Community IT Innovators Nonprofit Technology Topics

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 ...

Are you worried?

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

Are you worried?

The current situation for the nonprofit sector is highly changeable and changing fast. Every day there’s a new worry turning up around your mission, your funding, and your future. 

Where does your IT fit into this new world? Is your IT strategy flexible, and have you revisited your IT planning, performance, and policies? As you examine your finances, what IT is essential and where can you afford to par...

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 ...

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

Darren also explores and describes other cybersecurity threats that are targeting nonprofits, and best practices to defend...

Media expert and self-taught "AI Evangelist" Brenda Foster spoke to Carolyn about ways to help nonprofit staff explore and begin using AI tools to work smarter, calling AI your new assistant. 

In addition to serving as Vanguard Communications’ Chief of Innovation, she is a communications researcher and strategic planner who has shaped direction and messaging for numerous successful national nonprofit and government campaig...

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit Secure

Community IT CTO and cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman delivered our annual report on trend lines and took questions live and online in this popular annual webinar. 

In part 1, Matt discusses the landscape and background of cybersecurity attacks nonprofits face now, goes over the lingo and acronyms, and introduces new trends in attacks and protections. In pa...

2025 Nonprofit Cybersecurity Incident Report: Keeping Your Nonprofit Secure

Community IT CTO and cybersecurity expert Matt Eshleman delivered our annual report on trend lines and took questions live and online in this popular annual webinar. 

In part 1, Matt discusses the landscape and background of cybersecurity attacks nonprofits face now, goes over the lingo and acronyms, and introduces new trends in attacks and protections. In pa...

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 ma...

What does the future hold for nonprofit technology from one of the giants in the industry?

Ryan Ozimek, founder of Soapbox Engage and long time nonprofit IT thought leader, reflects on the trends and topics from this recent conference for the sector from Microsoft – particularly the embrace of AI and the potential of AI tools to impact the nonprofit sector.

In its second year, the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit drew nonpro...

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...

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 crucia...

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 crucia...

Do you have a technology tool that just isn’t working? How do you get at the root of the issue and find solutions?

Sometimes IT staff and directors and executives get really into the cool details of their technology tools without considering the whole organization needs and tolerances. And sometimes executives and leaders want to change IT tools on a whim, where that IT tool is deeply embedded in the functions of the nonprofit organ...

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 framewor...

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 fra...

A week in the life of the Help Desk Team

Ever wonder what it takes to be a help desk analyst, or what our Help Desk Team does in a typical week? 

We’re inordinately proud of our Help Desk Team, the first and usually only point of contact for most staff for most clients. 

Listen to this presentation on a typical week and learn about the teamwork, expertise, and continual learning that goes into providing excellent IT support service.

“Y...

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 the...

In this interview from December 2024, Director of Marketing Carolyn Woodard talks with Ramunda Lark Young about her journey from growing up in Tulsa Oklahoma to working in Washington DC to founding an online Black bookstore during the 2007-2008 recession. 

In addition to a website where you can find curated lists of books to fit any interest, Mahogany Books now has 2.25 in-person stores in DC and hosts author events and a podcast.

Wh...