Volunteers are invaluable as IT support where no funding exists but equally they are invaluable when it does. Although it can be difficult to get funding for IT, (see WCIT/Hub 2006 survey) it is not impossible. However, securing IT funds however does not necessarily mean a successful end to the story. Money alone cannot provide the solutions you are looking for. If you work with an IT professional as a volunteer from the planning stage you have independent expertise on your side and that is truly invaluable.

Falling down the holes that the funding leaves behind:
IT volunteers form much of the IT support available to the VCS, be it helpful friends and family or volunteers recruited from brokers, and they are a vital resource to plug the gaps that the funding leaves behind. They can be even more useful if they are involved in your IT planning.

Is the IT part of your funding bid no more than a "finger in the air" guess?:

An IT professional giving independent support to your funding bid by providing a carefully budgeted and well-defined project will give a funding bid additional credibility.
If IT is not your *thing*, when you are writing a bid that does (or should) include funds for IT it can be a case of a finger in the air, and this means there is a risk from the beginning.
You can ask IT companies for recommendations and quotes, but can you and the funders be sure it is your best interests that are being served? An informed and, crucially, independent volunteer can be just what the doctor ordered.

Through implementation:
As any implementation of new or improved IT systems brings inevitable changes and certain disruption to your organisation, an IT professional can help you control the implementation by acting as an independent source of advice and guidance, even if a paid for service provider is doing the work.

Thinking holistically:
With the relative ease of funding hardware for your project, it is often tempting to put in place new computers, a database or other items but if this implementation is outside of a wider IT strategy you may find that you are unable to support it, that the knock on consequences are considerable and that the investment in time and money comes to nothing. A longer term strategy is a rewarding project for a volunteer and becomes a working document for your organisation.

Post operative care:
Congratulations! You have a beautiful new network after careful fundraising. But do all your staff know how to work in this new environment? Are there things that you don’t know that you don’t know?
A volunteer can support you through those teething troubles by providing practical training and documentation long after the technical support company has gone home. But remember, you will need to have your volunteer in place before you need them to get the full benefit as recruiting volunteers in emergencies is often frustrating and ultimately unsuccessful for both parties.

Feeling better? Organisations that have tried volunteer technical advisors and liked it:
‘[The volunteer] helped us in the initial stages of thinking about what we wanted. We were [then] able to get some funding through ChangeUp and paid a database developer.’ South West ‘06

‘[the volunteer] produce[d] a technical audit … [resulting in] a planned move, huge reduction in disruption of moving. We were able to offer an almost seamless service to our clients.’ South East ‘06

So if your IT, your organisation or your IT volunteer are about to let the technical flood gates open, take a step back and then step back in, strategically.

For more information about who funds IT and for general information, signposting and advice: www.icthub.org.uk
For the full survey results: www.wcit.org.uk/Publications/ITFundingSurvey
To register interest in an IT volunteer: www.iT4Communities.org.uk

More information about IT audits/IT strategy: www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/