Since 2004, HMEA has received IT infrastructure and technical support from major U.S. Technology corporations, with contributions totaling over $750,000. As a result, HMEA’s data center has enormous unused capacity. In the meantime, the agency recognized the role technology could play in its operations, including:
- Greater success in development and fundraising efforts
- Equipping sites with state of the art equipment and tools to bridge communication gaps and streamline records management.
At the June 2011 ADDP Conference, providers expressed almost universal dissatisfaction with IT. The major issues included cost, confusion and inexperience, lack of internal knowledge and preparedness, and most importantly – time taken away from their missions.
It didn’t take long to recognize our capacity to help, and the idea of sharing our resources fit perfectly with our ongoing goal to collaborate with other nonprofits. In 2011, HMEA developed a business plan for Cloud4Causes and won the Provider’s Council “Great Ideas” contest.
Nonotuck Resource Associates , a 15 million dollar agency serving people with developmental disabilities , becomes the first customer in January 2012.
We continue to develop plans to expand operations and prepare to welcome new clients. Leading the team into its next phase of the value proposition are a former corporate Chief Information Officer, corporate technology engineer, and Clark University graduate students.
