Miles Maier: Charities move to the cloud

Like the Big Society, many charities will have heard of 'the cloud' or 'cloud computing' but may not realise it's a money-saving and time-saving opportunity.

How does it work? Well, rather than installing software on your computer, in cloud computing the host runs the software and services are delivered to you over the internet via your web browser. If you've ever used web-based email, internet banking or social media sites like Facebook – these are examples of cloud computing.

Think of charity fundraising site, Just Giving, which is a great example of a web-based tool that allows charities to raise and track money without hosting the software themselves.

You don't need to be a technology expert to use cloud computing across your organisation – it can be used across a wide range of your organisation's activities.

Collaboration and networking: Read how the Children's Cancer Charity, CCE Research Alliance and Monty's Corner use a variety of cloud and social networking services to work together on shared goals.

Campaigning: If you've ever supported or set up a charity campaign through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook then you may not have thought that you were using 'cloud technologies' but that's a perfect example of the cloud in action. Here are three very different campaigns: NSPCC, Dog's Trust and Colalife.

Volunteering: Harnessing the input of volunteers and other supporters can strengthen your work. By using cloud-based tools you can do this in a shared workspace and benefit from the input of supporters you may didn't even know about. Read about i-volunteer's new micro-volunteering campaign to learn how someone can volunteer using a computer or mobile phone.

Reduced costs: If you struggle with the IT costs, the cloud might be the answer. UK-based The Charity Cloud provides a full Microsoft desktop, including Windows XP, MS Office, email and file storage. Scotland's Findhorn Foundation switched to Google Apps to replace its 'ageing and unreliable' IT systems.

Remote working and training: Read how Barnadosm, Oxfam and VSO are using cloud based tools to save time and money by delivering online meetings and training seminars. This can reduce your carbon footprint by -cutting travel and also save you cash.

Flexibility: Using services such as Amazon's EC2 or The Charity Cloud means you can buy computing power as you need it. Comic Relief moved its IT systems to the cloud after recognising that for 95% of the year it uses only 5% of its capacity.

The cloud can offer a whole suite of tools such as event management, accounting software, file storage and graphics, and many are free or inexpensive. But there are a few things to bear in mind:

Identify the need: Are there things - email, calendars, documents, file storage – that can be done better and cheaper on the cloud? Google provides a tool for comparing costs of Google mail vs Microsoft Exchange. Astadia provides a basic tool for calculating return on investment in cloud services. If you're thinking about using new media for raising awareness of issues close to your charity's heart, this guide shows you how to get started. (pdf)

Migration and transition costs: Moving to a new way of doing things involves costs - investing in the new service, training staff and so on. You can read more about different perspectives on the cost of moving to the cloud on the ICT Knowledgebase and in the latest issue of Computanews from Lasa.

Data protection: You have very little control over where the service provider stores your data, which could be in a different country with different privacy laws. This could be a deal-breaker for those working with vulnerable communities, like refugee or asylum seekers. Remember, in the event of data breach your organisation will also be held legally accountable.

Security: You have to accept the security offered by the service provider rather than configuring your own. Web browsers also provide options for 'remember password' or 'keep me logged in' – these are convenient but are also easily compromised.

Small print: Make sure you read the service provider's terms and conditions to check what compensation you are entitled to in the event of something going wrong.

Miles Maier is London ICT Champion at Lasa. See the Lasa ICT Knowledgebase for more on What Should Third Sector Organisations Be Thinking About With Regard To Cloud.

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