Why Your Non-Profit Should Consider a CIO Before Setting Up IT
Just like businesses, more and more non-profit organizations are looking to their IT infrastructure in hopes of optimizing operational processes and driving cost-efficiency. For non-profit entities that are working on limited and donor-sourced budgets, making the most out of organizational technology isn’t just smart – it’s necessary. That’s why we’re hoping to help non-profit professionals understand the benefits of working with an outsourced CIO to manage and optimize organizational technology.
What is a CIO and Why Should Your Organization Work with One
CIO stands for Chief Information Officer and the responsibility of these professionals is to drive IT innovation and optimization for businesses. Usually, people associate CIO’s with large-scale enterprises that have massive amounts of funds allocated to spend on IT optimization. However, more and more managed IT service providers of all shapes and sizes are starting to offer outsourced CIO services for smaller or more financially limited organizations.
Simply put, outsourced CIOs are responsible for all the same things as enterprise-grade CIOs, but they do the work for a fixed monthly rate – not an annual salary. The primary benefit of working with an outsourced CIO is that it allows smaller organizations to take advantage of strategic IT planning and optimization without breaking the bank or hiring an in-house professional. This is especially beneficial for non-profit organizations who are always looking for ways to reduce overhead costs and drive streamlined optimization.
The Top Ways a CIO Will Help Your Non-Profit Organization
Listen, we get it. You’re probably wondering – how will an outsourced CIO, with a monthly price-tag – help your budget-conscious organization reduce costs? What are the true benefits of investing in outsourced CIO services? How will my non-profit organization benefit from this kind of investment? Let us break it down for you below.
Here are the top ways a CIO can help your non-profit organization:
- Identification of operational inefficiencies
Right out of the gate, an outsourced CIO will work to identify gaps and inefficiencies in your organization’s approach to IT. Even better? They’ll work efficiently to create solutions to these problems and will develop a plan to put those solutions in place strategically. No matter your unique IT needs, a CIO will help you get things running at optimal capacity. You’ll have support for everything – from installing hardware to optimizing software, and everything in between.
- Improved IT security
IT security is critical for non-profit organizations. A single data breach or cyber-attack can have devastating financial and operational consequences for hardworking non-profits. That’s why a reliable CIO will work to proactively identify security gaps and patch them sufficiently. They’ll also help your organization develop a long-term security strategy that is designed to prevent and mitigate existing threats and identify emerging ones. This way, your organization’s data and hard-earned funds are continually and proactively protected.
- Disaster recovery and organizational continuity
Even with the most strategic IT security plan in place, the reality is disasters still happen. In fact, they often happen when organizations least expect them. That’s why a good CIO will work with you to create a plan for the worst-case scenario. This plan will include a detailed strategy for responding to and recovering from a data breach with little to no organizational disruption. It will also include a sure-fire organizational continuity plan to make sure even the worst security breach doesn’t cripple your organization.
- Strategic, long-term planning
As we mentioned, the ideal benefit of working with a managed IT provider is all about thinking about the future. An outsourced CIO’s primary responsibility is to help your organization plan strategically for the long haul. This could include keeping an eye on industry-specific innovations that could help your organization thrive. It may also include strategies that position your organization for maximum scalability potential. No matter the approach they take, a good CIO will be working proactively to help your organization stay on the cutting edge for years to come.
- Fully managed IT service and support
Finally, once all the initial strategy and planning is put in place, an outsourced CIO can play a critical role in helping you and your team manage IT on and ongoing basis. This could include anything from dynamic IT monitoring and management to reliable and responsive troubleshooting support. No matter what you need in terms of ongoing IT service, a CIO can help, leaving you free to focus on the important work you do day in and out.
Support for Your Search: Finding the Right CIO for a Non-Profit Organization
So far, we’ve outlined the key non-profit benefits of investing in an outsourced CIO. Hopefully, you’re convinced of these benefits and if you are, you’re probably wondering how you should go about finding a strategic and reliable outsourced CIO to help your organization. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
First things first, you need to go into your search with an informed perspective. Take stock of your organizational needs when it comes to IT and try and think of problem areas where strategic IT solutions could help your team work more efficiently. Also, be sure to do your research on the providers you consult with. The best way to find the right provider is to go into your search with as much information as you can.
Don’t settle for anything less than an outsourced CIO provider who:
- Has experience offering CIO services – especially to non-profit organizations like yours
- Is committed to understanding your needs – both in terms of IT and budget constraints
- Will work continuously to customize their services to meet your unique organizational needs
- Explains their value to you in a language you can understand
If your non-profit organization is looking for an outsourced CIO that can provide all of the strategic benefits we’ve listed in this guide, we welcome you to start your search by contacting the team of CIO professionals from Scoja Technology Services. We have the expertise and experience necessary to help your non-profit organization reach new heights of productivity, cost-efficiency, and dynamic scalability.
Non-profit organizations do not need to be left in the dust when it comes to innovative and forward-thinking IT support. If your organization could benefit from a new and fully-managed approach to IT optimization, reach out to our team of certified tech professionals at (415) 373-0550 or via email at [email protected]. We can’t wait to help your organization reach new heights.