Throughout the conference, Social Solutions’ employees and their partners led breakout sessions offering tips and lessons on how to use software and technology to scale operations, serve constituents more efficiently and effectively, and report results and impact to current and potential donors.

The three winners of the Impact Award were announced at the opening night welcome reception. Urban Strategies, Blue Star Recyclers, and San Diego Housing Commission Achievement Academy each received a $2,500 grant presented by Kristin Nimsger, Social Solutions’ CEO, recognizing the support they provide their communities, their commitment to measuring and tracking impact, and their use of ETO or Apricot Software to have a greater impact on the populations they serve.

The second day featured a keynote ‘fireside chat’ with Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners and Social Solutions’ CEO Kristin Nimsger. Smith is one of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 2017 Philanthropy 50 and Forbes’ 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. Mr. Smith answered questions about his approach to philanthropy, his thoughts on how organizations can best serve and most effectively scale operations, and overall trends that he sees in the nonprofit and social service sectors. Mr. Smith also took a number of questions from the audience, engaging with attendees and discussing the issues most important to them.

“From beginning to end, you could feel the energy of great minds blending technology and purpose to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Energized by the opening night party with Josh Halverson and the Impact Awards, nonprofit leaders were inspired by the fireside chat with Robert Smith and packed breakout sessions with best practice sharing, collaboration, and relationship building,” said Kristin Nimsger, CEO of Social Solutions. “We look forward to being right there in the trenches with our customers as they seek to have even greater impact in the communities they serve.”