Nonprofit Technology Policies and Processes: Increasing Security, Long-Term Budget Planning, and Longevity

Every person in a nonprofit interacts with technology on a daily basis, no matter their role. Do you have clear processes and policies in place to guide the usage of technology in your nonprofit?

You (hopefully!) follow a set of processes and policies for your mission-oriented work: your “standard operating procedures” for programs, volunteer management, communications and fundraising, etc. Well-run organizations maintain rules around record keeping, facility use, background checks, and appoint someone responsible for updating and enforcing them. Do you have similar guidelines for your website, CRM, and other technology systems?

Having written processes and policies for all staff and volunteers helps maintain clean and accurate data, makes problems easier to fix when they do arise, and makes it easier to adopt new ways of engaging with technology over time.

We’ve rounded up our best blog posts to help you implement processes and policies around your technology. Which ones need some attention in your organization?

• Create a Nonprofit Center of Excellence (aka Technology Committee) – Ever have that stomach-sinking feeling about needing to get your whole team on board with a big technology change? Bring together your key stakeholders and people with expertise to create policy and procedures for the organization and make decisions about technology planning. Having this “brain trust” as a regular part of your organization will minimize surprises.
• Data Hygiene – When a CRM is brand new, the data is clean and reliable. Reports are easy to run, there are no duplicates, and since everyone was recently trained up, users are all on the same page with processes. Over time, processes change, people come and go, and adoption (ideally) increases… Unless you put processes in place for data hygiene, data integrity begins to fall by the wayside. Having policies around who does the work, how often, and how to implement changes will help eliminate problems before they happen.
• Website Security – How many users are authorized to access the backend of your website? Who is in charge of keeping the platform updated when new security releases and upgrades are released? Maintaining your website with updates, security patches, and routine processes such as reducing the size of your photos and graphics will keep your website running smoothly and protected from bad actors.
• Cybersecurity Policy – Does your strategic plan include cybersecurity? All technology is at risk of being hacked. Adding a cybersecurity policy will minimize your liability for data breaches and other catastrophic situations.
• Bring In a Partner – When capacity is limited, attention to the ongoing maintenance and hygiene of your technology can easily slide. Having policies and processes in place can help keep things moving – and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can always ask for help from a trusted support partner (like us!).

Set Goals and Measure

Just as with anything else in your organization, success relies on setting goals and measuring progress. Here are some questions to help you think through what might be needed:

• How will we know these new processes and policies are being followed?
• What are the onboarding procedures to introduce the policies to new staff members and volunteers?
• How will existing staff get reminders and refreshers?
• What are the checkpoints to keep folks adhering to processes even when things get busy?
• Is your Center of Excellence meeting regularly to evaluate processes and policies to make sure they still make sense?

Stability, Predictability, and Less Surprises

When you put policies and procedures in place, your technology will last longer and have fewer problems. You’ll also be able to plan in advance for upgrades and new technology so your organizational needs are continually being met. As always, our Ongoing Support team is here to help with maintenance, updates, hygiene and/or questions about best practices for policy and processes. This is our jam! It doesn’t have to be yours.