Deloitte skilled volunteers worked with Cain Center for the Arts to conduct a technology assessment and provide a strategic Technology Plan and Roadmap. The recommendations made in this project have allowed Cain Center to make informed, strategic decisions around their new building which will open later this year.
Cain Center for the Arts was created as an arts and cultural venue to revitalize and enrich the Lake Norman Region through the arts and all the benefits of arts education. Their goal is to create a stronger community through the power of arts. Their vision is to empower children and adults alike to create, experience, and enjoy the arts in the heart of the region where they live, work, and play. They broke ground on their new space in 2021 and plan to open their new building later this year. The new building includes a 400-seat theater, gallery space, event space, classrooms and community green space.
Apparo matched Cain Center for the Arts to a team of skilled volunteers from Deloitte who conducted a technology assessment of the organization’s current infrastructure, operations, security and technology policies as well as plans for their new space. The team provided detailed technology recommendations along with a timeline for implementation and budget estimates for their current space as well as their new facility. Recommendations made in the technology plan will allow Cain Center for the Arts to work more efficiently, securely and will ensure optimal technology spend on sustainable solutions. Staff will be able to operate more efficiently and collaboratively by utilizing O365 tools including Teams and will have reliable internet and phone system services that will reduce impacts of downtime. As Cain Center for the Arts made decisions about their new space, the volunteer team along with Apparo provided crucial information to help with the vendor bidding process. Justin Dionne, Executive Director of Cain Center for the Arts, shared, “As we grow and open our new space, we can feel confident that the due diligence conducted during this project allowed for informed decision making which ensures that each dollar is being spent wisely.”
Alongside the project with Deloitte, Cain Center also engaged in Tech Therapy with Apparo’s Technology team. The team assisted Cain Center with vetting and selecting a managed service provider, reviewing internet and phone service quotes and assisted the organization with the migration to Office 365. Dionne, commented, “Apparo is a root with many branches. The root of the organization is help nonprofits with their technology needs, but there are many branches of support. Apparo will be my go to resource when a technology question or concern arises.”
Dionne shared, “I am often asked how the Cain Center has been able to accomplish so much in such a small amount of time with a small staff. While technically speaking, our actual staff is small, the community partners that have come together make our team huge and are a key to our success. Organizations like Deloitte and Apparo have helped to establish crucial plans to ensure our success and growth and I look forward to continuing our relationships into the future.”
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Deloitte volunteers, Stephen Juras, Katie Mader, Travis Coan, Brian Mosley, Kristi Bubeck, Joseph Strumolo, Abdool Raouf, Deep Signh, contributed 330 hours and delivered a project worth $64,350.
Lead volunteer, Stephen Juras, shared, “Partnering with the Apparo really helped expand my knowledge of the nonprofit offerings in the Charlotte area and working to establish the Cain Center for The Arts technology plan was a highly rewarding, educational experience.”
Volunteer, Deep Singh, was also excited to share about his experience on the project, “Working with Apparo gave me immense level of confidence to work with various team members to leverage ideas in saving more that $10k in cost to establish the Cain Center for the Arts. It was a good experience to work with great leaders and volunteer my time to learn new ideas and innovations.”
Volunteer, Katie Mader, shared how her experience made her feel connected to the community, “Working with the Cain Center for the Arts has made me feel more connected to the Charlotte community. I am looking forward to attending a performance and seeing our recommendations in action.”
Deloitte, Cain Center for the Arts Technology Assessment Team
