Nonprofit Technology Roundtable Series
Optimizing the Nonprofit – Consultant Relationship
November 11, 2005

Overall, there was a lot of external interest in the Roundtable idea.  Salient points and potential future topics:

• Technology must be incorporated into all program budgets.  A certain percentage of technology should be integrated into every grant proposal. 
• NPO staff need tools to help others understand that technology feeds the poor.  Technology is an investment, not an expense.  This message must be sold beyond funders to leaders, executive staff and public.
• A brokerage role is missing – somewhere between the sales team and the engineers.  NPOs should hire someone expensive to help them hire someone cheap.  The triaged, phased approach to NPO tech (think construction and medical worlds) is essential. Mentoring relationship is vital to someone following best practices.
• Trust is a big issue.  Should a centralizing agency certify NTAPs?
• NPOs must show ROI for funders.  How do we figure out metrics to help NPOs calculate ROI so that NPOs can incorporate in their grant proposals?
   

What’re the next steps?

We succeeded in helping people make connections (consultants and NPOs and MM exchanged contact info and offers of pro bono work), creating awareness of issues.