Pierce Family Foundation invested in the technology needs of grantees so that the headaches and stress associated with IT problems could be reduced, and nonprofits could then focus more time and resources on their mission. Our Chief Technologist, David Krumlauf, worked personally with each grantee to identify their most pressing technology concerns. Following are a few examples of IT projects supported by the Foundation.
Training in Cybersecurity: Phishing and other email scams are a significant cybersecurity issue for nonprofits, threatening a loss of data and money. PFF hosted introductory workshops on the issue, then provided follow-up, ongoing training to grantee staff, so employees could learn to spot scams and prevent harm.
Restoring Network Speed: One of the foundation’s grantees was struggling with the slow speed of their network, which affected every aspect of day-to-day business. It was discovered that 95% of the agency’s computer server was being consumed by spam email. Over the weekend, a spam filter was installed, and when the nonprofit’s staff returned on Monday, they thought they had entirely new computers. While costing only a few thousand dollars to install and run efficiently, the change was monumental for the agency.
Reducing Energy Costs: One grantee was using numerous servers that ran at only 10% capacity, consuming large amounts of unnecessary energy and resulting in excess costs. PFF paid for a IT support company to implement software that consolidated the different servers into one. This central server increased capacity, was easier to back up, and eliminated excess power consumption—opening up more funds for the agency’s mission.
“[The consultant] you connected us with was invaluable to this process. Your support of us, along with your guidance in our creation of a Technology Plan, have really been the impetus for these exciting tech advancements.”
“Staff are beginning to use the [database] system…they have already generated a quarterly report for a government funder in about 10 minutes that usually takes several hours of inputting data by hand. The benefits are real!”
“Our new phone system changed the way we work and made us feel more worthy of doing our work.”
“I think I am more excited about the computer lab updates than the Christmas I got my Easy Bake Oven…Having supporters who understand the day to day work of nonprofits is crucial.”
“Thank you for the cybersecurity training…Only foundations like Pierce understands the importance of nonprofits being in the loop in things like this.”
