Global Management Program - Additional Reading: Jackson Library: Stanford GSB

Stanford GSB Alumni Lifelong Learning: Events & Programs

GSB Staff - Faculty Seminars: Additional Reading

February 28, 2007
"Managing IT in Nonprofits"

Sunil Kumar, Professor of Operations, Information, and Technology

This staff seminar is intended for members of IT departments in nonprofits and those who manage them. Through illustrations and case studies, the seminar will discuss several salient issues confronting such IT departments. These will include operational issues like performance measurement, training, and resource allocation, as well as strategic issues like technology adoption and make-versus-buy.

Selected Articles

Additional reading material has been selected by Jackson Library Staff. Due to contractual arrangements, remote access is only available to the current Stanford community and the subscribers of the "Library Databases" offered through the GSB Alumni's Lifelong Learning Program. Other access is limited to onsite at Jackson Library. Inclusion below does not imply University endorsement of ideas expressed.

Taming IT At the World Wildlife Fund. Computerworld, August 2006 The article discusses the application of an information technology (IT) governance structure in the IT department of non-profit organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the U.S.
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How to make the most of your IT budget. Network World,February 2006 Few organizations have to pinch pennies more than nonprofits, which depend on charitable giving and grants for their funding. IT executives from three well-known nonprofits were asked to share their creative ideas for getting the most mileage from their IT budgets.
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Tech Planning: A Critical Process for Nonprofits. onPhilanthropy, August 2003 For the past two decades, organizations operating within the for-profit sector that have stayed abreast of the virtually continuous advancements in information technology have been rewarded with wider profit margins and increased operational capacity. It is unfortunate that the adoption of these advancements has been slower within the nonprofit sector, as the same efficiencies can be used by nonprofits to greatly increase their respective impact within the community.
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More than bit players. Surdna Foundation, 2001 To better understand how the networked economy will affect nonprofits, Surdna commissioned this study from communications policy expert Andrew Blau. According to Blau, one of the most important aspects of organizational behavior on the Internet can be summed up in two words: "size matters."
View study [ PDF 164KB]

IT pros lend a hand to close digital divide. Infoworld May 2000 A small staff could spend more time on hands-on services and less on paperwork. IT pros across the US are making a difference by donating their time and their skills to nonprofit groups in their communities. Technology companies are increasingly participating in the volunteerism boom. As technology becomes more critical to organizations for communication and increased organizational efficiency, its complexity keeps simple improvements out of reach for most nonprofits that do not employ IT staffs.
View article

Selected Books

	Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations: Theory and Cases by Sharon M. Oster. Oxford University Press, 1995 HD62.6 .O87 1995
	Survival of the Smartest: Managing Information for Rapid Action and World-Class Performance by Haim Mendelson and Johannes Ziegler. John Wiley, 1999 HD62.37 .M46 1999
	*Wired for Good: Strategic Technology Planning for Nonprofits* by Joni Podolsky. Jossey-Bass, 2003 HD62.6.P65 2003

Selected Websites

Sunil Kumar

Information Technology and Nonprofits

Cool Tools for Change