Nonprofit in the Cloud

Posted on April 23, 2014 at 6:00 am

by Kandy Brandt

The nonprofit organization I am active in was looking for ways to provide valuable and efficient services on a tight budget. We had just enough income to make ends meet and nothing left over for renting expensive office space, investing in costly computer software, or hiring lots of staff. We found the solution in cloud computing.

Now we can meet online, consult needed data and records using cloud storage, use apps to aid in communication and preserve organizational memory, share calendars, maintain up-to-date financial records, store donor information, maintain an exciting social media presence, and back up records.

Although the cost of the software is lower and it’s easy to maintain, some things to consider are:

• commit to learning the basic technology
• ensure that the system keeps the data secure
• staff hours committed to maintaining the system
• staff members that still have one hidden hand grasping an old file cabinet, afraid to let go
• new communication skills are needed when you lose face-time with colleagues

What cloud-based products for business do you recommend?

Tags: business, technology