string budget.

In the last part of this series we will be looking at how we can make the final decision and convince the decision makers of the organization to make the purchase.

Thanks to the support of Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, Vantage Point will be connecting and orienting a community of trainers and consultants located in the Okanagan to develop the capacity building training for not-for-profit organizations in the region.

Over 26,000 not-for-profit organizations build and shape British Columbia every day and enable thousands of people to positively engage with their communities. The Okanagan benefits from a tremendous range of not-for-profit organizations engaging diverse individuals to enhance community assets in areas such as social services, health, recreation, sport, arts, and culture.

This partnership with Valley First has enabled Vantage Point to connect with local organizations and better understand successes and opportunities to support the sector.

We’re very excited to connect with local capacity builders and experts who can bring a diverse set of skills and experience to enhance the governance, management, and administrative infrastructure of local not-for-profits in BC’s interior.

This October we’re meeting with a team of facilitators in Kelowna to provide training on governance and strategic planning for not-for-profit organizations. Next, we’ll be working with this team to provide professional development and training to local community leaders. Through Valley First, not-for-profit leaders will be able to access this training to support their professional development and organizational resilience.a

We will post further details concerning the date and topic for the fall capacity building initiative for not-for-profits located in the Okanagan. If you would like to get involved, or learn more, please contact:
Mark Friesen, Director of Capacity Development, Vantage Point, mfriesen@thevantagepoint.ca  

About Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union:
Valley First is a premier provider of banking, investment and insurance services for residents and businesses in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. As a division of First West Credit Union, B.C.'s third-largest credit union, Valley First brings innovative products, an extensive branch network and local decision making to the banking experience. We’re proud to partner with Vantage Point to bring non-profit capacity building programming to our community.

In the first blog of this series, we took a look at how to get your organization off on the right foot when it comes to your technology search. Today, we will start looking at the tangible steps you can take to ensure you find the right tools for your organization.

Jump on Demos

Demos are an important part of the research process. It’s the best way to see the technology up close and personal – and used with best practices. This is where you can truly see the potential of the product to help you get the most out of it.

Jumping on the phone with a vendor can really support your decision-making process. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions that come up naturally. Just always keep in mind YOUR workflow. Be sure to constantly remind the vendor of how YOU will be using the tool.

Demos offer you a peek into the inner workings of the tool – even more than a trial. So look for a demo and try it out!

Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No” and Move On

After you’ve done your due diligence and research, it’s time to pick up the phone and start talking to these technology companies. Spoiler alert – they will all tell you that their solution is the best. So don’t let that sway you. Stick to your guns, and be strict about the solution you are seeking and the parameters you’ve set.

If you find that a certain technology solution doesn’t fit your organization– move on. Thank them for their time, and maybe even subscribe to their newsletter for updates and future discounts. But keep moving. Your time is precious!

Like we said, there are PLENTY of tech solutions out there. And you would be doing your organization a disservice if you didn’t take the time to find the right one.

Make Sure You Feel Supported

It doesn’t matter what the technology is – a projector, a phone system, or software – sometimes you need support using it. That’s why it’s important to note that you’re not only evaluating the technology. You’re also evaluating the company, the people, and the customer service.

In the not-for-profit sector, we see a difference being made through the relationships that we form. We’re here to make an impact – technology is just a small part of the process. But that’s why you a human connection with people is important.

Some great questions to ask your potential technology vendor would be:

• What does your support structure look like?
• It’s 2AM on the morning of an event, and I can’t get into the system – what options do I have?
• Does it cost money to get support?
• Will I be talking to a person, or speaking to a robot?
• Do you have help articles for me to find my own solution?

Once again, take a look at your own team and how they would like to engage with support workers.

Make your decisions based on what your team needs – not based on what others have said is great.

Following these steps will support you with finding a great fit for your organization. But that’s just the beginning. In part three we’ll be looking at how you can convince your team to purchase the technology.