Why Work with an MSP: Common Questions from Non-Profits – How Does the MSP Relationship Work?

Pro Tip: Strong Relationship are Key to Mission Fulfillment

Understanding what the MSP non-profit relationship looks like will give you a clear picture of how we will work together to propel your mission forward.

This is an area that is often overlooked. It goes beyond sales and services. Your MSP should be a relationship builder. As a partner they will share your challenges and your successes.

We believe that the relationship component of the MSP agreement could be the most important. The relationships we foster with internal IT teams are critical to mission fulfillment and the end-user experience. As a local MSP that is focused on non-profits in the San Antonio area, we are in the unique position of being able to foster client relationships unlike larger MSPs.

Here are some of the most common questions we get around our working relationship:

How will you work with my internal IT team?

Straight Edge understands the special mission of the non-profit organization. The relationships we foster with our non-profit clients are the key ingredient to delivering our value.

Relationships take time and we are dedicated to doing the work to get to know you and your organization. At the onset of our partnership, we spend some time with your leadership team so we can clearly understand the desired future state leadership envisions for your organization in the next 2-5 years.

We put in the time. 

We take the time to learn about your functional departments, operations, and IT infrastructure. We take the time to understand the current state of your IT department and the risks that require immediate attention. We want you to consider us as functioning business unit within your organization, rather than a third-party contractor.

In collaboration with your internal IT and leadership teams we put together a matrix that clearly outlines roles and responsibilities for all IT activities. This eliminates grey areas and documents who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed for tasks.

We do not outsource any of our managed service support desk staff. Our team is made up various IT support staff, system engineers, and managers. Our senior engineers and management staff all have bachelor’s degrees in various disciplines including Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, and Finance and we are all here for you and your staff.

Everyone in the organization, from the Board, to the internal IT team, to the employees will appreciate having a knowledgeable, experienced, patient technology expert to help.

How does a co-managed IT relationship work?

In a co-managed relationship the MSP will help take the workload off your internal team so they can focus on the big picture and what is required to move the mission forward.

Our team is made up of support staff, system engineers, and managers. In a co-managed relationship, you gain a team with a diverse range of technical skills sets and expertise that can compliment your internal IT team’s talents. Additionally, your internal IT team can take advantage of our standardized IT processes with clear alignment to mission fulfillment.

Our non-profit clients appreciate having a team of responsive technical experts who can efficiently handle complex issues requiring escalation. Employees feel highly supported with skilled additional support that can address their issues in an efficient manner.

It is important to us to forge a collaborative relationship with your leadership team and internal IT team. During onboarding, we work with your internal IT team to clearly define and delineate our roles and responsibilities down to a task level. The goal is for your internal IT structure to have a healthy balance of strategic and tactical work aligned to mission fulfillment.

What do non-profits say is the best thing about working with you? 

We are proud to say that relationship building and communication are our stand-out qualities. We are transparent and communicate regularly with leadership and internal IT staff to ensure alignment to growth and mission fulfillment. We equip nonprofit organizations with the ability to respond to their communities at the speed and urgency needed in the moment.

It helps to like the people you work with and our clients truly like us. Straight Edge Tech is not a sales culture, our team doesn’t work off commissions — we are all about service and becoming experts in supporting your mission. As volunteers ourselves, we understand the spirit of service.