Services for Nonprofit Organizations

Virtual IT 

All nonprofit organizations and membership based associations understand that technology is a key factor to making a large social impact with a small workforce. 

With limited resources, nonprofits often rely on equipment donations and make infrequent technology purchases. As a result, you may have difficulty creating a technology plan that works with a piecemeal collection of aging, nonstandard office systems. 

When your organization does appropriate scarce funds for a new computer system, you expect to get results, and not excuses. Like other organizations with ongoing technology needs, you may not have the in-house information services staff to solve technology problems or implement the solutions you have just purchased.  

Office Information Systems has the experienced staff to assist you in selecting, implementing and supporting the most appropriate technology for your nonprofit organization or membership association. We afford you the time to focus on your advocacy, charitable or educational mission. We do the “tech stuff” and having had the experience of leading nonprofit organizations ourselves in the past, we speak your language.  

For organizations with less than 35 desktop computers and one or two servers who cannot afford a full-time technical support person on staff we provide the services you need – when you need them! For those larger nonprofits that have a small technical staff, we provide the local backup you need to support your technology infrastructure that cannot be met by national manufacturers, mail-order houses or local retail discounters.  

We design timely ongoing technical support contracts with flexible adjustment to the weekly, biweekly or monthly on-site visits you require to guarantee the smooth operation of your mission. 

We also provide fixed-price quotes for special projects and system upgrades. Common hardware and software products can be purchased from any of many vendors, but only Office Information Systems provides you a total solution for your ongoing technology implementation and support needs. 

• Bay Area Nonprofit Organization Technology Consultants Since 1982 
• Local Area Network Infrastructure Design and Implementation 
• Internet Consulting and Setup of Basic Access 
• Network-to-Internet Integration Specialists 
• E-Mail and Wide Area Communications 
• Membership Management Systems 
• Data Base Application Development 
• Hardware System Upgrades 
• Reliable and Affordable Ongoing Support Contracts 
• Microsoft Certified Partner 
• Authorized Hewlett-Packard Value Added Reseller 

Clients Include: 

• Catholic Diocese of Oakland 
• Bay Legal
• Data Center
• WASC
• National Jury Project
• Legal Assistance for Seniors
  
  

Networking and Communications 

Non-profit agencies are always seeking ways to maximize their limited resources. Acquiring new computer technology may be an obstacle or an opportunity to the organization’s success. 

For example, there may not be enough in-house expertise to make the right decisions or to support technology advancement. Computer purchases may be driven entirely by the cost factor, saving money in the short run but costing more money down the road. Client management may or may not get effectively automated.  

For many years, Office Information Systems has advised nonprofit organizations on how to effectively implement and manage key information technologies such as donor management, membership management or fund accounting in a networked computing environment. By working closely with administrative staff-members, we ensure that our time and your precious resources are maximized.  

Our network solutions are built around Microsoft Windows. For networks of any size, we recommend at least one Windows NT server to handle larger loads, shared access, and common resources, while ensuring scalability to meet your future needs. 

Our company is a Microsoft Certified Partner™, which means we have special skills in integrating Microsoft server and workstation products with the tools required for your organization’s success. 

More and more of our clients demand not only the reliable file and print serving capabilities of Windows NT, but additional networking functions as well. We offer special expertise in email solutions (internal and external), Web browsing from every desktop, fax servers, remote access, and multi-site wide-area networking.  

Office Information Systems can prepare technology assessment reports that give you a roadmap to future system upgrades. We design network configurations, and assist you in planning a network migration by helping to select the right hardware and software combinations. We offer installation and configuration services as well as ongoing support contracts. 

To guarantee the best possible working relationship with you, a lead consultant acts as the first line of support and single point of contact to be responsible for your computer systems.  

Here are some of the benefits of working with Office Information Systems: 

• Many years of experience working with nonprofits 
• Easy access to your offices from our East Bay location 
• Regular site visits on request 
• Microsoft Certified Partner
• Hewlett Packard Authorized Value Added Reseller
• Other vendor partnering relationships 
• Economical quotes for hardware and software 
• Internet access expertise 
• Network solutions designed for the present and the future 

Clients include:

• Jewish Vocational Services
• Castro Valley Unified School District
• South San Francisco Unified School District
• Diocese of Oakland
  
• Alameda Point Collaborative 
  
  

Software Development and Integration 

Off the shelf software is typically the ideal approach to solving computer related business problems. However, there are always certain data processing needs within any given organization that require a custom solution.  

Custom solutions sometimes involve picking a combination of off the shelf products and tying them together; other times they involve creating new software applications from scratch. 

Office Information Systems offers solutions utilizing both of these techniques, and is prepared to take your organization all the way from the initial design phase to the final implementation of your customized software system.  

You may have decided that you need a database application to track research or agency programs; or need a management system to track your members, affiliates, or assets. 

For these scenarios and others, Office Information Systems offers the following:   

• A needs analysis focusing on the overall design requirements of your customized system. 
• Recommendations on the best approach and toolset for creating your custom solution. 
• Commercial quality programming services using Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, SQL Server and other development products. 
• Installation and integration of existing software tools in your production environment. 
• On site support and training. 

Office Information Systems has recently developed software solutions for the following organizations in the Bay Area: 

• Alameda County Housing and Community Development 
• Bay Area Rapid Transit District 
• Castro Valley Unified School District