NPower Indiana Provides Stable & Secure Assessments to 34 Indianapolis Area Nonprofits

On an average day, most Indiana businesses take for granted that they have a working computer with IT support. Yet 85% of local nonprofits participating in a recent technology study are constrained by outdated PCs or operating systems, which can seriously affect their system’s stability, efficiency and ability to run current software.  And more than half of these organizations are vulnerable to e-mail viruses and phishing attacks.

Nonprofit technology solutions provider NPower Indiana found that 97% of Indianapolis-area nonprofit organizations evaluated fall short of basic information technology standards, as outlined in NPower Indiana’s Stable & Secure assessment. The assessments were delivered free of charge to 34 local nonprofits through a grant from Verizon Foundation and Anthem Foundation.

NPower Indiana representatives evaluated each organization against 12 key technology benchmarks, all of which would be present in a “stable and secure” environment. The benchmarks, developed and vetted by NPower Indiana, NPower Seattle, and a group of technology consultants, include standards for hardware, software, security and technology support. Failure to achieve these standards can lead to frequent system instability, security breaches, and a general lack of performance and productivity.

NPower Indiana’s evaluation of 34 organizations found:

• 33 of the 34 organizations didn’t meet one or more of the 12 benchmarks
• 65% missed three or more benchmarks, and
• 41% struggled with four or more benchmarks

The organizations ranged in size from small, two-person offices to very large, multi-site operations with hundreds of employees.

“The important takeaway is that most nonprofits have an opportunity to improve their productivity and service impact by addressing technology issues,” said Mike Harmon, NPower Indiana CEO. “Many nonprofits tell us ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ when it comes to technology, so this helps them understand where they may be at risk.”

Each organization received an executive summary of NPower Indiana’s findings as well as detailed and specific technology recommendations. “This is beyond delivery of a sheet of paper,” said Paul Giese, NPower Indiana’s Director of External Relations. “We conducted face- to-face follow-up meetings with many of the nonprofits and discussed long-term implications of our findings.” Ninety-six percent of organizations surveyed after the follow-up meetings indicated they had increased their awareness of their IT infrastructure.

Trinity Free Clinic, a nonprofit that provides free health care to the needy in Hamilton County, was one of the organizations evaluated. Executive Director Maggie Charnoski found the assessment significantly increased her awareness of areas they need to improve.

“I find the benchmarks really helpful,” said Charnoski. “We learned that we need to budget and plan for future IT needs.”

“If these organizations are going to sustain themselves, they need a long-term plan and budget for their IT requirements,” said Harmon.  Organizations can start by becoming familiar with the Stable & Secure benchmarks, and by using other tools and guides available on NPower Indiana’s Web site.

For more information about NPower Indiana, the Stable & Secure benchmarks and assessments, and other services provided, visit www.NPowerIN.org.