Nonprofit Technology Project Rescue for Mission-Driven Teams
Sometimes, your nonprofit’s tech needs a lifeline
You might have inherited a technology stack that actively fights your team. Or maybe you’ve got a brand new system that was supposed to make everything better, but it’s doing the opposite. Or perhaps you’re partway through a project that’s gone so long and so badly that you’re about to give up and walk away.
However you got here, we’ll help you move forward
Whether it was incomplete planning, a problematic implementation, the wrong tech for your needs, or just a job left unfinished, we’re veterans at turning things around. We’ll help you understand your options and chart a path forward that supports your staff, leaders, board, users, and budget.
Every rescue project has its challenges, but we’ve been there before
Rescue projects inhabit an uncomfortable space: your budget is gone, your staff is losing hope, and the thought of starting over is unbearable, but the need that inspired the project in the first place is still there and getting worse.
At Giant Rabbit, we’ll meet you where you are with empathy, honesty, and a fresh perspective. We’ll help you decide where to keep going, where to start anew, and how to meet your organization’s needs in the meantime.
Our process
Step 1: Tell us the story
First, tell us what happened. What were the goals? Who was involved? What was your technology starting point? Then, what was the plan supposed to be? And what actually happened?
Every rescue is unique, but there are also patterns of catastrophe, and we’ll learn a lot by hearing your story for the first time. We’ll ask follow-up questions, validate our assumptions, and fill in the gaps. Usually, after an initial conversation, we can provide a broad-strokes outline of your options.
Step 2: Technical audit and human connection
Next, our developers will get under the hood and see exactly what you’ve got. Sometimes this means looking at something half-built, or exploring changes in progress. Our developers are unafraid of messy code, and they’re experts at exploring the unknown and then reporting back in plain language.
At the same time, we’ll be talking to the team about their goals and lessons learned during the process. The tech audit usually raises questions, too. (“Did you mean for it to work like this?”) We recognize that your team is probably worn out, so we won’t put you through a lengthy process; we’ll jump in mid-stream and catch up as we go.
Step 3: Recommendations and options
Once we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of the implementation so far, we’ll present our budget-informed recommendations. Our developers are experts at examining an existing, imperfect system and making a cost-conscious recommendation on whether to continue working on it or restart the work. We’d obviously prefer to build on what you’ve got, but at the same time, we’re aware of long-term costs, and sometimes it’s important not to throw good code after bad. Whatever your situation, we’ll present you with clear options.
Our long experience with nonprofits helps us make a recommendation that takes into account both the technical and the human challenges. We’ll identify the source of the problems (whether it’s an unfortunate choice early on, or a failure of implementation, or sometimes just of communication), and recommend a pragmatic path forward.
Step 4: Repair and recovery
Once the plan is approved, we’ll get to work making things better. When possible, we’ll work in stages to provide relief as soon as we can. Whatever the solution, we’ll be clear and transparent, working closely with your team to rebuild their trust and improve their day-to-day.
We’re always sorry that a project needs a rescue, but at the same time, rescues are sometimes the start of a long-term partnership. Some of our closest client relationships started when things were at their worst.
If this sounds like you, get in touch.
Our initial conversations are always free, so drop us a line. We can usually give you a good sense of your options in our first conversation, and let you know what to expect from the road ahead.