These days, digital tools underpin almost all of an association’s activities: internal communication, membership management, event planning, accounting, and more.   

 You’ll need dependable, affordable, and well-managed technology to avoid overburdening your resources and prevent disruptions impacting your ability to serve your members well.  

Spending a lot of time troubleshooting IT issues or workflow moving slower due to inadequate tools can prevent your team from doing their jobs effectively – with some workers spending almost four hours a month of their own time making up for hours lost due to completing unnecessary tasks.  

If you find maintaining a thriving IT ecosystem challenging, outsourcing to a managed IT services provider can be an excellent solution. Below, we outline ten signs that indicate it’s time to bring in professionals! 

1. 1. Frequent IT Issues and Downtime Are Impacting Productivity

For every minute your IT infrastructure doesn’t function properly, you can spend a significant amount of money that eats into your budget.  

It’s expensive if your employees regularly face common technological hurdles that delay their work, whether it’s lagging computers, slow network speeds, unreliable communication tools, software glitches or system failures. Not only do these situations disrupt your productivity and delay your ability to meet deadlines and achieve your long-term objectives, but they can also lead to diminished morale and even employee attrition.  

If this is your reality, you may need a managed IT services provider to ensure your team can consistently access essential tools so that your key activities run smoothly. When a global education-focused association partnered with designDATA, they experienced a seamless transition to remote work at the start of the pandemic and continue to benefit from proactive maintenance and monitoring that minimizes downtime on an ongoing basis. 

2. Inadequate IT Support and Slow Response Times

Sometimes, an association might rely on a complex technological infrastructure that outpaces the capacity of its limited in-house IT team or its current external service provider. You may be in that situation if you experience delays in addressing technical issues, making it harder for your team to stay on track with important tasks and projects. 

If you don’t currently receive timely and reliable IT support, it’s time for something new!  

Look for a high-quality managed IT services provider who specializes in association technology management. With a team of skilled specialists on call, you’ll always be able to access the required knowledge to tackle your problem promptly. You’ll want to find someone who outlines their guaranteed response times in their service level agreements so you can be rest assured that any IT issues will be addressed quickly and your operations can keep running smoothly. 

3. High IT Maintenance and Repair Costs

Without an adequately skilled team that consistently and proactively maintains its technology infrastructure, associations often deal with problems that divert financial resources from more important initiatives. 

Has your association experienced minor issues with your technology that escalated into a critical situation? You may have had to spend a lot of unplanned money on expensive emergency interventions and replacements, which prevented you from investing in strategic growth or member services.   

To avoid these expenses, you should work with a managed IT services provider who can implement effective IT cost management strategies and provide a more stable environment. 

4. Outdated Technology and Lack of Modernization

Your association’s operational efficiency is likely diminished if you rely on outdated hardware and software, conduct infrequent technology evaluations and upgrades, and don’t educate your team on safely incorporating innovations like artificial intelligence.  

Are your staff struggling to leverage newer technologies or encountering compatibility issues when trying to integrate advanced cloud-based IT solutions into your infrastructure? A managed IT service provider can guide them in modernizing your environment. 

5. Data Security Vulnerabilities and Rising Cyber Threats 

Relying on outdated technologies goes beyond simply impacting productivity. It also increases your association’s cybersecurity risks by creating vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. 

Many organizations struggle to ensure sufficient data protection and implement tactics like patch management, threat detection, security audits, strong passwords, and staff training. 

Yet by adopting data security best practices with the support of a managed IT services provider who understands the necessary cybersecurity solutions for associations, you’ll be better equipped to protect your organization.   

6. Difficulty in Scaling IT Infrastructure

The needs of your members are constantly changing: how you support them should, too.  

Are your existing technology systems having trouble keeping up with your growing operations? Perhaps you struggle with the necessary strategic planning for expanding your IT infrastructure cohesively, or you might be dealing with disjointed systems from years of ad-hoc solutions. 

Partnering with a managed IT services provider can help you build a well-integrated IT environment that adequately supports member needs as they evolve. 

7. Poor Member Experience Due to IT Problems

Your team might feel discouraged if they’re always dealing with frustrated members who can’t log in, sign up for events, or contact your organization. These technical issues can make it more challenging to keep members engaged and involved in your initiatives, and therefore, harder for your team to reach your goals and drive long-term success. 

If this situation sounds familiar, it may be time to seek assistance in maintaining a user-friendly IT infrastructure that empowers good communications with your members. 

8. Non-Compliance with Industry Regulations

Depending on your specific focus and location, many federal and state data privacy laws in the U.S. could influence your association’s operations. Non-compliance can lead to serious consequences, including legal penalties and fines.  

If your organization struggles to adhere to the relevant standards governing your technology use, you may benefit from support from a provider who understands association and nonprofit IT solutions. They will have extensive expertise in conducting regular audits, infrastructure updates, and risk assessments, and can make it easier to ensure compliance. 

9. Lack of Strategic IT Management and Direction

Are your current technology practices and policies yielding optimal outcomes? Consider whether your association frequently makes reactive technology decisions, resulting in investments that don’t align with your operational goals.   

You can partner with a managed IT services provider to guide you toward achieving operational sustainability with your technology. Look for experts with experience in overseeing digital transformation for associations and IT infrastructure optimization. 

10. Overwhelmed In-House IT Staff

Your internal IT team likely handles many responsibilities, from managing system updates and user requests to troubleshooting technical issues and implementing security measures.  

With so much on their plate, it’s hard to go beyond focusing on immediate problems to tackling strategic IT projects. That reactive firefighting prevents them from successfully maintaining a well-functioning IT infrastructure that boosts organizational productivity.     

Partnering with a managed IT services provider skilled in IT support for nonprofits and associations can free up your team to concentrate on more mission-critical initiatives.     

Partner with designDATA to Streamline Your Association’s IT 

While there are many barriers that you might face, your association doesn’t have to struggle with an inadequate IT environment that fails to meet their needs and maintain efficiency.   

By partnering with designDATA for our strategic IT consulting and managed IT services for associations, you’ll tap into expert support to ensure your technology empowers your work instead of hindering it.  We’re here to streamline your operations, minimize disruptive downtime, and implement cost-effective solutions that let you allocate resources to projects that directly impact your members.   

 Optimize your association’s IT with expert-backed managed IT services – contact designDATA today! 

Stop Managing Your Managed IT Service Provider: How Proactive IT Partners Maximize Your ROI

As organizations operate across various cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, managing their technology has become more challenging. 

Employees need to collaborate seamlessly from multiple locations, technology is advancing rapidly, and cyber threats are growing in sophistication, frequency, and impact. In fact, cybercrime is projected to cost a staggering $12 trillion by 2025. To handle this complexity, many are turning to a managed IT service provider to ensure their systems remain efficient and reliable. 

But too often, organizations find themselves spending their valuable time managing their MSP—following up on unresolved tickets and chasing after critical updates—rather than focusing on their core goals. 

Below, you’ll learn about the importance of MSP-led communication for maximizing your return on investment and tips on how to select the right provider for long-term success.

The Role of Proactive IT Communication in MSP-Client Relationships 

Because the relationship with an IT provider has become so essential to its ability to operate, an organization should feel like they are in good hands. 

Good-quality managed IT services for nonprofits are especially important, as these organizations often operate with limited resources and must prioritize efficiency to fulfill their mission effectively. For example, an autism-focused nonprofit organization in DC was able to streamline their workday by offloading their IT management to designDATA. Our responsiveness was key to ensuring they had adequate employee support and timely issue resolution. 

Unfortunately, not all MSPs will communicate effectively. 

It should never be your job to oversee your IT service management. Instead, your managed IT service provider should be responsible for establishing a clear communication channel with you about your IT priorities. This will let you all stay aligned on goals, expectations, and ongoing IT needs while your organization can make informed decisions about your technology. You will also feel confident that your MSP’s solutions are tailored to your specific context and strategic objectives. 

The Five Keys to Effective Communication 

Achieving that effective working relationship and proactive IT communication requires a well-established MSP communication cadence, where you know that you’re getting the maximum value for your time, money, and resources. 

At our company, we’ve honed a tried-and-true approach that involves: 

1. Weekly tactical meetings where you review your IT support services and discuss any ongoing IT issues. You can also schedule and communicate any downtime or maintenance and address any concerns. 
2. Proactive Priority of the Month meeting where you tackle non-urgent but essential maintenance items that other MSPs often leave at the bottom of the pile indefinitely. 
3. Quarterly IT benchmarking assessments, where we evaluate your IT environment in five key areas: productivity, cybersecurity, infrastructure management, cloud service enablement, and business continuity. We compare your systems and processes against other organizations to ensure you effectively use your technology. 
4. Bi-Annual Business Reviews where we have an executive-level discussion about our recent accomplishments and upcoming plans, their budgetary impacts, the possibility of adding emerging technology to your tech stack, and how we can add more value to your organization. 
5. Yearly Initiative Rankings meeting where we discuss more broad-level critical success factors. We use a project ranking matrix that scores IT initiatives based on your criteria, looking at which has the most significant impact on your operations to help us prioritize what is most important. 

The Benefits of a Team-Based Approach for IT Service Management 

Beyond having a regular and established communication cadence, your organization will feel happier with a managed IT services provider that takes a team-based approach to IT support.

In our experience, MSP’s client satisfaction hinges on organizations knowing they have access to reliable support whenever needed. That’s why a good provider will act as an extension of your team, making it feel almost as if your organization has its own in-house IT while still leveraging the benefits of working with a comprehensive outsourced provider. 

Your staff should be able to connect with familiar engineers whenever they need support and have a dedicated point of contact to create comfort and consistency. 

This is especially valuable when working with an MSP for nonprofits. With a dedicated team that understands your organization, its environment, and specific needs, you’ll be better equipped to proactively anticipate and address challenges, keeping your operations running smoothly. 

How to Choose the Right MSP for Your Organization 

Your choice for your managed IT service provider will directly impact your efficiency, security, and growth, so it’s important to be diligent in finding the right fit. Yet with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to determine who will best address your unique needs. 

Here are a few factors to consider when selecting an MSP for nonprofits: 

1. Assess your IT needs, current and future 

Conduct a thorough assessment of your infrastructure and operations to understand your organization’s priorities for its technology. Before you start looking for a provider, you should know as much as you can about your current vulnerabilities, desires for upgrades, and long-term operational goals. This knowledge will help you find someone whose skills reflect your environment. 

2. Review their available services 

Once you know your needs, you can evaluate providers to determine whether they offer services that can help you meet them. 

Qualified managed IT providers should definitely prioritize your cybersecurity and provide services such as security assessments, incident response and business continuity planning, identity management, and 24/7 continuous monitoring to keep your data safe. 

You should also consider looking for providers who offer data center and cloud management services, as well as staff training to ensure your team can confidently navigate their digital workplaces. 

3. Evaluate their track record 

You can gain valuable insight into a managed IT service provider’s ability to foster a long-term, high-quality partnership by looking at the people and reputation surrounding them. Start by reviewing client testimonials and recommendations to understand the experiences of other organizations. It’s also helpful to consider how long a provider has been in business and how long their employees have stayed with the company. Additionally, examining their client base and identifying organizations similar to yours can give you a clearer sense of how well they understand your specific challenges. 

4. Assess their IT service quality 

Providers should make it easy for you to examine their customer support capabilities in their service level agreements. Pay close attention to their claims around uptime, response times, and average resolution times to ensure they can provide IT solutions for nonprofits that meet your operational needs without unnecessary delays. Additionally, evaluate their onboarding process to understand how quickly and smoothly they can integrate with your team, as well as their ongoing communication practices. 

Partner with designDATA for your IT Success 

The key to getting the most out of your IT investment is partnering with an MSP that takes a proactive approach rather than one that needs constant oversight. Your provider should focus on boosting efficiency, reducing downtime, and supporting long-term growth for your organization. 

designDATA offers tailored managed IT services for nonprofits, associations, and other organizations, applying a strong emphasis on transparent communication and long-term planning to keep your IT reliable and hassle-free. 

Let’s connect to discuss how we can deliver IT that works for you. Schedule a consultation with us today! 

Four Ways Managed IT for Nonprofits Supports Organizational Sustainability

Organizations need financial and economic stability if they want to support their communities long-term. While economic uncertainty remains outside their control, they can remain effective by building resilient operations that support their mission-driven activities.

Leaders know that robust nonprofit IT solutions are essential for long-term operational sustainability—that’s why 52% of organizations are prepared to increase their technology budget. When employees have appropriate and reliable technology, they can collaborate seamlessly, optimize resources, and drive their organization’s mission forward.

However, not all organizations have the internal capacity to build and maintain technology resilience. In these cases, partnering with a managed IT services provider specializing in nonprofits can be a strategic investment.

Keep reading to learn four strategies for leveraging these cost-effective IT services to benefit your organization financially and improve your efficiency to make an even more meaningful difference. 

The Struggles Associations and Nonprofits Face in Ensuring Their Long-term Viability  

Nonprofit organizations face various unique obstacles to operational sustainability, such as: 

1. Funding variability  

Nonprofits rely on fluctuating revenue streams, such as donations, grants, membership fees, and event income. For example, charitable giving dropped by 10.5% in 2022, though experts anticipate a 3.9% increase by 2025. These financial fluctuations make it difficult to maintain steady operations and plan for long-term initiatives. 

2. Staff turnover  

Organizations also deal with staff turnover and executive departures that may disrupt their capacity-building attempts and hinder their ability to carry forward institutional knowledge and strategic direction.

3. Ineffective technology  

As tools advance and digital workplaces rapidly evolve, organizations that want to meet their community’s expectations need to adapt and invest in the most effective IT infrastructure for nonprofits. However, limited budgets can prevent nonprofits from upgrading outdated systems, migrating data, or implementing modern IT solutions. As a result, nonprofit technology solutions struggle to keep up or avoid disruptions to their performance, whether from a software crash, system failure, or cyberattack. 

That inefficiency ends up massively impacting their financial health. The organization wastes time, money, and staff energy dealing with issues, diverting resources from impactful programs and affecting operational viability. They will likely increase costs by spending more due to delays or fixing a mistake while reducing their potential revenue if the ineffectiveness deters people from supporting them financially. 

How Managed IT Services Can Contribute to Longterm Organizational Sustainability  

Outsourcing IT management can be a game-changer for nonprofits looking to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, strengthen security, and plan for long-term sustainability. Here’s how partnering with a managed IT services provider can benefit your organization’s financial future: 

1. Improving Cost Efficiency and Savings 

Working with an MSP can lead to immediate cost reductions by eliminating the need for large IT infrastructure investments. Many providers offer access to data centers and virtual resources, allowing nonprofits to leverage enterprise-level technology without the high upfront costs. Additionally, their subscription-based pricing model ensures predictable IT budgeting with no hidden surprises.

These providers also typically have strong vendor relationships, meaning they can negotiate more favorable rates to deliver cost-effective IT solutions. Their expertise helps nonprofits make smarter technology investments, optimize resource allocation, and consolidate or upgrade systems for long-term savings.

A proactive MSP can prevent costly downtime by continuously monitoring and maintaining IT systems—reducing unexpected repair expenses. With the right technology in place, nonprofits can redirect funds to mission-driven initiatives and operate with greater financial stability.

2. Enhancing productivity and performance  

A managed IT services provider who understands the barriers to IT modernization for nonprofits will help boost your productivity. 

An MSP has the deep knowledge to smoothly integrate advanced solutions and artificial intelligence into your existing infrastructure, helping you automate the routine tasks and processes that take away resources from your vital programs. 

A skilled provider should also follow a standardized approach to incident management, leveraging best practices to solve technical issues faster and minimize disruptions to your workflow. They will also engage in IT resilience planning and implement permanent solutions to prevent recurring problems that waste your time repeatedly. This improved efficiency will let you optimize your resources and maximize output without increasing operational costs. 

For example, a cancer foundation partnered with designDATA to modernize its IT infrastructure. With our strategic IT planning support, the organization strengthened its disaster recovery capabilities and now operates with greater confidence and fewer disruptions.

3. Reducing risks and maintaining compliance  

Nonprofits are increasingly targeted by cyber threats, making strong cybersecurity essential. A managed IT provider helps organizations:

• Conduct security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and create a custom security roadmap.
• Provide 24/7 system monitoring to detect and manage threats in real time.
• Develop an incident response and disaster recovery plan to ensure operational continuity.
• Offer security awareness training to empower employees as a first line of defense against cyber risks.

A proactive security strategy also simplifies regulatory compliance—a major concern for nonprofits handling sensitive donor, member, or financial data. Some MSPs even provide audit preparation and compliance solutions, easing the burden of meeting industry regulations.

4. Providing Strategic IT Planning Support 

Beyond the short-term cost savings, your organization will also optimize its funds long-term when your managed IT services provider builds you a high-performing, future-proofed, secure environment leveraging sustainable IT practices. 

Their proactive approach and consistent oversight will minimize downtime and financial ramifications from the resulting lost productivity. They will also reduce the need for your organization to spend heavily on reactive problem-solving, emergency repairs, or disaster recovery, as their experts will tackle issues before they escalate. 

Your provider will typically conduct a strategic technology assessment to ensure you invest only in technology that aligns with your organizational goals. Successful IT scalability for nonprofits requires prioritizing modern tools capable of supporting your needs as they evolve. If you work with a provider who knows how to scale a nonprofit’s infrastructure, they can drive you forward with fewer resources and more sustained operational efficiency. 

Implement sustainable IT practices with designDATA  

Today, organizations operate in a drastically different economic and social context than even just a few years ago. To successfully advance their mission and sustain their operations, they need a sustainable governance model and sufficient technological resilience to support them as they face change. 

Their technology infrastructure will be instrumental in achieving that goal. When your organization partners with designDATA for our managed IT services for nonprofits, our experts will take actionable steps to set you up for success. We will help your organization build an IT infrastructure that can weather any storms it might encounter. 

Let’s connect to discuss how designDATA can help you use your technology to achieve long-term organizational sustainability. 

How Managed IT services Empower Nonprofits to Scale Without Increasing Costs 

Nonprofit organizations often face a complex challenge: balancing limited resources with the need to scale operations. 

Moreover, as workplace environments rely more on digital platforms, successfully scaling nonprofit operations depends on sourcing the right technology. However, building a robust, scalable IT infrastructure can be daunting!

IT outsourcing for nonprofits can provide a cost-effective way to get guidance and support in using your technology to drive growth without proportionally increasing costs. 

Below, we’ll discuss the common challenges organizations face, the financial benefits of partnering with outside IT professionals, and how managed IT services can provide the necessary strategic IT management to make a greater impact when growing your operations. 

Why IT Scalability for Nonprofits Can Be a Challenge 

Building a scalable IT infrastructure can be difficult when faced with financial constraints.

With limited budgets and resources, many nonprofits often rely on outdated and unprotected IT systems. This not only hinders performance and disrupts service delivery but also creates serious security vulnerabilities—contributing to the 27% of nonprofits worldwide that have experienced a cyberattack.

Relying on fundraising and grants can also create financial instability, putting pressure on CFOs to optimize resource allocation and manage financial risks. This makes it difficult to invest in long-term technology scaling strategies since maintaining current programs takes priority. As a result, many nonprofits do not allocate sufficient resources for technology capacity building and integrating new tools.

The Financial Benefits of Managed IT Services for Nonprofits 

Partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP) is a smart strategy for budget-conscious nonprofits looking to maximize their IT investments and grow their operations successfully. With expert technical support, nonprofits can experience:

1. Financial stability over time  

An MSP can help build a sustainable foundation that can support your nonprofit’s diverse activities as it grows. By maintaining network health and proactively resolving issues, MSPs help minimize disruptions and create a stable technology environment. When combined with a subscription-based service model, this stability allows your organization to manage IT costs predictably and optimize its budget effectively.

In the short term, you’ll also save money working with an MSP because they will streamline infrastructure expenses. In the long term, you’ll avoid significant costs from expensive system failures or cyberattacks—especially considering that the global average cost of a cyberattack in 2024 reached $4.88 million. 

2. Increased ROI from reduced costs and improved efficiency  

With a well-managed and functional IT environment that keeps your data safe and available, your team can be more productive and collaborate more easily. That will help you use your limited resources effectively and avoid wasting them on duplicating or unnecessary efforts. 

Also, investing in user-friendly, efficient tools can help improve employee satisfaction and retention, contributing to a more engaged workforce.

3. More effective decisions about resource allocation  

Providers specializing in managed IT services for nonprofits can also help you with your IT infrastructure’s strategic vision. They will build you a technology roadmap that serves as a plan for how you can construct your infrastructure to accommodate growth, prioritizing more targeted investments that efficiently use your resources. 

How Managed IT Services Help Nonprofits Scale Effectively 

MSPs can support nonprofit scalability in several key ways, including:

1. Assessing your organization’s scalability needs and goals   

To make informed decisions about technology, nonprofits need a clear understanding of their current IT landscape. An MSP—particularly one well-versed in nonprofit IT challenges—can expertly analyze your current infrastructure and business processes. This includes identifying usage patterns, bottlenecks, and necessary upgrades in hardware and software.

A cybersecurity assessment is also critical, as scalability is only sustainable when IT infrastructure is resilient against threats and downtime.

2. Implementing scalable, mission-driven IT solutions  

Procuring nonprofit technology solutions requires deep expertise and experience to build the right mix of tools for scaling your operations. An MSP can facilitate the development of a nonprofit IT roadmap and the implementation of high-quality, optimized, and cost-effective IT solutions. 

They will ensure your network can continually handle increased traffic and changing connectivity requirements while maintaining hardware reliability under varying performance demands. 

Cloud-based solutions will definitely play a central role in executing an affordable scalability strategy. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies offer easy access to expandable storage and application resources, allowing nonprofits to pay only for what they use.

An MSP specializing in SaaS for nonprofits can assist in vendor selection, subscription management, environment configuration, data migration, and ongoing system oversight. They can also implement a strong cybersecurity framework to protect IT assets and maintain compliance.

3. Ensuring seamless integration with existing systems  

Building a scalable IT infrastructure requires blending new technological innovations with the existing tools in your workplace. If done incorrectly, this can lead to operational inefficiency or data inconsistencies and, even more concerning, increased weaknesses and disruptions to your operations. 

An MSP will guide you through this process. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic, a military non-profit needed to shift their IT to support remote work. Thanks to having access to managed IT services for nonprofits, they were able to upgrade their network to handle the surge in offsite connectivity and keep their resources accessible for their employees. 

This type of support is becoming increasingly helpful as technological innovation continues to skyrocket. Many organizations are currently exploring AI-driven tools like Microsoft Copilot. An experienced MSP ensures strong cybersecurity measures, such as access control policies, to prevent data oversharing and other risks.

Or your nonprofit may want to implement a new cloud-based donor management system with your existing CRM and accounting software. The MSP will configure your systems to communicate information seamlessly, preventing data loss and helping staff continue working uninterrupted. 

4. Providing ongoing support and training  

An MSP can provide staff training and ongoing support to educate your staff on organizational technology so they can proficiently carry out their work tasks. Your nonprofit will improve adoption rates and performance, maximizing your IT investments and ensuring that your attempts at scaling operations will be sustainable. 

Why Nonprofits Choose designDATA 

Unfortunately, when your tech works against you instead of with you, it’s hard to engage in the more critical work necessary to serve your community – let alone stick to your budget or even grow. Among your options for nonprofit growth strategies, partnering with an MSP is a powerful option for expanding your organization through IT budget optimization and enhancing your technology capabilities.

At designDATA, we have extensive experience in providing IT support for nonprofits. Our specialists are committed to delivering tailored, managed IT services that DC organizations need to scale their impact effectively. 

Let’s connect to discuss how we can work together to maximize your IT investments.