Title: Minimalist Technology for Nonprofits
Synopsis: Many nonprofits have large enough operations
and regulatory reporting requirements that they must maintain a reasonable
technology infrastructure of hardware, networks, and software such as
accounting, word processing, email, and client management applications. As in all businesses, this technology over
time will become a critical component to keeping the franchise working both
day-to-day and over the long term.
Failure to put the appropriate processes and people in place to ensure
the stability, availability, and recoverability risks possible business
debilitation and even complete failure.
Article Body:
Your business has or needs
some amount of technology to allow you to operate. This frequently includes computer equipment
(e.g., desktops, laptops, and servers), networks (e.g., network provider
connections and routers) and software (e.g., MS-Office and QuickBooks) that
will allow you to perform:
Ø
Communications:
Email and desktop publishing
Ø
Financial
Management: Accounting, tax and regulatory reporting
Ø
Client
Management: Contact and fund raising activities
What are the key practices and
processes that a nonprofit must put in place to ensure this infrastructure
remains secure, up-to-date, available and recoverable?
First and foremost, you
need either someone in the office or a regular service provider (could be a
volunteer) who regularly backs up relevant and critical data. In general, you should determine how much
risk you are willing to accept and how many days could be “manually recreated”
if the data is lost. This will drive
your decisions on how often to back up your data. For instance, if you are willing to manually
recreate/re-enter accounting data for up to two days, then your accounting backups
should occur at least every other day.
Once you determine the frequency of backups, you should store the most
current one onsite, preferably in a fireproof safe or even a refrigerator, and
the second most current offsite, your home refrigerator would work. You then set up a regular rotation of this
information to ensure you have the two most current data backups available
should there be a catastrophe. Also, if
you have the CDs from your purchased software, e.g., MS-Office, backup copies
should be made and stored offsite as well.
Second, unless you are
willing to risk several days of no access to your applications, someone in the
office should be trained in some rudimentary technology skills. Again, this could be a volunteer as long as
you are willing to wait for them to come to your rescue every time a small
problem occurs. Some of the basic skills
include minor troubleshooting for office networks, printers, routers, and
computers that can occur somewhat regularly.
For instance, if you are having troubles receiving and sending email, it
may be caused by your computers, a problem with your provider (Qwest or
Comcast), or a problem with your office wireless router. Fixing this can take anywhere from 5 minutes
to half a day, depending on the cause and the effort to restore all to normal
operations.
Third, much of your
computer equipment and software can be accessed by vandals and thieves either
by physical access and theft or by hackers getting into your network. To prevent this, a serious campaign to manage
security should be put into place. This
includes installing virus protection software and keeping it regularly updated
(see above for rudimentary technology skills) as well as providing for secured
physical access, such as knowing who has keys.
The risk of stolen client and employee information is high in this day
and age particularly if you have any type of internet access. Lawsuits from the loss of this information
can far outweigh the costs of protection and recovery.
Finally, as your equipment
and software ages, or your business model grows and changes, a regular review
of your strategy and approach to technology is key to avoiding disastrous
pitfalls. FRESC has resources that can
help you with a regular audit, probably every 18 months or so, at a reasonable
price. We will work to understand your
current business, your future needs, and your ability to pay while helping you
build a cohesive and reasonable approach for technology.
The Front Range Executive
Service Corps (FRESC) was established in January 2007 as a program of the
Center for Nonprofit Excellence. The
FRESC mission is: To help area nonprofit organizations more effectively
and efficiently achieve their missions by providing high quality, affordable
consulting services. We accomplish this mission by
applying the skills and experiences of seasoned business executives via a mix
of pro bono and low cost consulting services. We offer a broad selection of services
including technology strategy & planning.
If you are interested in
applying for a specific service or assistance, you can complete the application
at www.frontrangeesc.org/agency_application.htm. Or, if you would just like to speak with us
to learn more, you can reach our Director,