Collaboration through conversation

Originally posted on community.npowerseattle.org/npowering on February 25th, 2011.

At NPower, we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about collaboration – it’s the theme of our March edition of the NPower Notables newsletter. Collaboration is something that is talked about a lot in the nonprofit community for a number of reasons. Primarily, funders and board members have recognized the benefits of working together to help organizations run more efficiently and effectively by leveraging each others’ strengths and avoiding duplicative work.

One of the most basic ways for nonprofits to collaborate is by asking questions. Lately, I have noticed a whole lot of questions floating around the area of technology utilization. There is recognition in the sector that a lack of resources often results in “accidental techies.” This month’s NTEN newsletter referenced a 2009 survey indicating that about 24% of respondents had less than one full-time person responsible for tech. Unfortunately, these accidental techies are often afraid to ask tech-related questions for fear of looking like they don’t know what they’re doing, or like they're not savvy enough to effectively utilize all the tools out there.

In the spirit of collaboration, it is time to stop trying to go it alone and start communicating. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your peers in the nonprofit community if you see them doing something particularly well. They’ll be flattered that you noticed their hard work, and be more than willing to give advice to a fellow do-gooder. If you find yourself feeling clueless about where technology fits within your organization it might be advantageous to bring in an expert to help assess your current systems and put together a plan that makes technology a priority rather than an afterthought. NPower has been collaborating with nonprofits in the Northwest for over ten years to provide training, and help organizations to utilize technology in innovative ways. We’re always happy to chat and determine how we might be able to assist organizations in our community. Check out the NPower training calendar and visit our services page to learn more about what we offer. Our website also contains a bunch of free resources to get you thinking about a myriad of technology topics.

The nonprofit community in the Northwest is as strong as it is because of our commitment to innovation, education, and collaboration. Don’t let a fear of asking questions keep you from learning how to meet your mission efficiently and effectively.

Any questions?