Extension Engine
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Imagine having to design a new home. You sketch a floor plan. You pick gorgeous paint colors. You can already see yourself warm and cozy inside your new house. 

As nonprofits scale their impact, they want to stay true to the core values that serve their learners. Online programs allow organizations to help many more people than they could physically accommodate on-site. Yet preserving the effectiveness and camaraderie of in-person offerings while increasing reach can seem like a contradiction. 

Just like an in-person community, an online community is a place for people to share their expertise and their dedication to a common mission. When Extension Engine partnered with Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) to scale their in-person model, we realized that this nonprofit was connecting committed and knowledgeable stakeholders across the country. But they needed a communal space in which to learn from, encourage, and inspire one another. 

Digital transformation often begins with your search for the right tool or some ideal platform that will serve all of your needs. How often does it start with a conversation about what those needs actually are?

Have you ever heard the joke about the IT leader who lost her job because she purchased off-the-shelf software? No? Me neither. How about the one about users hating their job after their company purchased off-the-shelf software? Unfortunately, I’ve heard that one a lot, and it’s not a joke.