BridgeTECH Q&A: Debbie Snyder from StratusLIVE

Debbie Snyder

Debbie Snyder, group vice president of sales and marketing at StratusLIVE, started her career in the corporate world. When it came time to modernize her employer’s global employee giving program, she became passionate about using technology for social good. 

Her employer, Electronic Data Systems, which had 150,000 employees across more than 80 countries, was still using paper pledges for its global employee giving program. Her first order of business in her new role as director of global community affairs was to modernize the process and find an online solution.

“We implemented an online giving platform and increased our campaign participation by 150% in the first year,” she said. “I became passionate about the power of technology to fuel social good and knew that I wanted to spend my career finding new and better technology solutions to empower nonprofits.”

She went on to have leadership positions in both nonprofit agencies and technology vendors, including Kintera, which was acquired by Blackbaud in 2008; Merkle; YourCause. She also has served on numerous nonprofit boards, such as the U.S. Congressional Award for Youth, the JASON Foundation for Education and Young Audiences of North Texas, and has volunteered with United Way of Metro Dallas.

Snyder will present at this year’s inaugural BridgeTECH, a tech-focused event for nonprofit executives, fundraisers and marketers on Aug. 2 at the 18th annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference. In the session, “Automation Versus Artificial Intelligence: What’s What?” Snyder will aim to eliminate confusion about automation and artificial intelligence in the nonprofit sector. 

NonProfit PRO caught up with Snyder to learn more about her work in nonprofit technology and why she’s so passionate about educating nonprofits on how they can enhance their fundraising strategies with automation and artificial intelligence.

What impact has technology had on nonprofits you’ve worked with?

The right technology solution can be a game changer for the nonprofits that I have been privileged to work with. By improving staff efficiency and providing accurate, actionable data — nonprofits can make strategic decisions around reaching their goals and stewarding their donors while focusing on what nonprofit staff does best — advancing their mission and building meaningful relationships with donors and constituents.

What is the most common misconception nonprofits have about technology? 

That they can’t afford it and should settle for less than the best.

Why is it so important for nonprofits to embrace technology regardless of staff size, revenue, overhead misconceptions, etc.?

An effective technology solution can make a significant difference in a nonprofit’s ability to steward donors, meet their fundraising goals and therefore advance their mission in advancing social good.

What will you be presenting at BridgeTECH and why are you passionate about the subject? 

I am going to be presenting a session on AI and how nonprofits can harness the power of this exciting technology. We will discuss how to identify opportunities to incorporate AI into their current business processes and how to determine AI metrics to track. I am passionate about this topic because I see AI as a valuable tool toward the big goal of working smarter and empowering nonprofits to achieve their world changing goals.

Join Us at BridgeTECH

Listen to Snyder’s insights on automation and artificial intelligence at BridgeTECH on Aug. 2 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Sign up for BridgeTECH and the Bridge Conference by selecting the "BridgeTECH + Bridge" option.