Publications

One of my passions has to produce thought leadership in a variety of contexts; mostly in relationship to the decision-making around and adoption of technology in nonprofits. I’m currently working on frameworks to elevate the role product management has in corporate structures.

Perfecting the Kickoff Meeting is Product Management

alpha: this is product management
January 18, 2018

You’ll learn a lot from this episode about persuasive communication, handling challenging conversations, and ensuring execution across teams. Here are the highlights:

-How a poorly executed kickoff meeting can derail a product launch (5:50)
-How to align stakeholders and achieve the desired outcomes in a kickoff meeting (9:45)
-What Katie does before the meeting to ensure it runs smoothly (15:00)
-How Katie deals with push back and difficult questions (20:10)
-Katie’s best advice for delivering a great presentation (23:30)
-Katie’s strategy for ensuring execution after the meeting (26:00)

Comparing Open Source Content Management Systems: Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal and Plone

idealware
march 2009

In this report, we take a look at four different open source Content Management Systems—WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Plone—and rate them on a variety of criteria, including system flexibility, features, ease of use and the availability of support. We chose these systems because they’re the most popular four in the nonprofit sector today, according to our analysis. We also dig a little deeper into what open source is all about, and how a CMS can help streamline processes. We even take a look at some vendor-provided systems, along with a few other open source ones, in case you don’t find what you’re looking for among the four original choices.

If you’re a small to mid- sized organization, whether your needs are simple or sophisticated and your technical knowledge is shallow or deep, this report can provide you with a good overview. Taking the time to read through it carefully can save you a lot of work and money.

Nonprofit Technology Assistance Provider (NTAP) Sector Reach Assessment

NTEN
December 2012

A 16-month project that's helped several companies better understand who they serve individually and collectively. Its purpose: to reduce confusion among clients and funders, and trigger more collaboration among the participants. I applied appreciative, consensus-driven, and emergent project management processes to lead the group through 1) developing project guidelines and scope, 2) designing and completing extensive data analysis, and 3) collaboratively generating key findings and proposed next steps.

A Consumer Guide to Grants Management Systems

Idealware
February 2008

Grantmaking programs are complicated to manage. Even fairly small programs might require tracking dozens of applications, reviewers, requirements, and payments. But grants management software can help— these software applications can save grantmakers time, help make their processes effective and transparent, and even transform the way they do business.

There are a growing number of grants management systems to choose from. They range in complexity and price, from small packages that support straightforwardonline application, review, and progress reporting processes for less than $2,000 a year, to sophisticated, highly customized systems that cost upwards of $200,000.

How do you choose a system for your needs? This report will help. We’ll explore the available options for accepting and reviewing applications and tracking grants throughout their life cycles. We’ll take a look at what grants management systems do, and compare the strengths and weakness of the packages available for United States-based foundations. And we’ll recommend packages that might work for your needs.

Technology Motivators and Usage in Not-for- Profit Arts Organizations

Heinz School of Management, Carnegie Mellon University
Apr 2007

The goal of this Project, Technology Motivators and Usage in Not-for- Profit Arts Organizations, was to identify and understand the motivations behind information technology decisions in arts organizations. These motivations and decision-making processes were applied to help explain why some arts organizations may lag behind other not-for-profit organizations in technology adoption. While the unequal distribution of technology is partially due to an organization’s financial standing and the availability of “risk capital,” these two factors alone cannot fully account for the present divide.

Our three key findings revolved around the effects that the scope of specific technology planning, the education regarding technology to be information technology adoption. While these three factors are not mutually exclusive, each played an important role in determining an organization’s decision-making approach to potential technology and aptitude toward existing technology. It is our hope that this study will serve as a catalyst for further discussion and research of technology adoption trends in not-for-profit arts organizations.