Box’s new initiative is a great option for nonprofits thinking about moving to the cloud. The cloud storage and collaboration tools provider, Box, has pledged up to 10 free licenses per eligible organisation and 50 per cent discount thereafter. This means nonprofits laden with the usual misfortunes like insufficient funding and limited IT personnel will have access to enterprise level technology, without the additional cost.
“Box’s non-profit initiative is a true win for the sector. Now, organisations with limited funding can get capabilities, which were previously only available to larger organisations. The ongoing discount also ensures organisations can still afford the benefits of cloud file-sharing as the organisation grows, without putting a strain on their budgets” -Managing Director of R and G Technologies, Gordon Tan.
Nonprofits have the paradoxical burden of operating as a business, while receiving none of the benefits. As nonprofits survive on funding, it’s no surprise Nonprofit Technology Network (NTN) revealed 87% of nonprofits don’t have a designated IT department.This translates to fewer IT experts onsite, and may be the reason 60 per cent of NGOs cite ‘Lack of Knowledge’ as a barrier to adopting cloud computing.
Box commenced the project in May after recognising many nonprofits weren’t aware there were technologies capable of resolving the inefficiencies impeding their operations and processes.
"While we've seen the world's largest organizations embrace this tectonic shift in technology, the nonprofit sector has yet to embrace this shift. We just think it's just wrong that for people who are committing their lives to changing the lives of others that they don't have access to the best tools possible” - Senior Vice President of Global Alliances at Box, Karen Appleton.
Eligible nonprofits who accept the special starter package could experience increased mobility, enhanced collaboration and streamlined internal processes.
All files and folders are stored online in a central location, making them accessible from any location, from any device. Thus, travelling executives or off-site agents would be able to continue working heedless of geographic location.
The collaboration features mean colleagues, clients, and whoever is granted access can view, edit, upload files and more. Team members would have a single place to exchange feedback, post comments and assign tasks, resulting in more systematic, effective communication.
New customers already receiving these benefits include the World Bank Group, the United Nations Foundation and more, joining the 1000 nonprofits using Box to manage and share information, collaborate and provide access between partners and employees all over the world.
In spite of this, many blogs have questioned whether Box is only offering free and discounted software in order to ‘lock in many-seat organisations that they can upsell for years to come’. Adding to this suspicion is the fact the gross margin for Box’s service is 79%, meaning Box is still making money from the 50% discount.
Yet it’s hard to criticise Box, knowing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reported there are 1.8 million registered non-profits with fewer than seven staff, which could benefit from the service.
Whatever drives Box can remain their little secret. There’s no denying the project will help nonprofits succeed in the cloud, and deliver lasting social impact. Nonprofits with limited IT personnel, funding and know-how will be able to manage and share information, collaborate internally and externally, and ultimately, do more good.
Eligible organisations are verified charities or organisations with a philanthropic mission to benefit communities through relief to the poor, championing human rights and much more. Ineligible organisations include political organisations, government agencies and individuals.