IT Outsourcing for Nonprofits: Can It Be Cost-Effective?
Do-gooders get offsite expert help that fits their budgets
When it comes to IT needs, nonprofits often struggle when it comes to maintaining network security and software upgrades.
It’s no wonder: In many cases, small nonprofits often say they have no one with official IT responsibility or training. Even at larger organizations, tech support typically falls under the category of general operations or finance, reports a large survey of nonprofit IT spending.
So for companies that make community service their business, is a catch-as-catch-can approach to IT their destiny?
Not so, says Mike Sutton, owner of Mobilitechs, an IT outsourcing firm serving central Pennsylvania nonprofits and corporations with 10 to 75 computers.
“For a nonprofit without a lot of resources, computer problems can seriously derail their mission. It’s the last thing they want to worry about,” Sutton says.
Nonprofits often outsource some aspects of their tech needs, such as website hosting, phone services, or software development.
“But without an IT department, it’s not always easy to stay on top of system upgrades and security features to keep systems running efficiently,” Sutton says.
But today more than ever, nonprofits are choosing IT outsourcing to keep data secure and stay on top of technology. In fact, nonprofit orgs that said they were “in trouble with technology” invested only $667 in IT costs per employee. Contrast that figure with tech-savvy nonprofits that spent an average $2,500 per employee, according to the nonprofit survey of executive directors.
For years, Cocalico Community Chapel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, relied on volunteers for computer repairs or network problems. And although volunteers form the backbone of a church’s outreach, relying on them to ensure network-wide security or upgrade software can be a false economy.
Switching to Mobilitechs’ IT maintenance firm freed Lead Pastor Jon Miklas and other church employees from handling computer problems.
To stop problems before they start, Mobilitechs uses extensive diagnostic tools to protect client systems from hard drive failure, spyware, spam, and data loss. Every day, Mobilitechs monitors client computers, checking for available memory, network problems, or pending data failures.
In the long run, this choice saves the church money and time, Miklas says.
“Offsite troubleshooting is very effective for two reasons. One, it reduces down time. Also, if the issue can be taken care of quickly, sometimes by watching how it’s resolved, I can take care of it if it ever happens again, reducing the cost of having to go outside to get it fixed again,” Miklas says.
When meeting with potential clients, Sutton aims to get a sense of how technology will play into their future goals. “Each plan is tailored to what the client needs. It’s almost always more cost-effective than hiring IT staff members,” Sutton says. Mobilitechs’ computer protection coverage plans range from $15 per computer for basic maintenance and monitoring to custom, full-service plans for multiple machines.
“Just like corporations, nonprofits are becoming increasingly streamlined and tech-savvy. They deserve the same data security and network protection,” Sutton says. Clients that identify technology needs as only increasing in the future would benefit from Mobilitechs’ services.
One popular option is a full-service plan that gives total control and responsibility of the network to Mobilitechs.
“As our needs have grown and developed, Mobilitechs has grown and paid attention to those and tried to develop with us,” Miklas says.
“It allows us to put our time and effort in to the things we do for the congregation and the overall ministry. We’re not spending large amounts of time on the technical needs, which are vital to us functioning effectively.”
Businesses and nonprofits can get a free comprehensive network audit from Mobilitechs until June 2010, available through mobilitechs.com or by calling 717-490-1179.
Source: www.nten.org
