ABN Spotlights Matt Clark, ABN Trainer & Partner Development Manager at Kindful

Meet Matt Clark, Partner Development Manager at Kindful. Kindful is a fully integrated online fundraising CRM, and was founded with a simple idea in mind: nonprofits should be able to spend less time focused on their database and more time focused on their mission. Matt will be facilitating a breakout session at our ABN Impact Exchange 2016 Conference on October 4th, entitled “Who Are You Talking To? Why Modern Marketing Needs Modern Campaign Thinking.” If you’re at the conference, be sure to check out his session and stop by Kindful’s expo booth!

What is your profession/title?

I am Partner Development Manager at Kindful.

Where are you from originally?

Michigan, but I’ve been in Nashville for the last 6+ years.

What are your hobbies?

You can most likely find me enjoying the outdoors in some way, shape, or form in my free time.

What is your education or other background/experience?

I have a Master of Education in Nonprofit Leadership from Belmont University. I am the former Executive Director of Promise for Haiti and Product & UX Manager at Creative Trust.

How did you get into your line of work?

My experience in the nonprofit sector and with software development brought me to Kindful. I was also an early customer of Kindful while I was the Executive Director of Promise for Haiti. I followed the company during its growth and recently join forces to help the them build a partnership program.

What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?

It’s very exciting to be a part of a growing technology company that is developing solutions to help nonprofit organizations be more effective.

Are there other organizations/causes where you serve as a volunteer?

I recently rolled off of the board of directors for Rooftop Nashville, an organization doing great work to help provide emergency aid in order to prevent people from falling into homelessness.

What experiences/mentors/resources have helped you be an effective leader and trainer?

I have worked with some great people in the past and present and have had some great teachers that have shaped me into the person I am today.

Publications I recommend include the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Business Review, and podcasts, podcasts, and more podcasts.

For books, I suggest Leadership is an Art by Max DePree, Drive by Daniel Pink, Leading Change by John Kotter, and The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge.

Do you have advice for anyone involved with the nonprofit sector?

Don’t forget that as a nonprofit organization, you are a business. And while that might scare some as they get into the nonprofit sector for the mission, staying diligent to running your organization as a well-oiled machine will help you fulfill your mission more effectively. Staying focused, setting clear objectives, and telling a consistent story will help you engage your staff, donors, and board.

What do you plan to cover at the ABN Impact Exchange Conference?

I’ll be covering ways in which to align your overall organizational strategy with modern marketing strategies to better engage the key stakeholders in your organization. I will share examples from my experiences in the nonprofit sector as well as the startup sector, and show how a nonprofit can align its mission and tailor its campaigns to inspire donors.

What are you most excited for about the ABN Impact Exchange Conference?

Kindful is excited to meet and engage with the nonprofit organizations of East Tennessee. We are excited to be able to be a part of the great work being done right here in our home state!

Meet Matt and other nonprofit experts at the 1st Annual ABN Impact Exchange 2016 Conference on October 4, 2016 at Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville, TN. For details and registration, go to betternonprofits.org/conference.