Is Your Nonprofit a Learning Organization? with Karen Graham [Video]

What does it mean to be a learning organization and how can you grow learning practices at your nonprofit?

Karen Graham has more than 20 years in senior nonprofit leadership, and a broad knowledge of trends and best practices in technology, leadership, and organizational development. Formerly head of Idealware, a research institution studying nonprofits’ use of technology, Karen has long observed there are some nonprofits that have a strong internal learning culture, and she sees benefits to those who take knowledge management and sharing very seriously.

She shared ideas on how to grow that learning impulse at your nonprofit and find funding for it and strategic value in it.

If you are struggling with a learning management system or thinking about investing in one, we also talked about tech tools that help with knowledge management – but as we always say, the tech should come last, the clearly articulated business need should come first.

Karen’s presentation helps us think about why learning is so crucial to our organizations and how to invest in the idea of the learning organization.

Is your nonprofit a learning organization?

As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.

Community IT and Karen Graham Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.

Presenters:

Karen Graham is a nonprofit technology strategist who loves helping people solve problems – from making their work easier and more enjoyable, to enabling their organization to more effectively achieve its mission.

Her 20+ years experience in nonprofit leadership, consulting, and capacity building earned her a broad knowledge of how people, process, and technology can work together to create impact. She writes, speaks, and advises organizations on technology leadership, software selection, user adoption, innovation, and strategic IT alignment. She has guided dozens of organizations through their software decisions, from requirements analysis to implementation and ongoing database optimization.

Her consulting work focuses on the intersection of technology strategy, leadership, and culture for mission based organizations. She has worked in a variety of roles in sector-strengthening organizations such as Tech Impact (Chief Advancement Officer), Idealware (Executive Director), MAP for Nonprofits (Director of Technology & Innovation), and thedatabank (Director of Business Development). She serves on the grant review board for the Shavlik Family Foundation and the board of directors for the Minneapolis Southwest High School Performing Arts Committee. Karen earned her MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas.

For an introduction to Karen’s thinking on learning organizations, listen to the podcast Karen Graham on Learning from Build Consulting. You can also follow her on LinkedIn.