Community IT Innovators Nonprofit Technology Topics

On September 30th Microsoft will only support a new unified multi-factor authentication control configuration. What does this mean for your nonprofit? In March 2023 Microsoft announced that after September 30th, 2025, they would no longer automatically support “legacy” multi-factor authentication controls in the Microsoft 365 Entra ID and General Admin administration portals. The methods your staf...

Learn how to run this valuable training tool from Community IT Chief Technology Officer and resident cybersecurity guru Matthew Eshleman, who explains how to carry out a cybersecurity tabletop exercise for your nonprofit and why this type of active testing is so valuable to your security planning.  In pt 1, Matt and Carolyn go over what a tabletop exercise is and how they fit into your cybersecuri...

Learn how to run this valuable training tool from Community IT Chief Technology Officer and resident cybersecurity guru Matthew Eshleman, who explains how to carry out a cybersecurity tabletop exercise for your nonprofit and why this type of active testing is so valuable to your security planning.  In pt 1, Matt and Carolyn go over what a tabletop exercise is and how they fit into your cybersecuri...

Most nonprofits will be asked about vulnerability scanning when they renew cybersecurity liability insurance or complete an annual audit. Do you know what it means and what you should do to comply?  The takeaways:  There is no one-size-fits-all vulnerability scanning app for your entire organization. You will need to do vulnerability scanning on various systems and the scanning will be different. ...

Many nonprofit staff are facing increased stress and multiplying concerns about privacy, security, and vulnerabilities. What should you be tackling first in this new political environment?  The takeaways:  Most attacks are still financially based: criminals want you to wire money to the wrong account. The good news is that cybersecurity basics that protect you from fraud also protect your organiza...

NOTE: The Microsoft policy on the end of their donation program for the free and discounted Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium and E1 licenses for qualified nonprofits is shifting frequently, and we are working to keep you updated. Please check for the most recent blog or podcast from us to ensure you have the most recent update. This podcast provides updates to our episode from June 13th about...

Board.dev Co-Founder and CEO Alethea Hannemann on how to recruit tech leadership to join your nonprofit board, and why you should have tech leaders an/or a tech committee on your board helping your organization to grow and thrive. In part 1, Alethea presents research on the benefits of board members with tech experience and gives two case studies. In part 2, she delves into how to recruit a tech-s...

Board.dev Co-Founder and CEO Alethea Hannemann on how to recruit tech leadership to join your nonprofit board, and why you should have tech leaders an/or a tech committee on your board helping your organization to grow and thrive. In part 1, Alethea presents research on the benefits of board members with tech experience and gives two case studies. In part 2, she delves into how to recruit a tech-s...

When do your licenses renew? What kind of free or discounted licenses do you have? What are your options?  Microsoft announced in the spring of 2025 that after July 1st two classes of nonprofit discounted licenses would be changing. Steve Longenecker , Community IT’s Director of IT Consulting, explains how the license discount and donation program is changing at Microsoft, and how to form a plan o...

Are you worried? In part 1, Nura and Carolyn covered introductions, policies, and resources on three main categories you may be worried about - cyber, data, and staff safety. In part 2, they go over budgeting for IT when your budget may be up in the air, what to move into the "nice to have" and what needs to stay in the "must have" column, resources on how to stay mentally heal...

Are you worried? The current situation for the nonprofit sector is highly changeable and changing fast. Every day there’s a new worry turning up around your mission, your funding, and your future.  Where does your IT fit into this new world? Is your IT strategy flexible, and have you revisited your IT planning, performance, and policies? As you examine your finances, what IT is essential and where...

A week in the life of the On Site Support Team - what do they do? We’re inordinately proud of our On Site Support Team (OSST), who work with clients who need IT help in person, particularly at the nonprofit schools we serve in the DC area. So many of us work remotely - but many nonprofits do work that can't be remote, and many of them need IT support at the office or workplace. For those clie...

New auditing requirements SAS145 require nonprofit auditors to consider IT risks in addition to financial risks and mitigation. Learn from Darren Hulem, cybersecurity guru and senior manager in risk advisory at GRF CPAs and Advisors on the new requirements and how they may impact cybersecurity at your nonprofit. Darren also explores and describes other cybersecurity threats that are targeting nonp...

Media expert and self-taught "AI Evangelist" Brenda Foster spoke to Carolyn about ways to help nonprofit staff explore and begin using AI tools to work smarter, calling AI your new assistant.  In addition to serving as Vanguard Communications’ Chief of Innovation, she is a communications researcher and strategic planner who has shaped direction and messaging for numerous successful natio...

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit Secure Community IT CTO and cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman delivered our annual report on trend lines and took questions live and online in this popular annual webinar.  In part 1, Matt discusses the landscape and background of cybersecurity attacks nonprofits face now, goes over the lingo and acronyms, and introduces new tre...

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit Secure Community IT CTO and cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman delivered our annual report on trend lines and took questions live and online in this popular annual webinar.  In part 1, Matt discusses the landscape and background of cybersecurity attacks nonprofits face now, goes over the lingo and acronyms, and introduces new tre...

In today’s interview, Carolyn talks with Tiff Parker, an IT Business Manager at Community IT. They talk about her background, how she got into a technology career, and what brought her to Community IT in this role. Tiff reflects on her early interest in GIS Geo Information Systems mapping, her years as an “accidental techie” at a nonprofit with increasingly senior roles and responsibilities as she...

What does the future hold for nonprofit technology from one of the giants in the industry? Ryan Ozimek, founder of Soapbox Engage and long time nonprofit IT thought leader, reflects on the trends and topics from this recent conference for the sector from Microsoft – particularly the embrace of AI and the potential of AI tools to impact the nonprofit sector. In its second year, the Microsoft Global...

Ian Gottesman is CEO of a coalition of 200+ NGOs and 20 major IT companies working together to improve cybersecurity for the nonprofit sector ( NGO ISAC ). He has decades of experience in executive roles in nonprofit cybersecurity in a variety of organizations. In these challenging times for the nonprofit sector generally, many nonprofits are taking a harder look at their cybersecurity policies to...

Which platform would you choose if you were starting a brand new nonprofit tomorrow? Learn the differences, how to choose, and when to contemplate changing platforms in this webinar with Community IT Innovators CEO Johan Hammerstrom and Director of IT Consulting Steve Longenecker. Johan and Steve together have over 40 years of experience in nonprofit IT and have worked with hundreds of nonprofit c...

Which platform would you choose if you were starting a brand new nonprofit tomorrow? Learn the differences, how to choose, and when to contemplate changing platforms in this webinar with Community IT Innovators CEO Johan Hammerstrom and Director of IT Consulting Steve Longenecker. Johan and Steve together have over 40 years of experience in nonprofit IT and have worked with hundreds of nonprofit c...

Do you have a technology tool that just isn’t working? How do you get at the root of the issue and find solutions? Sometimes IT staff and directors and executives get really into the cool details of their technology tools without considering the whole organization needs and tolerances. And sometimes executives and leaders want to change IT tools on a whim, where that IT tool is deeply embedded in...

Are your staff as ready as they can be for the next attack? Our cybersecurity training team manages hundreds of clients and shares our knowledge on what works to keep your staff prepared, not just scared. Matt Eshleman, our CTO and cybersecurity expert answers your questions on how to manage frequent, timely, and engaging training . Part 1 covers the cybersecurity landscape and types of threats fa...

Are your staff as ready as they can be for the next attack? Our cybersecurity training team manages hundreds of clients and shares our knowledge on what works to keep your staff prepared, not just scared. Matt Eshleman, our CTO and cybersecurity expert answers your questions on how to manage frequent, timely, and engaging training . Part 1 covers the cybersecurity landscape and types of threats fa...

A week in the life of the Help Desk Team Ever wonder what it takes to be a help desk analyst, or what our Help Desk Team does in a typical week?  We’re inordinately proud of our Help Desk Team, the first and usually only point of contact for most staff for most clients.  Listen to this presentation on a typical week and learn about the teamwork, expertise, and continual learning that goes into pro...