Technology inventory

Most small charities don't know everything they use: the laptop a volunteer bought with charity money, the website domain renewed on someone's personal card, the free account that holds every volunteer's phone number. This inventory lists it all in one place, with who looks after each item, so nothing gets lost when people change roles and nothing renews by surprise.

CISA's Cyber Essentials, the federal cybersecurity agency's starting guide for small organizations, lists an inventory among the actions for three of its six elements: "Learn what is on your network. Maintain inventories of hardware and software assets," "Maintain inventories of network connections (user accounts, vendors, business partners, etc.)," and "Maintain inventories of critical or sensitive information." The FTC's guide to protecting personal information starts the same way: "Take Stock. Know what personal information you have in your files and on your computers."

How to use it

• Start with what you know, then ask every active volunteer, staff member and board member what they use for charity work.
• Never write passwords here. Passwords belong in a password manager. This list says where things are and who can get in. Our cybersecurity basics guide explains password managers and two-step login.
• Name two people for every critical account, especially the domain name, email, bank, website and social media.
• Put renewal dates in your calendar as well, so subscriptions and the domain name don't lapse.
• Store it where the board chair can find it, with your continuity plan, and limit editing to a few people.
• Review it every year, and whenever someone leaves (use the account handover checklist).
• Check your state's rules for personal information. How long you may or must keep personal information, and how you must protect it, can vary by state. Fill in the "How long we keep it" column from your document retention policy and your state's requirements.
• Look for savings. When you list costs together, you may find duplicate tools or plans that qualify for nonprofit pricing; see free and discounted tech.