Key Takeaways from NeighborWorks Technical Institute 2026

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Miami Beach for the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI), August 10-14, 2026, where Canvas Cloud was proud to serve as a sponsor and exhibitor.

More than 1,400 professionals came together for a week of training, professional development, peer learning and networking focused on strengthening communities. With more than 80 courses covering everything from affordable housing and homeownership to community development, leadership and engagement, there was a lot happening throughout the week.

I spent part of my time attending sessions and learning more about the work happening across the NeighborWorks network. From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning, you could also find me at the Canvas Cloud table, talking with attendees, answering questions and handing out plenty of our signature buttons.

Talking Technology with NeighborWorks Organizations

For me, the best part of events like NTI is having the opportunity to talk directly with the people doing the work every day.

Throughout the week, I had conversations with NeighborWorks professionals about their organizations, the technology they’re using and how their systems support their teams and programs. It was also an opportunity to share some of what we’ve learned at Canvas Cloud from helping nonprofits modernize their Salesforce environments.

One story I was especially excited to share was our recent work with Habitat for Humanity of Michigan.

Moving Beyond Compass

Habitat Michigan came to Canvas Cloud with a complex and restrictive legacy system that was making it difficult to manage and use its data effectively. We helped the organization transition from NeighborWorks Compass to Salesforce and HomeKeeper, creating a more flexible platform to support both its current operations and future growth.

As part of the project, we migrated more than 55,000 records, including contacts, service files, appointments, calls and notes, while helping Habitat Michigan better organize its data and make it more actionable.

That story was particularly relevant at NTI because other NeighborWorks organizations may be facing some of the same questions: Is Compass still meeting our needs? Could Salesforce give us more flexibility? What would it take to make the transition? And, maybe most importantly, what happens to all of our existing data?

Having a real-world example like Habitat Michigan gave me the opportunity to talk about what that transition can look like and how organizations can approach it thoughtfully without starting from scratch. Read the full success story.

Learning Along the Way

While I went to NTI to share Canvas Cloud’s Salesforce expertise, I also came away with a better understanding of the NeighborWorks network itself.

Spending the week attending sessions and talking with people from organizations across the country gave me valuable insight into their programs, priorities and day-to-day work. That context matters. Technology should support the mission and the people carrying it out, not create another obstacle for them to manage.

That’s one of the reasons events like NTI are so valuable. The conversations go beyond products and platforms and get to the real question: How can technology make the work easier and help organizations have a greater impact in their communities?

Until Next Time

Thank you to NeighborWorks America for a great week in Miami Beach and to everyone who stopped by the Canvas Cloud table, grabbed a button or took a few minutes to talk with me.

If your NeighborWorks organization is currently using Compass and wondering what a move to Salesforce and HomeKeeper could look like, I’d be happy to share more about our experience with Habitat for Humanity of Michigan and start the conversation.