By Shane Thacker

(This is part two of a two-part feature on technology planning tips. The first part appeared Nov. 24 and read the "Elements of a technology plan" sidebar)

Oops, that's not right

Making mistakes is part of any process. It's unlikely that anyone is going to get everything right. However, careful planning and preparation done even before the "official" planning process can help minimize those mistakes.

Some of the most common mistakes that Denise Joines of ONE/Northwest has seen during her time with nonprofits involve organizations that do not understand the level of technology needed in the organization.

Too often organizations tend to "sell technology short" in its ability to help the organization and everyone in it, she says.

"People end up thinking their old technology will do. Then they stick the office manager with it."

Organizations don't realize that they need to weigh saving costs against the greater efficiency and productivity new technical solutions might be able to offer, Joines says.

Nonprofits also make the mistake of thinking they are "plugged in," she says, many times not realizing that constant change in the technology world means that there is always something new happening that could directly help them.

How to avoid making these mistakes and others? It's important for nonprofits to ask questions, Joines says, and gain knowledge from those who do know some of the answers.

For Joe Matuzak, director of Arts Wire, the mistakes that most commonly come back to bite nonprofits during planning are ones of perspective and attitude about the process.

Nonprofits can end up talking specifics too early in the process, he says.

"Planners start focusing too much on the technology itself too early in the process," Matuzak says. "They focus too much on specific problems rather than general parameters, and on specific technical solutions over the level of solution needed."

Matuzak says planners would be better served to start off with the general. By establishing the parameters of the problems the organization is facing, and what level of technology might be needed to solve those problems, they can establish a flexible goal that can be adjusted to the time period when implementation actually takes place, he says.

By not asking questions about what the overall dynamics of the organization are, it is easy to get caught up in technology for it's own sake. It is important, says Matuzak, to study how information flows through the organization and where any bottlenecks can be resolved. If there are bottlenecks that cannot be resolved due to personnel or organizational structure or any number of non-technical reasons, new technology won't help.

"Nonprofits need to remember that -- just a few years ago -- Fortune 500 companies were killing to get the level of 'old' technology we have today," Matuzak says. "The question has to be how well do people know how to use the resources they already have?"

Taking it to the 'bank'

So, does having a strong, well-structured technology help to get funding? Everything that we have heard and written about so far at Nonprofits & Technology answers that question with a resounding "Yes!"

A technology plan that includes the important elements is a great tool when it comes to the part about "walking into the funder's office," no matter how that particular act is accomplished, much as a good business plan is when going to the bank for a loan.

"Donors really like it when you have a technology plan," says Joines. "It shows you are 'thinking forward.'"

For Matuzak, the most basic benefit of a technology plan when it comes to funding is the clarity it can provide when talking to funders.

"If you can articulate it inside the organization, you can articulate it outside the organization," he says.

Conclusion

Pulling together a technology plan is a matter of teamwork, communication, common sense and good planning even before starting the "official" planning process.

By recognizing the strengths and limitations of the people involved and the organization itself, it should be possible for almost any nonprofit that wants to implement technological change to sit down and plot out a course for it.

The important thing for any nonprofit staff person tasked with technological change to remember is that they are not alone. It's always good and acceptable to say "I don't know" and ask someone who does.

Using the Internet, many of those who do know are starting to share that knowledge over the Web. There has been an explosion of resources out there in the Wired World for nonprofits facing technological change. While there are too many to even try to list in this publication, a few are in the bookmarks listed to the side, and others can be found from there.

Good luck on the planning, and come and see us next month as we move deeper into the mysteries of getting funding for technology.

Go to part one of Shane Thacker's story and read the "Elements of a technology plan" sidebar.)

This article is the fourth in a continuing PNN series on technology funding. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact Shane Thacker at shanethack@mindspring.com or (919) 899-3746.