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SUCCESS STORY

How United Way Bay Area Modernized and Consolidated Its IT Environment

United Way Bay Area partnered with ITS to replace aging infrastructure, improve network reliability, strengthen security, and give its internal IT team access to broader technical expertise.

  • Nonprofit Industry
  • Co-Managed IT, Cybersecurity, Cloud Type of service
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Sarahvon Buenavista on working with ITS
The United Way Bay Area team
THE CLIENT

The Catalyst That Enables People to Strengthen Communities

United Way Bay Area brings people, resources, and community partners together to improve financial stability, education, and access to essential services across the region. Its programs connect residents with financial coaching, school-based support, health and human services, tax assistance, and career opportunities. ITS supports that mission by helping United Way manage its IT environment and providing strategic technology guidance as needed.

Core Programs

United Way Bay Area creates change through its five core programs.

  • SparkPoint Centers
    Financial coaching and support for employment, debt reduction, and long-term stability.
  • Community Schools
    School-based access to food, health care, after-school programs, and family services.
  • 211 Helpline
    Connections to food, shelter, health care, and other essential resources.
  • Earn It! Keep It! Save It!
    Free tax preparation and financial support for qualifying households.
  • MatchBridge
    Career preparation, counseling, internships, and job opportunities for young people.
THE CHALLENGE

An Antiquated IT Infrastructure in Need of a Complete Overhaul

By 2007, United Way Bay Area was working with aging systems that were becoming harder to support. Its internal IT team needed outside expertise to modernize the environment without adding a large full-time technical staff.

What needed fixing:

A network that had run its course
The existing Novell Netware network had run its course and the company was working through issues with the Novell Groupwise email system as well.
Backup and mobile gaps
There were issues with tape backup and no support for mobile devices.
Complex Network Infrastructure
Disorganized cabling made troubleshooting slower and increased the effort required to identify and resolve network issues.
A small IT department
By partnering with ITS, United Way has access to a wide range of skills and resources that a single person or small IT team just can’t provide.
WHAT ITS DID

Strengthening the Technology Behind the Mission

ITS started providing IT support to United Way in 2007. The reason to move ahead is clear: the cost-savings and productivity advantages of secure, reliable, and high-performing IT networks are simply too great to ignore.

  • Off Novell, onto Windows
    ITS helped United Way move away from its legacy Novell network and email platform to a more modern server and messaging environment. The transition improved reliability, security, and day-to-day usability for employees.
  • Server consolidation through virtualization
    ITS also helped United Way reduce its dependence on physical servers through virtualization. The move improved resource utilization, reduced infrastructure overhead, and created stronger options for replication and off-site business continuity.
  • Specialist projects on demand
    ITS has assisted United Way with a variety of projects where specialized knowledge was needed, such as Exchange messaging server upgrades, as well as server and firewall enhancements.
  • A clean network in a new office
    ITS helped United Way move to a new location and completely redo the networking infrastructure, color coding cabling, running them cleanly, and optimizing routing.
IN THEIR WORDS

Sarahvon Buenavista on Working With ITS

“At United Way, we consider ITS as a true partner, not just a vendor. If you’re looking for a reliable, detail-oriented and strategic IT provider then look no further than ITS. They have my whole-hearted recommendation.”

Sarahvon Buenavista Director of IT Operations, United Way Bay Area
Sarahvon Buenavista on working with ITS
THE RESULTS

Enter Results.

Co-Managed IT, Cybersecurity, Cloud
2007
ITS started supportingUnited Way

United Way and ITS have now successfully partnered for more than 18 years.

185,000
Calls to the 211 helpline
Connecting Bay Area residents to food, shelter, health care, and other vital services last year.
68,000
Low-income households given free tax preparation
Through Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS), this year.
$74M
In refunds back into the local economy
Brought back by the EKS free tax preparation program.

“At United Way, we consider ITS as a true partner, not just a vendor. If you’re looking for a reliable, detail-oriented and strategic IT provider then look no further than ITS. They have my whole-hearted recommendation.”

SB Sarahvon Buenavista Director of IT Operations, United Way Bay Area See all case studies ↗

Could Your Nonprofit IT Team Use More Support?

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