Why IT Services for Nonprofits Could Make Sense for Your Organization
In today’s digital age, technology is an essential part of any organization’s goal to operate efficiently and effectively. For nonprofits, IT services play a crucial role in achieving their mission and making a positive impact in the communities they service.
As a nonprofit organization, you need to make your resources count, and that includes your IT strategy. Many nonprofits may be hesitant to invest in IT services, assuming it’s an unnecessary expense. Yet outsourced IT services for nonprofits can save money in the long run for many of these organizations.
While you may not think about the nonprofit sector as being one that needs professional IT services, the reality is working with an outsourced IT vendor is quite common. Nonprofit organizations are typically run by those who have devoted time and energy to their cause, and so may not be as up to date on all the latest developments in the world of tech.
Here are a few reasons why nonprofit organizations can benefit from upgraded technology and IT services for nonprofits.
IT SERVICES ARE PERFECT FOR NONPROFITS WITH LEAN BUDGETS
One of the primary reasons nonprofits should consider IT services is the potential for cost savings. IT services can help organizations streamline operations, automate processes and reduce manual labor, all of which can improve inefficiency and lower costs.
IT services for nonprofits offer the benefits of an IT staff without having to hire full-time, in-house IT staff. Nonprofit organizations don’t need to invest in hiring new employees or offering them benefits. Instead, they get the services of expert specialists on demand.
While a nonprofit organization may not need a full-time IT department, they may occasionally need urgent help in the form of IT services. Without an employee or managed IT service at hand, they may need to pay emergency rates for work to remain up and running. The costs can be high, particularly in an era of ransomware and other cybersecurity threats. But cybersecurity is just one area where IT services for nonprofits could help these organizations.
IT for nonprofits is growing in demand, with more nonprofits using technology-based solutions. Everything from point-of-sale systems to donor information is now held within cloud-based systems, which must be managed, secured, and backed up.
IT SERVICES FOR NONPROFITS CAN PROTECT AND SECURE SENSITIVE, PRIVATE INFORMATION
Nonprofits need to care more about the data they collect. Frequently, nonprofits may work with employees who aren’t technologically savvy, or an ever-changing circle of volunteers. Data is vulnerable and needs to be protected. Nonprofits often handle sensitive information and are at increasing risk of cyber-attacks.
Cyberattacks are sadly not rare in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofits are often heavily dependent on mobile and other digital technologies to deliver humanitarian services. At the same time, these organizations must diligently protect the private data of donors who support their organizations. However, having a full IT staff devoted to cybersecurity is rare in the nonprofit sector, particularly for smaller organizations. When a cyber breach occurs, the costs are often high because these organizations must pay to mitigate the damage.
Many nonprofit organizations don’t have the time dedicated to improving their security solutions, but they still need to be mindful of their security. IT services for nonprofits can improve security measures without taking away time from the organization’s mission.
Nonprofit organizations, like small businesses, frequently find themselves the target of criminal cyberattacks. Cybercriminals are aware that nonprofit organizations tend to be poorly defended and know that nonprofit organizations often collect personally identifiable information, credit card information and bank information from their donors.
Nonprofits are often in stressful situations. Not worrying about IT is a dramatic load off everyone’s shoulders. Nonprofit organizations aren’t just always in a constant cycle of fundraising, but they’re often working with limited grants, or trying to procure additional grants. Many employees and volunteers at nonprofits are under deadlines, and many volunteers are volunteering on top of full-time work.
IT services for nonprofits can also help these organizations better make use of the secure data they have. With the use of data analytics software, nonprofits can gain valuable insights into their operations, donor behaviors and program outcomes. This data can help organizations make informed decisions, improve their programs and services and measure their impact on the community.
Better IT means happier, more effective employees and volunteers across a nonprofit organization. If the entire digital system works faster, your teams will be able to get their work done faster. Lost data, corrupted files, and slow networks all lead to frustration, which can ultimately lead to the nonprofit losing its leading talent, and consequently failing to get its projects done on time.
IT SERVICES FOR NONPROFITS CAN IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF YOUR MISSION
Just like any for-profit business, IT services can make nonprofits more effective and efficient at fulfilling their mission. New IT initiatives can drive improvements to the nonprofit’s organization and processes. IT services for nonprofits begins by analyzing the current status of the digital systems, with the goal to improve what existing architectures and seal up any potential risks. Managed IT services for nonprofits is designed to dig down into core inefficiencies and pain points, making the nonprofit’s workflows more effective along with their interactions with donors, members and the community.
Nonprofits can benefit from IT services with better collaboration and communication across their digital architectures. With the help of better and more secure technologies, nonprofits can collaborate with partners and stakeholders across different locations, making it easier to coordinate and manage programs and services. IT services for nonprofits can help these organizations improve their internal communication between employees and board members, for example, to increase the effectiveness of these collaborations.
An easy way for a nonprofit to improve its operations is to move to the cloud, if the organization hasn’t already done so. Moving to the cloud means that a nonprofit’s digital systems are accessible from anywhere, and employees and volunteers in different areas of the world will be able to communicate and collaborate with each other. Moving operations to the cloud also limits the physical infrastructure the nonprofit must maintain. Also, the cloud is generally considered more secure than on-premises architectures that sometimes struggle to stay up to date with the latest security upgrades.
Cloud services help nonprofit organizations adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape. Technology is constantly evolving, and the cloud offers these organizations the chance to keep up to date with the latest trends and advancements. Tech upgrades happen constantly in the cloud, so not only do you constantly improve features nonprofits also stay current with the latest ways to mitigate cybercriminals.
But transitioning to the cloud can be complex; IT services for nonprofits can help.
INCREASE THE POWER OF YOUR HUMAN CAPITAL WITH IT SERVICES FOR NONPROFITS
Frequently, nonprofits may be understaffed. Apart from a few core employees, many other employees and volunteers may rotate. With the right technology, a single employee can do the work of multiple employees. The nonprofit will be able to leverage the power of its existing human capital, rather than being forced to hire more employees.
If there are any business processes that take longer than they should, a managed IT services provider can review them and find new solutions. New technology is emerging all the time, but many nonprofits simply don’t have the time to research these new solutions and invest in adopting them. Managed IT services perform all this work for the nonprofit, so that it can reap the benefits.
Nonprofit organizations have a lot to gain through technology. Technology can improve and optimize a nonprofit, making it easier for the nonprofit to stretch its existing budget, while also offering advanced new tools for the nonprofit to use.
At Red River we want to help your nonprofit excel. Contact us today for a free consultation into how we can transform your organization’s IT.
