NonProfit POWER Speaker Spotlight: Rod Arnold

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.

Rod Arnold is the strategy and marketing lead at Leading Good and chief marketing officer at Soles4Souls. As the former COO of charity:water, Rod helped lead the young organization through a period of tremendous growth. Now he helps other nonprofits grow by applying principles and strategies that are proven to work.

He has worked with nonprofits for the last 25 years; both on the inside, in leadership roles, and from the outside, as an advisor, consultant and coach. He's had the privilege of working with both large and small nonprofits with many different missions and cultures.

At NonProfit POWER, he will explore how the key ingredients of great storytelling can be applied to your nonprofit, and how you can craft a powerful brand story to transform your communications.

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

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

"Today’s nonprofits run on tech. Whether it's CRM, marketing, fundraising, operations, finance, communications or project management; today’s nonprofits are using tech platforms and tools to achieve their missions and work more efficiently. And there is still plenty of opportunity for most nonprofits to maximize their impact, and tech can play a major role."

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

"One of the biggest challenges I see is inefficiency, which leads to people feeling overworked and burnt out. Often that inefficiency looks like a bottomless pit of internal email, or hours and hours of meetings, or people not having—or sharing—important information. They are very busy, but maybe not all that productive. But with the right tools in place, and with people actually using those tools, they can have access to the information they need and focus on what’s really important."

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

"I know a lot of organizations are using collaboration and project management tools, like Slack and Wrike, and I believe there is still a lot of opportunity in this area for most nonprofits. Keeping people better informed, aligned and organized can improve productivity and eliminate time spent on email and in meetings."

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

"I think nonprofits could really benefit from real-time dashboards that track results. For example, at the Donors Choose office in NYC, they have a huge monitor in the middle of their work area displaying real-time fundraising, engagement and impact data. The numbers are always changing and the graphs are constantly moving, keeping everyone focused on the results that matter most to the organization. I’d like to see more nonprofits, no matter how large or small, have access to technology that makes this kind of measurement easy and engaging."

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