What NFPs Need to Know About Finding the Right IT Partner

Choosing the right IT partner is a crucial decision for not-for-profit organisations –  more so than most other industries out there, according to specialists Brennan IT.

There’s no escaping the fact that we are now living in a fully-connected world.

So what does this mean for not-for-profit (NFP) organisations? Well first and foremost, if you don’t have a social media presence, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with people, keep them abreast of what you’re doing, and reach out for their support.

Also, the NFPs that you are competing with for the hearts, minds, and dollars of the general public, will leave you behind if they have invested in a technology platform. They’re gaining a far deeper insight into their donors through that digital relationship.

Across the board, NFPs are becoming much more competitive because the dynamics of the industry are changing. NFPs increasingly have to operate like commercial businesses, focused on innovation and competition, but without the same level of resources.

It’s one thing to say that a NFP needs to have an online presence but it’s quite another finding the resources to establish and maintain such a presence. Or is it?

The beauty of the IT industry at the moment is that, with the advent of cloud infrastructure management, companies no longer need to hire expensive, in-house IT support staff or invest upfront in costly hardware. All of that can be outsourced, leaving valuable funds to be allocated elsewhere. This is an important consideration, given that NFPs have to justify every dollar spent because that’s a dollar less spent on community initiatives.

As a NFP you will need access to skills that may be difficult to hire, and an option that many organisations find advantageous is having a managed services specialist to look after the IT infrastructure. This gives access to a breadth of skills and services that are not possessed internally, it also switches a significant portion of IT costs from CAPEX to monthly fees and the cost savings achieved can then go towards the primary purpose of delivering community programs and services.

Choosing the right IT partner though, is a crucial decision for NFPs, more so than most other industries out there. Given the sensitive personal data that some organisations have access to, such as information on victims of domestic violence, homelessness and drug issues, information security is a critical aspect that needs to be considered. A security breach could be a fatal blow to the very existence of a NFP and its whole support mechanism. Cloud technology has brought so many improvements to IT security in recent times.

Transitioning to cloud services can help NFPs innovate, and be more flexible and responsive to change. Acquiring technology has traditionally been a low priority for NFPs, preferring to target their limited resources to their core efforts, so they often have ageing systems. But at some point, innovation becomes critical. The cloud enables innovation quickly, whether that’s creating new apps or launching new initiatives. By making you more nimble and competitive, new projects and initiatives can go from idea to development and delivery far more quickly.

An outsourced partner like Brennan IT that takes a hybrid approach to cloud by leveraging a number of technologies, can manage a number of platforms seamlessly for clients. As well as cloud services Brennan IT can offer a management around your entire IT environment. They make client’s lives easier by removing the burden of IT, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

Brennan IT are heavily involved in the NFP industry and many of team are personally invested in NFP organisations, attending events and providing as much support to their clients’ business. Because of that involvement, there is an intrinsic understanding of what NFPs need from their IT partner (as well as what they don’t), and an equal importance placed on getting the most from a limited budget.

Brennan IT prides itself on a true partnership approach, considering themselves another branch to their clients’ business, shouldering any burdens as well as sharing any accomplishments.

Brennan IT plugs its skillset into your organisation to help you develop according to what the business is trying to achieve. Strategic road mapping is another service that is provided to support more members of the community leveraging technology at no additional cost.

It is important to remember that digital transformation doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

If you would like Brennan IT to help your NFP organisation on this journey or to learn more about the services we offer, please visit here or contact us on 1300 500 000.