Ted Kriwiel has been a Groover Labs member since early 2022. He recently launched a new consultancy focused on helping nonprofit organizations make smart decisions about software. We asked Ted why he decided to focus on nonprofits and how he plans to help them streamline their tech stacks.
Read the interview below. To learn more about Ted’s work, visit his website here.
What inspired you to focus specifically on helping the nonprofit community with their tech stacks?
I'm returning to my roots! The first thing I did when I finished college was co-founding a nonprofit called Eight Oaks. We built a rehabilitation center in Ghana for girls who were working as child laborers. We're now 11 years into that work and still going strong. Once that was off the ground, I had to get a "real job" and found my way to tech, which I've loved for the last seven-ish years.
When I left Moonbase Labs this summer, I asked myself, "Who do I want to help with technology?" My friends at nonprofits kept coming to mind.
How do you determine the best software tools for a nonprofit's unique needs?
The best software is whatever works! I'm trying to remain tool-agnostic, but of course, I have OPINIONS. Everyone's needs are different and what works for one organization may not work for another. Here are a few rules of thumb:
If the software used to be sold in a box at a store, avoid it.
If the homepage says the word "enterprise," run away.
Copy the tech stacks of startups, not established companies.
Nothing will integrate as well as the marketing promises.
Tools like Zapier and Airtable will save you time and money (if you take the time to learn them)
You can learn pretty much anything you want with an afternoon on Youtube
What is the biggest challenge you think (or based on your experience) nonprofits face when they're trying to streamline their technology systems?
Nonprofits are often overextended and pressured to show results while constantly reducing admin costs. Software usually falls in the admin bucket. Because of that, it doesn't get the attention it deserves, especially considering that most nonprofit workers spend 6-7 hours a day using software. Secondly, the world of technology has not done a good job of meeting nonprofit leaders with tools designed for them. More commonly, nonprofits get "hand-me-down" software from the private sector with discounted "nonprofit pricing." The recent success of companies like GiveButter gives me hope that more software will be exclusively designed for the needs of nonprofits.
What does a one-on-one consulting appointment between you and a prospective client look like?
They're fun. Honestly, my number one goal is for the nonprofits I'm working with to have fun. Technology is scary for many people, and I just want to make them feel like kids using sidewalk chalk. My process is similar to most consultants': Start with a diagnosis phase, identify opportunities to improve, draw from experience to make suggestions, and build a backlog of goals we want to accomplish.
Maybe the only difference between me and other consultants is that I don't just make suggestions; I'm a builder. Nonprofit leaders get plenty of suggestions on how they should be better. I want them to know I'm ready to jump into the work with them. (I'm a nonprofit founder myself!)
We know you're just getting going, but do you have a story about how you helped a nonprofit streamline its tech stack?
My work usually includes integrating tools that won't play nicely, visualizing data buried in spreadsheets, or automating a task that made someone hate their job. This feels really good when it happens to you but unfortunately doesn't translate to pithy stories. (I'm working on that.)