Are you a charity owner or procurement manager looking to optimise your operations? The Cloud is a great implementation that does just that! In today’s digital generation, cloud computing has become a game-changer for organisations of all sizes. However, some charities may be wondering, “Will the Cloud save my charity money?” The answer is yes!
In this blog post, we’ll explore the ways in which implementing cloud technology can help your charity cut costs and allocate resources more effectively.
Understanding the Cloud for Nonprofits
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing for charities refers to the use of remote servers, software applications, and storage solutions accessed over the internet. Rather than relying on local infrastructure, hardware, or a local drive, your organisation can leverage the Cloud to streamline operations, increase collaboration, and enhance efficiency. All of your organisation’s data and files remain accessible on the Cloud, regardless of whether your local machines are shut down.
Different Types of Cloud Services
The Cloud has several services available to charity organisations:
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) – This Cloud computing model is where software applications are delivered over the internet as a service. Users can access the software through a web browser or dedicated application.
- Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) – PaaS Cloud service provides a platform for developers to build, deploy and manage applications without the need to worry about infrastructure concerns. Developers can focus on writing code and creating applications rather than managing hardware or software infrastructure.
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) – Infrastructure-as-a-Service provides computing resources over the internet. This nails down to the infrastructure components such as servers, storage and networking resources all accessed over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis.
The Cost-Saving Benefits of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers various benefits for nonprofits, one of them being saving on costs, this includes:
Pay-as-you-go pricing models to optimise spending
The Cloud pay-as-you-go model provides cost advantages and flexibility for organisations to closely monitor their cloud usage and avoid unnecessary expenses. Regular monitoring of usage allows organisations to pay for only the resources they use. Nonprofits can also access and adopt the Cloud technology without the need for significant upfront investments.
One example of a pay-as-you-go cloud service is Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS offers a wide range of services, including computing power, storage, databases and analytics, all on a pay-as-you-go basis. Another example is Microsoft Azure, which provides various services such as virtual databases allowing users to pay only for the resources consumed.
Reduced IT infrastructure costs
The Cloud eliminates the need for physical servers by providing an online infrastructure where data and applications can be stored and accessed remotely over the internet. This reduces the cost of IT infrastructure within your charity organisation as it is needed less and there will be smaller maintenance costs. The Cloud allows nonprofits to scale their operations without significant overhead costs due to the flexible pricing models. This also eliminates resource waste as your costs are fixed on allocation.
Cost-effective managed cloud services and outsourcing
At Qlic IT, we’re specialists in cloud solutions for charities and have migrated hundreds of charities to the Cloud across the UK. We’ve mentioned some reasons as to how cloud services can help your organisation cut down on costs, another one being, there’s no need for in-house IT specialists. When outsourcing for cloud services, your provider of choice will implement and migrate your organisation over to the Cloud as well as providing training and support to staff when needed. This cuts the cost for in-house IT specialists.
Enhancing Data Security and Disaster Recovery
When migrating to the Cloud, security is still very much a priority. With the ever-evolving threat of cyber attacks, cyber security for charities is more important than ever. This includes ensuring that your organisation’s data is secure in every software and implementation. Cloud providers such as ourselves prioritise data security. We make sure the implementation and migration to the Cloud is done within a security protocolled process.
Grants for cyber security for charities are also available. They are focused on bolstering cyber resilience and mitigating the threat of cyber attacks targeting the non-profit sector.
Cloud solutions offer robust backup and disaster recovery options at a lower cost to nonprofits to prevent the event of data loss from security breaches in the future. As charities work with sensitive data, there are several compliance considerations that your Cloud provider will be aware of before the migration process.
Boosting Efficiency Through Cloud Collaboration Tools
There are many tools and software within Cloud services that optimise efficiency for your staff and volunteers. An example of a great cloud-based collaboration tool is Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams is a centralised communication platform for your organisation to communicate and collaborate all in one place. With hybrid working becoming the norm, lots of your charity staff may live or work remotely across the world. This increases the importance of remote working capabilities, which the Cloud provides. Remote working with Microsoft Teams can help to streamline workflows and reduce costs as your staff and volunteers are essentially working collaboratively in one area. This reduces the risk of unstreamlined work and miscommunication between individuals and also increases their work efficiency.
A great example of the best Cloud storage solutions for nonprofits is Microsoft OneDrive. OneDrive is a reliable cloud storage option that integrates with Office applications, allowing nonprofits to work seamlessly. It provides charities with secure storage as well as easy file sharing.
Best Practices for Cloud Adoption
When looking to migrate your organisation to the Cloud, there are 3 main things to take into consideration: thorough planning of the migration, selecting the right vendor for your charity and finally training your staff and volunteers. It’s important to make sure your organisation has all of this in mind before considering the migration. This will ensure that your staff are prepared for the digital change.
Moving to the Cloud could cause potential challenges to your organisation. However, when you address these challenges proactively, you can find strategies to overcome them and take advantage of the Cloud’s benefits. One of these challenges is having security concerns around a cloud migration. If you’re worried about the security of your data on the Cloud, make sure you go with a reputable cloud provider that offers robust security measures.
Migrating existing data to the Cloud and integrating it can be challenging. Nonprofits should create a migration plan and ensure that all data is transferred accurately and securely. After this is performed, make sure you have a training schedule ready for your staff to ensure the smooth adoption of the application.
Nonprofits handling sensitive data such as donor information need to ensure that when they make the move, they’re in compliance with relevant data protection regulations, such as GDPR. It’s crucial to understand the data privacy laws and select a Cloud provider that meets these requirements.
Closing Remarks On Will The Cloud Save My Charity Money
To conclude, embracing the benefits of the Cloud can save your charity money. By migrating your nonprofit to the Cloud, you can eliminate the need for expensive hardware infrastructure and reduce ongoing maintenance costs.
Cloud services offer flexible pricing which allows you to scale resources according to your requirements. This can result in significant cost savings. Also, the Cloud enables collaboration and efficiency for your staff and volunteers. Overall, this can enhance your operations and impact. There may be some initial challenges to overcome, but the long-term benefits of adopting cloud technology makes it a worthwhile investment for your charity. So, take the plunge and harness the power of the Cloud!
At Qlic IT, we’ve helped hundreds of charities integrate the Cloud into their IT environment. Our experience helps us recommend the best cloud solutions for your organisation, allowing you to focus on using IT as a tool, while we handle the monitoring and maintenance. If you would like to discuss Cloud Solutions for your charity, get in touch below.
