Staff and budget limitations leave many smaller non-profit organizations with piecemeal technology that doesn’t adequately serve their needs. The U of L College of Business and Brown-Forman Corporation are partnering to solve that problem. 

     Brown-Forman is providing a $356,000 grant to create a program through which computer information systems students and faculty will provide affordable information technology consulting, development and support services to local non-profit organizations.

       The partnership was announced August 29 at a media event at the Brown Theatre in downtown Louisville adjacent to where the program will be housed. Officials from U of L, Brown-Forman, the Fund for the Arts and the Center for Non-Profit Excellence participated in the announcement. 

        The program will offer three services: strategic assessment, infrastructure support, and Web-based solutions for significantly less cost than what would be charged by commercial service providers.  The fees will cover the program’s operating expenses and student stipends.  

     The goal is to address the IT needs of non-profit organizations, which often rely on the limited expertise of staff or volunteers to manage donated equipment and software that may be incompatible or outdated, while providing students with new educational opportunities.  

     "Effective information technology isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for any organization that wants to be successful," said Paul Varga, chairman and chief executive officer of Brown-Forman.   "This new program will help under funded non-profit groups in our community significantly improve their technological capabilities."

        "With Brown-Forman’s support, our students and faculty will provide significant consulting and support services to non-profit organizations," said College of Business Dean Charlie Moyer. "This will allow the agencies to focus on their core business – making a bigger impact on this community—as we provide our students with unique real-world learning experiences." 

     Ted Strickland, the program’s executive director and associate professor of computer information systems, has worked for two years with Paul Dolegowski, vice president and director of internet technology for Brown-Forman’s B-F On-Line interactive marketing department, to develop a program model that delivers high-quality IT services at reduced costs by integrating CIS classroom experiences with field assignments.

       While specific participation criteria are still being developed, the program will target small to medium size non-profit organizations. Work has already started with start-up clients, which include the Lincoln Heritage Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Project Women and the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. 

     The program will be headquartered in the Brown Theatre’s ArtSpace facility, the new collaborative office space for several arts and business organizations. The building is owned by Fund for the Arts and they are partnering with UofL and Brown-Forman for the program. 

      ArtSpace is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate the new program and the facility should be ready by January 2008.  ArtSpace will house offices, conference rooms and computers for students to work with and meet with clients.  Students also will consult on-site at client locations. 

     In addition to providing the $356,000 grant to finance the technology program, Brown-Forman also donated $30,000 to renovate the ArtSpace facility to accommodate the UofL faculty and students and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.