Technology Capacity High Among L.A. Groups

By Nicole Wallace

Most nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles County have access to basic information technology, according to a new study published by the Center for Nonprofit Management, in Los Angeles, and the UCLA Advanced Policy Institute.

Nearly all — 98 percent — of the 381 charities that completed the survey in the summer of 2001 reported that their organizations had access to the Internet. In fact, almost 60 percent of the responding organizations had high-speed connections to the Internet. Eighty-one percent of the charities reported that their computers were linked together in a network.

The study found that Los Angeles organizations face challenges in making use of the technology capacity they have. Among the barriers cited: lack of money, the cost of maintenance, and staff members’ lack of training.

“It is not uncommon for organizations to have computer systems or software that are not being utilized anywhere near their full potential,” write the authors of the report.

For more information: Go to http://www.cnmsocal.org/aboutnonprofits/techsurveyreport.html.