6 Disaster Recovery Tips to Keep Your Nonprofit Afloat

By November 28, 2016Nonprofit

Disasters come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re small and inconsequential and others are big and completely devastating. Regardless of the size and severity, if you don’t have a plan in place, your business may be forever altered. Both big and small disasters happen at unexpected times, so we often are not fully prepared for them.

There are many examples of accidents that happen every day. Here are a few we have seen that are not as uncommon as you might think:

1. Fire breaks out in the office damaging the equipment leaving management without a location to conduct business.

2. Water pipes in the ceiling burst leaving the office flooded and all servers and vital technology beyond repair. Management’s ability to retrieve and process information stops abruptly.

3. Prolonged power outages due to a damaged electrical transformer. The agency is unable to resume critical business functions utilizing electricity.

4. A server blows up and the back-up system did not work properly. The organization is at a complete standstill.

Post-Disaster Course of Action

After an unexpected event, the most timely and efficient response requires pre-disaster planning. Rather than responding in a crisis mode, with a post-disaster course of action, you will be able to follow a well thought-out plan you put in place for just such emergencies.

Planning for the unknown may seem like a daunting task. However, if you break down the key elements of disaster recovery, it can make planning easier and business continuity a success.

Here are six key steps you’ll likely need to take in a disaster recovery scenario:

1. Designate a place to go to restore operations, whether that’s another location or a mobile office brought to your site.

2. Plan how to communicate with staff. The team is the most important part of your organization. Set up a communication system and reroute telephone calls or establish a special number that the team can call for updates.

3. Consider geography. Locating a disaster recovery site 10 miles away may seem convenient, but in a natural disaster, 10 miles may not be far enough. Assemble an emergency kit filled with batteries, flashlights, water and other sustainability items. It could contain petty cash, important documents, passwords, keys, etc.

4. Validate backup data. Is the data on your backup tapes sufficient? Don’t underestimate this step!

5. Test your plan. Testing often lands on the back burner, yet it is the only way to confirm your recovery plan will work.

Don’t compromise your organization’s health by trying to recover when you are the most vulnerable, as in a disaster. Welter Consulting is available to help with disaster planning, preparedness, business continuity, data storage, and faster recovery. At Welter Consulting we are committed to finding you the most affordable technology, the most powerful solution, and providing expert support. By leveraging technology and superior reporting, more efficiency is achieved, freeing up more of your time to devote to the important work of your mission. We are passionate professionals who choose to work in the nonprofit sector for the same reason you do – helping others.