Earlier this week, my friend Jaclyn Jones and I were chatting about this State of Nonprofits report from Forvis Mazars.

(Data people build friendships by sharing reports with one another.)

She pointed out that nearly half of nonprofit leaders believe technology has either no impact or a negative impact(!) on their ability to implement programs and services.

It's cold out here for your friendly neighborhood nonprofit technology enthusiast.

But I won't argue!

All feelings are valid.

(Yes. I have children. Also yes, I've been to therapy.)

The only response to this can be a posture of curiosity.

I'd love to know why so many nonprofit leaders don't see a role for software in their work.

Is it because it's too difficult to use?

Because it's always changing?

Because it's not built for you?

If software isn't important, how does the work get done? How do you communicate with your team? How do your stakeholders engage with your services? How do you keep your donors up to date? How do they send you money?

If you are one of those 44% of nonprofit leaders who shrug (or shudder!) at the thought of software, will you reply to this email and tell me why?

My literal career depends on this.

McDonald's is a real estate company

Some have reported that McDonald's is the 5th largest commercial real estate holder in the world. In the sixties, their CFO Harry Sonneborn famously told Ray Kroc,

“You don’t seem to realize what business you’re in. You’re not in the burger business. You’re in the real estate business.”

Sometimes the thing you do is not the thing you do.

Some people want to make burgers.

Some people want to make burgers for people.

If you want to make burgers at home, go for it! But if you want to make burgers for the public, you have to go where they are.

You have to meet them where they are at.

You will learn to care about metrics like foot traffic and population density.

In short, to sell burgers, you have to get into real estate.

If you want to have an impact on the world, you're going to have to go where the people are. Serve them the way they want to be served. You may have to get into...

Hold up. I said I wouldn't argue.

Your feelings are valid.

Until next week,

Ted