Use IT effectively or suffer !

Organisations with ineffective IT systems or little or sub-standard online presence can suffer. Tackling IT issues strategically and effectively can improve productivity, decrease costs and improve your image and communications. This article explores many of the key issues to making your IT more effective.

Implementing and supporting IT systems is never simple. For Third Sector Organisations with little budget and inexperienced staff and volunteers this can be even more of a challenge.

But is doing nothing the right approach?

Whether your organisation has a complex IT infrastructure, whether you just have a few PC’s or laptops dotted about, or whether you are the smallest of voluntary groups with no funding and no IT at all, you need to consider your IT options carefully.

IT systems give you access to more opportunities. IT systems can make the precious resources you have be more effective and efficient. There’s a price to pay for IT – both upfront and ongoing, but unless you’ve considered this carefully in comparison to continuing as you are, then can you be sure you’re making the right decisions for your organisation?

The Third Sector Hub is championing improvements in the way our local Third Sector Organisations in North East Lincolnshire implement and use IT and the way in which those organisations are supported with their IT issues.

If you are the one responsible for the IT for your group or organisation – whether formally as your job, or more likely as a volunteer or as just a small part of your job – then the Third Sector Hub would like to help you find support.

We’re here to support those who support IT in our local Third Sector Organisations.

But the Third Sector Hub needs your help to do this properly.

Start here

If you support the IT systems for your Third Sector Organisation – whether that is one PC or a network – then get in touch with the Hub. If your organisation has no IT or no email or no website, but you are responsible for that organisation – then get in touch.

And if you are not yet supporting a Third Sector Organisation with IT but have the skills and willingness to do so then again get in touch.

Contact me (Karl Elliott) here or register on the Hub website here.

If you have something to say or something to ask about IT, try our online discussion forums here.

We are running free briefings on IT during November & December – see here.

If you, staff or volunteers would like to experiment with IT then the Third Sector Hub has a wide range of resources for you to borrow or use. We have a number of “Hands on IT” sessions where you can book the equipment with a facilitator available to help.

There is a lot of support already out there for those helping with IT in the Third Sector. Both advice, publications, support and software is available for free. Try here for our outline guide to free resources you can look at first.

Karl Elliott, Third Sector Hub Manager
01472 231123
karl@vanel.org.uk