Technology can be very intimidating to people, As a result, there are many who would rather not use it. That’s simply not an option in today’s society so, whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to get use things like computers. As Holly Ross, executive director at the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), explained in “Nonprofit Management 101,” this subject doesn’t have to be hard.
There are simple steps your organization can take to make the right technology decisions. And you can do this all without having to deal with complicated lingo. Ross laid out seven dos and don’ts to make dealing with technology much easier:
- DO let your mission and strategy be your guides when making technology decisions.
- DO establish strong systems. Your staff can’t get much mission-critical work done if they have to reboot the computers every hour.
- DO plan. You don’t have to get out your crystal ball to plan effectively for your technology needs.
- DO evaluate continuously. You can’t learn from experiences if you never stop to reflect.
- DON’T make technology decisions based solely on cost. This is only one factor in determining the value and expense of technology.
- DON’T forget to include staff in your technology decisions. You’ll need allies as you implement new systems.
- DON’T select mission-critical software like a donor database without first documenting your key business processes.
