The Nonprofit Starter Pack Community Contributor Highlights – Meet Kathryn Lee

“The Nonprofit Starter Pack (NPSP) Community Contributor Highlights” blog series features a NPSP community member every month to showcase the many ways the community is getting involved with NPSP.

Give us a little background on who you are.
My name is Kathryn Lee. I am the Director of Data Analytics and Quality Improvement for Catholic Charities of the East Bay. I am a certified Salesforce Administrator, having worked in the platform for three years. I’ve been in the nonprofit sector for the majority of my career, starting with an international NGO and later with social service agencies. I have used a variety of databases, but Salesforce was love at first click.

Why do you contribute to the Nonprofit Starter Pack?
I contribute to the Nonprofit Starter Pack through my involvement in the Power of Us Hub and as a member of the Nonprofit Starter Pack Advisory Board. I began listing the reasons why I am involved with NPSP. The list was too long for one blog, so I narrowed it down to two:

1. People: If you had told me when I started working in Salesforce that I would find a community of like-minded folks to collaborate with, I would have said you were crazy. But that is exactly what I have found. A place to share my struggles and receive encouragement, a place to ask seemingly silly questions and receive answers without judgement, a place to share breakthroughs and receive virtual high-fives, and a place to offer help and encouragement in return. The environment in the Power of Us Hub is infectious and motivating.
2. Possibilities: I love the endless possibilities inherent in Salesforce and the NPSP. Every time I learn about a new capability, I walk into conversations with new possible solutions. I also appreciate that even though NPSP’s primary focus is fundraising, it is valuable in tracking client services and outcomes.

What contribution are you most proud of?
I am most proud (actually honored is a better word for it) of being selected by my peers for the NPSP Advisory Board. One of the best aspects I feel I have to contribute is firing up discussions among the people in the Power of Us Hub about the possibilities that await us all. How can Salesforce help us track and demonstrate community impact and social change? How can the NPSP take nonprofits from measuring outputs and outcomes to measuring transformations and hope instilled in others through our services? Will you join me in conversation?