Corporate Volunteers Give Expertise to Nonprofits Steve Fall April 14, 2006

Although the corporate world discovered the value of technology long ago, the nonprofit sector lacked the capital and resources to take full advantage. Thanks to volunteerism from local companies, they can now benefit from it as well.

"The goal is to do for nonprofits what has happened in corporate America," said Becky Blalock, senior vice president and chief information officer of Southrn Company and co-chairman of the 2006 Digital Ball. "That is to apply technology to help them operate more efficiently. The same things that make us efficient can help nonprofits."

Several programs support this mission. Nonprofits can now receive technology services without exhausting their budget.

"We try to be one-stop shopping for all the technology services that a nonprofit would need," said Jennifer Higgins of TechBridge, which was founded in 2000 to serve area nonprofits struggling with the use of technology.

The Digital Ball, the primary fund-raiser for TechBridge, shows how powerful this movement has become. More than 1,200 people are expected to attend the annual event on May 6 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The 2006 Digital Ball has already raised more than $1 million. The funds generated by the Digital Ball enable TechBridge to offer nonprofits professional services at a fraction of the going rate. Its Corporate Partner Program is a suite of mostly volunteer services that allow professionals to donate their expertise.

"Our sponsors have told us that not only do they want to give TechBridge money, but they're always looking for opportunities that enable their employees to get involved in the community," Higgins said. "The Corporate Partner program is a response to that desire."

With the same goal of helping area nonprofits with technology needs, Hands On Atlanta has started the Skills-Based Volunteerism Initiative. The program matches the business professional skills of volunteers with the needs of nonprofit organizations at no charge.

"We realized that we had the ability to make this successful," said Malikah Berry, the director of community and civic engagement at Hands On Atlanta. "Not only do we have relationships with hundreds of nonprofits who can tell us about how they function and their volunteer needs, we also had many volunteers willing and interested in giving their professional skills to a nonprofit. What we hadn't done is match those two needs."

Such volunteerism can have a huge impact on a nonprofit operating on a shoestring budget. John Seral, the CIO of GE Energy and a co-chairman for the 2006 TechBridge Digital Ball, gave one example.

"If you have a paper-based mailing campaign, you reach hundreds of people. You could reach tens of thousands using e-mail and procured lists on the Internet. In 30 seconds, you could shoot out distribution that would have taken days or weeks. That way you can get your donations and capital in a shorter cycle time."

TechBridge also has started the Microsoft Unlimited Potential program at both the Agape Community Center and Atlanta Enterprise Center. Low-income, disadvantaged adults learn Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and the Internet in this 14-week training course. Volunteers from the Corporate Partner Program serve as instructors.

"We also have a new program called Scheduled Services," Higgins said. "Our tech consultants go regularly to a client's site for proactive maintenance of their PCs and networks."

For technology professionals that can't swing big-time commitments, both TechBridge and Hands On Atlanta offer programs that still enable them to contribute.

Hands On Atlanta held a Technology Service Day on March 18. The event saw 600 volunteers assist with 62 projects around the metro area. Volunteers refurbished, installed and networked more than 170 computers that corporations had donated to help nonprofits.

On March 25, TechBridge volunteers gathered for TechCorps Georgia Volunteer Day. They partnered with TechCorps Georgia to break down and rebuild computers donated by companies and individuals. They plan to hold the events monthly this year.

In 2005, eight corporations worked through TechBridge to build a house in conjunction with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. They plan to build a second "Technology Habitat House" this month.

Blalock said that no matter what the program or event, she gets so much from volunteering.

"It's amazing how the benefits that you don't expect come back to you. One of them is the relationships that you develop with other IT professionals. For everything I give, I get a lot back in return."