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When nonprofit leaders prepare to invest in a new nonprofit ERP or software ecosystem, the focus usually lands on the obvious: budgets, timelines, and features. Those are important, of course. But again and again, organizations discover that what really makes or breaks an ERP journey are the blind spots: the less visible people, process, and planning factors that don’t always make it onto the project plan. 

Over the years, we’ve noticed some consistent blind spots that can derail even the best ERP plans. They tend to show up at different points along the journey: before implementation, during the rollout, right after go-live, and in the long-term management of the system. 

Before Nonprofit ERP Implementation: Laying the Groundwork 

1. Data Readiness and Governance 

For many nonprofits, years — even decades — of information live across spreadsheets, legacy systems, and sometimes even filing cabinets full of paper records. Hidden in all that history are problems: duplicate data, inconsistent or incorrect entries, outdated accounts, and in some cases, data that’s simply been lost. 

Moving everything into a new ERP system won’t solve those issues. In fact, it usually makes them harder to untangle later. That’s why a deep data audit is one of the most important early steps in an ERP project. Which information should be migrated, archived, or retired? Who is responsible for validating it? And perhaps most importantly, who will own and manage that data once the system is live? 

Governance is often treated as an afterthought but putting a clear structure in place up front keeps your information clean and reliable over time. 

One nonprofit that learned this first-hand was the National Arts Centre, which invested significant time in process documentation and preparation before moving to Sparkrock. Their approach paid off! You can read more about their ERP journey in their success story here. 

2. Process Over Product 

Too often, teams rush into the vendor selection process by booking demos, comparing features, and getting dazzled by shiny new functionality before they have taken a hard look at their current processes. What is working well? What is not? What is missing altogether? How much manual work could be automated? 

Demos can be exciting, but if you do not know your baseline, it is easy to be swayed by features that may not actually solve your organization’s pain points. The most successful nonprofits flip the script. They use ERP as a chance to step back and rethink how work gets done. 

Instead of forcing the new system to mirror outdated processes, they identify where improvements are needed and align with system best practices. This reduces the need for costly customizations and helps ensure the ERP will scale with the organization. 

One example of this approach comes from the National Arts Centre, which spent a full year preparing before even approaching vendors. By documenting their existing processes and identifying areas for improvement first, they entered vendor conversations with clarity and confidence.

3. Get Staff Involved Early 

ERP implementation is as much a cultural shift as it is a technical one. A common blind spot is the assumption that staff will naturally get on board once the project begins. Most often, people need to be prepared, supported, and encouraged to become part of the change. 

Successful organizations create an environment where a core group of champions emerges. These are the people who understand the project, advocate for it with their peers, and keep energy high when challenges come up. Leaders cannot expect these champions to appear on their own. They need to be identified, nurtured, and given space to influence the project. 

Making team members feel valued is key. Invite feedback, adopt good ideas no matter where they come from, and celebrate small wins along the way. Just as important, be open and transparent about the project. Share regular updates and prepare staff for what is coming, rather than surprising them with a new system at the last minute. 

When people see that their input matters and they are part of the process, resistance begins to fade. What starts as skepticism can shift into ownership, and ownership is what sustains momentum. 

During Implementation: Building Momentum 

4. Make Training Continuous 

Training is not a one-time event. Old and new staff alike need ongoing support, and a single session is never enough to build lasting adoption. Think about your own experience. How much do you really remember from your initial software training? Do you have it all memorized? Probably not. That is why relying on a single round of training almost always leads to frustration. Too often, nonprofits front-load training before launch and then wonder why confidence fades six months later. 

A stronger approach is to build a rhythm of learning. Offer pre–go-live sessions to get staff comfortable, schedule deep dives on specific features, and keep regular Q&A forums open so questions can be addressed as they arise. Continual learning after go-live reinforces adoption and builds confidence. 

It also pays to identify and develop power users. These are the people who not only understand the system deeply but are willing to share that knowledge with others. Empowering them creates a network of internal experts who can guide colleagues, onboard new staff, and keep momentum alive. 

The National Arts Centre put this into practice during their ERP implementation. They introduced weekly sessions that alternated between training on new features and open Q&A discussions. The team enjoyed the format so much that they continued it long after go-live, creating an ongoing cycle of learning and support. Read more about their journey here. 

5. Make Space for Staff to Support the Project 

Burnout is an all-too-common reality in the nonprofit sector, and the demands of a major ERP project can heighten that strain—especially for organizations that have not introduced new technology in many years. On top of their day-to-day responsibilities, staff are suddenly expected to join workshops, test scenarios, clean data, and learn entirely new processes. It is necessary work, but it can quickly feel like a second job. 

The blind spot many leaders miss is failing to plan for this extra workload. Acknowledging the pressure is the first step. Building it into schedules, planning ahead, and even hiring temporary staff to take on day-to-day tasks can free up power users to focus on testing and training. 

It is also important to think about continuity. What happens if your only power user goes on vacation, or worse, needs extended time off due to burnout? Without planning, the momentum of the project can stall. Phased rollouts can help reduce fatigue by starting with core functions and adding more only when staff are ready, but they work best when paired with clear planning around workload and backup support. 

Every nonprofit is different, and leaders need to decide what support will help their teams most. Whether it is additional staff, adjusted timelines, or a phased approach, considering staff capacity early ensures that the project moves forward without overwhelming the people responsible for making it a success. 

6. Think Ahead About Integrations 

ERP systems rarely live in isolation. Payroll, HR, donor management, and reporting tools often need to connect in some way. Blind spots emerge when organizations overlook the power of integration or fail to consider it during implementation. The result is frustration after go-live when teams realize that essential systems are still disconnected. 

The shift to cloud-based platforms has opened up a wide range of integration possibilities, but only if they are planned for in advance. Thinking about integrations early, even if some are deferred to later phases, helps avoid costly retrofits and ensures smoother operations across the organization. 

Start by taking an inventory of your entire tech stack. Which systems could or should be integrated right away? Are there tools that are no longer serving their purpose and could be sunset? Are there other solutions that might be worth adopting in the future? These questions shape a roadmap that prevents your ERP from becoming another silo and instead positions it as the hub of your organization’s technology ecosystem. 

Post-Go-Live Priorities 

7. Make Reporting a Priority From Day One 

A major reason nonprofits move away from legacy systems is the need for stronger reporting capabilities. Boards, funders, and leaders rely on timely, accurate data, and waiting until “after the dust settles” to prioritize reporting is a mistake. That delay often leaves people frustrated when the insights they expected are nowhere to be found. 

Reporting should be treated as a day-one priority. Work with your ERP selection committee to identify which KPIs each department is already tracking and which ones should be added once the system is live. These reporting decisions can directly shape how the ERP is configured, making it critical to establish priorities before implementation. Defining KPIs, building dashboards, and setting up reporting structures early ensures the organization can measure progress and begin making data-driven decisions from the start. 

It is also important to consider how in-depth your reporting needs to be. For some organizations, the base reports within the ERP may be enough. For others, advanced tools like Power BI can unlock deeper insights and richer visualizations. Thinking about these needs in advance helps you take advantage of the reporting power your ERP was designed to deliver. 

Early wins in reporting build trust and momentum. When staff and leadership see the value of the system through clear, accessible insights, adoption increases and confidence in the ERP grows stronger. 

Making Your Nonprofit ERP Work for You in the Long-Run 

8. Governance Doesn’t End Go-Live 

So, the ERP system is up and running. Now what? A common blind spot is assuming the work is finished once you reach go-live. In reality, you’re just getting started! Without ongoing sponsorship and governance, systems drift, adoption fades, and the investment loses value. 

Strong governance keeps the ERP healthy long term. That means deciding who will govern the system, who will continue leading training, and how often progress will be reviewed. Regular check-ins create space to measure adoption, track performance, and discuss enhancements as needs evolve. 

Leadership also plays a critical role. When executives remain engaged and continue to champion the system, it signals to staff that ERP is not just another project, but a core part of how the organization operates. 

Over time, the more your team uses the system, the more they learn. And as comfort grows, you may discover new features or capabilities that were not part of your initial rollout but can now deliver even more value. Continuous training and exploration help organizations take full advantage of their ERP investment instead of letting it plateau. 

Wrap Up 

ERP projects rarely fail because of the technology itself. More often, they falter under the weight of hidden factors that can make an implementation go sideways: data governance, process design, staff buy-in, ongoing training, realistic roll-out, integration planning, early reporting, and long-term governance. That is a lot of pressure for any nonprofit team to manage on their own. 

The good news is that you do not have to. Our team has years of experience guiding organizations through successful ERP implementations, helping them anticipate blind spots and build the confidence to move forward. 

Are you starting to think about a new software investment? Whether your timeline is six months or two years away, now is the time to prepare. Connect with our team to talk through your needs and take the first steps toward a smoother, more sustainable implementation.