Computers and nonprofits: easing the transition

THERE ARE OVER 800,000 nonprofit organizations in this country - ranging in size from fronts for busy people with typewriters in attic offices to universities like Stanford. Self-help and other ad hoc organizations are said to number over five mllion. The overall budget of the nonprofit sector ($129 billion) exceeds the budget of all but nine notions of the world in dollar terms. Philanthropic organizations employed 5.6 million persons in 1980, exceeding industries such as construction and automobile manufacturing.

Five years ogo fewer than 10 percent of nonprofit organizations owned computer; now it is estimated that over 50 percent of the organizations have access to small compute". Small computer have brought on a new era for nonprofit work in this country. The computerization of the nonprofit sector has not come without some disappointments and disaster. People have learned the hard way that computer technology - unlike the other office technolgy of typewriters ond copier machines - doesn't always come easy or cheap. In a recent study, 20 percent of the nonprofit sector indicated a complete dissatisfaction with their use of computers, and 40 percent were only moderately satisfied.

So what's different about a nonprofit organization? Are not their computer needs the some as those of a typical business? In many ways yes, and in many ways no. There are several aspects to the nonprofit workplace +at demand special attention, including the reliance on volunteers, significant staff turnover ond the tendency for staff to play many roles. Nonprofits write proposals. The proposals produce grants. The grants cause a kind of accounting called "fund accounting." Nonprofit orgonizations tend to manage people more than money. They keep track of things like donors, members, contacts, and volunteers. A business market devoted to providing "nonprofit software" has appeared to meet some of these needs. In the nonprofit sector, more than anyplace else, the drama of social issues is acted out as individuals ond orgonizations grapple with issues about computers in the workplace, computers and the disabled, etc.

This section explores the state of nonprofit computing, the earliest stages of the automation of social change. Like a therapist in Peyton Place, I feellike I've heard it all. In the lost eight years I have spent ten hours a day grappling with computerization issues, helping people learn computer application programs, ond nearly going off the deep end with yet one more printer problem. I view computers as a gift, a real open-ended gift like a box of Tinkertoys. We can do anything we want with the gift. It's a lot up to the nonprofit sector to come up with humane, just, and interesting applications for computers. You can counter the increasing militarization of computer technology through peaceful applications. If the everyday applications don't quite fit your needs, lobby the computer industry, or creote your own software (which doesn't mean you need to learn computer "programming") . If you think we are turning into a computerized dossier society, maybe turning it around will prove a point at least - like the group that created their own database about CIA personnel.

BUDGETING

It is estimated that a $5,000 computer investment will, in five years, represent as much as a $30,000 investment: there are many hidden costs in buying a computer, including insurance (theft, transit, medical/ liability), depreciation, supplies, software, hardware and software upgrades, security, repair, and staff training.

Some other considerations with financial consequences: keeping up with the newest technology; good or bad relationships with vendors; incompatibility problems; work at home (including employees buying compatible machines for home use); what to do about benefits; workman's compensation.

To be good and careful you might want to try a needs assessment or requirement analysis. The Information Technology Resource Center in Chicago (below) has developed a good model for this with their 300 + nonprofit member organizations.

PRINT RESOURCES

Computer Resource Guide for Nonprofits (Volume 1: Software Directory; Volume Ii: Funding Soume Directory) $95 each ($175/set) from Public Monogement Institute, 358 Brannon Street, Son Francisco, CA 94107; 415/896-1900.'

Volume II describes computer-related giving programs of 200 corporations, foundations, and government agencies, In the introduction, the editors summarize what they consider to be the emerging trends in computer funding. Volume I describes client-services softwore for tracking client costs, client demographics, client history; events software, food services, job matching, library management, public housing management, and survey softwore. There is extensive coveroge of fund accounting and membership management software.

* 4th edition available January 1988.

Computerization Needs Analysis

Elizabeth Mandell and Morgan Lyons 1986; 41 pp. $10 postpaid from Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management, 315 West 9th Street/ Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015; 213/623-7080.

Provides the information one needs to conduct o needs anolysis - a systematic examination of the functions an organization wishes to computerize, and the identification of needs within each function. The tangible result of the analysis as described in the guide book is a list of specifications for software and hardware that may be used for obtain ing bids for computer syste from vendors. One section details the overall process, and another section goes into more detail about word processing, database management, spreadsheets and accounting. Plenty of worksheets make the book more than worth the price.

The Women's Computer Literacy Handbook

Deborah L. Brecher, 1985; 254 pp. $9.95 ($11.45 postpaid) from Plume/ New American Library, R 0. Box 999 Bergenfield, NJ 07621; 201/387-0600 This excellent hondbook is an offshoot from the Women's Computer Literacy Project in San Francisco. It covers history, basic computer concepts, ethical choices, and much more. One of its strong points is Ms. Brecher's wonderful use of analogies.

[Like: a program is a recipe the computer con follow, and a computer is a cook that con follow many different recipes by doing two things well, odding and comparing. I'd recommend this book to any beginning compurer user. Jc]

In addition to the shelves of massmedia computer journals, there is a growing number of specialized journa Is - and with desktop publishing in full swing there are likely to be many more - that cover specific areas of nonprofit computing. I always look fo ward to the Computer Use in Social Services Network Newsletter: with its reader-based contribution format one can find out about unusual and useful applications of computer technology t the social services. RE:SET, published by Mike McCullough, is a real gem, full of information about gross-roots and public-interest computing that you can't find out about anywhere else. Out of Los Angeles comes a small but handy newsletter for nonprofit managers: each issue of Managing With Computers covers a special topic such as desktop publishing, nonprofit fund accounting, etc.

CUSS Network Newsletter: $10/year from Dick Schoech, UTA, P.0. Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019. RE:SET- $1 /issue from 90 East 7th Stree #3A, New York, NY 10009.

Managing With Computers: $24/year (6 issues) from Lodestar Management/ Research, Inc., 1052 West 6th Street/ Suite 714, Los Angeles, CA 90017. TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT

TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT

In 1983, nonprofit information technology resource centers began to appear in response to the education and technical assistance needs of nonprofits. Currently there are centers in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Their primary services are education, a wide range of classes, and training opportunities; access, availability of a computer-lob environment for testing and using computer equipment; and technical assistance, providing inexpensive assistance for nonprofits in purchasing equipment or further developing their computer systems.

Last year the computer centers, with assistance from the Benton Foundation and Apple Computer's Community Affairs Program, formed the Technology Resources Consortium (TRC) to promote the effective use of information technology by nonprofit organizations through the enhancement of existing centers, and by supporting the development of other programs in areas not served by the present centers. The TRC has collected vital information from each of the participating programs including training material, a skills inventory of staff and resources of the centers, and other information on the programs of each center for distribution to dozens of organizations in unserved areas. It has also developed a software evaluation process aimed at evaluating nonprofit software such as membership management, grants management, client tracking, fund accounting, etc. Most recently the TRC evaluated membership management software. The reviews have been compiled and are available from the Public Interest Computer Association for $25 (address below).

Through the TRC (c/o the Public Interest Computer Association) or the local computer centers, nonprofit organizations can find out about individuals and orgonizations that con help them with computer needs. Similar computer assistance programs are being formed in many cities nationwide. Members of the

Technology Resources Consortium: Computer Help and Information Program.

Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management, 315 W 9th Street/Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015; 213/623-7080.

Information Technology Institute. Center for Urban Education, 1135 S.E. Salmon, Portland, OR 97214; 503/231-1285.

Information Technology Resou me Canton 57th Street and S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637; 312/684-1050.

Nonprofit Computer Exchange. 419 Park Avenue S.116th Floor, New York, NY 10016; 212/481-1799.

Public Interest Computer Association. 2001 0 Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20036; 202/775-1588.

Technology Learning Canton Center for Nonprofit Management, 2820 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204; 214/826-3470.

The Benton Foundation

Another good source of information about how nonprofit organizations are using new electronic communication and information technology. The Foundation has supported many innovative programs and has published summaries of activities in the area: Communicating in the '80s: Now Options for the Nonprofit Community and Communicuting Today: Serving Nonprofit Noeds with Technology ($3 each, postpaid from Benton Foundation, 1776 K Street N W/Suite 605, Washington, D.C. 20006).

Corporate Support

Apple has done more than any other corporation to support the automation of nonprofit work. Implicit in the program's philosophy is that nonprofit organizations need to become more businesslike in order to survive and accomplish their mission, while corporations need to balance their mission to make money with social consciousness. Apple's Corporate Grants Program has eloquently accomplished both goals. There are several programs within the Corporate Grants Program: the Community Affairs Program, which provides computer grants to nonprofit organizations with an emphasis on groups working together using computer communication to build networks; the Computer Learning Center Program, which has provided support to the nonprofit computer resource centers; the Partnerships Program, which has provided computers to larger nonprofits to distribute to their constituencies, including United Way, Volunteer: The National Center, and Private Agencies Collaborating Together (PACT); and the Education Program, which provides computer grants to public and private elementary and secondary schools and to colleges and universities. The Special Education Program provides assistance to the disabled and groups which support the disabled.

Apple Computer Co., Corporate Grant Program. 20525 Mariani Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014; 408/973-4475. With the exception of Apple, the computer industry has not gone out of its way to provide assistance to nonprofit organizations. However the following companies have provided some support. Write for information.

Digital Equipment Corporation, Corporate Contributions, 111 Powdermill Rood, Maynard, MA 01754; 617/493-7161.

Kaypro, Dept. of Public Relations, 533 Stevens Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075; 619/1259-4509, has been fairly generous in its support of nonprofit organizations and has a strong interest in international development uses of computers.

Lotus Corporation, The Philanthropic Commiffee, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142; 617/577-8500, has a loaned executive program and other support for nonprofit organizations (currently, Boston area only). For more information on corporate support, see: Computer Resource Guide for Nonprofits (Printed Resources, above).

Nonprofit Software

If you want to find out more about nonprofit software, contact the nonprofit computer resource center in your area, get hold of one of the periodicols or books reviewed in this section, or write to one of the following:

Directory of Fund Accounting Software. Donald Will, 1984. $24.95 postpaid from Center for Local and Community Research, P.0. Box 5309, Elmwood Station, Berkeley, CA 94705; 415/1654-9036. Directory of Microcomputer Software in the Human Services. Joseph A. Doucette. $26.50 postpaid from Computer Consulting and Programming Associates, 7553 Canal Plaza, Portland, ME 04112; 207/774-8242.

Donor & Membership Software Review. $25 postpaid from Technology Resources Consortium, 2001 0 Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; 202/775-1588. Guide to Software for Nonprofits. $79 postpaid from N PO Resource Review, Box A-6 Cathedral Station, New York, NY 10025.

Fund Accounting Software Review. 1031 3rd Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 (conducting review of fund accounting software; distributes its own package).

What To Look For During Automation

There may be shifts in power to those who have skills with a computer Management or clerical staff may gain power: management by doing more of their own work (e.g. word processing, etc.), and clerical by handling more complex tasks.

New positions may be created to deal with automation, system design and maintenance. It might be a fulltime role, or a role divided among several staff. One of the most significant differences between successful and failed automation is the presence of a key staff, entirely responsible for all of an organization's computerization efforts.

Organizations may also end up using more independent consultants, and more part-time staff. Some staffing needs, such as computer programming, can't be met internally and will be dealt with through contracts with consultants. Organizations will face increasingly complex questions about benefits. The management of the nonprofit organization must be flexible, able to change job descriptions creatively, ond be willing and able to change staff pay scale reflecting changing responsibilities.

Decisions may become more structured, and less flexible. Decisions may also become more interdepart mental as sharing information is easier.

Training staff will take on dimensions you never dreamed possible. It's not like training to use a typewriter or copier It will never stop. It is also important to distinguish between the need for training and for technical assistance.

There are staff anxieties to deal with, like losing data, that computers might replace jobs, that worker initiative might be lessened, client relationships might become dehumanized, that staff will have less time to deal with clients, and the clarity of decisionmaking may decline.

Confidentiality and privacy are important issues. In most nonprofit organizations there is low physical security awareness. With computerization information is more finished and refined, and more mobile. Data exchange via phone or other telecommunication links is very vulnerable. By doing more information processing, less sophisticated staff con make more mistakes, thus raising the risk of inaccurate information.

Think about your office environment, the ergonomics, Workstations should include: lower than regular desk height (adjustable); adjustable chair, back support; tilt screen, adjustable brightness, etc.; detachable keyboard. The work area shouldn't have exposed cables on the floor; pay attention to reducing noise levels (especially printers); larger work area may be needed; heating and cooling requirements will change; and lighting needs for working on computers may drop to one-third of normal.

There are health issues including aches and pains, radiation, and stress. Stress may increase as staff has more workload with less job control; repetitive tasks; machine pacing of work; lack of time for training to acquire new skills; competing roles; electronic monitoring as supervision and task feedback; higher expectations versus computer delays; social isolation with main interaction being with the computer. Documentation. One way or another we're all going to end up talking about documentation. With computers it becomes a critical function. Did you document that last bug, or will you remember that document format that worked perfectly? Don't get caught up in thinking about computers as an end, instead of a means.

If you only go into computers to save time or money, you may get the short stick. Creativity and control are more likely ways to determine the level of computerization your organization deserves. The payback may only come as your organization develops new services or products not possible without automation.

It is important to decide what it makes sense to do internally. Just because you con do it doesn't mean you should. Do you really want staff to maintain mailing lists, or be responsible for all aspects of publishing?

COPYRIGHT 1987 Point Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group