3 Things Your Nonprofit Can Do to Stretch Its IT Budget

As a nonprofit, we know you prioritize saving the whales or feeding starving children over spending money on IT, and that’s okay! But there are certain IT needs you just can’t ignore. The good news is that there are a few little known discounts — just for nonprofits — that’ll help you spend less on IT so you can focus on your nonprofit’s mission.

A lot of nonprofits don’t know how they can spend less on IT without compromising their security. If this is you, then you’re in luck. Here are three major ways you can get more out of your IT budget for less.

1. Use Microsoft for Cloud Access and Collaboration Software

Microsoft products help businesses operate more securely and efficiently than ever before. As a nonprofit, you can get all the benefits of Microsoft products at a significantly reduced price.

Microsoft Office 365 includes applications like email, the Office program suite, SharePoint and OneDrive storage. Nonprofits can get it for just $2 per user per month.

Microsoft gives you $5,000 a year to use towards the cloud computing Azure environment as well. (In some cases, you might even get Azure for FREE.) Nevertheless, if you do use up that $5,000 yearly credit, you are still looking at only a small cost to pay for Azure’s powerful cloud computing environment.

Some organizations will get by using Gmail and other free cloud programs, but there is a certain point where you’ll want to invest in an integrated Microsoft Office suite to keep all your business documents in one, secure place.

Using these discounts will help you save tons of money up front for Microsoft products. With Microsoft, you’ll be working with a familiar tech giant with a solid reputation. Plus, Microsoft guarantees a 99.9% uptime so you’ll never be left in the dark…literally.

2. Learn How to be Secure Online

This one looks like a no-brainer, but when the #1 threat to your organization’s network security is you and your staff, it’s clear that keeping your organization secure is a little trickier than you think.

High-profile cyber attacks, such as WannaCry, Petya, SAMSAM and the DocuSign Desperado, have prompted organizations to think about cyber security. If you’re lucky enough to have a technology provider that alerts you about emerging threats, kudos! If not, ask them to send you alerts of emerging threats.

Phishing, spear phishing and spoofing are common email threats that can compromise your organization’s data. Testing your staff with a fake phishing email, or simply sending out information on how to spot a spam email can educate your employees and in turn, significantly reduce your chance of being hacked.

Another easy way to stay on top of cyber security threats and security awareness tactics is to subscribe to technology blogs. This way, the latest cyber security news can be delivered straight to your inbox.

3. Consider a Subscription-Based Plan for Your IT Needs

If you’re set up on a subscription based plan — commonly known as “managed services” — for your IT needs, there should be no surprises with regard to what you’ll be charged. When you have a managed services agreement in place, you’ll get all your networking maintenance and updates taken care of for a fixed monthly price.

Some organizations mistakenly believe that a managed services agreement is too expensive While a managed services contract can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be.

The benefit of a managed services plan is that it’s highly customizable to suit your IT needs and budget. Your fixed monthly fee depends on what services you’d like covered in your plan and how many users and locations you have. Once the services and level of support is agreed upon, you’ll get a team of IT experts who manage your organization’s network security and health for a fixed monthly fee. For example, if your organization has 25 employees (users) and one location, you might be surprised at how little it would cost to have your IT needs managed by a team of IT pros.

Need Help?

Finding the deep discounts for your nonprofit shouldn’t feel like an endless treasure hunt with no bounty. Discover how much your nonprofit could save by contacting me here or calling 410.685.5512.