nonprofits & technology presented by:. about designpt information technology support, focusing...

Nonprofits & TechnologyPresented By:

About DesignPT

• Information Technology support, focusing on nonprofit organizations• Over a decade providing IT support in Alaska to over 100 organizations

• Anchorage: 10 employees• Homer: 2 employees• Prescott: 2 employees

• Prescott office opened in May, 2013

About Us

Ryan Ridge Technology Development ManagerIndiana University – 1997-2008 – Bloomington, IndianaOwn IT business – 2009-2011 – Homer, AlaskaDesignPT – 2011 – Homer, Alaska

Chalease Linderman Community Development ManagerDesignPT – 2010 – Anchorage, AlaskaAnchorage Senior Center – 2011 – Anchorage, Alaska

This WorkshopUnderstand technology’s role in your organization now and what you

can do to improve it

Understand how to plan for technology changes in the future

Understand how to use technology the further your mission

Understand how to budget for technology

Common Nonprofit Challenges

Fundraising & Donor Management

Community Engagement

Capacity Building & Development

Transparency & Financial Management

Institutional Retention & Memory

Persistent Technology Issues

Brand Differentiation


Fundraising & Donor Management

Community Engagement

Capacity Building & Development

Transparency & Financial Management

Institutional Retention & Memory

Persistent Technology Issues

Brand Differentiation

Technology Challenges

• Old, donated, & outdated hardware• Mixed makes, models & software• Lack of funding for large capital

expenditures• Lack of IT expertise, policies & processes• IT is viewed as an “operations” or

“overhead” cost vs. an investment• Over-reliance on volunteers, outside

vendors, or sole staff member• Under-budgeting or over-running budgets


What can you do?

Action Plan

Create an action plan

Build a Stable & Standardized Environment

Evaluate & Assess Current Environment

Develop a Technology Plan & Budget

Build Capacity!

Action Plan


Action Plan


Action Plan

Critical Eye


Action Plan

Major difference between “mostly working” and

“working well”



Action Plan & Next StepsAction Plan

Tech Pyramid for Nonprofits

Stable & Secure Infrastructure

Data Management

Websites & Email

Social Media


Building A Stable Environment

What is infrastructure?

Infrastructure • Workstations


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices • Printers & Scanners


Your data

Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices • Printers & Scanners• Backups



Your data


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices • Printers & Scanners• Backups• Network


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices • Printers & Scanners• Backups• Network• Software


Infrastructure • Workstations• Servers• Mobile Devices • Printers & Scanners• Backups• Network• Software• Phones


Building a Stable Environment

What does having a “Stable Environment” mean?


Building a Stable Environment

Why is it important?

• Increases internal operational efficiency• Maximizes productivity & work performance• Easier to add new staff members and integrate them more quickly• Improves both internal & external collaborative efforts • Enhanced means of communication• Maintains productivity


• Workstation, Software, OS Standardization• Reliable Network• Centralized Management and File Storage• Implementing Proper Software• Planning for replacement


Data Management


Data Management

Organizational Files

Organizational Data&

Data Management


Documents• Letters• Spreadsheets

Quickbooks FilesApplication Databases

Multiuser ApplicationsSoftware installers

Data Management

Organizing Your


Locate

Data Management

Secure

Identify

Back up

Locate• Centralized storage

Data Management

Secure• Allow access for specific people/groups• Deny access for all others

Identify • Accounting• Donors• HR• Shared files

Back up• Automatic backups with verification• Proven ability to restore

Data Management

Organizational Data

Data Management

Organizational Data

People• Volunteers• Donors

EventsDonationsGrantsEquipment

Data Management

Database!


Data Management



Data Management

Websites & Email


Websites & Email

Your website is often the first impression

of your organization

Websites & Email

Main Functions1. Present your organization

• What you do• Who you serve

2. Contact information3. Donation/Volunteer Requests4. Program information

Secondary Functions1. Interactivity2. Integration with Social Media3. Sales

Websites & Email

Steps to a website

Websites & Email

Steps to a website1. Domain Name

Websites & Email

Steps to a website1. Domain Name2. Host

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features3. Platform (CMS)

<HTML>

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features3. Platform (CMS)4. Design

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features3. Platform (CMS)4. Design5. Development

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features3. Platform (CMS)4. Design5. Development6. Content creation

Websites & Email


• Cost/Speed/Features3. Platform (CMS)4. Design5. Development6. Content creation7. Testing

• Functionality• Usability

Websites & Email




8. Implementation

Websites & Email




8. Implementation9. Content updating

Websites & Email

The Importance of EmailEmail is often your primary tool for communication.Email needs to be:

Websites & Email

The Importance of EmailEmail is often your primary tool for communication.Email needs to be:• Reliable

Websites & Email

The Importance of EmailEmail is often your primary tool for communication.Email needs to be:• Reliable• Accessible

Websites & Email

The Importance of EmailEmail is often your primary tool for communication.Email needs to be:• Reliable• Accessible• Linked to your organization

[email protected]

Websites & Email

Third Party Self-hosted


Data Management

Websites & Email



Data Management

Websites & Email

Social Media




Build Capacity!

Action Plan




Action Plan

Planning

Planning

Create a Technology PlanLifecycle• Establish an Equipment Lifecycle

• Workstations: 3-4 years• Servers: 4-5 years• Printers: 5-6 years (good printers)

• Plan to replace x pieces of equipment each year• Where x=some percentage of your equipment based on your chosen lifecycle (eg.

4 year lifecycle, 25% of workstations per year)Standardization• Establish preferred equipment manufacturers

• Eg. Dell computers, Xerox printers• Define standard software packages and versions for all machines

• Eg. Microsoft Office 2010, Quickbooks 2013, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit• Apply to all new machines • Upgrade to newer versions (Office 2016, Windows 15) as an organization rather

than piece-meal

Planning

Create a Technology PlanLifecycleStandardizationSupport Provider• Establish who to call for help

• Internal IT person/department • External IT contractor• Volunteer or Best Available Expert

• Define support terms• Internal IT: Duties, hours of availability, emergency contact• External IT: Same as above, plus contract terms and point of contact

Planning

Create a Technology PlanLifecycleStandardizationSupport Provider

Review annually and update as neededDevelop a new Technology Plan every 3 years

Planning




Action Plan




Build Capacity!

Action Plan

Capacity Building InitiativesCapacity Building Initiatives

Creative & Strategic Approach to Integrating Technology to Further Your Mission

How does technology impact issues your organization faces?

• How do we clothe more needy children?• How do we feed more hungry families?• How do we provide the homeless with the help they

need to transition into a stable, independent lifestyle?• How do we communicate more effectively with our

constituents? Donors?• How we develop a more effective fundraising campaign?






constituents? Donors?• How we develop a more effective fundraising campaign?

Mobile Giving






constituents? Donors? • How we develop a more effective fundraising campaign?

Receiving Off-Site Donations






constituents? Donors? • How we develop a more effective fundraising campaign?

Mobile App Development



Several Ways Technology Furthers Your Mission:

• Gauge constituent demand • Improve constituent communication• Increase availability of services and/or products • Donor management & engagement • Volunteer recruitment & retention • Fundraising management • Database integration• Software development• Enhancing collaborative efforts• Raising community awareness

Capacity Building Initiatives

INPUT OUTPUT OUTCOMES

Case Studies: Brother Francis Shelter

Key IssuePeople using their shelter services are not

regularly attending their caseworker appointments, resulting in missed

employment opportunities, trainings, and government assistance programs.

Fund strategic techplanning process

Identify issues specificto their organization

Identify facts:Over 90% of the homeless

population have cell phones

Short-TermDevelop software that

automatically sends appointmentreminders via text message

Increased caseworker appointment attendance

Long-TermThe period of time for homelessness

is shortened, and people are ableto transition into independent living

faster

INPUT OUTPUT OUTCOMES

Case Studies: Beyond Borders

Key IssueInsufficient communication tools lead to poor collaborative efforts,

and limited rural community outreach

Fund technologycapacity building

Adoption of new communication

technologies

Short-TermExtend mediation and

dispute resolution services to rural communities and villages

Long-TermAbility to provide training, education, and facilitation of mediation services

both nationally and internationally



Social Media & Nonprofits




MAKE A PLAN!




MAKE A PLAN!

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?




MAKE A PLAN!

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE?

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?




MAKE A PLAN!


WHO WILL CARE?

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?




MAKE A PLAN!


WHO WILL CARE?WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?




MAKE A PLAN!


WHO WILL CARE?WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?

CONSISTENCY!


Nonprofits & Social Media

Social Media Platforms:

• Ability to reach out to many users and their friends• Receive notifications when someone in their network has made changes

to his/her profile or status • Users can “Like”, “Share” and comment on status updates • Create events, invite friends and promote

Facebook

Twitter

• Quick way to share stories, messages & web links in real-time • Keep up-to-date on topics relevant to your organization • Able to track what people are saying about your (and other similar) organizations• Able to reach out to many people through “Retweets” & “Favorite” buttons • Using third-party application, you can track engagements, how many people viewed

tweeted links, and clicks


Nonprofits & Social Media

Social Media Platforms:

• Ability to visually share your expertise through photos and now, short videos • Target specific interests by utilizing hashtags #technologyrocks • Establish emotional connection to photos that reflect

your mission & cause • Share fun photos of events, fundraisers, or just everyday work

Instagram

Google Plus

• People, organizations and topics can be organized & separated into “Circles”• Google + places a heavy emphasis on SEO (Search Engine Optimization)• Encourage your followers to +1 your status (builds up SEO effectiveness)• Google Plus timing depicts the optimal time to share your posts on Google +• Google Plus Local Allows you to target local prospect donors and/or volunteers

Budgeting

Budgeting & Planning


Common Myths

• IT is an overhead cost• Volunteers & interns are the most cost-effective support• Technology can not help further my mission

Why is it important?

While technology can’t feed hungry people, it allows a nonprofit to feed more people, better reach those who need food, and provide additional, high quality services.

Example: The database you implement enables your staff to manage, update and shareconstituent information faster than Excel spreadsheets. You can now spendless time searching for information and more time directly serving constituents.


Budgeting & PlanningBudgeting & Planning

Steps to budgeting for technology


1. Apply your Technology Plan• Identify current challenges & immediate needs (Lifecycle) • Identify how technology can advance opportunities & goals • Prioritize projects & add to budget plan

2. Know your sources for discounts• Start with Techsoup.org• Ask others about nonprofit discounts

3. Make a SMART InvestmentSustainableMission-drivenAppropriate Reliable Timely


Nonprofits & Technology

Q&A


Course Evaluation


Thank you!

nonprofits & technology presented by:. about designpt information technology support, focusing...

Documents

technology slide

stable environment slide

alaska slide

stepsaction plan slide

overrunning budgets

nonprofits technology

technology changes

alaska designpt