NonProfit POWER Speaker Spotlight: Chris Hammond

Next month, NonProfit PRO is bringing you a brand-new, invite-only, tech-focused conference called NonProfit POWER, where you will have an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals who are the leaders of the nonprofit arena, and learn from the technology strategy partners who are driving that change.

What makes NonProfit POWER different is that you will be able to network and learn in an intimate setting without all the clutter and noise that you would get at a traditional conference. With only 60 attendees, you will gain invaluable knowledge from your peers at stimulating keynote sessions, boardroom case studies and one-on-one meetings, which you can then take back to your organization, implement them into your strategic plan and get one step closer to achieving your mission.

NonProfit POWER will have nonprofit experts who will give you insights on how to navigate through this new landscape and how this fundamental shift will help your organization’s long-term, sustainable growth.

Chris Hammond is the CEO and founder of Corporate Giving Connection (CGC). CGC is a full service development, marketing and corporate social responsibility consulting firm that focuses on strategic planning and implementation for nonprofit organizations and corporations. Chris has 9+ years of event management and 7+ years of nonprofit fundraising consulting and leadership experience.

He holds a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in public policy and administration from California Lutheran University. Currently an advisory board member for Spark Program, Chris exhibits an energetic determination in pursuing his passion of working with nonprofit organizations to increase their revenue streams and marketing impact to ultimately enact change within global communities. He is grateful to have the opportunity to pursue his passion for philanthropy with CGC.

At NonProfit POWER, he will be part of a panel discussion on navigating the new nonprofit landscape. In this panel discussion, panelists will dive into how nonprofits are managing their organizations in this new landscape and explore the topics around marketing, brand management and, of course, new technology solutions.

We did a short Q&A with Chris to find his thoughts on our technology landscape.

In your opinion, how does technology fit into the nonprofit arena?

"The nonprofit landscape is more competitive than ever. Gone are the days when you could reasonably plan on cold calls leading to major gifts. Yes, these moments still happen, but they can no longer be considered a sustainable method of generating revenue for your organization. We are in a new era of philanthropy, and many of the marketing and fundraising tricks of the past are no longer as effective as they once were. Having access to the newest technology is the only way that organizations can compete now. As the nonprofit technology space becomes more comprehensive, organizations are becoming reliant on its support. For most of our clients, these are the minimum tools that we see them utilize on a weekly basis:

• Customer relationship management platform (CRM)
• Mobile Bidding Platform
• Event registration platform
• Peer-to-peer fundraising platform
• Social media scheduling platform
• Wealth screening tool
• Email management tool
• Graphic design tool 
• Volunteer management platform"

What is a widespread challenge for nonprofits, and how can they use technology to mitigate that challenge?

"Nonprofits should think strategically like any other successful business. This means they should be consistently looking to innovate the implementation of their mission and involve their donor base in ways that drive engagement, while being as efficient and effective with their time as possible.

With time and resources being limited for nonprofit organizations, we must get out of the 'do it yourself' mentality. If you find yourself laboring through an inefficient deliverable that is monopolizing your time, chances are there is an app/platform out there that can help complete your deliverable while still preserving your bandwidth and sanity. Organizations must be willing to try new tools to determine what works best for their team."

Name a new technology trend that you think will significantly impact the future of nonprofit.

Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms are not a new trend, but their impact over the past five years have been incredible. As corporate donations steadily decline and foundation dollars become more difficult to ascertain, individual donations continue to rise. Peer-to-peer fundraising has been the catalyst behind that rise. The idea is simple: leverage your supporters to fundraise on your behalf through various social platforms (social media, email, etc). Organizations with large individual donor bases or strong ambassadors to drive their campaigns have reaped the benefits of successful peer-to-peer fundraising, but I believe we've only scratched the surface of the potential for smaller nonprofit organizations."

What new technology solution would you like see emerge in the nonprofit sector in the foreseeable future?

"One of the greatest areas of opportunity is with peer-to-peer fundraising for smaller nonprofit organizations. There are multiple peer-to-peer fundraising platforms that are available at an affordable price for many of these nonprofits. There is also no shortage of resources and support given by these vendors, but something is still missing. Many of these organizations do not have a marketing department or fundraising department much less the bandwidth or experience needed to execute a successful campaign. There is a great opportunity for tech providers to provide that comprehensive support so they are no longer simply receiving guidance, but also providing the support and expertise needed to market themselves properly. Once nonprofit tech is able to provide the comprehensive support that these organizations need, we will begin to see smaller organizations have more successful fundraising campaigns."

If you’re interested in hearing Chris and other influential speakers discuss the convergence of nonprofit and technology, come join us at NonProfit POWER. Click here to see if you qualify.