(ISF) RE: What Should an IT Professional Do At a Non-Profit

I'm putting my response on list in the hope that it may help others facing this type of predicament.

I worked for a nonprofit organization for three years where I also was the only IT person, doing a wide range of tasks similar to what you describe below. Suddenly, at the encouragement of a board member, my role was eliminated in favor of a consultant who convinced management that using hosted services would eliminate the need for a dedicated IT person.

The organization has since had to revisit that strategy, but I have since moved on to other organizations. Unfortunately, IT functions still tend to slip into the background unless there is a problem, where IT suddenly enters the limelight. The only way I've found to counter this problem is to be very visible and forge relationships with management AND board people wherever possible. Distributing regular communications of recent accomplishments is helpful, but it's really key to make sure management knows who you are and what you do. It is also helpful to put IT achievements into a language that is easily understood by non-techies.

There is still no guarantee of job stability at any nonprofit no matter how good a job you do, but if you document your accomplishments regularly at least you will be well prepared for presenting them to other NPOs should you have to make an unexpected move.

Please contact me if I can help further and good luck!

Regards, NHR

Norman H. Reiss, PMP

nhr%40usa.net">nhrusa.net
Cost Effective IT Project Management and
Internet Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

-----original message-----
>>;The NPO I work for has reached the point where the have to cut costs
and possible engage in downsizing. They are now questioning my
existence.>>;

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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I'll respond here as well, because the job I had before my current one, I was both the IT person AND the ED! It was a very interesting place to find myself, because I could easily have been called an accidental techie, to boot. I found myself in the place of having to justify any IT expense to my Board during the budget process; and this org was VERY behind, technically. Being in Redmond's backyard, we were fortunate ? at first ? to have some MS people come by once or twice to help set up some systems (as well as bring us lots of great free software!) But anything I couldn't support myself quickly fell by the wayside (ie implementing Sharepoint services, setting up our own internal server).

What I started to do was to make sure that what I DID spend money and other resources on developing and maintaining, in some way directly impacted the Board's relationship with the org. One example; when the Sharepoint idea didn't fly, I at least set up a secure set of pages on our website that held Board documents, and I established a Board-only email listserv so they could have informal communications for non-critical discussions. They directly experienced how tech made their Board experience better and were therefore more receptive to other plans (and expenses.)

This approach might work for IT staff in dealing with their management. <smile&gt; I remember an IT staff member at a long-ago NP job, whose #1 rule was ? "my boss gets the new toys first ? and that keeps him happy!&quot; Of course, I realize it isn't really that easy?

~Deborah Witmer
Director, Ida's Fund
Seattle, WA
debwitmer%40comcast.net">debwitmercomcast.net

--- In Information_Systems_Forum%40yahoogroups.com">Information_Systems_Forumyahoogroups.com, "Norman Reiss";
<nreiss...> wrote:
&gt;
> I'm putting my response on list in the hope that it may help others
facing this type of predicament.
>
> I worked for a nonprofit organization for three years where I also
was the only IT person, doing a wide range of tasks similar to what
you describe below. Suddenly, at the encouragement of a board
member, my role was eliminated in favor of a consultant who convinced
management that using hosted services would eliminate the need for a
dedicated IT person.
&gt;
[snip]

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