Rosie's House and Sputnik Moment

As you walk through the indoor courtyard of Rosie’s House it’s not uncommon to see a child carrying a clarinet or guitar into a classroom while a supportive parent sits patiently outside. The sounds of music lessons and classes fill the space with hope, imagination and creativity. The goal of Rosie’s House is to invest in students from low-income families by providing a free after school music program including loaned instruments and weekly training. It’s a symbol for the power of opportunity and equitable access to the arts for Phoenix, the state and our nation. When you give young people opportunities, and remove financial barriers of participation, their lives, and the lives around them, are forever changed.

OmarMartinezAge13 — Omar Martinez, Age 13, Picture compliments of Rosie’s House

In preparation for Sputnik Moment’s first NPSP day (Nonprofit Starter Pack day) I reached out to Becky Bell Ballard, the Executive Director of Rosie’s House, with a few questions about her organization and their Salesforce integration. Rosie’s house just celebrated 20 years in operation and successfully transitioned from start-up to growth stage in organizational development. It’s not uncommon as an organization grows to find that data and systems fall behind their potential growth trajectory. During the 2015-2016 program year, Rosie’s House received a grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to invest in capacity. To assist in the transition, Rosie’s House allocated a portion of the grant to engage Sputnik Moment in developing an elegant solution to their data and system needs. Included in the package is a customized interface that is specific to Rosie’s House’s needs.

Once the Non Profit Starter Pack was customized and implemented Sputnik Moment and Rosie’s House worked to train staff to fully utilize the system. Becky shares her perspective about the real time use of Salesforce, “As my organization’s leader, my role with Salesforce is to ensure that my staff are maximizing the potential of the system. Also, I guide how Salesforce is used across departments to ensure it is effective and efficient. I also prioritize staff time and encourage my staff to have the space to dedicate to Salesforce.”

According to Becky, “The AZ non-profit climate is both collaborative and competitive in a positive and inspiring way. Salesforce helped Rosie’s House manage data reports, donor records and program records; Salesforce helps us to both fund the work that we do and to deliver on our mission.”

As with any new system, hurdles and barriers have arisen. One of the most common hurdles we address at Sputnik is the “learning curve.” It’s not uncommon for nonprofit employees to perform a wide variety of tasks. As employees diversify their skills the need for extended dynamic support is a must. This was the genesis of NPSP day. Sputnik Moment is proud to host the first ever Non Profit Starter Pack day on Friday, June 17, 2016 where local Phoenix nonprofits can attend for free to network, learn and contribute to the community.