Rob Jordan, Idealist Consulting

You may have already heard all the great things that happen when you move your technical solutions into "The Cloud": Automated back ups; ability to forgo networks; automated upgrades; ability to intermingle hardware; lower maintenance; virtual office space, thicker hair and better dating life. (Well, most of those anyway.)

In roughly three months time, you can shift your most pertinent business operations from "on-premise" solutions (a.k.a. traditional offline software) into the cloud (a.k.a. online software) without too much hassle. Here are four steps that can help guide you through the process.

Rem Hoffmann, Exponent Partners, and Rob Jordan, Idealist Consulting

Everyone has come across the term "cloud computing", but what exactly does it mean? What relevance does it have to a nonprofit organization like yours?

The short answer: Cloud computing levels the technology playing field for nonprofits. It no longer matters whether you have a sizeable budget or a shoestring budget: With cloud computing, sophisticated technology solutions are more accessible because all you need is access to the Internet.