Stay Safe While Giving Back

In 2020, many non-profits had to think differently on how to raise money. The traditional fundraiser event no longer existed-- yet their services were needed more than ever before. You may have participated in a virtual wine tasting, online auction, virtual challenge, etc. with one goal to lift up the most vulnerable.

The common theme... it was all VIRTUAL.

Cybersecurity risks are out there. They are scary and expensive. It's important that we have built safe processes and procedures to give back to and we give in a safe way that protects our information. Below I have provided some questions to consider if you are a non-profit executive OR a donor.

If you are a non-profit executive... please read this article on ways to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Many services provide non-profit discounts to keep them safe, but it's understanding your current state to get the right solution. Some questions you might ask yourself to understand your safety:

• Do you have multifactor authentication (MFA) in place to strengthen your authentication procedures?
• How do you currently manage your software updates and patches?
• What is your password policy? Do your employees regularly change their passwords? Does it meet a certain a level of complexity?
• If you have a 3rd party IT provider, do you know their data privacy and security policies to make sure you are safe with them?
• How much money are you collecting online? Does it make sense to have a cybersecurity insurance policy? This might help absorb the financial risks.
• How are you relaying this information to your donors to make them confident in your policies and procedures?

If you are a donor... here are a few questions to ask yourself to make sure your data is protected:

• Have you done your due diligence to ensure that you are giving to the non-profits actual page and NOT a fake giving page? (Might look into Donaide, which is a platform that hosts non-profits and performs due diligence on each profile.)
• How is the non-profit handling your data once they have it in their hands?
• Dependent on the amount of money, is it better to call the non-profit and make the donation?

It's important to give back to our communities and provide them the resources necessary to serve the most vulnerable. The key is to make sure you are doing it in a safe manner that is a win-win experience for everyone.