Lisa Colton's presentation to the Darim Onl

1. Staffing Beyond
The Accidental
Techie
Presented by Lisa Colton,
Founder & President Darim Online
Lisa@darimonline.org
434.977.1170

2. Agenda
• What is an accidental techie?
• What function do they serve?
• When do you outgrow it?
• How staffing models are shifting.
• Where is your need, and how to get there.

3. The
Accidental
Techie

4. The Accidental Techie
“In the field of nonprofit technology, an
accidental techie is an individual who has
gravitated toward responsibility for an
organization's information technology
infrastructure, even though his or her
professional training or job description did
not include tasks of this kind.”
-Webster’s Online Dictionary

6. How Accidental Techies Differ
Learning curve is too steep
– You love the challenge and want to learn!
Perceived risk is greater than potential reward
– You’re always trying new things, reflecting, evolving!
Don’t see how “rules of the game” are changing
– Evidence of “new rules” are in front of you daily!
Don’t extrapolate beyond the technology itself
– You know technology isn’t the magic bullet!

8. The
Organizational
Need

9. Ultimate Goal
Help your organization
evolve for success in the
digital age -- for its own
sake and for the sake
of the people you
reach and impact!

11. Used to be change
was riskier than
the status quo
Today, not
changing may
be more risky.

13. Assisting Co-Workers
and Volunteers

14. Working as a Coordinated Team
To Get Somewhere

15. Staffing
Considerations

16. WHAT SKILLS AND
CAPACITY DO YOU NEED
TO START SHIFTING
HOW YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

17. Adjusting or Developing Job Descriptions
Program Directors
Social Media
Managers
Community
Managers
Network Weavers

18. WHAT SORT OF TRAINING OR
SUPPORT DO YOU NEED TO
SHIFT THESE ROLES?

19. Go Beyond The Technology Alone:
John Fitch’s Steam Engine

20. Go Beyond The Technology Alone:
John Fitch’s Steam Engine