Strategic Software Selection for Nonprofits from Idealware

Three 90-minute webinars, Thursdays, January 17 – 31.

Regular Price: $120
WVNPA Member Price: $95 (email ashley@wvnpa.org for discount code)

Register: http://bit.ly/SoftwareSelection19

In any software category there are usually dozens of options. With so many features and pricing plans to sort through, how do you choose the right system for your organization? Over three sessions in January, Idealware Expert Trainer Eric Leland will teach you how to evaluate your organization’s needs, assemble a software selection team, sort through your options, review and test the software, and manage a smooth implementation. If your organization is considering switching software or bringing on a new system in the next six months, you’ll save a lot of time, money, and headaches if you take the time now to think through the process and develop a plan. Let Idealware be there to guide you.

During this course you will:

• Reflect on whether you actually need new software.
• Learn how to evaluate your software needs.
• Consider the potential return on investment (ROI) of new software.
• Find out what it takes to build a selection team.
• Hear how to work with vendors to get the right system at the right price.
• Plan for the big move.
• Think through how to onboard staff.
• Review what it takes to maintain the new system.

Toolkit Schedule
(All sessions take place at 1 pm Eastern and last for 90 minutes.)

January 17: Defining Your Process
Before you begin listening to the sales pitches and walking through demos, we’ll first take a step back and ask whether you really need new software and consider how to measure the return on investment. From there we’ll look at the selection process and lay the groundwork for a thoughtful plan.

January 24: Evaluating Your Choices and Closing the Deal
Once you’ve planned your process, it’s time to start learning about your different choices and comparing them against your needs. This session will show you what to look for as you evaluate your options and will talk you through each stage as you move closer to closing the deal.

January 31: Your New System in Action
The real work begins after you sign the contract. In this session, we’ll walk you through each of the major stages as you implement your system and onboard it with your staff.

Other Info
Participants will also be given weekly homework assignments. Please register with the email address where you would like to receive the access code and dial-in information for the online seminar. Also, be sure to add training@idealware.org to your contacts to ensure meeting details do not get caught in your spam folder. All registered participants are granted access to the recordings of each session. Participants who cannot attend any of the sessions due to scheduling conflicts will still have access to the toolkit presentation decks and handouts.

About the Presenters

Eric Leland, Idealware Expert Trainer
Eric has spent two decades working with progressive organizations and businesses tackling online and offline technology challenges. He’s a founding partner of FivePaths (fivepaths.com), a technology firm that offers strategic technology consulting, information architecture, and web CMS and CRM platform development expertise to each project. Eric is very active in nonprofit, philanthropy, and technology circles, having served as co-chair to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network in San Francisco, on the National Advisory Board for the Addiction Technology Transfer Center, and as a member of NTEN and the Tech Underground.

Register: http://bit.ly/SoftwareSelection19 (WVNPA Members: Don’t forget to email us for the discount code)