Zendesk, a Non-Profit's Dream.

I’ll generalize a bit: most nonprofits just aren’t set up to experiment with their tech stack. That’s not a knock—it’s just the reality. They’re busy doing the work, and let’s face it, most aren’t super nerdy.

As I write this from a JetBlue gate at San Diego International Airport, I find myself daydreaming about... closing tickets. The kind that get triaged to my team and me through our helpdesk. It's second nature now. Any time I check my iPhone, I might see a Zendesk notification waiting for me.

Wait—what’s Zendesk?

Back in 2012, when our team doubled from two to four, I pitched Zendesk as our helpdesk solution. It's simple: an inquiry comes in, a ticket is created, we get notified, we respond, and eventually, we resolve it. It also doubles as a powerful FAQ platform—customizable and user-friendly—with the added bonus of blog-style conversations at the bottom of each article.

But can’t we just stick with a shared Gmail account?

Sure, you can. We did. In fact, we had multiple shared inboxes and aliases, all leading into a messy Gmail catchall. If that sounds familiar, you’re not doing it wrong—but you could be doing it better. Zendesk brings structure, clarity, and scalability to your inbound chaos.

And if your setup is even more duct-taped than that... well, you might already know you need help.

So, why Zendesk?

Here’s what I was hoping for when we signed up:

• A single inbox to rule them all. I wanted a central place for inquiries that wasn’t my personal or work email.

• Smarter routing. No more time-wasting email threads—just reassign a ticket to the right person with a click.

• Better service. We run an online store and get plenty of “Where’s my order?!” messages. Zendesk helps us respond faster and with fewer dropped balls.

• A real, dynamic FAQ. Finally, a place to post policies and reduce repetitive questions.

And here’s what we’ve learned:

• It’s worth the investment. Zendesk isn’t free, but it pays off.

• You still have to drive. It’s not a magic wand. You’ll need to create macros, set rules, and stay on top of it.

• Know your users. Some people won’t love getting a ticket number. Legacy folks might be confused. Communicate the shift clearly.

• Don’t overuse it. We once tried scheduling a meeting via Zendesk. Ten messages later... we switched to email. Know when to step outside the system.

• Use the feedback. Zendesk can automatically send follow-up surveys after tickets are closed. Critical feedback helps us improve fast.

• Crowdsource your FAQs. Don’t write them in a vacuum. What seems obvious to you might be confusing to others.

• Make your FAQ pages fun. They don’t have to look like a dusty helpdesk relic.

• Track performance. Zendesk gives great data—who’s crushing it, who’s not, and how fast your team responds.

Bottom line: Zendesk isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s been a game-changer for us. Like anything else in your tech stack, you get out what you put in.