The People Behind CiviCRM Make All the Difference
Working with CiviCRM every day at the Wikimedia Foundation has given me a real appreciation for the people behind the system. As a user, I know how much we rely on Civi to support our work and how important it is to have people we can turn to when we need help!
What I appreciate most about the Civi team is their willingness to listen, help us work through challenges, and understand things from our perspective as users. Sometimes, we know what we need to accomplish but aren’t quite sure how to get there. Having people who are willing to explore solutions with us and share their knowledge makes such a difference.
Attending my third CiviCamp in Paris made me appreciate this even more. Beyond the sessions and training, one of the best parts was getting to know the people behind the technology and connecting with other users. There’s something special about putting faces to names, sharing experiences, talking through common challenges, and learning from one another. You leave with new ideas, but also with a stronger connection to the people who make this community what it is.
I also loved being able to bring what I learned straight back to my team. During the event, we needed help, and that’s exactly what happened! Apparently, all you need to do is ask or sit on the hallway floor looking lost from so many failed attempts, and voilà, you shall receive! Haha!
My colleague and I were able to solve a couple of Phabricator tasks that had been open for quite some time and create a new view that displays direct mail activities right in a donor’s contact summary. This makes it easier for my team to find important donor information without navigating multiple screens. I also created SearchKit documentation to help with onboarding and support future reporting.
For me, this was a great example of how learning together can lead to practical improvements in our everyday work. Sometimes, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to discover what’s possible, share what we know, and have the right people around us to help make it happen.
That’s what makes Civi special to me. It’s not just the technology, but the people who give their time, share their knowledge, and genuinely want to help others succeed.
A big thank you to the Civi team and everyone in the community for your kindness and support. I'm looking forward to the next event to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new people, and see what we can learn and accomplish together!
