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Technology Management For Nonprofits is Always a Challenging Venture

By Gregory L Burrus

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 02Mar2008 Word count: 517 Viewed: 306 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Working in a Nonprofit organization has it challenges I think you would agree. Ever worked unjamming a printer and of course the printer breaks when you need it the most? How about the copier, you are down there in the paper draw trying to fix something and wishing the person who always fixes it did not go home already.

If that gives you stage fright, now imaging you are hired as the office assistant or the Executive Director of your Nonprofit organization. You still have the same issues working with your office equipment but I bet you are thinking that somehow, all of your organizations technology resources have become your responsibility! This happens a lot in non profit organizations when funding is low or non existent. Sometimes you are a one person organization so the technology support is your business. When this occurs to you, you need to step back and get an idea of what you need to do in order to survive. You don't have to tackle all your office technology projects all at once or in any particular order. Dive in where it makes sense for you. In other cases you need to get someone to help you. As a business system analyst from the corporate world, I recommend that you get out of this no win situation by following this step-by-step outline to creating an effective system.

You first need to get a comprehensive review of your operating environment. So first conduct a technology inventory of your working environment. Second, look around and review your support staff, if you have a staff that is. Next determine how you currently use and buy technology. Then start thinking about how your organization is protecting itself from disasters and data loss. Finally do some reflection and define how are you managing your technology support role? Have you decide if what you do is effective or is it beyond providing real help anymore.

Next we move on to another piece of building yourself, a get out of technology jail card. You then need to build management support for your technology support work. If the nonprofit equals you, then evaluate how much your time is worth. Are you spending time doing things that hamper your true mission? If you have a board then as the accidental techie, you face the challenge of influencing major organizational policies and procedures without the forethought or real authority to do so. Your board probably does not understand the need for technology support or the board believes you can do it just like the last person in your role. You need to find a way to make them understand what is at risk if you stay in the role.

Once you complete this process you will know your overall needs. At this point you will have progressed to where you will need funding and it could be a small request to fix an immediate problem. If your nonprofit is growing or your group is a larger organization then you may need to develop a formal request to your non profit board.

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