Podcasts about community it

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 of action before your renewal date in this podcast with Carolyn Woodard.Steve reviews the history of the Microsoft donation and discount programs for nonprofits and how they have changed over the years. Microsoft's office suite is of course one of the industry standards and very reliable, reputable, and very affordable for nonprofits who qualify for discounts and donated licenses. Steve then reviews the two types of licenses that are affected, and our advice for each.Some Key Takeaways:Check your licenses through your Microsoft admin portalCheck the renewal dateCheck the license typesIf you are currently using Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses you were getting 10 free licenses. Any licenses over the first 10 that you are using are being billed at a discounted nonprofit annual rate. When your licenses renew after July 1, 2025, NONE of them will be free.Microsoft says that your 10 free licenses will be automatically rolled over into discounted nonprofit licenses on your renewal date.You don't need to do anything to make this happen, and your staff using the licenses will not see any interruption in their services.Your finance team needs to be aware that on your renewal date, your payment method on record will be charged an annual renewal fee for ALL your Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses. Make sure your payment method is up to date in your account before your renewal to avoid problems with the rollover.If you are currently using free nonprofit Office 365 E1 licenses for some staff, those also will roll over to discounted licenses on your renewal date after July 1, 2025.Because Microsoft 365 Business Basic licenses are very similar to Office 365 E1 licenses, and are free for qualified nonprofits for up to 300 licenses, we recommend procuring Microsoft 365 Business Basic licenses and unsubscribing from Office 365 E1 before your renewal date. Changing licenses can be done at any time before your renewal date, so you can go ahead and do it now rather than risk rolling over to paying for E1 licenses.Steve walks through the steps he likes to take to change these licenses over for our clients. It is not difficult but not automatic.For further clarity or support, contact your IT provider, IT staff, or Microsoft account manager. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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 clients, Community IT is proud to employ a team of customer service professionals that travel on site to keep IT running smoothly and answer questions in person.In fact, all our On Site Support Team members have achieved HDI Customer Service Certifications. Listen to this presentation, meet our team, and learn about a typical week filled with teamwork, expertise, partnerships with our clients, and love of helping people that goes into providing excellent IT support service. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit SecureCommunity 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 trends in attacks and protections. In part 2, Matt discusses the data from 2024 and takes questions.Is your nonprofit prepared?Drawn from anonymized data from the calendar year 2024 of cybersecurity incidents across end users in hundreds of our small and mid-sized nonprofit clients, this report shows changes in attacks and emerging threats.Using this real and timely data, Matt walks through recommendations and outlines the practical steps your organization can take to prevent the most frequent attacks. He covers new threats and training best practices for your nonprofit staff around evolving cybersecurity issues, including a spike in online and in-person harassment, wire fraud, AI-enabled scams, smishing and vishing, adversary-in-the-middle MFA attacks, and other new and disturbing trends.You may also be interested in downloading the free Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits Playbook to review a framework for focusing on your cybersecurity fundamentals, or using any of our free cybersecurity webinars and podcasts to learn more about specific protections you can take.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit SecureCommunity 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 trends in attacks and protections. In part 2, Matt discusses the data from 2024 and takes questions.Is your nonprofit prepared?Drawn from anonymized data from the calendar year 2024 of cybersecurity incidents across end users in hundreds of our small and mid-sized nonprofit clients, this report shows changes in attacks and emerging threats.Using this real and timely data, Matt walks through recommendations and outlines the practical steps your organization can take to prevent the most frequent attacks. He covers new threats and training best practices for your nonprofit staff around evolving cybersecurity issues, including a spike in online and in-person harassment, wire fraud, AI-enabled scams, smishing and vishing, adversary-in-the-middle MFA attacks, and other new and disturbing trends.You may also be interested in downloading the free Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits Playbook to review a framework for focusing on your cybersecurity fundamentals, or using any of our free cybersecurity webinars and podcasts to learn more about specific protections you can take.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Taking care of your team: why you can't afford to ignore mental health at work   Welcome back to Blended!   Today, we're talking about something that is often a strand that weaves through many of the issues we talk about here on the show, from burnout to bias – and that's mental health. But today we're focusing in on mental health, and putting the spotlight onto how it interacts with work.    Almost 60% of the world population is in work, and we spend a lot of time there. We often spend more time in a workplace than we do at home, more time with our colleagues than we do our families!   That amount of time, the environment we're in, the people around us, the culture – all those elements of work are going to massively impact us. And, of course, everything that happens at home, we're inevitably going to take to work with us as well.   So it's incredibly important to prioritize mental health. But, unfortunately, the numbers show we're not doing a good enough job. Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Not to mention the impact on those people's wellbeing.   So what we can do?   Our panel are going to be exploring what's going wrong, as well as sharing some of the ways we can all protect and promote good mental health at work.     IN THIS EPISODE:   [01.21] Introductions to our Blended panelists.   ·       Mariana – Marketing Director at WSI and Kase ·       Prakash – Fulfilment Specialist and Founder of OTIM ·       Brandon – Founder of Warm Heart Life   ·       Debra – SVP, Marketing and Strategy at Halo Effect Management “Mental health isn't separate from work. It's the foundation of what we're doing.” Debra   [07.53] The group discuss healthy work environments – what they look like, why they're so important, and how we define performance in a healthy environment.   “We have no problem talking about our physical wellbeing. It needs to be just as easy to talk about our mental wellbeing... At my office, we all got standing desks and we didn't have to justify it: sitting for hours a day, it's not good for your health. And, to me, a collaborative space where we come together and laugh and catch up on life is just as important as that standing desk.” Mariana “We need to be able to slow down and ask: ‘How are you?' Actually seeing the person you're working with, rather than just using them.” Debra ·       Work is a big proportion of our lives ·       Mental health does not equal mental illness ·       Focus on/acceptance of physical health, rejection of mental health    ·       Brandon's experience of both healthy and unhealthy working environments, their impact, and how they could have changed the course of his life and career forever ·       Impact of leadership   ·       Importance of trying different things/working in different places ·       Communication ·       Tailoring environments – people work differently ·       Setting clear expectations and defining performance goals for individuals ·       Allowing teams to be safe in their honesty and communication ·       Recognizing burnout ·       Understanding individual's holistic needs ·       Importance of timely feedback/regular check-ins   ·       Building trust ·       Carrying weight of unhealthy cultures into new working environments ·       Psychological safety ·       Importance of slowing down ·       Over-focus on productivity ·       Resilience ·       Stress/pressure ·       Individual responsibility vs team collaboration ·       Measuring KPIs for individuals and leaders ·       Visibility ·       Leadership vulnerability – trust, leading by example and giving permission ·       Advocating for yourself ·       Community   “It really comes down to individuals and, if you have the right few people around you, you can transform an entire team just by having the right conversations. It doesn't have to be the corporate conversations where you're giving all the right trigger words, talking to the C Suite... We're all human.” Prakash “We assign value to people via their productivity. Leaders are feeling the pressures, employees are. And we're not having the capacity conversation. Are we actually setting realistic expectations for ourselves, based in reality?” Debra   [59.31] Brandon's experiences with mental health, and his take on the importance of shifting your mindset away from negativity and towards positivity and problem-solving.   ·       Importance of talking ·       Personal development   [01.07.36] The panel explore responsibility, and the role individuals and leaders play in nurturing good mental health and creating positive working environments.   “We have a responsibility to show up at work and give our best. And our best isn't going to be the same every day, but we do have a responsibility to take care of our own mental health because, when we don't, everyone around us also suffers.” Mariana “I've had moments where being open about my needs and mental health has made me feel exposed… If we normalize being human, it makes it safer for others to do the same.” Debra ·       No one-size-fits-all ·       Creating safe spaces ·       Empathy ·       Authenticity ·       Utilizing HR and resources ·       Letting go of control/certain expectations   ·       Growth mindset ·       Vulnerability ·       Active listening ·       Leading with curiosity ·       Educating ourselves “As a leader, you have a responsibility to be aware of the people you're leading and to care for them… And, maybe this is a hot take. But if you feel like you don't have the time to be aware of your employees wellbeing, maybe you shouldn't be leading a team.” Mariana “The best leaders are all trying to get better.” Brandon   [1.21.53] The group sum up their thoughts from today's discussion.     RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: You can connect with Mariana, Debra, Brandon and Prakash over on LinkedIn.   Episode 53 - Burnout  

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 gained experience and expertise managing nonprofit IT, and her move from nonprofit IT Director to her role now providing technical and strategic guidance to multiple clients. The Community IT ITBM service provides an outsourced IT manager to clients at a reduced cost to hiring and having an IT manager on staff. These managers are a resource dedicated to matching technology solutions to clients' business needs. To do this well requires an ongoing conversation with the client to continually understand their business needs, and then effective communication with client staff and leadership about the ways specific technology solutions can meet those business needs and how to budget for technology.The ITBM makes recommendations on IT investments, training programs, maintenance, and licenses. They help the client be forward-looking, and act as a vendor-agnostic, trusted advisor with deep knowledge of the nonprofit IT software and platforms available. Because Community IT works in partnership with clients to manage long-term IT needs, the ITBM relationship with the client makes them a true asset.“I'm an IT consultant and I work specifically with nonprofits. I help them leverage technology to meet their mission. …I really love working with the clients. I have a wide variety of all different sizes, different areas they focus on … I might see their name pop up on the news and think “Hey, I'm helping them with their technology.” It's that nice connecting feeling of helping other people accomplish their great work.”Tiff ParkerTiff Parker joined Community IT Innovators as an IT Business Manager (ITBM) in October 2023. She brings over 17 years of experience working in nonprofit technology.As an ITBM, she guides clients through implementation of effective technology investments and utilizing efficient IT services in direct support of their missions. She also assists clients with long-term planning, budgeting, and strategic goals.Prior to coming to Community IT, Tiff was the IT Director for an environmental nonprofit where she was responsible for the overall vision, planning, implementation, management and support of their various information systems, data, policies, and processes.Tiff graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007.  She holds the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals MS 900 certification. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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 better protect their organization and staff. Community IT recommends getting to a foundational level of basic cybersecurity, and you can download our free Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits Playbook to learn what that means and how to put those basics in place. Three cybersecurity basics to think about: manage your identity, patch your hardware and software, and look out for phishing – train your staff. You will get 80% protection from just doing those three low cost things – why would you want to get 0%?When your cybersecurity basics are in place, Ian recommends strengthening your nonprofit data retention policy and compliance as your first next step. Again, this is low cost in terms of your budget, but will have costs to your organization in terms of staff time and energy. So let this challenging moment motivate your team to take on a sorting-and-retaining-or-deleting project.Some Key Takeaways:Cybersecurity Basics are not difficult and protect you from 80% of hacks.Manage your identity. Accounts must be protected, your staff should be verifying they are who is supposed to be logging in.Patch your hardware and software. The easiest way to do this is reboot – log out, restart, and log back in periodically. Your IT provider or internal IT staff should be patching as part of your cybersecurity strategy.Look out for phishing – train your staff. More than 90% of attacks start out tricking a user into clicking a link. For more information on anti-phishing training, check out this webinar on Cybersecurity Awareness Training Tips.Cybercrimes are crimes.Don't feel that you were responsible for your own victimization. Clicking on links happens. Huge companies fall for scams. Encourage a culture of openness and sharing around cybersecurity best practices and incident response planning.Make sure your nonprofit culture embraces a team approach to cybersecurity, and that everyone on your staff knows to tell someone when they see something suspicious or make a mistake, and who to tell. Holding cybercriminals accountable in every country should be a bigger goal for our governments and our laws. Nonprofit Data Retention Policy is a valuable project now.Remind your staff not to put in writing in any device or app something they would not want to be public about your organizationCreating and monitoring compliance with a nonprofit data retention policy does not require expensive tools but it does require the time and energy of your staff. Avoiding unnecessary reputational risks is worth it. Make sure your nonprofit data retention policy covers emails and messaging in addition to documents and files. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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 clients as they made crucial decisions about their IT platforms.In part 1, we discuss the basic features of each platform, and acknowledging that most people working at nonprofits do not actually have a choice in platforms, we discuss the reasons one or the other may be a better fit for your organization if you had to choose. And if you are thinking of switching, we recommend you have a very strong business case for the switch, not just personal preferences, and that you practice very good change management if you find you must switch.In part 2, we discuss security, data retention, and the limited options for nonprofits that are not one of these two platforms. That is, there are many reputable third party options for ID management or cloud storage, but very few other options for basics like email, calendar, or the office suite of documents and spreadsheets. We then take audience questions and delve into managing a hybrid solution (and check out the previous webinar Managing Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Together for more tips.)Microsoft VS Google WorkspaceEvery nonprofit organization must have IT tools and a platform. Google offers its Google Workspace suite at a discount to nonprofit organizations. Many new nonprofits use this suite of tools to start up their organization. For small, young, and growing nonprofit organizations, and nonprofits in the education field, this inexpensive suite of user-oriented essential IT tools is becoming a popular standard.Of course, there's a competing service provider also offering a suite of cloud-based basic business productivity tools, also at greatly reduced prices to qualified nonprofit organizations: Microsoft.We are often asked to give our opinion over which platform our clients should use. The answer is not as simple as you might think.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. That said, we're obviously talking about two specific platforms in this presentation, Microsoft and Google – and we find that 99% of our clients are using one or the other, or a hybrid of both. Given that these platforms are widely used by nonprofits, it is in that context that we discuss the choices, advantages, and trade-offs that you could be facing as you choose a platform for your nonprofit.Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript. Check back after the webinar for additional resources. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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 clients as they made crucial decisions about their IT platforms.In part 1, we discuss the basic features of each platform, and acknowledging that most people working at nonprofits do not actually have a choice in platforms, we discuss the reasons one or the other may be a better fit for your organization if you had to choose. And if you are thinking of switching, we recommend you have a very strong business case for the switch, not just personal preferences, and that you practice very good change management if you find you must switch.In part 2, we discuss security, data retention, and the limited options for nonprofits that are not one of these two platforms. That is, there are many reputable third party options for ID management or cloud storage, but very few other options for basics like email, calendar, or the office suite of documents and spreadsheets. We then take audience questions and delve into managing a hybrid solution (and check out the previous webinar Managing Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Together for more tips.)Microsoft VS Google WorkspaceEvery nonprofit organization must have IT tools and a platform. Google offers its Google Workspace suite at a discount to nonprofit organizations. Many new nonprofits use this suite of tools to start up their organization. For small, young, and growing nonprofit organizations, and nonprofits in the education field, this inexpensive suite of user-oriented essential IT tools is becoming a popular standard.Of course, there's a competing service provider also offering a suite of cloud-based basic business productivity tools, also at greatly reduced prices to qualified nonprofit organizations: Microsoft.We are often asked to give our opinion over which platform our clients should use. The answer is not as simple as you might think.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. That said, we're obviously talking about two specific platforms in this presentation, Microsoft and Google – and we find that 99% of our clients are using one or the other, or a hybrid of both. Given that these platforms are widely used by nonprofits, it is in that context that we discuss the choices, advantages, and trade-offs that you could be facing as you choose a platform for your nonprofit.Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript. Check back after the webinar for additional resources. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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 facing nonprofits, our framework for how to think about cybersecurity and where staff training fits in your strategy, and the basic philosophy of security awareness training. Pt 2 gets into the details and examples of a typical cybersecurity training program, and Matt answers audience Q&A.Cybersecurity Awareness Training TipsWe often say that staff training is a foundation for cybersecurity protections. As the risks are always evolving, your training needs to be current too. Gone are the days when your staff could be adequately protected by watching an hour long video with a quiz once a year. But managing more frequent training is difficult. We will discuss the tool we use, KnowBe4, which makes it easy to stay up to date and administer training to all staff. There are other training tools out there that work for nonprofit staff – the most important tip is to commit to training and to prioritize it as a team. Your staff and leadership are your best defense of the organization you care about.In addition, with new auditing requirements SAS145 your auditor must assess IT risks to your financial processes – and it will be necessary to demonstrate staff cybersecurity training in your audits. Learn about these issues and more with our experts! If you've been putting off implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training regime, don't wait any longer. Join CTO Matthew Eshleman and host Carolyn Woodard to learn how to implement an up-to-date and flexible cybersecurity awareness training program this year.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. There are multiple cybersecurity awareness training vendors with products that work for nonprofits. We will be discussing the tool we have selected and use, KnowBe4, which offers nonprofit discounts, but our insights and tips will be useful no matter what training program you are using, or if you want to create and run cybersecurity awareness training in house.Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript. Check back after the webinar for additional resources. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the You Can Mentor podcast, Zachary Garza and Brad Griffin of Fuller Youth Institute explore the impact of mentoring teenagers, with a focus on identity, belonging, and purpose. Brad, drawing from his research at the Fuller Youth Institute, stresses the importance of genuine connections with young people and fostering safe environments where they can express their thoughts and emotions. The discussion underscores the value of trust, active listening, and guiding teens toward purpose through meaningful service and community engagement.You can checkout Brad's book, Three Big Questions here. To get free resources or find out more information about Fuller Youth Institute, visit https://fulleryouthinstitute.com/.--Takeaways:Mentoring is about listening to teenagers' questions.Identity, belonging, and purpose are crucial for youth.Building trust is essential in mentoring relationships.Creating a safe space allows teens to be authentic.Helping others gives teenagers a sense of purpose.Mentors should not have an agenda when engaging with youth.Follow-up conversations show care and build trust.Teens often feel pressure from expectations around them.Community and church can provide a sense of belonging.God's will for our lives is broad and forgiving.--Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Mentoring and Identity07:32 Exploring Identity, Belonging, and Purpose15:32 Building Trust and Authentic Relationships23:20 Creating Safe Spaces for Teens33:20 Understanding Purpose and Community--It would mean the WORLD to us if you would leave a 5 star rating on our pod so we can reach more people! Scroll down to the bottom the You Can Mentor page on Apple Podcasts and click "Write Review". On Spotify, go to our page, click the three dots next to the admin wheel, and hit "Rate Show". Thank you!Also, check out our National Christian Mentoring Gathering, which is April 16-18, 2025 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Learn more about all we do at www.youcanmentor.com

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 facing nonprofits, our framework for how to think about cybersecurity and where staff training fits in your strategy, and the basic philosophy of security awareness training. Pt 2 gets into the details and examples of a typical cybersecurity training program, and Matt answers audience Q&A.Cybersecurity Awareness Training TipsWe often say that staff training is a foundation for cybersecurity protections. As the risks are always evolving, your training needs to be current too. Gone are the days when your staff could be adequately protected by watching an hour long video with a quiz once a year. But managing more frequent training is difficult. We will discuss the tool we use, KnowBe4, which makes it easy to stay up to date and administer training to all staff. There are other training tools out there that work for nonprofit staff – the most important tip is to commit to training and to prioritize it as a team. Your staff and leadership are your best defense of the organization you care about.In addition, with new auditing requirements SAS145 your auditor must assess IT risks to your financial processes – and it will be necessary to demonstrate staff cybersecurity training in your audits. Learn about these issues and more with our experts! If you've been putting off implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training regime, don't wait any longer. Join CTO Matthew Eshleman and host Carolyn Woodard to learn how to implement an up-to-date and flexible cybersecurity awareness training program this year.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. There are multiple cybersecurity awareness training vendors with products that work for nonprofits. We will be discussing the tool we have selected and use, KnowBe4, which offers nonprofit discounts, but our insights and tips will be useful no matter what training program you are using, or if you want to create and run cybersecurity awareness training in house.Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript. Check back after the webinar for additional resources. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Shauna Dillavou is the co-founder of Brightlin.es, a security firm working with the nonprofit sector to prevent vulnerabilities. She is a seasoned intelligence analyst with decades of experience working for the US government. She formerly was part of a team locating cartel associates by their online traces, and founded Brightlines to reverse-engineer that experience to protect vulnerable staff from online doxxing and threats to their personal safety. Unfortunately in recent years the threats against nonprofit staff have grown, making this service necessary and timely.We know nonprofits are facing challenges in a challenging time. At Community IT, when we think about and enact cybersecurity for our clients in the nonprofit sector, we generally are focused on protecting the organization, its data, its systems, and its finances, from bad actors. Those hackers are overwhelmingly interested in financial benefits: getting you to wire the money to their bank account instead of your real bank account. While some cyber criminals are interested in gaining insights into your advocacy area or your networks, a majority of cyber crimes against nonprofits are purely financial.But what happens when your nonprofit is involved in an advocacy area, a country, or an issue that has suddenly become controversial? Media attention turns to your spokespeople, your staff, your board, and your volunteers – anyone who has been associated with your organization's issue. Particularly online. It isn't long before that online attention can become threats against your personnel.“Doxxing” is a term for when an opponent releases personally identifiable information about you – your home address, phone number, your parents, your kids' personal information. Doxxing is meant to inspire terror and to shut you up. And sometimes the online rancor, coupled with personal information, can lead unhinged individuals to act on these online threats.In this interview, Carolyn talks with Shauna Dillavou, co-founder of Brightlin.es, a security company that works in the nonprofit sector to prevent personal vulnerabilities for staff who may be in the online media spotlight. With decades of experience in the intelligence community, Shauna co-founded Brightlines to provide resources to nonprofits, foundations, and others who face threats and escalation against their staff or spokespeople. In this podcast on anti-doxxing and nonprofit staff safety with Shauna Dillavou, learn the types of personal threats that are becoming more common, and the steps you should take to protect your vulnerable staff. Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our podcasts and webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Podcasts are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. Brightlines is one of many services that exist to improve the security of your staff, executives, and board members. This interview with Shauna Dillavou explores the parameters of the problem and gives general advice on steps to take if you or your staff are threatened online. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Expert Tips on Current Trends: Webinar 2025 Nonprofit Tech Round TableHow is your organization using AI? What policies do you need? What should you be worried about? Download the Community IT Acceptable Use Policy Template for AI Tools in the Nonprofit Workplace.Steve and Matt also share a veritable "grab bag" of new tools, new chips, and other new issues to keep an eye on that will impact the nonprofit sector using IT in 2025.  Join CTO Matthew Eshleman and Director of IT Consulting Steve Longenecker, moderated by Carolyn Woodard from Community IT, in a lively and specific discussion of all things nonprofit tech for 2025 and beyond.It's like listening in on your smart friends talking about stuff you need to know about but don't know who to ask.Kick off the new year with a new understanding of trends and practices that can help your nonprofit succeed. This is one of our most popular webinars and podcasts year after year for a reason. We don't believe a lot of lingo or jargon is necessary to understand what you need to know to manage IT.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Part 1 covers our introductions, a discussion of hybrid work in the nonprofit context, and tips on new cybersecurity from our expert. Part 2 covers AI, a "grab bag" of new tech and new issues, and audience Q&A.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Expert Tips on Current Trends: Webinar 2025 Nonprofit Tech Round TableIs the Hybrid/Remote Workplace here to stay or on the way out? Download the Nonprofit Guide to Remote WorkWhat is the new cybersecurity reality and what should you be doing now to better face the next threats?Download the updated Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits PlaybookJoin CTO Matthew Eshleman and Director of IT Consulting Steve Longenecker, moderated by Carolyn Woodard from Community IT, in a lively and specific discussion of all things nonprofit tech for 2025 and beyond.It's like listening in on your smart friends talking about stuff you need to know about but don't know who to ask.Kick off the new year with a new understanding of trends and practices that can help your nonprofit succeed. This is one of our most popular webinars and podcasts year after year for a reason. We don't believe a lot of lingo or jargon is necessary to understand what you need to know to manage IT.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Part 1 covers our introductions, a discussion of hybrid work in the nonprofit context, and tips on new cybersecurity from our expert. Part 2 covers AI, a "grab bag" of new tech and new issues, and audience Q&A.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. Many questions asked at registration or live at the virtual event will be answered in the transcript.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

If your organization uses Google Workspace you have access to Google Groups. Kind of like a listserv but so much better.What are Google Groups?If your nonprofit uses Google Workspace, you can use Google Groups to manage tasks via an email group, with granular controls and monitoring if you need it. Google Groups can improve security for email addresses like “donate@mynonprofit” or “info@mynonprofit” if that email directs to a group and is not its own account that's credentials could be hacked. Director of IT Consulting Steve Longenecker explains the ins and outs of using Google Groups and some issues to consider including Google's Fedramp certification if you are trying to use Google Groups with federal workers. Since few MSPs can help nonprofits using Google Workspace, please contact us if you have more questions we can help with. We know that so many nonprofit startups start using Google Workspace because it is easy. Some Key Takeaways:Google Groups works like a listserv, allowing multiple people to view and respond to group emails right from their inbox. No new tools needed like slack or discord. Keeping it simple can help your team or volunteers engage easily.Google Groups allows granular permissions and allows a manager to assign certain email threads to specific team members, so you can make sure all donation inquiries get a quick response, for example. Managers can get valuable insight into email thread status and team members can easily collaborate without checking and back-checking to see who is taking which inquiry.Google Groups can be useful in keeping volunteer groups organized and engaged. You can assign any email to Google Groups, making a partly external volunteer team more functional and making it easier for busy volunteers to participate, right from their inbox.Google Groups has many security features that make it preferable to listservs. And Listerv tools are becoming harder to find and manage. Everyone uses email – if you already use Google Workspace you have a listserv tool already available to you, for free, that has many features and security that listservs just don't have.Google Groups is relatively easy to set up and manage, and Google provides lots of helpful how-to tutorials and advice that are accessible to non-technical managers.If you are trying to use Google Groups with federal employees and encountering resistance, be aware that Google has Fedramp certification. This means your federal friends are allowed to use it from a security perspective.Google Groups is a tool you should consider if you are struggling to manage a team or volunteer group. It is easy to get started and easy to expand as you learn the capabilities. We know that few MSPs serving nonprofits are experts in Google Workspace. Community IT has developed expertise in Google Workspace support since we serve nonprofits exclusively, and so many nonprofits use this platform.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Is your nonprofit ready to go server-less? What's holding you back from going to the cloud? Norwin Herrera is an IT Business Manager with Community IT and has decades of experience in IT and as a nonprofit IT consultant. In his work with clients over the years he has learned some of the barriers to moving entirely into the cloud, and gives some advice in overcoming that inertia. Starting with saving money, using a more secure and more current technology, and then throwing in convenience - moving to the cloud is the right move to make. If your nonprofit is hesitating, learn more about the cost savings, security, and convenience from Norwin.Norwin's IT Business Manager team and the Projects team at Community IT are well-versed experts in this type of large project. It can seem daunting, but with expertise and experience, Community IT can help you tackle what needs to be done to get off your server before it is obsolete, and move into a cloud-based platform.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

New nonprofit auditing requirements SAS145 now include IT and cybersecurity compliance. Are you ready?In 2022 the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB) issued Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 145,Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement. The new standard became effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after Dec. 15, 2023. For more on SAS 145 changes, read this article in the Journal of Accountancy.For the first time, SAS No. 145 now provides explicit definitions for the terms general information technology (IT) controls, IT environment, and information-processing controls. In addition, as IT utilization brings additional risk, the new guidance expressly defines risks arising from the use of IT.As audits proceed with the new guidelines, we expect a learning period for auditors, IT professionals, and nonprofit leaders. If you have questions about what the new requirements entail, you are not alone. Community IT has begun to field questions from our clients and their auditors about IT systems and cybersecurity controls. We will continue to share our insights and advice with our community as audits evolve to incorporate IT security.We're happy to see IT security requirements finally addressed in financial audits and look forward to helping nonprofit leaders and auditors better understand the interplay of well-managed IT with better financial security and protection from bad actors.Listen to CEO Johan Hammerstrom explain the changes to the guidelines in SAS145 that you will need to know whether you are in nonprofit IT, financial, or leadership roles, or an auditor looking for insights into the IT management side of the new requirements. Since the new nonprofit auditing requirements SAS145 impact everyone in nonprofits, please contact us if you have more questions we can help with. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Do you have an IT roadmap at your nonprofit? As a nonprofit leader, how can you design an IT roadmap to create value for your organization?On October 3, 2024 the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership partnered with Community IT Innovators to provide a workshop: Design an IT Roadmap to Create Value for Your Nonprofit.To fully utilize the power of IT to support your nonprofit, you need to have a plan. View the workshop video to learn the steps to create your own IT roadmap and incorporate IT strategy into your leadership and budget practice.To learn more about the Georgetown Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership at the McCourt School of Public Policy check out their program here. The Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership provides advanced education in leadership, public and nonprofit management, advocacy and philanthropy, with domestic and international applications. Their multi-sectoral approach, public policy orientation, and research focus on effective practices, ensure the breadth and relevance of the educational experiences we offer.They focus on four program areas, found on their website:Executive Certificate and Customized Programs available online and in person.Graduate EducationResearch that Informs PracticeLocal to Global Community EngagementThank you, Georgetown Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership for inviting us to present to your alumni and to Hoyas For Others.This webinar is appropriate for nonprofit executives, managers, accounting, development, and nonprofit IT personnel – and as with all our webinars, it is appropriate for a varied audience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Las mejores prácticas para organizar sus archivos en la nube para lograr seguridad y eficiencia.La organización de archivos en la nube es algo que puede parecer una prioridad menor, en particular con el aumento de las herramientas de búsqueda potentes y ahora con el auge de la búsqueda con inteligencia artificial (IA). Carolyn habló con el invitado Norwin Herrera, IT Business Manager Team Lead de Community IT, para responder a preguntas sobre por qué es importante crear un sistema de organización de archivos, tanto para una mayor ciberseguridad en el mundo de la IA como para la productividad y la eficiencia de su personal. Los consejos para la organización de archivos en la nube incluyen priorizar el proyecto, etiquetar claramente los archivos y crear políticas de gobernanza sólidas y capacitar al personal sobre sus expectativas en cuanto al etiquetado y el guardado de archivos.Norwin ofrece algunas razones para etiquetar con precisión sus archivos y defiende la necesidad de organizarse en línea. También ofrece consejos para lograr que su liderazgo participe en la definición de sus políticas de organización de archivos y vea las ventajas estratégicas de priorizar este proyecto. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

*JOIN THE PHYSIONIC INSIDERS [PREMIUM CONTENT]* Join the Physionic Insiders: https://bit.ly/PhysionicInsiders2 *HEALTH AUTONOMY [COURSE]*Learn to Analyze & Apply Studies for Yourself: https://bit.ly/healthautonomy *JOIN THE COMMUNITY*Join my Community [It's Free!]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicCommunity2 *EMAIL LIST*1-2 Weekly Email of Value [It's Free!]: http://bit.ly/2AXIzK6 *HIRE ME FOR CONSULTING:* Consulting: https://bit.ly/3dmUl2H  0:00 - Introduction 1:18 - What is NAD+? Why is it Important? 8:39 - Weight Loss and NAD+ 16:25 - The Dr. Sinclair Story 24:30 - Dr. Sinclair's focus on NAD+ 31:50 - How have Scientists boosted NAD+? 34:09 - Do NAD+ Boosters work? 45:36 - Different types of NAD+ Boosters 49:40 - Dr. Sinclair's newest NAD+ Study (Unpublished!) 1:05:28 - Exercise and other Strategies for NAD+ Boosting 1:10:15 - NAD+ in Women 1:13:55 - Nuchido Time+ NAD+ Study in Humans 1:29:51 - Summarizing/Take Aways 1:34:08 - Taking Niacin instead of other NAD+ Boosters? 1:38:05 - Conclusion/Just Chatting

Is your nonprofit struggling to understand cybersecurity fundamentals? Are you unsure what level of protection you need or can afford?In part 1, Matt discussed the cybersecurity landscape for nonprofits and some of the changes that prompted this update to the Playbook. In pt 2, Matt walks through the "foundational" suggestions and takes audience questions.October is Cybersecurity month! Community IT Chief Technology Officer Matt Eshleman walked through our revised Playbook on Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits in a webinar designed to get your nonprofit prepped to face cyberliability insurance requirements and ever-evolving threats. Learn the Community IT approach to cybersecurity and how even small changes will protect your organization against threats big and small. 2024 Updated Playbook on Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits – DownloadMatt shares updated advice on security improvements that provide protection against the most common attacks. You will learn about AI and cybersecurity, best practices in staff training, how to qualify for cyber insurance, and why you need written IT documentation and governance policies. Do you have an approach to compliance? Do you know if your staff are following your cybersecurity policies and procedures? With the rise of automated and realistic AI tools and more sophisticated methods of identity and email verification, your nonprofit can't afford not to prioritize cybersecurity. It may be difficult to qualify for business insurance if you don't complete certain checklists of cybersecurity precautions. But if you don't know where to start, it can be tempting to delay indefinitely.This Playbook gives you a simple structure to understand how to think about cybersecurity risks and costs for your nonprofit. Matt's presentation gives you tips you can put in place quickly and train your staff on immediately. You can download the new Playbook for free here.This webinar is appropriate for nonprofit executives, managers, accounting, development, and nonprofit IT personnel – and as with all our webinars, it is appropriate for a varied audience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.Presenter:As the Chief Technology Officer at Community IT and our resident cybersecurity expert, Matthew Eshleman is responsible for shaping Community IT's strategy around the technology platforms used by organizations to be secure and productive. With a deep background in network infrastructure, he fundamentally understands how technology works and interoperates both in the office and in the cloud.Matt is a frequent speaker at NTEN events and has presented at the Inside NGO conference, Non-Profit Risk Management Summit and Credit Builders Alliance Symposium. He is also the session designer and trainer for TechSoup's Digital Security course.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Is your nonprofit struggling to understand cybersecurity fundamentals? Are you unsure what level of protection you need or can afford?October is Cybersecurity month! Community IT Chief Technology Officer Matt Eshleman walked through our revised Playbook on Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits in a webinar designed to get your nonprofit prepped to face cyberliability insurance requirements and ever-evolving threats. Learn the Community IT approach to cybersecurity and how even small changes will protect your organization against threats big and small. 2024 Updated Playbook on Cybersecurity Readiness for Nonprofits – DownloadMatt shares updated advice on security improvements that provide protection against the most common attacks. You will learn about AI and cybersecurity, best practices in staff training, how to qualify for cyber insurance, and why you need written IT documentation and governance policies. Do you have an approach to compliance? Do you know if your staff are following your cybersecurity policies and procedures? With the rise of automated and realistic AI tools and more sophisticated methods of identity and email verification, your nonprofit can't afford not to prioritize cybersecurity. It may be difficult to qualify for business insurance if you don't complete certain checklists of cybersecurity precautions. But if you don't know where to start, it can be tempting to delay indefinitely.This Playbook gives you a simple structure to understand how to think about cybersecurity risks and costs for your nonprofit. Matt's presentation gives you tips you can put in place quickly and train your staff on immediately. You can download the new Playbook for free here.This webinar is appropriate for nonprofit executives, managers, accounting, development, and nonprofit IT personnel – and as with all our webinars, it is appropriate for a varied audience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.Presenter:As the Chief Technology Officer at Community IT and our resident cybersecurity expert, Matthew Eshleman is responsible for shaping Community IT's strategy around the technology platforms used by organizations to be secure and productive. With a deep background in network infrastructure, he fundamentally understands how technology works and interoperates both in the office and in the cloud.Matt joined Community IT as an intern in the summer of 2000 and after finishing his dual degrees in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems at Eastern Mennonite University, he rejoined Community IT as a network administrator in January of 2001. Matt has steadily progressed up at Community IT and while working full time received his MBA from the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University.Matt is a frequent speaker at NTEN events and has presented at the Inside NGO conference, Non-Profit Risk Management Summit and Credit Builders Alliance Symposium. He is also the session designer and trainer for TechSoup's Digital Security course.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Knowing what we want to be when we grow up is a gift, but for most of us, our careers take us to unexpected and surprising places—just like our guest for this episode. In this episode we hear from Dominique Johnson, Connecticut State Representative for the 143rd District, covering parts of Norwalk and Westport. Dominique takes us through her unexpected path into politics, starting from her days as an aspiring violinist to becoming a social scientist and finally, stepping into the world of public service.  With her skill of analytical thinking combined with a deep commitment to education and the youth, Dominique discovered social science and worked with nonprofits, eventually transitioning into a political career where she could directly impact her community.  She shares valuable insights about her dedication to making a tangible impact in her community through coalition-building and thoughtful legislation.  Topics Include: Using Past Experiences for Future Success: We can never truly know how the things we know and the skills we develop now will help us in the future. Dominique's background in social science and the analytical mind developed by music gave her the skills to address real-world issues through data-driven solutions. The Power of Community: It is incredibly important to have a community that supports and recognizes your potential —especially when pursuing paths you never imagined for yourself. Building Coalitions for Effective Governance: An approach to policy making is to emphasize collaboration and listening to diverse voices. Bipartisan efforts and coalition-building can lead to meaningful change, even in politically divided environments. Dominique's story is a reminder that the most meaningful careers often result from life's unexpected twists. As a dedicated community leader, her work aligns with the values of HAYVN—advocating for women's economic mobility, sustainability, and workforce development. Her ongoing efforts continue to support her constituents and contribute to building a more inclusive and resilient society. Tune in to hear more about how Dominique is bringing her skills, passion, and heart to the political arena while keeping her community's well-being at the center of everything she does. Connect with Dominique Johnson:  Website Facebook Instagram  LinkedIn  Connect with Nancy: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter

How do you track your subscriptions and licenses? Why is it important to know who has which subscription at your nonprofit? Many clients come to Community IT experiencing difficulty tracking IT inventory. In addition to tracking physical hardware, laptops, and devices, nonprofits also can find it difficult to track licenses and software subscriptions to cloud-based apps and IT tools. The rise in cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) models has led to ease of use. It is really easy to sign up for a subscription to many IT tools and platforms that can help productivity and benefit your nonprofit. But there are many advantages to tracking subscriptions, and disadvantages – financial and security – over leaving subscriptions and licenses up to individuals on your staff. Also make sure your nonprofit has strong practices for off-boarding staff and ending their subscriptions and licenses when no longer needed. Director of Information Systems and Technology Pat Sprehe joins Carolyn in this podcast to discuss the reasons your nonprofit should care about licenses and subscriptions, and how to go about managing the ecosystem from an IT and budget perspective. Among other duties, Pat manages subscriptions and licenses for Community IT staff and is well aware of the challenges and issues.Learn best practices to manage costs and ensure security for all your users, without stifling their entrepreneurship and self-management. With a little prioritization now, you can ensure your organization is protected from bad actors and can save on subscriptions and licenses. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

What do you need to do now to track your inventory? Why do you need to track inventory - and why isn't there a killer app for that yet?A significant number of clients come to Community IT without any inventory tracking at all. Besides being a financial risk this is a clear security risk - especially if you have no system in place to off-board staff who leave your nonprofit but keep their laptop and access to private files and business subscriptions.Why is it so hard to track inventory if you are a smaller organization (under 100 staff)? Listen to CEO Johan Hammerstrom share the three categories of inventory you need to track, and where that information probably lives at your nonprofit. With a little prioritization now, you can ensure your organization is protected from bad actors and can account for all your laptops. Johan shares these IT inventory tips to help our community avoid headaches and security risks. Some Key IT Inventory Tips:There is no perfect software or app to track inventory for smaller organizations. You will have to track it yourself, it cannot easily be delegated and philosophically probably shouldn't be outsourced. A spreadsheet can work for smaller organizations.Three categories of inventory you need to track:Equipment as an asset that the organization has purchased. Need to track it as part of financial accounting. Usually tracked by finance team.Who has that equipment been assigned to? Which laptop went to which staff member? This can also be tracked by the finance or HR team, or the IT team.Who is logged in to that computer? Who is the end user and which apps and licenses are they using (that the organization is paying for). Where is it located, how is it logged into the internet, who is the last person to log in to it? Your IT team will be able to track this. You should cross reference these three categories and reconcile them periodically.You need a standard process for off-boarding staff and recovering equipment from them/deactivating their subscriptions and access. Managing subscriptions is a related issue, and is equally important for your nonprofit to track, both for financial reasons (paying for subscriptions that are not being used, or paying for individual subscriptions when an enterprise subscription would be easier/cheaper/have more features) and for cybersecurity reasons. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Have you ever used a skills matrix in IT change management at your nonprofit?In pt 1, Heather describes a typical IT Skills Matrix and how you create one, and responds to audience questions. In podcast part 2, she delves into identifying stakeholders and gives several examples of when and how to use a Skills Matrix to build and empower your team.Do you know your super-users and early adopters? Your champions and ambassadors? Do you know who on your staff will happily and reliably use the tool exactly as trained vs your staffer who is always looking for new features and finding new shortcuts? Do you know who usually needs a little extra training and review sessions? Who is tech-hesitant, or even tech-phobic? How can you make your IT roll out a success for ALL your users? Can using an IT skills matrix make a difference?Join Build change management expert Heather Ritchie in an interactive, free webinar to learn about this simple and effective tool. She shares a spreadsheet template, talks through real life scenarios and examples from her work, and explores the benefits and challenges of creating a staff skills matrix.A skills matrix is also a useful tool to increase the value of training and enhance your conversations about professional development. Where are you investing in your staff skills? Where should you invest? Where do your staff want to learn and improve? What skills will help them and your nonprofit the most?How can using an IT skills matrix improve new tech rollout?Build Consulting download: IT Skills Matrix TemplateAs with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo. Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic, and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

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Have you ever used a skills matrix in IT change management at your nonprofit?Do you know your super-users and early adopters? Your champions and ambassadors? Do you know who on your staff will happily and reliably use the tool exactly as trained vs your staffer who is always looking for new features and finding new shortcuts? Do you know who usually needs a little extra training and review sessions? Who is tech-hesitant, or even tech-phobic? How can you make your IT roll out a success for ALL your users? Can using an IT skills matrix make a difference?Join Build change management expert Heather Ritchie in an interactive, free webinar to learn about this simple and effective tool. She shares a spreadsheet template, talks through real life scenarios and examples from her work, and explores the benefits and challenges of creating a staff skills matrix.A skills matrix is also a useful tool to increase the value of training and enhance your conversations about professional development. Where are you investing in your staff skills? Where should you invest? Where do your staff want to learn and improve? What skills will help them and your nonprofit the most?How can using an IT skills matrix improve new tech rollout?Build Consulting download: IT Skills Matrix TemplateAs with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo. Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic, and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Tiff Parker is an expert in Google Workspace support, having used Google Workspace herself throughout her career and developing a practice as an in-house expert to our clients who use Google Workspace. Carolyn asked Tiff for her tips on features to use and things to know about Google Workspace at the office.The takeaways: Know the difference between My Drive and Shared Drives, and set up Shared Drives for anything that you will want access to after a staff member leaves your organization. Step by step instructions to set up Shared Drives can be found in the Google knowledge center and can be done by “non technical” staff. Be thoughtful about creating the Shared Drives architecture and assigning access. Train your existing and new staff on your expectation for saving and collaborating on files using Shared Drives. Google uses the acronym “2SV” for second factor verification. Similar to Multi-Factor-Authentication (MFA,) you can use any authenticator (including Google's) or have a text or call sent to your phone. Whatever you use, the important thing is to REQUIRE 2SV for any account that your staff log into.Use Google Groups to save money on licenses and make it easier for teams or committees to collaborate. You can set up Google Groups with a single email address such as “contact@yourdomain” and all the members can see and respond. Groups has a lot of great use cases at nonprofits.Google Calendar has an option for “rooms” that you can use for many resources you may want to be able to reserve, like projectors and other AV equipment if you are still using a physical office. Thank you, Tiff, for these useful tips! If you have more Google Workspace questions, or have a great tip to share, get in touch! Presenter: Tiff Parker joined Community IT Innovators as an IT Business Manager (ITBM) in October 2023. She brings over 17 years of experience working in nonprofit technology.As an ITBM, she guides clients through implementation of effective technology investments and utilizing efficient IT services in direct support of their missions. She also assists clients with long-term planning, budgeting, and strategic goals.The Community IT ITBM service provides an outsourced IT manager to clients at a reduced cost to hiring and having an IT manager on staff. These managers are a resource dedicated to matching technology solutions to clients' business needs. The ITBM makes recommendations on IT investments, training programs, maintenance, and licenses. They help the client be forward-looking, and act as a vendor-agnostic, trusted advisor with deep knowledge of the nonprofit IT software and platforms available. Because Community IT works in partnership with clients to manage long-term IT needs, the ITBM relationship with the client makes them a true asset.Prior to coming to Community IT, Tiff was the IT Director for an environmental nonprofit where she was responsible for the overall vision, planning, implementation, management and support of their various information systems, data, policies, and processes. Tiff graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007.  She holds the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals MS 900 certification. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Does your organization struggle to match your IT to your actual business needs? Learn how to right size your IT and get rid of FOMO.In pt 1, Johan, Pat and Carolyn discuss Tech FOMO and the reasons nonprofits are susceptible to feeling it. They ask the webinar audience about their last new tech implementations and explore everyone's current FOMO, AI. In part 2, Pat walks us through an IT decision making pathway (which you can download below) and Johan answers audience questions.Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a natural human condition. And when it comes to technology, shiny new tools and platforms can seem very shiny. Add in tech giants' large marketing budgets and vendors who pressure you to keep up with the latest and greatest, and you can feel like you constantly need to move to the newer, better solution to get the latest features, or you will be missing out.What if you could escape the cycle of reacting to new technology marketing by firmly establishing a new tech decision making process based in your nonprofit's needs, with flexibility and vision, that includes a mechanism to thoughtfully evaluate where you want to go with your nonprofit technology over time?Join CEO Johan Hammerstrom and Director of Information Systems and Technology Pat Sprehe for this webinar to learn how to assess your nonprofit's readiness for new technology. Give your leadership team practical tools to evaluate new technology wants vs needs.Is your nonprofit suffering from new tech FOMO?Free Download: IT Decision Making Cheat Sheet For NonprofitsAs with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Does your organization struggle to match your IT to your actual business needs? Learn how to right size your IT and get rid of FOMO.Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a natural human condition. And when it comes to technology, shiny new tools and platforms can seem very shiny. Add in tech giants' large marketing budgets and vendors who pressure you to keep up with the latest and greatest, and you can feel like you constantly need to move to the newer, better solution to get the latest features, or you will be missing out.What if you could escape the cycle of reacting to new technology marketing by firmly establishing a new tech decision making process based in your nonprofit's needs, with flexibility and vision, that includes a mechanism to thoughtfully evaluate where you want to go with your nonprofit technology over time?Join CEO Johan Hammerstrom and Director of Information Systems and Technology Pat Sprehe for this webinar to learn how to assess your nonprofit's readiness for new technology. Give your leadership team practical tools to evaluate new technology wants vs needs.Is your nonprofit suffering from new tech FOMO?Free Download: IT Decision Making Cheat Sheet For NonprofitsAs with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

The pace of new AI tools and uses on the market is like a rocket. Does your nonprofit have questions about cybersecurity, opting out, or best practices when using AI? Microsoft released a new AI Governance Framework for Nonprofits joining many institutions putting out guidelines and studying the impact of AI on nonprofits and the ways nonprofits are using AI. Many nonprofits are approaching AI very cautiously, or may not have developed policies yet to use AI securely. Or your nonprofit may have ethical questions about using AI at all.How do you even attempt to opt out of AI tools that are packaged with an update of tools you already use? How do you communicate with your staff the ethics your organization expects staff to use when using AI?Nonprofit Cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman shares his thoughts in this podcast on the importance of AI Artificial Intelligence at nonprofits. Some key takeaways:Understanding that you can use your organization values about using AI without opting out of everything.Opting out is difficult as tools you already use add AI enhancements and upgrades. It can be done but must be intentional. Cybersecurity concerns are valid concerns when using AI.Understand when an AI is public and your queries and its responses will be part of a public data set, and when an AI tool is private to your own organization's data.AI for automation can be a very beneficial add to nonprofit productivity and ability to do more with less. Having someone or a team at your organization “own” training for secure and productive AI use is a good concept to embrace.Some nonprofits are very tech-savvy and will be exploring AI uses for mission use cases. Almost every nonprofit is going to be using AI for increased productivity unless they plan to be vigilant and intentional about opting out.Pay attention to the tools and reputation of the vendors. Larger organizations have a higher level of reputation to maintain and more resources to spend to get their AI tools right. During this AI bubble where so many new vendors are rushing to enter the market, nonprofits should be intentional about vetting new tools and vendors before committing.When updating existing tools, research and evaluate and understand the new AI enhancements, and communicate them to staff. AI will be transformative to the nonprofit and every other sector. As the Chief Technology Officer at Community IT, Matthew Eshleman leads the team responsible for strategic planning, research, and implementation of the technology platforms used by nonprofit organization clients to be secure and productive. With extensive experience serving nonprofits, Matt also understands nonprofit culture and constraints, and has a history of implementing cost-effective and secure solutions at the enterprise level.Matt has over 23 years of expertise in cybersecurity, IT support, team leadership, software selection and research, and client support. Matt holds dual degrees in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems from Eastern Mennonite University, and an MBA from the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University.  _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Whether or not your nonprofit faced Crowdstrike impacts, the aftermath of a national or worldwide incident is a great time to gather your cybersecurity team and run the exercise: what will your organization do during the next outage or cyber attack? Nonprofit Cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman shares his thoughts in this podcast on the importance ofreviewing your incident response and business continuity plans regularly, practicing your response regularly – what will you do if a critical person is absent? involving stakeholders outside the domain of the IT team to weigh the recovery options and order of importance. Payroll first? Email? Securing a backup of your data?As the Chief Technology Officer at Community IT, Matthew Eshleman leads the team responsible for strategic planning, research, and implementation of the technology platforms used by nonprofit organization clients to be secure and productive. With a deep background in network infrastructure, he fundamentally understands how nonprofit tech works and interoperates both in the office and in the cloud. With extensive experience serving nonprofits, Matt also understands nonprofit culture and constraints, and has a history of implementing cost-effective and secure solutions at the enterprise level.Matt has over 23 years of expertise in cybersecurity, IT support, team leadership, software selection and research, and client support. Matt is a frequent speaker on cybersecurity topics for nonprofits and has presented at NTEN events, the Inside NGO conference, Nonprofit Risk Management Summit and Credit Builders Alliance Symposium, LGBT MAP Finance Conference, and Tech Forward Conference. He is also the session designer and trainer for TechSoup's Digital Security course, and our resident Cybersecurity expert.Learn how to recover better from a cybersecurity incident with some key takeaways from this podcast. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Join Rhea Wong in this solo episode of Nonprofit Lowdown as she shares her top 10 insights and lessons learned from her journey as an Executive Director. This episode is inspired by Brittany, a new Executive Director Ria met during a recent speech in Vegas. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just stepping into your role, this episode is packed with wisdom that'll help you navigate the challenges and triumphs of being at the top. Key Takeaways: Perceptions Matter: Everything you do will be interpreted by your team, so be mindful of your actions and behaviors. Manage Expectations: No one will meet your high standards perfectly; learn to manage your expectations and delegate effectively. Protect Your Time: Focus on high ROI tasks and protect your most valuable asset—your time. Face Your Fears: The tasks you avoid out of fear are often the ones that will move the needle the most. Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly: Take your time to hire the right people and don't hesitate to let go of those who are detrimental to your culture. Adjust at the Top: The skills that got you to the top won't necessarily help you succeed there. Adapt and evolve. Self-Awareness: Your emotional state impacts your team. Be responsible for managing it. Get a Coach: Even top performers need a coach. An external perspective can help you grow. Find a Community: It's lonely at the top; find a community for support and camaraderie. Choose Happiness: You can be right or you can be happy, but you can't be both. Prioritize your happiness and team cohesion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nonprofitlowdown/support

In part 2, we discuss Single Sign On (SSO) implementation and roll out, and answer questions from the webinar audience. In part 1, our guests Steve Longenecker and Phil Oswald Christano define SSO and go over what it does and doesn't do. We discuss the unfortunate fact that each app interacts with SSO differently so you have to enable it for each app. However, if you use Google or Microsoft you already have some basic tools to implement SSO.If you have heard about Single Sign On (SSO) and wondered what it can do for your nonprofit, this webinar explains the concept and examines the ways that SSO can help your organization be more productive and work more safely online.Single Sign-On (SSO) is a pivotal security and usability tool for any modern organization. By enabling users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials, SSO not only simplifies the authentication process but also enhances security. At the most basic level, when a user is logged in via SSO, they access the websites and tools they use for work through that SSO service. Those individual websites and tools are configured to trust the SSO-providing service. Organizations can set up a stand-alone SSO service like Okta or use an existing service that provides the functionality as an option, like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. We discussed all of these options in the webinar.  SSO allows organizations to focus their identity management efforts. It reduces the risk of password fatigue and decreases the likelihood of phishing attacks. SSO allows for improved governance around which applications users can access. User account provisioning and deprovisioning can be more efficient than when each application is managed separately. And SSO should also help staff work more smoothly without needing to pause to log in to tools and sites throughout the day. More details are available in our blog post SSO for nonprofits. With the evolution of AI fueling more sophisticated cyber-attacks, Community IT often recommends implementing SSO as another layer of protection. View or listen to this webinar to delve deeper into the benefits of SSO, understand implementation strategies, and learn how it can streamline your workflow, bolster security, and improve user experience.Is your nonprofit protected?As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. You do not have to have previous experience with SSO or cybersecurity to benefit from this webinar. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo. Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic, and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

If you have heard about Single Sign On (SSO) and wondered what it can do for your nonprofit, this webinar explains the concept and examines the ways that SSO can help your organization be more productive and work more safely online.In part 1, our guests Steve Longenecker and Phil Oswald Christano define SSO and go over what it does and doesn't do. We discuss the unfortunate fact that each app interacts with SSO differently so you have to enable it for each app. However, if you use Google or Microsoft you already have some basic tools to implement SSO.In part 2, we discuss implementation and roll out, and answer questions from the webinar audience. Single Sign-On (SSO) is a pivotal security and usability tool for any modern organization. By enabling users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials, SSO not only simplifies the authentication process but also enhances security. At the most basic level, when a user is logged in via SSO, they access the websites and tools they use for work through that SSO service. Those individual websites and tools are configured to trust the SSO-providing service. Organizations can set up a stand-alone SSO service like Okta or use an existing service that provides the functionality as an option, like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. We discussed all of these options in the webinar.  SSO allows organizations to focus their identity management efforts. It reduces the risk of password fatigue and decreases the likelihood of phishing attacks. SSO allows for improved governance around which applications users can access. User account provisioning and deprovisioning can be more efficient than when each application is managed separately. And SSO should also help staff work more smoothly without needing to pause to log in to tools and sites throughout the day. More details are available in our blog post SSO for nonprofits. With the evolution of AI fueling more sophisticated cyber-attacks, Community IT often recommends implementing SSO as another layer of protection. View or listen to this webinar to delve deeper into the benefits of SSO, understand implementation strategies, and learn how it can streamline your workflow, bolster security, and improve user experience.Is your nonprofit protected?As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience. You do not have to have previous experience with SSO or cybersecurity to benefit from this webinar. Community IT believes strongly that your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo. Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic, and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

What do the acronyms SFP, DKIM, and DMARC mean, and why do you need to prove your email is legit?If you have been hearing these terms lately about your email or your cybersecurity liability insurance checklist, and don't know your DKIM from your DMARC, you aren't alone! Carolyn sat down with CEO Johan Hammerstrom to demystify the lingo and learn about the latest requirements for ensuring emails from your domain look legit to other inboxes, and how that helps protect your nonprofit now and in the future. Deliverability requirements are changing, so if you are in nonprofit leadership or nonprofit IT you will need to ensure your organization is in compliance. Listen to this podcast to learn the latest about this lingo, and then ask your IT provider or IT department about email protection and deliverability at your next check in.Johan Hammerstrom, CEO of Community IT, breaks down why you should care about these acronyms and what they can do for your nonprofit security. Do you want to make sure your major donor can receive that email thank you? Then get on the email protection and deliverability train and listen to learn all about new requirements and best practices. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

What does it mean to be a learning organization and how can you grow learning practices at your nonprofit?In pt 1 Karen defined a Learning Organization and explored struggles to embrace learning at your nonprofit. In pt 2 Karen discusses the categories of learning technologies that can help nonprofits organize their learning management, and gave us tips on implementing learning strategies at our organizations.Karen Graham has more than 20 years in senior nonprofit leadership, and a broad knowledge of trends and best practices in technology, leadership, and organizational development. Formerly head of Idealware, a research institution studying nonprofits' use of technology, Karen has long observed there are some nonprofits that have a strong internal learning culture, and she sees benefits to those who take knowledge management and sharing very seriously. She shared ideas on how to grow that learning impulse at your nonprofit and find funding for it and strategic value in it. If you are struggling with a learning management system or thinking about investing in one, we also talked about tech tools that help with knowledge management – but as we always say, the tech should come last, the clearly articulated business need should come first. Karen's presentation helps us think about why learning is so crucial to our organizations and how to invest in the idea of the learning organization. Is your nonprofit a learning organization?For more on the concept of learning organizations and the history of the term over the decades, we recommend this article from Harvard Business Review Is Yours a Learning Organization? (1 free article/month or by subscription.)As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT and Karen Graham Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.Presenter:Karen Graham is a nonprofit technology strategist who loves helping people solve problems – from making their work easier and more enjoyable, to enabling their organization to more effectively achieve its mission. Her consulting work focuses on the intersection of technology strategy, leadership, and culture for mission based organizations. She has worked in a variety of roles in sector-strengthening organizations such as Tech Impact (Chief Advancement Officer), Idealware (Executive Director), MAP for Nonprofits (Director of Technology & Innovation), and thedatabank (Director of Business Development). She serves on the grant review board for the Shavlik Family Foundation and the board of directors for the Minneapolis Southwest High School Performing Arts Committee. Karen earned her MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas.For an introduction to Karen's thinking on learning organizations, listen to this podcast Karen Graham on Learning from Build Consulting. You can also follow her on LinkedIn. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

What does it mean to be a learning organization and how can you grow learning practices at your nonprofit?Karen Graham has more than 20 years in senior nonprofit leadership, and a broad knowledge of trends and best practices in technology, leadership, and organizational development. Formerly head of Idealware, a research institution studying nonprofits' use of technology, Karen has long observed there are some nonprofits that have a strong internal learning culture, and she sees benefits to those who take knowledge management and sharing very seriously. She shared ideas on how to grow that learning impulse at your nonprofit and find funding for it and strategic value in it. If you are struggling with a learning management system or thinking about investing in one, we also talked about tech tools that help with knowledge management – but as we always say, the tech should come last, the clearly articulated business need should come first. Karen's presentation helps us think about why learning is so crucial to our organizations and how to invest in the idea of the learning organization. Is your nonprofit a learning organization?For more on the concept of learning organizations and the history of the term over the decades, we recommend this article from Harvard Business Review Is Yours a Learning Organization? (1 free article/month or by subscription.)As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT and Karen Graham Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.Presenter:Karen Graham is a nonprofit technology strategist who loves helping people solve problems – from making their work easier and more enjoyable, to enabling their organization to more effectively achieve its mission. She writes, speaks, and advises organizations on technology leadership, software selection, user adoption, innovation, and strategic IT alignment. She has guided dozens of organizations through their software decisions, from requirements analysis to implementation and ongoing database optimization. Her consulting work focuses on the intersection of technology strategy, leadership, and culture for mission based organizations. She has worked in a variety of roles in sector-strengthening organizations such as Tech Impact (Chief Advancement Officer), Idealware (Executive Director), MAP for Nonprofits (Director of Technology & Innovation), and thedatabank (Director of Business Development). She serves on the grant review board for the Shavlik Family Foundation and the board of directors for the Minneapolis Southwest High School Performing Arts Committee. Karen earned her MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas.For an introduction to Karen's thinking on learning organizations, listen to this podcast Karen Graham on Learning from Build Consulting. You can also follow her on LinkedIn.Send us a Text Message. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

In today's interview, Carolyn talks with Vince Grady, the new Community IT Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who is 8 months into the job. Vince and Carolyn discuss his roundabout path to the CFO role, and how a diversity of backgrounds is common at Community IT and valued as one of our strengths – not all our employees have followed a typical path and that helps us connect with our nonprofit clients who often also have non-conventional backgrounds, education, and careers.Vince also comments on the value of mentors in his career, and he and Carolyn discuss steps to finding mentors you connect with and can turn to for advice. The takeaway? Be open to finding mentors that have the skills you want to develop, in addition to the career roles you want to grow into, and invite mentorship wherever you find it. Most people love being invited out for coffee and to discuss their skills and experience.Vince and Carolyn also discuss the way being an employee-owned company (ESOP) has shaped the internal culture at Community IT in valuable ways.“It is cool seeing how being an ESOP affects the culture of our company. I can see first hand that it has such a positive impact on our employees. Everyone feels so connected and has pride of ownership in their work and in our mission, because they have a say in it, ultimately.”  Vince GradyJoin us for our series featuring interviews with Community IT employees. In this series, we talk about nonprofit technology career paths, career resources, skills, and certifications. We will also touch on mentoring opportunities as you start out on your career and ways to give back if you are further along. If you are wondering what it is like to work at a place like Community IT, you can learn about it here. https://communityit.com/careers/ _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

In today's interview, Carolyn talks with Rob Schamberg about his long service on the Community IT Board helping steer the company through the process to become employee-owned through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and to his recent retirement from the Board.Rob describes his career from his days as a college grad who loved technology and the outdoors, through teaching and becoming Principal and Superintendent at various California public schools, to joining the Forum for Youth Investment in Washington DC. It was at the Forum that he met Community IT folks, and was asked to serve on the board where he has been over a decade. After moving back to California near Lake Tahoe, he has now founded his own nonprofit to give students in Reno a chance to explore the wilderness activities all around them, Reno Inspiring Connections Outdoors.“The relationships that Community IT has with our customers are top-notch. I was just talking to somebody from another company, I didn't know he was with this company and I didn't know they were Community IT clients, and he said “we will stick with them because they are our partners in this.”” - Rob SchambergJoin us for our series featuring interviews with Community IT employees and board members. In this series, we talk about nonprofit technology career paths, career resources, skills, and certifications. We will also touch on mentoring opportunities as you start out on your career and ways to give back if you are further along. If you are wondering what it is like to work at a place like Community IT, you can learn about it here. https://communityit.com/careers/ _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Pt 3 delves deeper into implementation, roll out, and overcoming barriers to updating or creating IT governance policies at your nonprofit. In this podcast follow up to their webinar, Community IT Senior Consultant Nura Aboki and guest Jeff Gibson from Build Consulting spoke with moderator Carolyn Woodard and shared their experiences and insights into the difficulties rolling out your updated policies. How can you overcome barriers like fear or inertia and see this process as an opportunity for your leadership to bring staff together around shared values, and not an onerous chore? What are good ways to get stakeholders on board and successfully  roll out training on the new policies to all staff?If you are feeling paralyzed about this project to implement your policies, this discussion will give you a roadmap on how to move forward. Learn about making IT governance work for your nonprofit.For templates: Free Resources for Building IT Policies at Nonprofits has a ton of links for you to start with. Check out this podcast pt 1 and 2 for an introduction.Is your nonprofit protected?In our work with clients over the twenty years we have been providing outsourced IT services, Community IT has frequently run into clients with no Acceptable Use Policy at all. In addition to protecting your organization from employee misuse of equipment, IT governance policies are strategic documents that need regular review to stay in alignment with your nonprofit's goals and tactics.If your organization has no IT governance documents or they haven't been updated in a while, this webinar teaches how and where to start creating these vital documents. Our panelists also shared their experiences and successful strategies to roll out these policies to all staff, and gave ideas on updating your training on these policies to be fun and engaging. The key takeaway? Collaborating: the IT department needs to work with other teams to incorporate various needs and insights. Your organization's protection from cyber crime and multiple legal issues rests on your staff understanding and following your IT policies. Don't get caught without policies you can rely on and refer back to when situations with cyber attacks or disgruntled employees arise.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT and Build Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Pt 2 covers implementation, overcoming barriers to this project, and Q&A. Pt 1 Covers policy definitions and priority policies, a process to create or revise your policies, and 2 polls. For templates: Free Resources for Building IT Policies at Nonprofits has a ton of links for you. Community IT Senior Consultant Nura Aboki and guest Jeff Gibson from Build Consulting took your questions on where to find nonprofit IT policy templates, how to overcome barriers and modify the templates to your organizational needs and strategic goals, and how to get the stakeholders on board and roll out training on the new policies to all staff. If you are feeling paralyzed about starting this project to create or revise your policies, this discussion will give you a roadmap on how to move forward. Learn about making IT governance work for your nonprofit.Is your nonprofit protected?In our work with clients over the twenty years we have been providing outsourced IT services, Community IT has frequently run into clients with no Acceptable Use Policy at all. In addition to protecting your organization from employee misuse of equipment, IT governance policies are strategic documents that need regular review to stay in alignment with your nonprofit's goals and tactics.If your organization has no IT governance documents or they haven't been updated in a while, this webinar teaches how and where to start creating these vital documents. Our panelists also shared their experiences and successful strategies to roll out these policies to all staff, and gave ideas on updating your training on these policies to be fun and engaging. The key takeaway? Collaborating: the IT department needs to work with other teams to incorporate various needs and insights. Your organization's protection from cyber crime and multiple legal issues rests on your staff understanding and following your IT policies. Don't get caught without policies you can rely on and refer back to when situations with cyber attacks or disgruntled employees arise.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT and Build Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Pt 1 Covers policy definitions and priority policies, a process to create or revise your policies, and 2 polls. Pt 2 covers implementation, overcoming barriers to this project, and Q&A.For templates: Free Resources for Building IT Policies at Nonprofits has a ton of links for you. Community IT Senior Consultant Nura Aboki and guest Jeff Gibson from Build Consulting took your questions on where to find nonprofit IT policy templates, how to overcome barriers and modify the templates to your organizational needs and strategic goals, and how to get the stakeholders on board and roll out training on the new policies to all staff. If you are feeling paralyzed about starting this project to create or revise your policies, this discussion will give you a roadmap on how to move forward. Learn about making IT governance work for your nonprofit.Is your nonprofit protected?In our work with clients over the twenty years we have been providing outsourced IT services, Community IT has frequently run into clients with no Acceptable Use Policy at all. In addition to protecting your organization from employee misuse of equipment, IT governance policies are strategic documents that need regular review to stay in alignment with your nonprofit's goals and tactics.If your organization has no IT governance documents or they haven't been updated in a while, this webinar teaches how and where to start creating these vital documents. Our panelists also shared their experiences and successful strategies to roll out these policies to all staff, and gave ideas on updating your training on these policies to be fun and engaging. The key takeaway? Collaborating: the IT department needs to work with other teams to incorporate various needs and insights. Your organization's protection from cyber crime and multiple legal issues rests on your staff understanding and following your IT policies. Don't get caught without policies you can rely on and refer back to when situations with cyber attacks or disgruntled employees arise.As with all our webinars, this presentation is appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT and Build Consulting are proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

What are the main ways AI impacts nonprofit cybersecurity risks?Social engineering, trust, and data risks are the three big areas where AI will have impacts on cybersecurity at nonprofits that you need to be aware of. Whether or not your organization is using AI, these are areas where hackers are definitely using AI to devise new methods of attack.Matt Eshleman, CTO at Community IT, recommends creating policies that address the way your staff uses AI – if you haven't updated your Acceptable Use policies recently, AI concerns are a good reason to do that. He also recommends taking an inventory of your file sharing permissions before AI surfaces something that wasn't secured correctly. Finally, make sure your staff training is up to date, engaging, and constant. AI is creating more believable attacks that change more frequently; if your staff don't know what to look out for you could fall for the newest scams or accidentally share sensitive data with a public AI generator.Community IT has created an Acceptable Use of AI Tools policy template; you can download it for free. And if you are trying to update or create policies but don't know where to start, here is a resource on Making IT Governance Work for Your Nonprofit.Good Tech Fest is a global virtual conference on how you can responsibly use emerging technologies for impact. Whether it's AI, web3, machine learning, or just simple mobile and application development, Good Tech Fest is the place to hear from practitioners using these technologies for impact.As with all our webinars, these presentations are appropriate for an audience of varied IT experience.Community IT is proudly vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Webinars are never a sales pitch, always a way to share our knowledge with our community.Presenter:As the Chief Technology Officer at Community IT, Matthew Eshleman leads the team responsible for strategic planning, research, and implementation of the technology platforms used by nonprofit organization clients to be secure and productive. With a deep background in network infrastructure, he fundamentally understands how nonprofit tech works and interoperates both in the office and in the cloud. With extensive experience serving nonprofits, Matt also understands nonprofit culture and constraints, and has a history of implementing cost-effective and secure solutions at the enterprise level.Matt has over 22 years of expertise in cybersecurity, IT support, team leadership, software selection and research, and client support. Matt is a frequent speaker on cybersecurity topics for nonprofits and has presented at NTEN events, the Inside NGO conference, Nonprofit Risk Management Summit and Credit Builders Alliance Symposium, LGBT MAP Finance Conference, and Tech Forward Conference. He is also the session designer and trainer for TechSoup's Digital Security course, and our resident Cybersecurity expertMatt holds dual degrees in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems from Eastern Mennonite University, and an MBA from the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn Thanks for listening.

Episode Introduction:  It's time to find your tribe in order to thrive. Tune in to learn how!   Episode Summary:  In this week's episode of the Rise Station Podcast, we're diving deep into the Power of Community. We discuss the impact our surroundings have on our behavioral patterns and discover shocking statistics about the influence of our immediate environment.   We then go on to discuss the benefits of being in a community and finally conclude the episode with some practical tips on how to find your tribe. This episode is filled with action steps to help you find your community.   Rise Tribe Takeaways:   The Benefits of Community: It reduces isolation. It creates a sense of belonging. Shared experiences and bonding. Provides a safety net during rough times. Enables sharing of resources.   How to Find Your Tribe: Sit with yourself first. Join groups with shared interests. Find volunteering opportunities. Take action to connect. Be the first to reach out. Find a supportive network.   Resources:   Research by Kellogg School of Management: https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/sitting-near-a-high-performer-can-make-you-better-at-your-job   Help us grow and reach out to more amazing individuals such as yourself by leaving a positive rating + review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rise-station/id1565362467   Connect With Us:    Email: media@restorativefamilyservices.com Website: https://restorativefamilyservices.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorativefamily/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RestorativeFS   The Power of Community, Positive Friendships, Supportive Social Circles, Influential Peers, Personal Growth Companions, Impact of Relationships, Friendship Dynamics, Empowering Connections, Positive Social Influence, Building Supportive Networks, Community Impact on Well-being, Toxic Relationships Effects, Social Support Benefits, Friendship Impact on Mental Health, Positive Community Influence, Surrounding Yourself with Positivity, Encouraging Friendships, Social Circle Influence, Personal Growth Through Relationships, Community Influence on Behavior, Rise Station Podcast, Mental Health Podcast, Best Mental Health Podcast of 2024

*JOIN THE PHYSIONIC INSIDERS [PREMIUM CONTENT]* Join the Physionic Insiders [Standard Tier]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicInsiders2 Join the Physionic Insiders [Pro Tier]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicInsidersPro   *Standard Tier:* Access to the Premium Video Library, Full Study Analyses (+ Summaries), Insider Podcast, , Research Reviews, and More   *Pro Tier:* All benefits of the Standard Tier + Live Sessions with Me, Consulting Lite, and More *JOIN THE COMMUNITY *Join my Community [It's Free!]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicCommunity2 *EMAIL LIST* One Weekly Email of Value: http://bit.ly/2AXIzK6 *HIRE ME FOR CONSULTING* Consulting: https://bit.ly/3dmUl2H *DONATIONS FOR A SCIENCE BASED CAUSE* Patreon: https://bit.ly/PhysionicPatreon *OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA* Instagram: http://bit.ly/2OBFe7i

*JOIN THE PHYSIONIC INSIDERS [PREMIUM CONTENT]* Join the Physionic Insiders [Standard Tier]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicInsiders2 Join the Physionic Insiders [Pro Tier]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicInsidersPro   *Standard Tier:* Access to the Premium Video Library, Full Study Analyses (+ Summaries), Insider Podcast, , Research Reviews, and More   *Pro Tier:* All benefits of the Standard Tier + Live Sessions with Me, Consulting Lite, and More *JOIN THE COMMUNITY*Join my Community [It's Free!]: https://bit.ly/PhysionicCommunity2 *EMAIL LIST*One Weekly Email of Value: http://bit.ly/2AXIzK6 *HIRE ME FOR CONSULTING:* Consulting: https://bit.ly/3dmUl2H *DONATIONS FOR A SCIENCE BASED CAUSE*Patreon: https://bit.ly/PhysionicPatreon *OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA*Instagram: http://bit.ly/2OBFe7i Nick's Channel: https://youtu.be/yiq67wpUhIs?si=AAercNmT4OX6fk_z Dave's Channel: https://youtu.be/RzG6N8WWufM?si=XNl6HTJ66vUpZ0QT 0:00 - Introduction of Study 3:47 - Introduction to Dr. Nick Norwitz and Dave Feldman 8:31 - Dr. Norwitz details the Oreo Study 31:52 - Problems with Science Communication 1:12:42 - Discussion with Dave Feldman 1:15:20 - Lipid Heart Model of Heart Disease 1:27:28 - Lean Mass Hyper-Responders 1:35:10 - Mechanisms of Action Discussion

Welcome to The Millionaire Maker Show. Today, we'll dive into the crucial topic of How To Positively Handle Negative Social Media Comments, drawing from my recent Netflix experience on "The Trust" and its profound impact on my online business brand. Let's explore the challenges and opportunities that come with managing an online presence.How To Positively Handle Negative Social Media Comments - Key Takeaways:The Impact of Netflix's "The Trust":I delve into the premise and challenges faced during my three weeks in the Dominican Republic filming the show.I discuss the noticeable shift in online interactions following the show's premiere and the subsequent influx of comments.Handling Negative Comments:While initial advice leans towards ignoring and deleting negative comments, I observed a genuine desire for people to express their opinions.My commitment to inclusivity and vulnerability led me to engage in dialogue rather than opting for outright deletion.Building a Community:It's incredibly important to foster a community online, even amidst diverse opinions within the online space.I decided to respond to comments, fostering open conversations within the boundaries of mutual respect.Social Media Engagement:I invite you to explore the ongoing dialogue on my TikTok and Instagram accounts.I shifted from blocking comments to promoting open conversations within respectful boundaries.Key Quotes:"Social media is your place; it's nobody else's place.""My page is a space where everyone, treating me with respect and within boundaries, is genuinely welcome.""I strive to show up with vulnerability, acknowledging that I do make mistakes."Resources Mentioned:Join my upcoming free LIVE workshop, The Unlaunch Method Workshop: https://www.theunlaunchmethod.com Follow along on my social media channels:TikTok: @the.lindsey.andersonInstagram: @the.lindsey.andersonConclusion:I summarized the impact of "The Trust" Netflix experience and am anticipating the upcoming finale.Join me in The Unlaunch Method workshop for actionable insights into building an authentic and profitable social media audience.I can't emphasize enough the significance of engagement on social media platforms and the value of respectful dialogue in constructing a robust personal online business brand.Encourage audience feedback and invite conversations on social media.