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Top tech concerns for non-profits heard at ADDP 2022 LEAD

  • June 1, 2022
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Top tech concerns for non-profits heard at ADDP 2022 LEAD

I recently attended ADDP LEAD 2022 in Westborough MA, and it was great to chat with so many of you and about your technology pain points when running a non-profit. 

 

While I wasn’t able to speak to each attendee at the event, I did notice some common underlying themes in my conversations with non-profit organizations: 

 

Tech mobility for non-profits

A hot topic amongst not only non-profits these days is the need for a mobile and tech savvy workforce that can easily work from anywhere as needs change. This isn’t as simple as it sounds, as it includes the consideration of providing access to personal devices, networks that can be accessed remotely, all without compromising security. 

Solution: Utilize mobile device management (MDM) to control, secure and enforce policies on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. MDM can control remote access to highly sensitive data, provide user authentication, and even offer remote data wiping of devices if they become lost or stolen. MDM allows you to feel safe when allowing staff to use personal devices that interact with Company Data and Systems. MDM can be used in a combination of on-prem, hybrid and cloud solutions, for you to pick an arrangement that works perfectly for your team and organization, at a price that meets your budget.  

 

Offering unique educational and lifestyle experiences for the clientele 

You’re not in a “one-size-fits-all” situation, your clientele has very unique educational and lifestyle requirements that require experiences tailored to their needs.  

Solution: Make technology work for you and facilitate your service offerings, it also allows you to appeal to a wider range of individuals. There are tools available that can help increase your clients’ communications with family and friends, and help them feel included in their community (a boon as we navigate and adapt to our new normal post-pandemic.) Tech can also help enable independence, and as a result vastly improve quality of life for your clients.  

 

Staff retention for non-profits

Let’s face it: it is getting harder to find, cultivate and retain our staff. The Great Resignation is real!  The top reasons why people leave organizations include them feeling like their needs aren’t respected, and having the right tools in place can go a long way in fostering an environment that they want to stay in.  

 

Solutions:  

  • Create a nurturing environment that promotes collaboration, and skill enhancement. Gamification – using games in a non-game context – isn’t used enough. It’s a fun and easy way to encourage “leveling-up” with training, skills development, and employee engagement. A far cry from “Death by PowerPoint.” 
  • Tech that just works, all the time every time. It is very easy to get demotivated when you don’t have the tools you need to do your job. Having reliable hardware and up-to-date software can make a world of a difference when completing even the simplest tasks. 
  • Your team is dealing with confidential information and sensitive scenarios – them knowing that their organization values them and their clients helps create a culture of trust. Technology can help with security, compliance, and of course, fun! 

 

Limited budgets and competing priorities  for non-profits

There are a LOT of things you want to get done, but you’re working with a fixed number of funds.  

Solutions: a Virtual CIO (VCIO) service that can align your company mission and business goals into a strategic technology plan. From the get-go, you know how this fits within your budget, and how you can adjust your technology needs as your organization’s needs grow. 

 

Compliance, Compliance, Compliance for non-profits

There are many complex mandates you need to follow, this includes HIPAA, state and local regulations. 

Solution: Assessment services that provide you with the simplified framework to meet all your compliance needs. This helps you confident that your organization is following the correct regulations and be ready for state audits, stress free.  

 

Ready to Pivot  

Even the best laid plans can change. Your organization needs to be ready to adapt, sometimes at the drop of a hat. 

Solution: Your technology infrastructure needs to be agile with the ability to pivot to meet everchanging business goals and requirements. 

 

Where to begin? 

If the above concerns sound familiar, but you’re not sure where to start, we can help. 

Prosper Solutions has been in business for over 20 years. Back when we started, Windows was just getting going and flip phones were high tech. For 15 of those years, we have been servicing some of the biggest not for profit agencies that focus on mental and physical health services in the greater Boston area.  

 

We make your mission, our mission  

We are a HIPAA compliant company, with decades of experience and a passion for solving puzzles. We strive to think outside the box and find unique solutions, and if plan A doesn’t work, rest assured we’ve already got a plan B (or even C).  

We’re here to help you “Empower independence, inclusion and quality of life” – we just do it through technology. 

 

But I already have an in-house IT team 

We can integrate as part of your team with our co-managed solutions. We utilize our robust toolset, including helpdesk and ticketing, alerting and monitoring, IT documentation w/knowledge base, procurement, strategic and managed security solutions, to help your team get enterprise level functionality. 

 

Whether your non-profit needs assistance with helpdesk, networks, server, security, licensing, compliance, or strategy and long-term planning, we have the knowledge and expertise to put your mind at ease as well as providing the collaboration and tools that keep your workers productive and secure.  

 

If you are interested in a one-stop shop to fill all your IT gaps, then get in touch!