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Recent Articles,Insights, Analysis

Association Software Selection
Independent software selection consulting for association executives. SmartThoughts provides objective guidance through every technology decision—from requirements gathering and vendor matching to RFP management and contract negotiation. Our consultants help Executive Directors, CIOs, and Deputy Directors navigate AMS selection, advocacy platforms, fundraising software, and integrated technology stacks. Get unbiased analysis, verified vendor comparisons, and strategic implementation planning—all


Do Groups Make Better Software Decisions?
It is no surprise to many that organizations rely on groups,teams, or committees to come up with a decision on software. In fact, it’s...


If All You Have is a Hammer! Right!?
In this article, we will shed some light on the challenges and inherent issues with software assessment or software selection consulting bei


How much should you pay for Association Nonprofit Software
How much does AMS membership software cost? And, how much should we budget? In this article, we wanted to explore the money questions we...


Behind the Psychology of Buying New Nonprofit Software: Shaking the Status Quo
1. Why change? Selecting software is a big decision. You must be more attracted to the potential benefits of change than the present...


Software may seem like a commodity today but culture and support is not
Vendor partner culture matters! In today’s association software market, there are a considerable amount of options. In fact, we have...


Should you build Membership or Donor software internally?
Recently we have fielded a resurgence of questions from clients evaluating new association membership software options who want to know...


Going Rogue, The Shadow IT path to disparate systems
The number one reason we receive from Nonprofit Executives (501(c)(3) & Associations) today for exploring a new enterprise software...


What can 3 Idiots teach us about technology?
While working at a former company, I felt very fortunate to work with a diverse workforce. With this diversity, we are able to benefit...


Starting a Nonprofit? The Power of Voice in Software Selection
We have another year of “The Voice” on TV now. If you are not familiar with the show, The Voice, it is an American reality television...


Avoid Monkey Jumping to and from Association Software
And so begins the holiday season! CHEERS! ‘Tis a season marked by damp weather, muddy feet and a community sentiment that one must buy...


Like Thanksgiving, Finding The Best Software Is Unique For Every Organization
The Best Software Is Unique For You! It’s Thanksgiving! It is that time of year when we are either heading off to the market (to pick up...


5 Quick Tips For Selecting Database Software for Nonprofits
In the course of working with a client, consultants should be able to be direct. In this article, we want to do just that. There is a...


Key Tips in Selecting Membership Software for Nonprofits
Effective selection of Membership Software for nonprofits must start first with outlining exactly your vision and goals as they pertain to t


Is Lowest Price The Priority in Software Decisions?
Should you pay the least amount to get your desired results? We dig into why price should not be the most important decision in your nonprof
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