Although it is easy to say technology changes quickly, it is not easy to understand how it will impact our organizations. With tightening budgets and increasing dependence on the internet and a mobile workforce, organizations, especially nonprofits, must leverage technology for its efficiency benefits. However, technology is costly, and any efficiencies will likely be lost if not implemented and maintained properly. Most nonprofits do not have the luxury of having a full-time IT staff to stay on top of their needs, and leadership often outsources those requirements to consulting firms. Even if we have an IT staff, often they must rely on expertise from outside consultants.

With the convergence of computer networking, telecommunications, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and so on, along with the ever-increasing threat landscape of cybercrime and identity theft, our technology requirements have continued to escalate. Over the past decade or so, these ever-changing and increasing demands have forced technology consultants to undergo a major shift in the way providers deliver their products and services. In this article, we will review some of the changes and how we in the nonprofit sector can realign our thinking and leadership decision-making to ensure we leverage technology to our organization’s benefit — not its demise.

As nonprofit leaders, we are constantly thinking of innovative ways to push our mission forward. Some understand the importance of technical prowess among staff, and this requires a substantial amount of ongoing training. Fortunately, plenty of online resources offer inexpensive or even free technical training that can assist at any level. Sites like Alison, edX, Microsoft Learn, Harvard Online Learning, MIT OpenCourseWare and others offer comprehensive training materials ranging from the most basic computer courses to highly complex development of artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions. With these powerful tools at our fingertips, we can equip our staff to become as highly skilled as their ambitions will take them. The key to successfully using these resources for staff development is to create a syllabus of courses custom-designed around our organizations' relevant needs and a testing method for accountability.

Read the full article about leadership mindset by Ripley Tate at Forbes.