Blog post

People First, then Technology

Matt Henry • Nov 17, 2025 9:15:50 AM

Do you ever feel like software changes just for the sake of change?
Or like you’re constantly trying to keep up with updates, systems, and new tools you never asked for?

This is technology-driven change—and it rarely improves the way people actually work.

When real improvement is needed, what nonprofits truly benefit from is people-centered change.


Technology Should Support People—Not Replace Their Workflow

Many organizations try to solve workflow challenges by updating technology first.
The problem is simple:

Technology is changing faster than your staff can adapt to it.

When tools change before people do, you get:

This is why so many Salesforce implementations fail to deliver what was promised.


Ascendably’s Approach: People First, Then Technology

At Ascendably, we design systems that reflect the real work your people do every day.
Our approach is straightforward:

  1. Listen to your team and understand their process

  2. Design workflows that support how they think and operate

  3. Test the solution with real users before building

  4. Then—and only then—configure Salesforce

This ensures the database supports your unique processes, not a generic template.

And by engaging your staff during design, we build confidence and readiness long before the system goes live.


The Result: Data That Actually Works for You

When your system is built around people first, you gain:

Most importantly, you gain the ability to make data-informed decisions.

You already own this data.
Your database should help you chart your nonprofit’s future—not get in the way.


Leadership, Not Technology, Drives Real Change

The right technology amplifies your team’s work.
But leadership choices—how you design change, how you support people, and how you structure workflows—determine whether that technology succeeds.


Let Your Data Work for You

Choose Ascendably to guide your organization with:
Clarity. Competence. Confidence.

Join hundreds of nonprofit leaders learning how to navigate change.

Lead With Us
People First