This episode of the Nonprofit Report features Marnie Webb, CEO of TechSoup, and Geri Jin Doran, COO and EVP of Finance & Administration. The conversation explores TechSoup’s work helping nonprofit organizations access technology while navigating rapid changes in technology, artificial intelligence, and organizational needs. The discussion also examines financial sustainability, operational discipline, staff development, and how TechSoup continues to adapt while keeping its mission and the organizations it serves at the center.
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Guests:
- Geri Jin Doran, COO, EVP Finance & Administration, TechSoup
- Marnie Webb, CEO, TechSoup
Key Points
- TechSoup began by connecting nonprofits with technology expertise and donated software and has grown into an organization serving nonprofits around the world.
- The organization balances its social mission with financial sustainability through grants and revenue-generating programs.
- TechSoup is adapting its work in response to rapidly changing technology, including artificial intelligence.
- The organization emphasizes operational discipline while creating space to experiment with new approaches that could benefit the nonprofits it serves.
- Staff communication, professional development, inclusion, and collaboration are important parts of maintaining a strong global organization.
Other Points on TechSoup
TechSoup’s origins were rooted in a simple idea: people with technology knowledge were willing to help nonprofits, while donated software could be repurposed for organizations that needed it. Over several decades, that idea developed into a global organization helping millions of nonprofits access donated and discounted software, while also providing additional services such as NGOsource.
Financial sustainability is an important consideration in TechSoup’s operations. Geri Jin Doran explained that the organization balances its mission and social impact with the need to sustain its own operations through a combination of grants and revenue-generating programs. This balance is particularly important because many of the nonprofits TechSoup serves have limited resources of their own.
Artificial intelligence and rapidly changing technology are creating both challenges and opportunities. Marnie Webb described the need to continue strengthening established programs while creating teams that can quickly test new ideas and identify opportunities that provide real value to nonprofits. TechSoup is also considering approaches such as frugal AI that can help organizations use technology while remaining mindful of costs and resources.
The conversation also emphasized the importance of people within a technology-focused organization. TechSoup maintains communication across its distributed global workforce, supports employee-led groups, and encourages staff to learn and adapt together. The organization’s approach recognizes that technological change should be accompanied by investment in people, collaboration, and a continued connection to the mission.