Information Technology

Community Need

  • In today’s world, nonprofits' success depends on having an online presence and tech capabilities. Key areas of need for nonprofits in the field of information technology include organizational IT planning, database implementation, and website creation and development.
  • 32% of nonprofits report that increasing the role of the web in operations and marketing is one of their top priorities for the next two years, according to a 2009 Accenture survey.
  • 2011 Taproot study reported that 27% of nonprofits receive pro bono technology services and 40% need more.

Trends

  • Technology companies offering their products as either in-kind donations or on a discounted basis to nonprofits are increasingly also providing pro bono product implementation and optimization.
  • There is an increasing demand by nonprofits for pro bono social media strategies and functionality.
  • There has been a recent emergence and growing popularity of marathon-style pro bono service to meet technology needs.
  • There is a growing intersection between IT pro bono service and open-source technologies.

Leaders

  • Cisco –  Cisco employees provide pro bono technical support, coupled with IT product grants, to nonprofits and charities. Cisco volunteers review organizations’ IT infrastructures, design technology systems and lead their implementation, and give their time and expertise as volunteers and board members. 
  • Deloitte – Deloitte's work with College Summit  created a $1 million system that enables College Summit to get reliable school and student performance data into the hands of superintendents, guidance counselors and teachers.
  • Microsoft – Microsoft has made a three-year commitment to provide 185,000 hours of employee pro bono service valued at $27.7 million.
  • Nerdery Interactive Labs – For their annual, around-the-clock, 24-hour website blitz, Nerdery Interactive Labs partners 16 teams of ten self-proclaimed web nerds with 16 deserving nonprofits to create websites from scratch or improve existing websites.
  • NPower – NPower is a network of locally-based nonprofit organizations that provide comprehensive, high-quality and affordable technology assistance to other nonprofit groups nationally. Founded in 1999, NPower currently serves more than 4,000 organizations each year.
  • SAP Business Objects – With a technology donation program already up and running, Business Objects, now owned by SAP, built pro bono implementation support into their existing giving program.
  • TechSoup – In addition to negotiating software and hardware discounts for nonprofits, TechSoup provides technology expertise to help guide nonprofits through product decisions. Additionally, they encourage their partner product companies to provide pro bono services to help implement their products.

Case Studies

Build the Movement

Here are five things you can do to help build the pro bono ethic in the IT profession.

  1. Do more pro bono and share your story with your network through social media (LinkedIn profile, twitter, portfolio, etc.).
  2. Volunteer to coordinate and promote pro bono service for your alumni association.
  3. Speak to students at a local engineering school about pro bono service and its role in your career.
  4. Ask your employer to create a formal pro bono program and budget.
  5. Provide us with feedback, suggestions and tips to keep this page fresh and relevant. Email us at professions@taprootfoundation.org.