Volunteer Team: Hylaine
Project Description
ASC was in the final stages of planning a design for their new office space that they were moving into in the Fall. Their leadership recognized that with the upcoming move, it would be an ideal opportunity to also assess and evaluate their technology systems and make changes where applicable.
Apparo matched ASC with a corporate volunteer, Yash Sharma, from Hylaine and facilitated this project to ensure a successful outcome. Yash expressed great enthusiasm at the kick-off meeting. “I have been wanting to use my skills for good and to help. It is a dream come true to volunteer like this and I am excited about this project.”
The project included a technology assessment of ASC’s current infrastructure, operations and strategy at their main office, as well as that of partner Studio 345 (as both will be together in the new office location). To complete this assessment, Yash interviewed 17 ASC staff members to understand the current state of their technology systems. This allowed him to determine what was working well and what wasn’t. He also spoke with their managed support provider, which is a service that remotely manages ASC’s IT systems.
Once the research was complete, Yesh made technology recommendations to address hardware and software needs, potential security threats and necessary applications for the new tools. He also recommended strategic work process changes and a budget for implementing the recommendations.
Project Impact
This project increased ASC’s operating efficiencies and mitigated risks. Prior, ASC was struggling with slow, older computers and an inability to work remotely – both of which slowed down productivity.
Now, by implementing some of the proposed recommendations, ASC should experience improvements that will assist with ASC’s relocation over the next 6-9 months. These improvements will also support their vision for future business operation, both internally with staff and externally with constituents.
These recommendations include:
- Continuing to move off servers to the cloud
- Making sure internet speeds adequately support ASC’s needs
- Utilizing Office 365 more fully
- Moving to VOIP phones (which increase flexibility by utilizing the internet instead of a traditional public switched telephone network)
Additionally, by identifying areas of risk and steps that could be followed to mitigate the risk, ASC is now prepared to be more secure. Some of these proactive safety steps include:
- Replacing old computers
- Updating their software (the current software will no longer be supported in 2020)
In total, more than 130 hours went into this project, resulting in an outcome that is 15 times the value of the amount ASC invested.
Thank you so much to our volunteer Yash for all of the work you put in on Hylaine’s behalf.
Toni Freeman, ASC’s Executive Vice President of Community Engagement, expressed her appreciation. “We are to so thankful. This is so invaluable as it enables us to take a high level look and really make smart decisions.”
Nonprofit Overview
The mission of Arts and Science Council (ASC) is to ensure access to an excellent, relevant, and sustainable cultural community for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Region.
ASC serves as the designated “Office of Cultural Resources” for the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and six suburban towns by providing advocacy, cultural education programs, cultural planning, fundraising, grant making, public art and workshops and training for the cultural community. They work to ensure Culture For All by combining resources from local and state government with those of the private sector to maximize community impact throughout the cultural sector.
ASC has awarded $13.7 million in grants to artists, organizations and schools, 167,828 CMS students served through education programs, and 2.9 million audience experiences in ASC-funded organizations.
