Nonprofit IT Consulting: Is Your Business Prepared for When Disaster Strikes?

Disastrous events are more common than you may think. Natural disasters like floods or wildfires affect everyone, and businesses are certainly not immune to Mother Nature’s ways. To add insult to injury, organizations must also be aware of less natural problems, such as ransomware attacks or even a busted pipe above the server room. Because businesses are keepers of sensitive data, the potential issues that may arise due to a disaster could prove to be catastrophic. This is why having a backup plan is an essential aspect of running any company.

NONPROFITS AND DISASTER RECOVERY

When examining the significance of disaster recovery for nonprofits specifically, the importance of having a backup plan increases exponentially. This can be attributed to the fact that during many crises (like natural disasters), nonprofits are typically called on to facilitate relief efforts. The resiliency of a community post-disaster is often directly correlated with the resiliency of their nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit IT consulting can actually help your organization to bounce back quickly. Continue reading to learn how backup and disaster recovery solutions can help your organization to better prepare for when disaster strikes.

STEPS FOR GETTING PREPARED

We get it – preparing your nonprofit for a disaster is overwhelming and something that is surprisingly easy to put off. A good way to approach disaster planning is to tackle each part of the plan in smaller chunks. The ultimate goal is to create a strategy that allows for continuity of your business’ operations, and the steps to get there are outlined below.  

    1. Create a “go-bag” for your organization. 

This bag should contain all of the information required to continue business operations. Its purpose is to be grabbed in case of an emergency. The contents of the bag should include organizational documents, program administration documents, communications and contact information, and technology and facility information. All of the documents you place in your go-bag should be copies of the original files. 

    2. Develop a communications plan.

Having technology and organizational practices that allow for simpler and more accessible forms of communication is key. This is because employees are better able to work and respond to items via whatever device they choose, which cuts down on lag time and encourages both internal and external communication. Integrating VOIP solutions into your organization is a great way to facilitate this. 

 

    3. Take advantage of nonprofit IT consulting. 

Ensuring that your data is regularly backed up in a different location (such as the cloud) can prove to be very beneficial for your nonprofit when a catastrophe hits. This reduces downtime and helps to keep your organization’s information safe. Hiring a third-party IT service provider that specializes in disaster recovery is a good way to begin the process of backing up critical files.  

Don’t let natural disasters like an earthquake shake up your plans and cause your organization to crumble. At TXSG, we are proud that our success has given us the ability to participate in charitable events and assist nonprofits at little to no cost. Contact us today to get started on preparing your business for whatever may come.  

Two Ways Nonprofit IT Consulting Improves Efficiency

Nonprofit organizations often lack two things: Time and money. Achieving their goals with limited staff and a tight budget means nonprofits must exercise creativity and planning in the use of their resources.

Nonprofit IT consulting brings this same creativity and planning to the realm of technology. The right solutions can save nonprofits both time and money, making their investment in consulting services well worth it.

• Time

If your development staff have to comb through databases in order to identify high-value potential donors, they could spend hours simply finding names, phone numbers, and addresses.

Consulting services like Texas Systems Group, on the other hand, can implement systems that make it simple to break down data by category or demographics. In a few minutes, your staff can identify potential donors, leaving them more time to reach out to these donors.

These types of time-saving solutions reduce the burden on every member of the organization. In turn, the organization can use that saved time to further their mission, and their ability to connect with their target audiences.

• Money

The financial outlay for nonprofit IT consulting can actually save an organization money over time. For example, when your development staff has time to reach out to more potential donors, thanks to new and more efficient systems, they have the potential to earn more money for your cause.

Similarly, strategies such as streamlining all devices and improving compatibility can save money on upgrade costs and IT support requests. Money saved (or earned) means more financial resources are available to address the core concerns of the nonprofit.

If you need assistance with the IT side of your nonprofit organization, reach out to TXSG. We have years of experience creating efficient, time-saving, money-saving systems for organizations looking to make a difference.