Let’s face it: Technology can be an enabler of great things, but, for many nonprofits, it’s not propelling the mission forward. In some cases, it’s getting in the way. Techcafeteria is here to make recommendations that will turn that dynamic around, and do it with a full understanding of your organizations budget, resources, and culture around the use of technology.
Techcafeteria starts an assessment at the highest level, learning about your organization’s mission, history, and strategies. From there, we perform interviews; document and system reviews; and staff surveys to get a thorough understanding of not only the systems in use, but also the governance of those systems, how they are supported, and how sensitive data is protected. We break what we’ve learned into four areas:
The hardware and software that make up the organization’s technology platform. A core focus is on learning how key software systems are used (CRM, ERP, document management, etc.), and how they might be more effectively deployed to increase support for the work while staying within a tight budget. Recommendations about cloud vs in-house solutions fall under the systems review.
How technology is supported, be that by IT staff, staff in other departments, and/or a managed services provider. Techcafeteria looks at what the body of technical activity to be supported consists of: what resources are available and where gaps in support might be impacting the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the operations.
How decisions are made about technology. Who has input into technology strategy and selection; what processes are in place to insure that systems meet organizational needs and that appropriate parties have input into those decisions; and what policies are in place to ensure that technology investments result in the desired outcomes.
Techcafeteria bases the security review largely on the NIST 800-171 framework, which is used by federal agencies to identify gaps in the security of person and system-conducted processes. Using a customized questionnaire that translates the questions to plain language and factors in current security best practices and items specific to nonprofits, Techcafeteria identifies gaps and then makes recommendations that are realistic for a nonprofit to achieve.
The resulting report includes an executive summary, detailed recommendations with cost and level of
effort estimates, and a two to five year roadmap for accomplishing the recommendations. Optional report components include charts visualizing survey results and full security gap analyses. Once the report and roadmap are finalized, Techcafeteria will prepare a PowerPoint summary of the report and use it to present the findings.
Most interviews are group interviews, which saves on project cost and allows staff to play off of each other, making the sometimes daunting topic of technology easier to discuss. Average duration of an assessment is six to eight weeks. All deliverables are reviewed by the client before they are finalized. If you’re ready to revamp your approach to technology, contact us via the form below.
Techcafeteria’s mission is to help nonprofits use technology to advance their work. We tailor our advice to fit the mission, strategy, culture, and available resources of our clients.
If you are with a nonprofit or a similar organization working to improve lives, we’d love to hear about your technology challenges and see if we can either help you, or point you in the direction of someone who can. Just fill out this form and you’ll hear back from us.
