06/10/2026
Last week I had the pleasure of helping Leah from Through the Sentence through our IT Helping Hand initiative.
What struck me most wasn't the technology. It was just how much technical knowledge charities are expected to have before they can even get started.
People don't set up charities because they want to learn about Microsoft 365, domain names, DNS records or email systems.
They set them up because they want to help people.
Yet almost from day one they're faced with a mountain of things they've never had to think about before.
- Working out what Microsoft 365 is and whether they're eligible.
- Applying for the nonprofit licensing.
- Purchasing a domain name and figuring out who to buy it from.
- Connecting it all together.
- Trying to understand what a TXT record or MX record is and why an error message has suddenly appeared on the screen.
Even writing this, I'm conscious that many people reading it probably have no idea what those things are, and that's exactly the point.
To someone who works in IT every day, these tasks can seem relatively straightforward. During my session with Leah we were able to work through the remaining setup issues and get everything up and running.
But if you've never done it before, those same challenges can be overwhelming and can easily consume hours or even days of your time.
Time that could be spent supporting beneficiaries, recruiting volunteers, fundraising, or simply getting your organisation off the ground.
It was a good reminder that technology isn't always difficult because it's technically complex.
Sometimes it's difficult because nobody has ever shown you where to start.
And that's one of the reasons IT Helping Hand exists. A little bit of guidance at the right time can remove a huge amount of frustration and help people get back to focusing on the thing that really matters: their mission.
Huge credit to Leah as well. Despite all the challenges that come with setting up a new organisation, she's pushed through them with real determination and stayed focused on what matters most, the people she's there to support.