THE BACKSTORY

A Non-Profit with a Vision

One industry I’m more passionate about than others is Non-Profit and Associations.  Throughout my career, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with countless organizations dedicated to making a positive impact.  

Imagine being dropped into the middle of a complex project, armed only with a vague understanding of the goals. That was my reality when I joined this initiative. My role was to install, configure, and train the team on the Marketing application. Before training, I needed to create some ‘simple’ Email templates.  But as I delved deeper, I discovered a hidden layer of complexity that would put my skills to the test.

Imagine crafting a personalized email that not only thanked a donor for their generosity but also included a detailed invoice. And then there was the digital membership card, a concept that existed only in the realm of imagination. The card would be sent to the new member, but it could also be gifted, a delightful twist that added a layer of complexity. And these were just two of the Email Templates given to me.

Armed with data and a clear vision, I embarked on a mission to convince the project manager. I painted a picture of the intricate details within the email templates, the dynamic nature of real-time marketing, and the extra effort required to bring it all together. My next challenge was to unravel the mystery of where the necessary information lay hidden within CRM. Finally, I dove headfirst into the uncharted waters of real-time marketing, a technology that was still only a few months old at the time.

As with any project, the clock was ticking, and the budget was shrinking. We faced a tough decision: compromise on the digital membership card’s compatibility. Imagine a world where the card, designed for the digital age, didn’t play nicely with smartphones. And with limited resources, we couldn’t test it on every device under the sun. We had to prioritize, focusing on the top three devices used by our clients.

While we faced limitations with this project, the future of digital membership cards is bright. I’m excited to see how these innovative tools continue to evolve and enhance the member experience. Be sure to share your results with me!