Many organizations are so busy trying to keep up with technology that a critical first step – strategic technology planning – is often overlooked. Before embarking on any purchases or training it's important to ensure that each step fits into "the big picture" for your organization.

This process offers a chance to step back from thinking about "the tools" and instead develop a strategy for reading your organization's goals. It helps define what obstacles your members face, via both one-on-one and group discussions. We aim to address any reservations your organization might have had about technology, or put them in the proper context.

How does this process begin? There are a number of links to Technology Assessment resources available online.

Whenever possible, technology assessment and planning should be done in conjunction with a trusted nonprofit technology assistance provider — an individual or organization that is familiar with nonprofit needs, has access to the necessary resources, and who can provide "outside perspective" to bring clarity and focus to the process.

NetCorps has been providing technology assessment and planning services for years to nonprofits in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, and more recently in North Carolina and the Southeast. We have developed several different approaches and exercises to help organizations think about "the big picture" and, when appropriate, also help focus on specific applications of technology (our website assessment and planning process is a good example of this specific service).

If your organization is interested in pursuing a strategic technology assessment and planning process with our help, please contact one of our offices.