Hungry For Life's mission is to support leaders in cultivating spiritual vibrancy and human flourishing. But how can we effectively provide this support if our systems are outdated, our internal processes are slow, and our team can’t communicate and plan efficiently? As Director of Technology, I have the joy of helping move us towards our vision of thriving global communities by implementing technologies that help us work better and faster, while creatively solving problems that arise due to working worldwide.
It was only a few short years ago that we were relying on stacks of paper and file cabinets, an outdated business phone system (which, full disclosure, we still have and use), and multiple database and project management systems that didn't talk to each other. These served their purpose for a time, and we were blessed to have staff who were efficient working with these tools, but as more of our staff started working remotely, and as the world of technology advanced as a whole, we realized it was time for a change.
We needed quicker communication, not only with members of our team, but also with our international partners around the world. This meant turning to messaging and video call services such as WhatsApp, Teams, and Zoom.
We needed a consolidated database and system to track our internal work and processes, so we implemented and customized Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which our team uses daily to manage our constituents, track donations, schedule teams' travel, send project funds around the world, and much more.
We needed access to our documents on the go, from anywhere, so we moved to cloud-based file storage. Never again do our staff have an excuse not to know what their flight itinerary is or how much is in the team's budget.
I love seeing how the tools I'm helping to build are being used by our team. Work is going faster, processes are smoother, and communication is clearer.
These may all seem trivial and obvious changes, but for us, they've been a catalyst that's helped us engage with more partners, both locally and internationally, making it easier to foster relationships and raise leaders who are changing their world.
And we're just getting started. My grand vision would be to help our international partners implement technology that would assist with their visions, multiplying the global movement of thriving communities.
If this idea excites you, I'd love for you to join me on this journey! We're always looking for more staff, especially in the role of IT. Whether volunteer, part-time, or full-time, there are opportunities for developing and implementing technologies to keep us moving towards our vision. Check out the job posting and reach out to us!
