Sales Force

By: Jamie Bruning-Miles, CEO, YMCA of San Francisco

On March 16, 2020, the shelter-in-place order was instituted in California. On March 17, 2020, we held our first Pop-Up Y Kids emergency childcare program at our YMCA location in San Francisco’s Mission District. 

That initial Pop-Up Y Kids on March 17 would be the first of many to come. In fact, the program has evolved into what we now call Community Hubs — comprehensive programs comprising childcare, academics, enrichment opportunities, and physical activity, of which we now have about 30 across the Bay Area. Pop-Up Y Kids would also serve as the catalyst for a number of YMCA initiatives aimed at supporting essential workers, families, and kids through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. 

We’re proud that what we’re delivering to our YMCA San Francisco community hasn’t changed — we just began delivering it in a different way in 2020.

I don’t have to tell you, but 2020 was quite a year! Despite all the hardships that COVID-19 brought last year in 2020, there is still a lot to be thankful for because of our amazing Salesforce.org community. It was so inspiring to see the community come together to support one other: we saw virtual sprints with attendees from around the globe, community groups meeting virtually for the first time, and community members stepping up to help and support each other.

I know everyone’s probably ready to dive into 2021 and leave 2020 behind…but before we do that, let’s take a look at the top 10 highlights from the Salesforce.org community. These highlights run the gamut and include things like product updates, important announcements, and community milestones.

1. Awesome New Salesforce.org Products, Features, Fixes, and Updates

In April 2020, we announced new innovations in Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud that would help … Read more

By: Laura Goff, Associate Dean, School of Undergraduate Studies, Excelsior College

Part of providing the ultimate student experience also involves providing the best faculty and staff experience. Now more than ever, institutions are taking swift measures to ensure that faculty and staff feel safe, supported, and have the best employee experience possible — regardless of whether they are in a classroom or their living room.

There has been a surge in companies investing in technology to enhance their employee experience — and this is no different for higher education. For our team at Excelsior College, an accredited not-for-profit online institution, we’re providing more efficient experiences for our faculty and staff through our new faculty management solution.

We know that the student experience often depends on those who interact with our students on a daily basis — our faculty. Supporting them holistically not only makes for a stronger institution, it also … Read more

The global pandemic has introduced new challenges for recruitment and admissions leaders in higher education. Institutions that have relied on international students to bolster enrolment are faced with closed borders and travel bans. On some occasions, it’s still unclear which of the technologies adopted over the last year will withstand the test of time. Shifting to digital has also proven to be a large hurdle for some to overcome. 

Others, though, have used these challenges as opportunities — shifting to digital has opened new avenues to engage with prospective students. Virtual open days — online events where prospective students can learn more about the university — have been very successful for institutions across Europe and the U.K. This can be largely attributed to higher education evolving to meet both the needs of students and the demand for digital-first experiences by building inclusive and diverse student cohorts over recent years.

In … Read more