Utilizing Peer-To-Peer Fundraising

The real gap between digital leaders and laggards isn’t just in technology—it's in mindset. The 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 isn’t about who has the best tools; it’s about who knows how to wield them. The difference between average and excellent isn’t in the number of systems implemented but in the strategic intent behind them. True digital transformation isn’t just an IT initiative—it’s a company-wide movement, a reimagining of what’s possible when leadership, innovation, and agility align. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: CIOs and CTOs leading the charge, with an inward focus on IT infrastructure. • 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Tracking efficiency and business performance without a broader view towards future capabilities. • 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: Proceeding with digital steps without the urgency to outpace the evolving market demands. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Maintaining the status quo in operations, favoring predictability over agility. • 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Providing employees with collaboration tools without fostering a culture of digital innovation. • 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Concentrating on backend upgrades before considering the customer-facing aspects of the business. • 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Using data for routine business operations rather than as a cornerstone for transformation and innovation. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩: Transformation championed by CEOs, integrating digital priorities within the company’s vision. • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Measuring success through the lens of innovation and digital proficiency. • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Not merely adapting but actively advancing digital initiatives, even in challenging economic climates. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: A culture that embraces operational efficiency as a path to competitive advantage. • 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Investing in employee engagement and digital literacy, recognizing that technology amplifies human potential. • 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Prioritizing the customer experience with a strategy that adapts proactively to their needs and behaviors. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Leveraging AI and data analytics not only to inform decisions but to foster a culture of continuous improvement. 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eU_Cc3ga ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝟳𝟰% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. When I stepped in as CTO, it was clear that if our transformation was going to succeed, we had to improve execution. So, instead of chasing shiny tools or trendy models, we relentlessly focused on the basics. 🧱 Here’s my advice for anyone on this journey: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 Standardization doesn’t limit creativity — it removes roadblocks. Certified pipelines, test plans, and frameworks eliminate chaos, helping teams deliver faster. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 You need rules, but only enforce the “no-regret” ones. This gives teams the flexibility to innovate solutions for different regions or customers. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Take it step by step and front-load complexity. Doing everything in parallel or saving the hardest for last will result in gridlock and deflating surprises. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 Tech teams know a lot, but the business knows best. Demand clear requirements so you can build what's needed... and not bridges to nowhere. 5️⃣ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 They’re called ‘digital transformations,’ but they’re really business transformations. Everyone — not just tech — must own it. There's always more to do, but we’ve made huge strides this year:   ✅ Cut over four 40+ year-old mainframes to the cloud ✅ Migrated all North American mainframe pipelines to data fabric ✅ Closed data centers from Alpharetta to Australia ✅ Beat our all-time stability records ✅ Achieved our best-ever tech hygiene stats 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀? We won’t be in the 95%. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀? We’re now seeing the transformation benefits we envisioned at the start: AI innovation, model precision, next-gen services, enhanced resilience, and more. 🚀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. What are digital transformation lessons you've learned? I’d love to know! 👇

Leading in the digital age is not just about mastering technology; it’s about mastering change. As someone guiding an organization through rapid shifts, I’ve learned that digital transformation is, at its core, about people. I used to think building digital capabilities meant investing in the latest systems, but I quickly realized that the most critical investment is in developing a culture of adaptability. Digital IQ starts at the top. If I don’t immerse myself in emerging tech, competition and customer trends, how can I expect my team to embrace them? Instead of attempting to overhaul the entire company, I started with digital-ready teams, those eager to experiment, collaborate, and drive results. Their success became proof of concept, showing the rest of the organization what’s possible. Change requires persuasion, not mandates. A digital leader must inspire transformation at every level, ensuring that innovation, agility and collaboration become part of the mindset. Transformation is sustained when people evolve alongside technology. #digitaltransformation #organizationalchange

Today's leaders are expected to run businesses in a completely new, sometimes alien, world. A world defined by constant technological disruption, shifting customer expectations, sustainability imperatives and evolving business models. While in the past, it was enough to focus on performance to build enduring businesses, today's leaders must look beyond it and focus on adaptability, innovation and long-term sustainability, with digital transformation as a key lever. It is now a pre-requisite to the survival and relevance of every business. Yet, digital transformation can feel daunting and perplexing. Luckily, some brilliant minds are helping today's leaders make sense of it all. I had the opportunity to meet David Rogers, Digital Transformation O.G. at Columbia Business School and to hear firsthand his powerful framework for digital transformation. His approach redefines how leaders should think about technology, governance and culture in an age of constant change. In his book, The Digital Transformation Roadmap, Rogers distills years of research into a clear, five-step guide to help organizations rebuild for continuous change. Each step reads like a chapter in a leadership playbook: ❶ The first step is defining shared vision. Transformation begins with alignment. A clear, shared vision across the board and executive team ensures digital investments drive strategic value. ❷ The second step is to pick the problems that matter most. Here, focus beats frenzy. Rogers warns against chasing every new technology and instead, encourages leaders to prioritize the few initiatives that truly move the needle. ❸ By the third step, it's time to validate new ventures. Success depends on disciplined experimentation. Pilot, learn, and scale what works; sunset what doesn’t. ❹ The fourth step is all about managing growth at scale. Governance is key. Establish structures that allow innovation to flourish without losing accountability and resource discipline. ❺ The final step involves growing tech, talent and culture. Long-term adaptability relies on continuous capability-building in people, systems, and mindset. For board members and senior leaders, this book is a call to action. Digital transformation is not a one-time project, but rather the continuous evolution of how an organization thinks, decides, and delivers value. If you are navigating disruption, driving sustainability, or seeking to future-proof your business, I highly recommend this read. If you've read it, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 📘 The Digital Transformation Roadmap: Rebuild Your Organization for Continuous Change By David L. Rogers

The biggest challenge in digital transformation isn’t the technology—it’s the people. We have AI-driven tools that can predict failures in facilities before they happen, yet most industrial leaders struggle to scale them or tackle resistance to new methods. Why? Because technology adoption isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about how people learn, adapt, and trust new ways of working. And that’s where #diversity matters. I like this op-ed (link in comments) from Giada Volpin at ABB where she shares a powerful example: using AR-enabled remote maintenance, her team helped local technicians in Malaysia repair critical equipment—without flying in experts. Beyond the efficiency gains (and excellent example of real #remotework), the real win was building confidence and capability on the ground. The lesson? Innovation thrives (even when distributed) when we embrace different perspectives, especially in STEM fields where gender imbalance remains stark. If we want digital transformation to succeed, we need diverse teams that understand both technology and human behavior. Even if you want people working together, this curiosity is critical to sustainable growth. How is your organization tackling this? #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #AR #changemanagement

The Quantum Leap From Legacy Systems to Cloud-Native During a chilly autumn morning when I met with the leadership team of one of our longstanding clients. They spoke with a mix of pride and frustration about their legacy systems—once the engine of their success, now a heavy anchor in a fast-paced digital world. Their story resonated deeply with me. It wasn’t just about technology failing to keep pace; it was about the human struggle to adapt in an ever-changing landscape. Recent research reinforces this urgency. Gartner’s 2024 forecast predicts that by 2025, over 80% of enterprise workloads will operate on cloud-native platforms. This shift promises not only faster deployment cycles and enhanced scalability but also a reduction in operational costs by as much as 30%. For companies burdened by outdated systems, these figures offer hope and a clear path forward. At Devsinc, we embarked on our own journey towards cloud-native solutions driven by our commitment to our clients’ futures. I recall countless late nights spent brainstorming and re-engineering our processes. We embraced agile methodologies, established continuous integration and delivery pipelines, and reimagined our infrastructure to unlock new levels of efficiency. One memorable project involved a major retail client whose legacy systems were stifling innovation. After migrating to a cloud-native platform, their time-to-market was reduced by 40%, and defect rates dropped by 35% within just six months. Their renewed agility not only improved customer satisfaction but also reinvigorated their competitive edge. Yet, this transformation isn’t solely about technology; it’s about people. Shifting from legacy systems to cloud-native architectures means rethinking workflows, empowering teams, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. I’ve seen firsthand how this change can inspire creativity and resilience, transforming operational challenges into opportunities for growth. Embracing cloud-native is more than a technical upgrade—it’s a lifeline in today’s digital era. It offers the promise of agility, responsiveness, and long-term success. At Devsinc, we are dedicated to guiding our clients through this evolution with empathy, expertise, and unwavering support. The journey from legacy to cloud-native is challenging, but every step forward builds a future where technology truly serves us all. Let’s embrace this change together and create a landscape where innovation and human ingenuity drive us to new heights.

The concept of Digital Transformation has been around for over 20 years. It's outdated. It’s time to stop thinking of digital as a ‘job to be done’ & start embracing digital as a ‘way of being’. Here's why: Digital transformations typically happen to you, are driven by others, using outside resources, vendors, advisors, new teams & new structures. They usually occur distinctly from business-as-usual, with the BAU team over here & the Transformation team over there. Accountability gaps, conflicts & competing priorities inevitably emerge. Transformations bring a fixed mindset, with big plans, big teams, promising amazing benefits - at the end. Transformation also implies that there is a beginning, a middle & an end. There is no “end” for digital – it’s a way of being, thinking & operating. Digital is a state of being for an organisation. It’s not a destination. It is a commitment from the top to the bottom. It involves big decisions & lots of small ones. It involves big initiatives, medium-sized initiatives & small ones. Digital involves thinking differently. It’s not about solving an ‘old world’ problem & then applying digital to it. Digital presents new ways to solve old problems. Digital is a mindset, a culture. Digital is a way of operating. Digital is exponential, not linear. Digital is modular, like LEGO blocks, able to be assembled in interdependent parts, building momentum & lifting performance over time. Digital leaders are different too. They understand & embrace experimentation & the power to adapt from the outside in & the inside out. They understand the returns from empowering their team to experiment, learn new tools & own the outcomes. They recognise the outsized improvements that can be delivered through smart investments & innovative approaches. Digital leaders are corporate mechanics, always tinkering, improving, solving. They see the cost of doing nothing and have the courage & ability to resist the temptation to play it safe. They don’t over-analyse or hide behind indecision, governance & imagined risks. Digital leaders focus on the actions required, the outcomes sought & most importantly, for whom & why. They accept the occasional failure as a reality of shooting for big results & pushing hard. Digital leaders also know that digital brings the opportunity for asymmetric rewards. They have the vision for what’s possible & realise the power of disciplined commitment, accountability & continual improvement. Digital leaders trust their teams to get things done, to get after it. Digital leaders know there is no magical transformation team coming to save them. They bring a growth mindset, are always learning by doing, adapting, being open to new ideas & investing in their people. World-class sports teams are world-class because of leadership, mindset, courage, skills, accountability, commitment & discipline. Not transformation. Digital organisations are the same. Embrace digital. Be digital. Lead digital. #thepowerofdigital

Nonprofits, if I had to build corporate partnerships from scratch today, here’s the upgraded playbook: 1. Stop Begging. Start Co-Building. Instead of: “We’re looking for sponsors.” Try: “We’re designing the first zero-waste pilot for the city. Want your R&D team on the blueprint?” Why it works: You’re offering frontline innovation hours, not asking for a hand-out. 2. Scrap the Medal Tiers, Design Micro-Experiments. Offer partners bite-sized proofs of concept that grow: • Idea Auction: Their employees vote which of three micro-projects to fund, instant internal buzz. • Reverse Shark Tank: Your beneficiaries pitch company execs for skills-based support hours. • Impact API: Grant the partner early access to your data set (carbon metrics, food-waste stats, etc.) so they can build case studies that matter to their marketing team. Give them a storyline, not a plaque. 3. Run a LinkedIn Play That Feels Like Product-Led Growth. • Build a “Partner Wishlist” public Trello board, tag each dream company in a post when their card moves to “Conversation Started.” • Launch a 90-second Loom series (“What If We Solved ___ Together?”) and DM it to the exact decision-maker, not their generic inbox. • Leverage comment stacking: Recruit five allies to add thoughtful comments under every mission post, signaling social proof before the partner ever replies. Visibility → Familiarity → Pipeline. 4. Assemble a Failure-Lab Advisory Circle. Invite 8 execs to a quarterly dinner where you unpack both wins and flops, under Chatham House Rule. What they contribute: • Hard-won lessons that shortcut your learning curve • Candid connections (“Talk to our supply-chain VP next week”) • Personal stake in turning “near-misses” into success stories People back the messes they helped mop up. 5. Make the Yes Easier Than Scrolling TikTok. • Interactive one-pager: Three clickable funding tiers that auto-populate a DocuSign. • 90-second decision timer: “Pick an option before this video ends, your brand’s social clip is pre-queued.” • Real-time Slack channel invite: They join, drop questions, get instant answers, no calendar ping-pong. Friction kills deals; speed revives them. 6. Follow Up Like a Storyteller, Not an Auto-Responder. • Send a mobile-shot React video when a child opens a textbook you supplied, no polished edit, just authenticity. • Drop a voice memo celebrating their core value in action (“Saw your DE&I lead speak on stage, here’s how we echoed that message yesterday”). • Ship a desk-size artifact: a 3-D-printed model of the water filter prototype they helped fund, land on the desk, live in the memory. Stay relevant without spamming the inbox. Connect with me, comment “Partnership,” and I’ll send a free resource our paying clients use to find thousands of opprutnties for corporate partners on LinkedIn. With purpose and impact, Mario

I spent years navigating the complexities of digital transformation. Here’s the shortcut to save you countless hours! Digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new technology. It’s about changing how we think and operate as an organization. I remember back when I was at Microsoft, leading a team to drive significant change in our sales approach. We faced numerous challenges:   Resistance from teams stuck in their old ways. Difficulty aligning technology with business goals. The ever‑looming pressure of competition driving innovation faster than we could keep up!  But here’s what I learned through trial and error—and a few sleepless nights:   Start with culture: Technology won’t solve your problems if your teams aren’t on board. Embrace a culture that values learning and adaptability. Get everyone involved early in the process!   Set clear objectives: Identify what success looks like for your organization. Are you looking for efficiency? Increased revenue? Improved customer satisfaction? Define it clearly, so everyone is aligned!   Leverage data: Don’t just collect data—use it! Analyze where you stand, identify gaps, and make informed decisions based on real insights rather than gut feelings alone!   Pilot small initiatives: Before rolling out changes company‑wide, test them out on a smaller scale first! This allows you to gather feedback and make adjustments without disrupting everything at once!   Engage stakeholders continuously: Keep communication lines open with all stakeholders throughout the journey—this builds trust and mitigates resistance down the line!   Iterate constantly: Digital transformation is not a one‑time project; it’s an ongoing journey that requires continual assessment and iteration of processes to stay relevant in today’s fast‑paced market environment! By following these steps, I managed to turn initial skepticism into excitement around our digital initiatives. The result? A much more agile team ready to tackle future challenges head‑on! If you're serious about transforming your organization, embrace these principles—you'll thank yourself later!

Only 35-40% of nonprofits would ever consider a merger. The rest are waiting to see if things get better. Things are not getting better. I made a video last year — "What will nonprofits look like in 2035?" — and one of my predictions was this: 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲. Many that don't collab are either sitting on millions in reserves and never needed to, or they're at risk of closing. We're already seeing it. Layoffs. Closures. And it's not slowing down. This week on The Small Nonprofit podcast, I talk with Jon Hoffmann about how to do mergers and collabs 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. Most organizations wait until they're in crisis to have these conversations. But by then, the required relationships aren't built. The trust isn't there. And the leverage to actually build something better is long gone. The organizations that navigated this moment best started the conversations 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 they needed to. Not a formal proposal. Not a merger announcement. Just an honest conversation with one adjacent ED: "𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦?" That's the first move. Jon put it plainly: two bad balance sheets don't make a good one. A merger doesn't erase structural problems. But two mission-aligned organizations with genuine trust between them? That can produce something stronger than either alone. The nonprofit sector has trained us to treat organizational survival and mission survival as the same thing. They're not. So reflect on: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? Full conversation on the podcast. Link on my profile under Featured. Has this conversation come up at your org?