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5 minute read
As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, nonprofits face the challenge of keeping up with technology while maintaining their focus on community impact. This is where skills-based volunteering plays a pivotal role. By leveraging the unique expertise of professionals, nonprofits can bridge staffing gaps, strengthen their operations, and drive sustainable growth. Our latest volunteer of the month—an IT professional with over 20 years of experience—has been instrumental in helping nonprofits transform their technical infrastructure.
The value of skills-based volunteering
Skills-based volunteering goes beyond traditional volunteer opportunities like manual labor or event support. It taps into the specialized expertise of professionals, allowing volunteers to use their knowledge and skills to solve complex challenges that many nonprofits face. Whether it’s offering legal advice, marketing strategies, financial planning, or, in this case, IT support, skills-based volunteering provides organizations with critical resources that they might otherwise be unable to afford.
Our volunteer of the month exemplifies this perfectly. With more than two decades of IT experience, Damien has donated countless hours to support nonprofits in setting up Google workspaces, troubleshooting technical issues, and building knowledge around artificial intelligence (AI). The benefits of skills-based volunteering are clear: it empowers both the volunteer and the nonprofit. Volunteers can see the tangible impact of their work, while nonprofits gain access to expertise that helps them operate more efficiently.
These contributions are transformative. They don't just fix problems; they build long-term solutions that help organizations scale, improve service delivery, and ensure sustainability. In an era where technology is critical to nearly every operation, skills-based volunteering opportunities in IT are invaluable.
Why nonprofits need IT support
Nonprofits are often strapped for resources, especially when it comes to technological needs. While they may excel at fulfilling their mission—whether that's feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, or advocating for policy changes—the IT infrastructure that supports these efforts can sometimes be lacking. This is largely because technology investments, which can be expensive and time-consuming, often fall by the wayside in favor of direct services.
Without a solid IT foundation, nonprofits struggle to maintain efficiency, secure sensitive data, and effectively reach their target audiences. From managing donor databases to securing internal communications, the need for skilled IT professionals in the nonprofit sector is clear.
This is where Catchafire’s skills-based volunteer program steps in. Skills-based volunteering opportunities in IT support, ranging from website development and cybersecurity to data management and cloud set up, are essential. These contributions enable nonprofits to maximize their efficiency, reduce overhead costs, and maintain a professional digital presence.
Supporting nonprofits with AI and emerging technologies
One area where IT skills-based volunteers are increasingly in demand is in the integration of AI. Many nonprofits are just beginning to understand the potential of AI for automating tasks, analyzing data, and even improving service delivery. AI offers a new frontier for nonprofits looking to scale their impact without drastically increasing their resource needs. From automating donor communications to using machine learning for more effective outreach, AI holds immense promise for nonprofits—but many organizations lack the expertise to implement these technologies effectively.
By educating teams on how to integrate AI tools into their workflows, volunteers can empower organizations to leverage cutting-edge technology to overcome resource limitations. For example, by automating routine administrative tasks, nonprofits can free up staff time to focus on high-impact activities, such as strategic planning or program development.
AI can also enhance data-driven decision-making. Nonprofits collect vast amounts of data, but many lack the ability to analyze it in meaningful ways. Skills-based volunteers with AI expertise can help nonprofits build the necessary infrastructure to harness this data, providing insights that can improve program effectiveness and organizational strategies.
As AI continues to evolve, skills-based volunteering in this field will become increasingly critical for nonprofits. Volunteers who understand how to implement and manage AI technologies can help nonprofits become more agile, efficient, and impactful. This is just one more example of the benefits of skills-based volunteering—it not only helps nonprofits stay competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape but also enables them to serve their communities more effectively.
Volunteer highlight: Meet Damien
We spoke to Damien, CEO and Technical Director of Thoughts Brewing, LLC, about his skills-based volunteering journey. With over 20 years of experience spanning across IT, business development, and management, a growth mindset, and a desire to help others solve their problems, Damien joined Catchafire to volunteer his skills.
Since joining, he has lent his expertise on 23 projects in areas such as AI training, reviewing IT systems, and data visualization.
“My experience on Catchafire has allowed me to work with organizations and people that I otherwise would not have had a chance to connect with. There are really good people out there who are doing really good things, and I am fortunate to be able to lend a hand. The Catchafire platform allows easy searching, multiple ways to help, and a great overall experience.”
Damien G., Volunteer of the Month
In a few sentences, tell us more about yourself and your background.
I wanted to officially get into IT, so I started a sole proprietorship in 2000. I didn't realize how much I was learning and how valuable it was, so I walked away after about a year because I wasn't making as much money as I wanted. I went back to working for others and progressed through just over 20 years of corporate/enterprise level IT work - mostly infrastructure engineering (network, systems, voice, video, cybersecurity, etc.)
I walked away in 2020. Shortly after, my wife and I took our combined knowledge, skills, and experience and started a biztech consulting and training business.
Why and how did you begin volunteering on Catchafire?
With all of the lockdowns and uncertainties with COVID, I was looking for volunteer opportunities as a way to spend my time and help out people that may need it. I found Catchafire randomly while searching and was attracted to the skill-based setup and the various commitment options. When I scanned the opportunities, I saw that there were a lot of IT and business skill options that aligned with my skill-set.
What has been your most impactful or memorable experience on Catchafire?
One of the first projects that I worked on was with an organization that supports 1000+ other organizations. Just seeing that number helped me realize how far-reaching a small amount of volunteer time could be.
"Damien listened to my questions and provided very clear and actionable steps that we can easily integrate into our hiring process to assess technology skills of candidates. His background in IT and HR were a great fit for this project. We’d gladly work with him again on another project!”
Breanne A., Executive Director
Neighborhood Resource Center
What has been your biggest takeaway from your experience on Catchafire? How has this impacted/influenced your life and career goals?
There are a lot of good people doing good things and helping each other. It's easy to lose sight of that with the news and social media these days.
How do you feel your volunteer work has made a difference for the nonprofit or for those it serves?
I've worked with a lot of nonprofits now and they've told me that I helped them learn new things, be more efficient, serve their teams and communities better, and solve problems.
"Damien was knowledgeable and inspiring. This was one of the most effective hours I have spent in a while, and I am excited about using what I learned to become more efficient and structured. I appreciate the learning but also the genuine encouragement."
Barbara Lee V., Executive Director
Extended Grace
What motivates you to take on multiple projects with the same organization? How does this ongoing commitment enhance your experience and impact?
I take on multiple projects with the same organizations when I like the people, I support their mission, and I am in a position to help them. The motivation comes from their gratitude and being able to see how much progress can be made in a short period of time. The ongoing work builds positive relationships with people.
What advice would you give to volunteers about starting their first Catchafire project?
Go in before it feels "right". You can figure everything out along the way. Also, you can help in more ways than you think.
