Project Management for Nonprofits by NTEN Lab Portland

Nonprofit technology projects come in all types and sizes, and managing them is rarely anyones primary job. Success is often found not in simply getting “the thing” done, but in managing the process along the way.

It’s easy to understand how nonprofit staff get sidled with project management in the course of their work: you manage the website for your organization, so it just makes sense that you are responsible for the upcoming website redesign project, right? Likewise for the CRM migration, email platform transition, and on, and on.

Nervous about helming such a transition? That’s where this Lab comes in.

Managing a technology-related project for your nonprofit can seem like a daunting task, whether you have experience in project management or not. Each project and organization presents its own unique set of challenges. Even if you feel like you have a good system in place, having a chance to connect with other’s approaches and perspectives can be an eye-opening experience.

During this Lab, we will spend the day working through strategies, frameworks, and best practices to help guide you through the range of technology-related projects that you encounter and how to better manage them for success. Be prepared for exercises that will get you thinking about a particular project your organization is currently working on or getting ready to begin. Also come ready to share your experiences, tips, and lessons learned with the rest of the group as we work to learn as a community.

At the NTEN Lab, you will learn how to:

• Oversee project budgets
• Develop project plans
• Reign in scope creep
• Manage internal communications & expectations
• Handle vendor relationships
• Monitor & evaluate the “success” of your project

About the NTEN Lab

The NTEN Lab is an in-person, collaborative space for shared learning, as well as an opportunity to connect with your peers to explore different ways to manage technology-related projects for your organization. This hands-on workshop is focused on bringing in your organization’s context in a way that allows you to learn from and support others in the nonprofit community.