Web Portal Eases the Difficulty of Helping Others Anya Martin April 14, 2006

As program director for Girls on the Run of Atlanta Inc., Shari Bracy Johnson is literally on the run herself. She darts from her home office, often to visit the various sites where volunteer coaches build self-confidence in third- to eighth-grade girls through training for a 5K race. Now, thanks to EasyWorkspace a Web portal developed by TechBridge, logistics have become more manageable.

EasyWorkspace, launched in February, allows small nonprofits without a physical office, like Girls on the Run, to share and collaborate on documents with all the efficiencies of any large business, but without the high costs of maintaining a server.

Currently two nonprofits are using EasyWorkspace -- Girls on the Run of Atlanta and Camp Kudzu, a camp and educational program serving children with juvenile diabetes -- at a cost of just $40 per month.

"For any small nonprofits in Atlanta, this is a tremendous opportunity," Bracy Johnson said. "Nonprofits with small staffs have to be very fiscally fit and responsible about how you spend your own money."

TechBridge expects the numbers of nonprofits using EasyWorkspace to grow rapidly as word gets out about its availability and price, said Jack McMillan, CEO of TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that develops technology solutions for other nonprofits.

TechBridge sets up the service, customizes it to each client's needs, hosts it and provides training and tech support. Nonprofits can access the tool, which utilizes Microsoft SharePoint as its underlying software platform, from any location that has Internet service.

In order to make it affordable, TechBridge convinced Seattle-based Microsoft Corp. to waive its usual licensing fees for using the software on multiple computers, McMillan said.  Quality Technology Services Inc. has donated server storage space at its data center in Suwanee, keeping costs down even further, McMillan said.

The idea was born last fall when Bracy Johnson approached TechBridge, looking for a file-sharing solution, as well as ways to streamline operations and back up data automatically. Girls on the Run of Atlanta lost all its files last year in a computer crash.

"I come from working with large technology in the corporate world and know the importance of how technology can create efficiencies for work situations," said Bracy Johnson, who previously was employed by both EDS Inc. and Accenture.

While Camp Kudzu is looking for office space, its leaders are using their home computers, too, said Shala Hainer, its development director. EasyWorkspace allows staff to develop and edit camp applications, daily agendas and other key documents at any location and download them at the campsite where they are needed. "[Previously] we would have to download all of our documents onto one laptop and carry them with us or carry the paper files," Hainer said. "With 400 campers, 400 paper files is a hassle."

Security is another key benefit from EasyWorkspace, both Bracy Johnson and Hainer said. Although some online services allow free file-sharing, Bracy Johnson said she did not feel comfortable placing sensitive data involving volunteers and donors on a public Web site. Hainer said she also felt a tight firewall was essential when storing children's contact information.

With EasyWorkspace, each user has a login and password that accesses a secure Web site that is exclusive to the nonprofit served, said Michael Nachman, TechBridge's chief operating officer.

In the future, EasyWorkspace may have other functions if nonprofits communicate more needs to TechBridge, McMillan said.