Interview with Ric Merrifield – A Focus on Core Processes (Part 1 of 3)

Recently, CiviCore Partner Charles Naumer had an opportunity to sit down and talk with business analyst and author Ric Merrifield. Ric is Microsoft's official "Business Architect," focusing on helping companies to rethink their operating models and get out of the “how” trap. In his latest book Re-Think, he challenges readers to think about “what” we’re doing and “why” we’re doing it. He suggests that we need to move beyond focusing on how we do things to think about what activities are critical to success. In addition to his work at Microsoft, Ric is engaged and interested in the social sector. Below is part one of a three-part series covering their conversation.


"Ric and I discussed some of his experiences with nonprofit organizations and ways in which his business process work is applicable to social sector organization. Ric has done a lot of work to better understand the role of technology within organizations. One area that is particularly interesting to CiviCore is his view on ways that social sector organizations can capitalize on technological innovation. He encourages organizations to identify which of their processes are unique to their organization and which are similar to other organizations. Once an organization identifies what they do differently they can begin to focus on where they add the most value as an organization. For example, if an organization does accounting like everyone else then this isn’t a key value added aspect of their organization. For these areas, they should move to adopt the same accounting software and products used by others. They should take advantage of low-cost, mass marketed “off-the-shelf” solutions or even open-source solutions designed for that specific function.


Once an organization identifies the value producing aspects of their organization they should dedicate resources to further developing systems and processes to support these aspects of their organization. For example, if an organization has a specialized method of delivering services to their clients, they should focus on developing systems to support their organization in delivering these services. They should continue to evolve, develop, and improve this aspect of their business and the systems that support it. In doing so, they should choose technology that will grow and can be adapted to their processes.


For us at CiviCore, this message has been refreshing and right on target. We work very hard to understand and tailor our software to specific focus organizational types such as volunteer organizations, mentoring programs, youth centered organizations, and many others. We then work hard to understand each organization’s individual requirements and further customize our software to meet each organization’s needs. In this way, our clients not only benefit from the work already done to understand their service area but also benefit from software tailored to meet their specific needs. In a nutshell, this is the CiviCore value proposition that we continue to develop in order to best serve our customers and to follow our mission of making the largest possible impact in the social sector."

Note:  For more on Ric Merrifield’s work visit – http://www.rethinkbook.com.  Stay tuned next week for part 2 of this interview.

CiviCore Launches Mentoring Management System for Home Builders Institute

CiviCore is proud to announce the recent launch of a version of our Mentoring Management platform for the Home Builders Institute (HBI). HBI was well down the road with another vendor when they changed directions and partnered with CiviCore.  We believe that our vast experience in the mentoring space and experience in the non-profit world really made the difference in achieving success on this project.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C.,  HBI was established in 1983 as the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders.  For more than 30 years, HBI has trained skilled workers in residential construction, promoted the industry as a career, and helped the NAHB membership address its need for qualified employees.

Here is what Dennis Torbett, Vice President of HBI Workforce Training & Employment, had to say about our work:

"Home Builders Institute is very pleased to partner with CiviCore in the creation of a database of information for our new U.S. Department of Justice mentoring initiative, C-CORE. Software development is not an easy process, but CiviCore and their professional staff have made it easy and fun.  They have been extremely accommodating in customizing a product that will meet our needs for reliable and pertinent data. Their experience in the mentoring arena has added value to their products and services."


We'd like to commend Dennis and the rest of the team at HBI for the great work they do, and we look forward to working with them going forward.  Thanks, all!

CiviCore Launches Volunteer Management System for ASPCA

CiviCore is proud to announce the recent launch of a Volunteer Management System for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).  Founded in 1866, the ASPCA was the first humane society to be established in North America and is today one of the largest in the world.  As a privately funded 501(c)(3) non-profit, the ASPCA boasts more than 1 million supporters across the country as well as thousands of volunteers.

In order to more effectively utilize their volunteer force, the ASPCA recently partnered with CiviCore to launch a Volunteer Management System (VMS).  Our system allows ASPCA staff to create and manage volunteer opportunities and trainings within the system and enroll targeted volunteers towards these events. Further, ASPCA volunteers can log in to the system, register for events and trainings, and even use our online time management system to clock in and clock out during their volunteer hours, allowing the ASPCA to run powerful analytics on the impact of their volunteer force.

We would like to thank the ASPCA for partnering with us on such an exciting project, and we look forward to our system helping make their organization even more effective.

New CiviCore Client - Crisis Center of Johnson County

     CiviCore is happy to have recently launched a new database for the Crisis Center of Johnson County!  This new CiviCore partner has five main programs, including the Food Bank Program and the Emergency Assistance Program. These two programs provide material assistance to clients in the form of food, vouchers to purchase clothing and household items, local bus tickets, birthday items for children, blankets and sheets, financial assistance for emergency situations, and more. Last year they served 14,000 people in Johnson County, Iowa, and distributed roughly 1 million pounds of food and nearly $100,000 in emergency financial assistance to those in need in their community! To provide these critical services, they rely on roughly 150 volunteers each year.

     Sarah Benson Witry, Assistant Program Director, worked hard to get this complex system up and running, and user friendly enough that a volunteer based staff can easily enter the information and focus on the people they are serving.  Sarah had this to say about our system.

"Our Civicore database helps us track our clients, the services we provide, and the volunteers who provide them. We love that it is web-based, so we can access our information on any computer, and we love how responsive Civicore is to our needs. Our previous database used an outdated platform and was designed by a volunteer. When changes needed to happen, we had no one to turn to for support. With Civicore, our database can grow and change with our needs and improvements are made very quickly. In addition, our custom-made Civicore database was far more affordable than other databases that were less suited to our needs. The search function allows us to export data to Excel and has made creating reports much simpler and more accurate. We love Civicore and are so excited to continue working with them!"

           Sarah Benson Witry
           Food Bank & Emergency Assistance Program Director
           The Crisis Center of Johnson County

 

CiviCore goes live with Early Intervention Colorado Provider Database!

     CiviCore is happy to announce that the Early Intervention (EI) Colorado Provider Database launched in late July! This database allows providers who deliver early intervention services to children birth to age 3 and their families, to apply to the local EI Program(s) in their area and provide their credentials and other information over the Internet. 

     The local communities that help coordinate these services can in turn see the providers applications when they apply to that community, review their credentials, and approve them if they decide to hire or contract with them. Once approved, providers can be searched by families and the service coordinators that assist them. These searches can help a family find any provider or a specific type of provider that serves children in their specific zip code. Check it out at www.eicolorado.org!