Todd Lapin,
Director of Strategic Accounts for SmartSimple, recently attended Volunteer
Canada’s Annual Business and Community Engagement Forum in Ottawa, Canada.
“This was the first time SmartSimple took part in this conference, and after an
amazing two days, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last,” said Todd.
Todd had the
opportunity to meet a variety of industry professionals, sharing experiences
and providing demonstrations of how SmartSimple helps companies streamline
their employee matching gift and volunteering processes. “It’s always great
when I introduce someone to our software for the first time, then see the
excitement on their faces when they realize what it can do for them,” he said.
Todd also
had the chance to attend a noteworthy presentation hosted by Stephanie
Robertson, President of SiMPACT Strategy Group. She spoke to attendees about
the future of volunteering in Canada and outlined some of the challenges
companies are facing today.
“It’s clear
there is an increased focus on volunteering programs in corporate culture. It’s
a hot trend now, with employees looking to support local charities and
not-for-profits by volunteering their time, sometimes during regular business
hours,” continues Todd. “The problem companies face is programs aren’t well
monitored or adequately communicated to their employees, making it difficult to
properly manage resources.”
The
presentation outlined an increasing need for better tracking, better metrics
and improved monitoring of time and activities. With nearly half of companies
surveyed for the presentation citing volunteering as a part of their flagship
or signature giving program, there is very definitely a need for the kinds of software
SmartSimple offers.
“Since each
of our software platforms can be personalized to meet the needs of any company,
there’s a real opportunity for us to help them by providing the technology that
supports their priorities for both employee giving and volunteering. We provide
managers with the tools to create a clear framework to communicate
philanthropic opportunities to staff and encourage them to participate. We also
provide the tools that help analyze and manage charitable activities, while
giving employees clear guidelines on how they can take part,” said Todd.
Next up, SmartSimple
will be attending the 2014 Fall Conference for Community Foundations, hosted by
the Council on Foundations in Cleveland, Ohio, from October 19 – 27, 2014. We
look forward to seeing you there!
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