Our mission is to make a difference to the grant-making community through the design and implementation of transformational services and Salesforce solutions. To achieve this, we rely on our values to guide us.

As we approach the end of 2022, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how we have continued to live by our values throughout the year.

#1 Take pride in what we do

Hyphen8 serve nonprofit customers at all stages of their Salesforce journey. Some may be new to grant management on Salesforce, while others may be well-established and looking for ongoing support. Regardless of where they are, all customers can expect the same level of care and attention from our team. Our staff take great pride in their work and even when things didn’t go as originally planned, we have stayed committed to turning things around. It is this approach that allows us to deliver the best possible service and helps us to achieve our shared mission of making a difference to the nonprofit sector and those that they serve.

#2 Think creatively

One of the ways that Hyphen8 has demonstrated creative thinking in 2022 is through the ongoing development of our Accelerators. These pre-built solutions address common needs of our customers, such as our Tagging Accelerator which supplements Salesforce standard functionality to enhance reporting for better tracking of impact. By investing our own time and resources into developing these solutions, we deliver value to our customers quickly and efficiently.

I have seen first-hand how our Accelerators have helped our customers achieve success in 2022. By providing them with the tools they need to succeed, we support their missions and make a positive impact on the nonprofit sector. We will continue to think creatively and develop new solutions in the future. As our specialists continue to learn, they’re always thinking of innovative ways to keep building on (and developing new) tools.

#3 Make a difference

The “8” in Hyphen8 represents our pledge to donate 8% of our profits to support nonprofits in delivering their missions more efficiently, aligning with our broader goal of making a difference the nonprofit sector.

In addition to our financial contributions, we have also taken steps to reduce our environmental impact. This year, we formed an action group HyphenEarth to explore ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint and achieve negative emissions. We also make regular contributions to Ecologi to offset our impact and fund environmental projects around the world.

The team are encouraged to support charities close to their own hearts, such as our Impact Manager who ran the Bath Half Marathon in aid of Designability.

#4 Support each other

In 2022, we continued to create a supportive and inclusive work environment, despite all working remotely. Our staff took the time to regularly check in with each other, and participate in social calls, wellbeing calls, and coffee catch-ups, helping us to build strong and supportive relationships, even though we are not always in the same room.

One of the great things about working at Hyphen8 is knowing that you can always count on your colleagues for support. Whether you need help with a project, advice on a problem, or just someone to talk to, there are 40 friendly faces who are always happy to help.

An example of the supportive nature of our organisation is the internal certification and learning groups that many of our staff are a part of. These groups provide an opportunity for us to share knowledge and resources, and to support each other in our professional development. It is something that I personally value, and I believe it has helped us to grow and succeed as a team.

#5 Nurture personal development

We are fortunate to have a diverse team with a range of personalities, skills, and strengths. This mix of talents and perspectives is what makes us unique as a consultancy.

To support the personal and professional development of our staff, Hyphen8 continued personal development plans and provided quarterly learning days in 2022. These initiatives allowed our staff to focus on their own growth and development and resulted in multiple certifications being achieved across the Salesforce platform. In addition, many of our staff have advanced in their current roles or moved into new positions within the company.

#6 Share our knowledge

Over the year, we continued to share our knowledge with our customers. One channel of knowledge sharing was our ongoing webinars, covering a range of topics related to grant management. These were designed to provide best practice information and insights that would help our customers improve their internal processes.

A personal highlight was our Participatory Grantmaking Webinar, which featured Hannah Paterson, a founder of the Participatory Grantmaking Community of Practice. We discussed the benefits and challenges of participatory grantmaking and shared our experiences of how engaging communities can make philanthropy more effective and democratic.

Another way that we shared our knowledge with our customers in 2022 was through our Grant Management event held at Salesforce’s London HQ. This brought together experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices in the field. It was a valuable opportunity for our guests to learn from some of the leading figures in the industry, and to network with others in the sector.

#7 Celebrate achievement

We were thrilled to be named as Salesforce’s NonProfit Partner of the Year for 2022, which recognised the outstanding work we have accomplished. This award was testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, and we are incredibly proud to receive it. A fair few glasses were raised in celebration!

In addition to this prestigious award, we also celebrated the achievement of multiple Salesforce certifications by our team members. This reflects our staff’s commitment to their own personal and professional development, and we are proud to have such a talented and skilled team.

Congratulations to everyone on our team for their contributions to our success!

#8 Don’t forget to have fun

Whilst achieving our business goals and delivering value to our customers is important, we also believe that it is important to have fun and maintain a positive work environment. In 2022, we made sure to prioritise having fun!

A highlight for me was our all-company trip to Center Parcs to celebrate Hyphen8’s 10th birthday. This was a great opportunity for our team to get to know each other outside of work, bond in a relaxed setting, and celebrate all that we have accomplished. In addition to this trip, we also organized and participated in regular social events and outings throughout the year.

Overall, 2022 was a fantastic year for Hyphen8 and our customers. We experienced growth, achieved many successes, and continued to live by our values. We are proud of all that we have accomplished, and we are excited to continue supporting our customers in the future.

Looking back on the year, we are grateful for the support and recognition we have received, and we are proud of the contributions made by every team member. We will continue to work hard, think creatively, make a difference, support each other, nurture personal development, and share our knowledge. By living by our values, we look forward to continuing to help our nonprofit customers succeed in the years to come.