Are you ready for the NFL Playoffs?  It's been an interesting year for sure.  We'll have some new faces competing this year and that's always exciting.  So many things went wrong this year for a bunch of teams and yet for certain individuals - records were broken.  For those that had a tough year - I'd love to be a "locker room" fly on the wall to be able to listen in on what their coaches are saying.  I'd venture to say that one of the core messages communicated in all locker rooms is "getting back to the basics" or simply put - blocking and tackling. 

There is a famous quote from Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi that applies to much more than what happens on a football field. It is a simple saying that reminds people that if you forget the basics, you are not going to meet your goals.

He said, “Some people try to find things in this game that don't exist, but football is only two things -- blocking and tackling.”

In his lifetime, Lombardi earned a reputation as a no-nonsense guy who built championship football teams that were fundamentally sound. To be sure, he had talented players but he placed more emphasis on getting them to execute correctly and consistently.

Lombardi’s philosophy allowed him to ignore the noise that didn’t much matter, and focus in on the two skills that actually win the most games: blocking and tackling.

What Is The “Blocking And Tackling” For Your Non-Profit?

Can you think of ways your organization sometimes forgets the fundamentals and begins to slip in areas that are costly? It can be helpful to make a list of your core values and actions. Once you have a list, ask yourself how well you are doing with each one… or if your team has forgotten how to block and tackle.

There are, of course, other things besides core values and actions that matter; it’s just that without the fundamentals, it will be hard to meet any of your goals.

Software Fundamentals

To use one of our favorite examples of “blocking and tackling,” think about software. Case management software for non-profits comes in many shapes and sizes, some providing good value and some not so much. There are typically many options and features that you can customize to meet your needs. Knowing what you want it to do is really important and needs to be weighed carefully in any decision.

But before you even think about features and benefits, you need to know for sure that is going to function properly. In other words, will you get the training, support, and reliability that you need… or will your software fail to “block and tackle?”

After all, if the software is full of bugs, downtime, and is too complicated, the fact that the features are great doesn’t really matter.

Here are some fundamental things to consider when it comes to software for non-profits:

Uptime – When considering any software, always ask about the amount of downtime that can be expected. It is best not to settle for vague answers. Find out how much the software is monitored for problems and how updates work. The most important question is “How much downtime do your clients have?” Unless the answer is less than .01% (or 99.9% uptime), consider finding a better choice.

Support – This is related to preventing downtime, but it also includes a wider set of issues. One example is speed. How fast are response times? This is especially important during crucial phases of implementation.

Training – You might have selected the best possible software for your non-profit, but you and your team need to know how to use it. Dig into the details of the training being offered. Is it geared toward only technical experts, or will “non-techies” be helped too? Ask questions about the time spent training and get the perspective of others who have implemented this software.

Those are 3 key areas where any software needs to fundamentally sound. If you are considering adding or upgrading software, please be sure to ask these key questions.

If you want to explore software that “blocks and tackles,” download this report: The Unofficial Guide to Electronic Case Management. It’s free, concise, and packed with information that can better help you understand your options.