Nonprofit organizations provide services that strive to improve communities around the globe. From London to Los Angeles, Columbus to Parkersburg, nonprofits of all sizes and backgrounds seek to bring comfort and care to those who need it most.
The North Star Child Advocacy Center (North Star) in Parkersburg, West Virginia (WV) partners with first responders in Wood, Wirt, Ritchie, Pleasants and Calhoun counties to assist in child abuse cases. Greg Collins, Executive Director at North Star, stated that since their opening in 2014, they have assisted more than 600 children per year. In 2023, Collins expects to surpass that average just as they have in years prior.
“All of our referrals come from law enforcement and children services. We are child specific. We advocate for [the] child and that family,” Collins said.
According to Collins, there are 21 child advocacy centers (CAC) in WV, but North Star is the largest due to the number of counties the center serves. What makes this nonprofit stand out against similar organizations is their approach.
“We don’t make decisions regarding custody. We are [a] neutral, non- biased, child sensitive, forensic interviewing party,” stated Collins.
Over two years ago, when he first joined North Star, Collins noticed a lack of attentive care towards their technology.
The center’s work is highly sensitive and must meet certain standards if they’re to remain compliant. As such, the nonprofit had to ensure that they were meeting accreditation and HIPAA guidelines.
Due to the nonprofit’s type of service, Collins sought out assistance to help streamline, organize and maintain their systems.
“There was a need when I came in the door. We were patching problems. None of us were computer experts,” Collins said. “We weren’t operating like an organization of our size should – smoothly.”
As a result, North Star found Biztec to meet their technology needs. The managed services provider (MSP) supplies North Star with a range of services including remote support. By implementing customizable IT solutions, the nonprofit now possesses the confidence knowing their systems are protected, accessible and secure.
“Early on it was extremely stressful for me learning to be a CAC [child advocacy center] director after being a cop for 24 years. I remember coming in here, [and] I am not a tech person. I need someone who knows what is going on,” Collins mentioned. “I was a new director. I didn’t know about the budget. I took all my IT worries and got Biztec in place. We got all the same systems, computers, [and] they helped me with programming issues.... We put all these things in place, [and it] streamlined this process. It was really stressful. The things that were keeping me up at night, went away because I got the right program in place and good support.”
Every nonprofit deserves the same kind of care that they provide others daily. Biztec understands this and strives to exceed every expectation, delivering phenomenal results.
“99 times out of 100, when I can call, I get immediate action if I need it. Sometimes I just put in a ticket if I don’t need it right away. If it’s bad enough that it has me shut down, I can pick up the phone and call Alex [Tucker] and tell [him] I’m in a bind,” Collins said. “They will stop what they are doing and jump on. As a nonprofit if something stops working it is detrimental to us.There [are] still children coming through the door. It can be a real problem.”
With a solid IT infrastructure in place, North Star is now able to operate at maximum capacity. Rather than focusing on technology fumbles and mishaps, they can remain concentrated on the children who need to be cared for.
“Biztec is an expert in this field and if you want to reduce your worry within your organization turn it over to them. Let them shoulder that burden for you. You will be a lot further ahead and you can focus on things that are more important for the growth of your business.”