Running a non profit is no small task. You have programs to coordinate, staff to manage, fundraising efforts to oversee, and everyday business activities to attend to. One thing that many non profits struggle with is IT management. With the complexity of modern technology, the need for quality IT oversight is more pronounced than ever.
However, you might be torn between hiring in-house help and outsourcing to an IT provider to meet your needs. Here's an overview of who managed IT is best suited for, drawbacks and benefits of outsourcing, and if it could be right for your non profit.
You might cringe at the prospect of paying for outsourced IT support for non profits because you don't want to deal with high service costs. However, many businesses are moving towards outsourcing as a more economic choice than hiring experts that come with high salary expectations.
Along with lower yearly costs, if you opt for IT services, you don't have to absorb the extra costs for benefits and other associated costs with adding staff. To read more about the cost of in-house vs managed IT, check out our blog: Are You Spending Too Much on In-House IT?
Another major benefit of managed IT services for nonprofit organizations is the increased cybersecurity you can achieve. IT companies often have cybersecurity experts on staff to analyze your security posture, make recommendations, and implement tools and practices for your organization.
Hackers will go after any business they can, especially those that handle sensitive data and financial information. Even if your non-profit isn't in healthcare, law, or finance, you likely still have data or critical information systems that cybercriminals could threaten if they are able to take hold of your network. This is a reason why many non profits also invest in cyber insurance.
To learn more about how IT services can level up your cybersecurity, check out some of the essential tools they might implement in our blog: Ask the Expert: 7 Cybersecurity Essentials To Check Off
When you think of non profit IT support, the first benefit that may come to mind is the day-to-day troubleshooting help they offer. Everyday issues can be simple or complex to resolve. Yet, if you don't have a background in IT, even an easy fix can mean hours of downtime and confusion for you and your staff.
IT services make these fixes quick and simple, especially if your chosen provider has fast response times to service tickets. Take a look at reviews to determine how quickly any given provider will respond to and resolve tickets, as well as how friendly and knowledgeable their staff is according to past clients.
Some IT snags go deeper than a misplaced password or network error. Sometimes, you need to revamp and entire process, workflow, or network to foster smoother operations long-term. If you hire an in-house IT expert, they may be too preoccupied with day-to-day fixes to focus on long term projects like these.
Outsourced IT providers can be a great support for your non profit through these changes and migrations. If you hire one of these companies, you'll likely have access to several types of experts to support everything from budget management, implementation, staff training, on-site installations, and more.
Check out a more in-depth look into what these services offer in our blog: What Are Managed IT Services?
Non profits must be in tune with modern trends and technology to stay relevant, and this includes IT services are also a great resource for innovation, as they can offer the latest tools and software for non profit organizations.
This might include unified communications systems, work-from-anywhere tools like laptops or headsets, and cloud document management technology for non profit organizations. Learn how the cloud can transform your non profit in our blog: 4 Communications Strategies to Make Your Donors Come Back For a Second Date
If you're looking into investing in outsourced IT solutions for charities & non profits, there are a few details you should watch for. A good IT provider should offer:
Now that you know what to look for in IT services, it's a great idea to meet with different providers to see if you're a good fit. To connect with an IT expert and to see how IT outsourcing could be the key to your success, click the button below.