Andy McMullan
July 10, 2023
1. What made you want to focus on working with nonprofits?
I started my career in the nonprofit sector and it’s become very clear to me that smaller charities with the correct set of tools can have an impact more than the sum of their parts.
I’ve worked supporting youth who are neurodivergent for the majority of my career and based on that service, my experience in the Canadian charitable sector, and my love of all things Salesforce, I’m pretty sure the nonprofit space is my home.
2. How did you get started in the Salesforce ecosystem?
I wrote and won a grant application to move a Microsoft Access database to a new cloud-based system and used the grant money to hire a Salesforce implementation partner. We had about 80 hours together to build a solution that would work across multiple dimensions for the organization. I bit off more than I could chew initially, learned a ton, and got hooked on making people’s day-to-day work not only easier but more far-reaching.
Sustainability is probably the biggest challenge facing nonprofits today, especially as inflation eats at our ability to properly plan for the future. I believe Salesforce can do much of the heavy lifting of administering a nonprofit, such that key staff can focus on the people benefitting from charitable work.
3. Do you have any advice for others looking to get into the ecosystem?
I consistently hear people tell stories in which they recognized fairly early on that Salesforce was something they wanted to be a part of. If you know you’ve got that feeling, then do your best to let go of second-guessing whether you have the credentials and instead put yourself in a scenario where you’ll find out.
Trailhead is a good place to start, but building something practical and having to problem-solve it yourself with whatever resources you have at your disposal seems to be a better way to develop the skill set. One wonderful thing to recognize is that your non-Saleforce experience can act as a multiplier for your efficacy as a consultant or administrator. Much of your success is dependent on your ability to relate with clients or users. Any pain points you used to experience in previous occupations that you can now solve for other people are going to be super gratifying. You’ve got this!
4. What made you want to join the Passion Fruit team?
The focus of the vision, specifically serving smaller to medium-sized nonprofits, was what got me interested in working at PFP. After meeting Clair, Junette, Reagan, and Ben, it became very clear to me that they have created a work culture that is focused on doing the right thing, taking care of clients and staff members alike, and building meaningful and lasting relationships.
I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to work at PFP and am excited to make a difference at many charities across North America for many years to come.
