Leisure Networks: Nonprofit of the Month - January 2011

Welcome to another year of featured nonprofits here at Connecting Up Australia. Here, we highlight some of the nonprofit organisations that we work with through DonorTec and other programmes. For our first nonprofit in profile in 2011, we feature Leisure Networks.

Who or what is Leisure Networks?

Leisure Networks is a nonprofit organisation which focuses work to promote and strengthen community sport, recreation, and health opportunities for people of all abilities across the Barwon Region of Victoria. Its main focus is on supporting young people with disabilities. They also provide assistance to primary school-aged children from less advantaged backgrounds.

Leisure Networks give people of all abilities a chance to discover and pursue their aspirations. They provide opportunities for people to be physically active and healthy in a number of ways including participation in sport, and recreation, combined with a variety of leisure activities.

How did Leisure Networks benefit from DonorTec?

Rob McHenry, CEO of Leisure Network says, "Funding is always tight and any savings really do help the community. We discovered we were all over the place with our software which was creating a risk to our organisation. We were recommended certain applications to fix the problem – however the cost was going to be unaffordable. Luckily we were referred to DonorTec and from there fixing it just became such an easy process. The support was unbelievable. We were blown away with the service."

What technology donation did Leisure Networks receive?

Leisure Networks have received Microsoft Project Professional and began using it as their project management software. This enables managers to stay informed and control project work, schedules and finances. Project teams are more aligned and therefore more productive through comprehensive reporting, guided planning, and the use of flexible tools. "Applying for these huge grants, which we used to knock up with Excel – Project has enabled us to apply for and manage successful projects and to do this with much more of a competitive edge. It is the tool we now use to guide our projects and has been terrific for our reputation,” says Rob.

They have also utilised Mailshell Antispam software to stop from being bombarded daily with junk email. Rob says of Mailshell: "Everything is under control now and it has just saved us so much time." The software recognizes spam as a moving target and is constantly adjusting its problem solving procedures accordingly. "Since this has been utilised we have gone from daily complaints from staff regarding spam to zero complaints."

What does Leisure Networks say about the DonorTec program?

"DonorTec has been fantastic in helping our not for profit organisation – the recent Office Updates and new supply of MS Project has really helped our business," says the organisation's CEO.

Where else can you find more information about Leisure Networks?

Website: www.leisurenetworks.org

DonorTec Case Study: Helping in the pursuit of happiness