Following up on that USPS address API integration issue I hit recently…the fact is the integration needs to be updated to use the new USPS API or it will be a function that won’t be available anymore.
Now either a larger organization using CiviCRM might go all in and help fund it or there’s a process called a Make It Happen campaign. Certainly, some of these have been more successful than others (the aforementioned page lists previous ones) but the idea is: if a specific functionality needs fixing—or a new one needs building—it gets scoped out, and people who care about it contribute toward the cost.
And that usually starts with a champion with some seed money to get it kicked off. Essentially, crowdfunding for CiviCRM.
Here’s a quick overview of how it works behind the scenes: Make It Happen.
In this USPS case, Symbiotic, a CiviCRM partner, has estimated around 10 hours of work. That’s actually pretty reasonable in MIH terms, but it won’t happen at all unless several organizations pool some resources.
Here’s the deal:
With CiviCRM, you already are getting a lot out of it. Plenty of improvements various other nonprofits have funded work. You’re taking advantage of that collective action.
Sometimes it needs to go the other way, to sustain a strong product for all organizations to use. If you think someone else will do it, that falls into the tragedy of the commons problem. Sigh.
So, why not embrace a fundamental truth of human cooperation: reciprocity. If you’ve found CiviCRM useful, consider being a member organization or helping create or support an MIH campaign. An open source CRM is better, when the people and organizations that use it, improve it.