Technology is a dizzying topic. There are so many ‘latest and greatest’ options out there and many of them are beyond the reach of the average nonprofit organization. There just isn’t enough time or money to do the background research, stay on top of the trends, purchase the upgrades, train staff, and so on. Rather than focusing on the cutting edge, perhaps it’s more useful to ask technology experts familiar with the nonprofit sector to comment on today’s baseline standards for IT in the nonprofit sector.
Ladder of engagement
Jason Mogus, president and senior internet strategist at Communicopia.net says, “It’s really easy to get lost in what looks ‘cool’.” Communicopia.net’s mission is to empower progressive organizations to improve the world through the strategic, innovative and effective use of the Internet. He absolutely believes that nonprofit organizations need a website. “Websites are like business cards today,” says Mogus. “Not everyone needs a fancy, interactive website, but you’re missing an opportunity if you’re not telling your story online.” The average nonprofit organization needs basic content including contact information and an online donation function (something Mogus says can be accessed for free from a website like Canadahelps.org).
The purpose of an organization’s website – even the most basic site – is to move people along the “ladder of engagement.” Once they visit your website, you want to move them to the level of giving you their e-mail address and then doing something for you, like send the site to a friend. The next rung of the ladder is donating to your organization, followed by engaging as a volunteer or champion of your organization. Mogus says there are high-end ways to move people along but it doesn’t have to take money. What it takes instead is intention and thought.
Thinking things through
Dr. Gillian Kerr heads up Real World Systems, a consulting company that helps organizations become more effective by improving their information processes. She knows that agencies can’t afford to be on the leading edge. She suggests that, at a minimum, nonprofits need an Internet connection, e-mail, and a good backup system. It is not necessary to have one computer per person but anyone who communicates with the world needs their own e-mail address. Plus, organizations need to make sure staff respond within a reasonable time in order for e-mail to be a useful tool.
Kerr strongly advocates that agencies have an off-site backup system in place. “It may be boring and awful to think about, but I’ve seen enough agencies experience vandalism, fire, and floods and they all say, ‘Who would’ve expected this…’ Count on problems and test regularly to make sure your backup system works.” Organizations need to back up their systems daily and then every week or month do a backup that is stored off-site. To decide how frequently to do the off-site backup think through what would happen if there was, for instance, a fire. How disastrous would it be if you lost one day, one week, or one month of data? As more info goes digital, less hardcopy backups are available so off-site storage of your backup is essential.
Commitment to gain knowledge
Linda Fougere is the project facilitator for the CAP Society of Cape Breton County. The Community Access Program (CAP) is a Government of Canada initiative, administered by Industry Canada, that aims to provide Canadians with affordable public access to the Internet and the skills they need to use it effectively. Fougere’s organization encourages nonprofits to recognize IT as a critical tool and to think about IT planning. Like Mogus and Kerr, she believes that technology “does not have to be a high-end dollar requirement. It’s a commitment to gain knowledge.”
Recently the CAP Society of Cape Breton County and the Halifax Regional CAP Association held two very popular workshops in Sydney and Halifax. The workshops looked at the traditional ways that organizations function and then demonstrated ways that tasks could be tackled electronically (for example, bookkeeping, communication, management tools). On January 19th, 145 participants attended the Sydney workshop and a week later 73 participants attended in Halifax (the day after two full days of blizzard). Topics included:
- how to budget for IT
- how to assess IT needs
- using new or recycled computers
- online volunteer recruitment
- Internet security
- making sense of Freeware, Open Source and Shareware, and which sites are safe
- demos on burning CDs, using MSN Messenger for meetings, downloading photos from digital cameras, etc.
The workshop agenda, complete with downloadable handouts and PowerPoint presentations, can be accessed online. To find out more about how your organization can benefit from the assistance of CAP, go to the national CAP website for a listing of local sites and services.
No time to do the homework
Rosalind Wright, regional manager of the Society of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Nova Scotians attended the Sydney workshop and found it very helpful. “Technology is mind-boggling. There’s a lot out there we’re just not aware of and we don’t have time or funding to do the research. But [the workshop leaders] did the homework and we got to see how it could be incorporated.” she says. She was particularly impressed by the webcam and bought one right away and downloaded the freeware. This means that Wright can communicate with her Halifax-based colleague, who is deaf, using sign language via the webcam and Internet connection. Wright heard about this technology at the workshop and learned how to make it work – thanks to a demonstration – and then tried it out for herself.
The cutting edge is not the be-all and end-all. Mogus, Kerr and Fougere all advocate that organizations do not need to have the latest and greatest in order to make the most of technology, but each identifies baseline requirements for the average nonprofit. Technology is a tool and, as Kerr sums up, “You have to ask the question, ‘Does technology support the mission?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ then become an expert in that technology.”
Louise Chatterton Luchuk is a freelance writer and consultant who combines her love of writing with experience at the local, provincial and national levels of volunteer-involving organizations. For more information, visit www.luchuk.com.
