Author: Rachel Schipul

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A fond farewell from Rachel and a celebration of new beginnings

Rachel Schipul

To our Tendenci clients, you are changing the world. It has been a privilege to be a leader for the company and the community, and I thank you all for the opportunity.

It is with mixed emotions that I say that last Friday December 6, 2019, was my last official day with Tendenci. I say “official” because you never really leave a community that you care deeply about. (And don’t worry, Ed is still guiding the ship with the help of a strong team.)

I have been an avid part of the growth of Tendenci from a small, proprietary software product launched almost twenty years ago into the global, multilingual, open source resource it is today. My enthusiasm for Tendenci is as strong now as ever. And I’m proud of what we have accomplished.

I have truly enjoyed working with so many great people over the years, both the amazing employees who feed my soul and the wealth of Tendenci users who keep me challenged. Software, like a garden, is never finished. It is designed, built, tended, and constantly improved. Keeping things fresh, adding new functionality, and building on the latest technology are the core of a thriving environment.

To everyone I have worked with, keep moving forward. I know there are great things ahead for you and all of the Tendenci community!

Feel free to connect with me (Rachel on linkedin) as I move forward knowing Tendenci is in good hands and our clients are safe and growing! I will still be in the background keeping Ed in line and celebrating the future successes of Tendenci and the community as they happen. Rock on y’all!

(Editor “Ed” notes: THANK YOU RACHEL FOR YOUR HUGE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR GLOBAL GROWTH!)

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Bootstrap theming on Tendenci

Yes! You can change the look of your Tendenci website with the replacement of one word in your theme. We are excited to make this a reality for all Tendenci developers.

Tendenci News Feed Using Different Bootswatch Themes
Tendenci News Feed Using Different Bootswatch Themes

Tendenci is built on Bootstrap 3.x for optimal mobile-responsiveness. Use pre-built Bootswatch themes to customize your site.

The power of open source! The freedom to be you!!

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NonProfits and Associations Love Tendenci

Tendenci Association Websites

Written specifically for the NPO/Association market, Tendenci has continued to grow and adapt to meet the specific needs of these groups. From building on an open source framework that allows complete freedom  – to mobile responsive software design – to online forums and newsletter features that keep the community involved, Tendenci continues to invest in the NPO sector. And the NPO’s have responded!

We are pleased to continue our relationship with the following organizations that have recently released upgraded websites and extend a warm welcome to those that are new to the Tendenci community.

  1. University and College Designers Association Selects Tendenci for New Membership Website

    UCDA Tendenci Website

  2. Groundwater Resources Association of California Launches Tendenci Membership Management Website

    GRAC Tendenci Website

  3. The Children’s Assessment Center of Houston Releases New Mobile Tendenci Website

    CAC Houston Tendenci Website

  4. American Association of Singapore Launches Upgraded Mobile Tendenci Website For Their Membership

    AA Singapore Tendenci Website

  5. American Citizens Abroad, Inc. Launches Tendenci Membership Management Website

    American Citizens Abroad Tendenci Website

  6. Rice University Energy and Environment Initiative (EEi) Presents Transformative Solutions with New Website

    Rice University EEI Tendenci Website

  7. International Association of Directional Drilling Chooses Tendenci for Fast Launch of Member Website

    IADD Tendenci Website

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The World is a Big Place: We’ve Gone Virtual!

Two years in the making, November 2014 marked the launch of our initiative to be a virtually enabled team!

We have moved out of our corporate office space in Houston’s Energy Corridor and are now stretching our wings in the boundless space of working in the virtual world – any time, any place.

With employees and partners situated all over our lovely planet Earth, it only made sense to reduce our carbon footprint and embrace the flexibility that comes with working without walls. A lot of planning went in to setting the company up for this change, altering our processes and finding new systems that increased communication and tracking. Here are some of the things we have changed.

1. Using HipChat for internal communication.

hipchat

Our employees are online during corporate business hours and we have a running chat going for constant communication. By linking to client sites or helpdesk tickets, we can share information, collaborate on projects and retain our water cooler discussions. We also hold daily standup meetings via HipChat to make sure everyone has the information they need for the day ahead.

2. Implementing HelpDesk for client communication.

Helpdesk

Our new ticketing system at helpdesk.tendenci.com allows our clients to submit a request directly into the queue where any member of the team can grab the ticket and begin the dialogue. By having all requests in one place, tickets don’t get lost in one employee’s email, assistance can be shared among the team and we can spot trends that indicate where a systemic solution may be needed. Screenshots and other files can be uploaded to the tickets, too, for better communication.

3. Switching to a VoIP-based phone system.

If you are still reading, this is where we could really use your help! We are using a national VoIP vendor but have had calls dropped or not ring through. Very embarrassing. Can anyone recommend a good option for a virtual phone system? We love to talk to our clients! In the meantime, if you are having trouble reaching us over the phone, please use helpdesk.tendenci.com to ask your question so that we can reach you!

And while working in your slippers does have its advantages, sometimes you just need to meet up in person to review a project. Those of us in the Houston area still meet to collaborate as teams a couple of days a week at one of the many co-working facilities in town, such as the space at Houston Technology Center in Midtown and ShareSpace out on the East Side.

So if you drive by the old office, you won’t see our name out front as we are no longer rooted in one place. We have set up a mailbox for written correspondence at this address:

Tendenci, Inc.
14027 Memorial Drive #177
Houston, Texas 77079-6826

And our dropbox for payments remains:

Tendenci, Inc.
P.O. BOX 301750
Dallas, Texas 75303-1750

But as to where we are physically located, well… spread out a world map, close your eyes and point. There we are!

(This is the first of three blog posts that discusses the tools we are using as the brain can only process so much in one day. Talking about mine, not yours! We welcome any feedback on tools you have used in your virtual work environment to increase communication – the biggest hurdle we are facing a dispersed team.)

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New to the board? 3 important reports you need from your Tendenci website.

Welcome to the board! Serving on the board is an exciting, and sometimes challenging, way to make a difference in your organization. You have probably received a binder or notes from the previous board member, a stack of old agendas and monthly income reports, perhaps a printout of old email exchanges that detail decisions made, copies of vendor receipts and hopefully, a plan for the coming year. Suffice it to say, you are awash in information! So why pile on one more piece? Because these three reports will give you the birds-eye view you need to kick off the year.

You may be thinking, “But my position has nothing to do with the website. We have a board member who has the title Website Guru. She takes care of all that.” And many boards have appointed someone to be in charge of the website. Some organizations even have a dedicated webmaster, either paid or volunteer, that manages the site. But your website is chock full of tools that help in all areas of association management. Here’s where to look.

    1. Invoice Reports

Reviewing these reports will show you (1) how much money you are bringing in through your website and (2) which modules are being used to generate revenue.

Your site’s primary functions are communication, administrative efficiency and revenue generation. At the most basic level, you should see dollars generated by Memberships (new members and renewals) and Event registrations. Many organizations have told us their Job Bank is more than covering the cost of their website. Are you charging companies to post openings to your Job Bank? It’s both a member benefit and a revenue source! Same with Business Directories. Cause-related organizations should also verify they are set up to accept online Donations.

    2. Event Logs Summary

Pull up your Event Logs Summary to get a visual overview of your website activity. This summary, only found within Tendenci, shows color-coded activity on your site in a timeline format.

As your primary form of communication, you want to know how members are using your site. What days of the week are most active? How much traffic do you get prior to and following an event? Are members returning to the site after a newsletter goes out to read your articles or view photos? Do newsletters or photos increase event registrations? Use this data to understand your members and how to provide the right information at the right time.

    3. User Activity Summary

This report will tell you who are the most active users on your website.

If you are analyzing your site for its effectiveness, these are the people to talk to. What are they adding to the site? What do they find useful? What’s missing? What recommendations do they have for improvement? In effect, where should you put your focus? Your site reaches more people, companies, foundations and organizations that any mailer or phone call could. You need to know if it is working for you.

Overall, do not be intimidated by your website. All board members should be able to use this tool to help accomplish their goals for the organization. Whether you are in charge of memberships or events or publicity or finance or newsletters, you can use the data on your site to make you more efficient.

If you aren’t making use of these features to increase communication and revenue, ask your Website Guru “why not?” Or call us today and we can show you how easy it is to make your site work for you!

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New Invoicing Reports for Revenue Analysis and Payment Reconciliation

Tendenci Invoice Reports

How much money goes through your website each year? A thousand dollars? A hundred thousand? And where is it coming from? Jobs? Events? Are you really getting the most out of the features your website has to offer? Lots of questions! And now, some answers…

Tendenci Invoice Reports

Introducing Invoice Reports!

We are excited to release Invoice Reports to our clients! This set of advanced Invoice Reporting is a new feature for Tendenci 5.1 websites that provides information about which fundraising programs are bringing in the most money for your group.

These reports, run for a specific date range, return both summary and detailed information on all revenue-generating (or fundraising) modules on your site: Events, Memberships, Job Boards, Directories and Donations.

Now you can see, in one consolidated report, where the revenue is coming from and just how much your site is facilitating your fundraising efforts!

Accessing the Reports

Tendenci Invoice ReportsTo access the reports on your site, go to the Admin Bar and choose Reports > Invoice Reports. (You must be on Tendenci 5.1 to use this feature. If you do not see the Invoice Reports option, please contact either Support (5.0 users) or Sales (4.0 users) to upgrade!)

You will first see a list of any reports that have already been generated on your site. This allows you to build a report based on specific criteria and then run that report over and over again for different date ranges. Choose to rerun one of your previous reports or build a new one!

Using Reports for Reconciliation

One of the options you have with the reports is to choose invoice payment status: All, Invoices with an Open Balance, or Invoices with No Open Balance. This is great for the person who reconciles the money for your organization! If you allow people to place openings on your job board or register for events online but permit them to pay offline via check or cash, you can use this data to reconcile your payments.

Tendenci Invoice Reports
Sample Invoice Report Detail

Click on one of the revenue categories to jump down to the detailed invoice list for that group. From here, you can see each invoice and quickly locate those with an open balance. Click on the ID to open a specific invoice to see the detail, review contact information and mark the invoice as paid once payment has been received.

Invoice Reports Tell the Story!

Tendenci was specifically designed to help organizations raise funds for the programs and services that they offer. These reports will help you evaluate your different programs, determine your biggest moneymakers, reconcile your offline payments and get all of your revenue figures in one place.

So at the next board meeting, when the questions arise, you can show, real-time, with the exact data, the financial strength of your various fundraising activities!