INDUSTRY DEEP DIVE
Purpose Meets Profit Discover Why MSPs Can Win Big with Nonprofits
Learn proven strategies, unique challenges, and real-world tips for delivering IT services that align with mission and budget.
BY JENNIFER OLADIPO
Specializing in a specific industry helps you stand out in a crowded field, turning you from just another vendor into a trusted insider to high-value clients. If you’ re an MSP looking to grow smarter— not just bigger— choosing a niche might be your next best move.
In the previous issue, we launched our new Industry Deep Dive series, which drills down into the ins and outs of targeting different industries. We started with healthcare, and in this installment we get some firsthand advice and tips from MSPs who are succeeding with specialization in nonprofits— and providing guidance on how you can too.
The nonprofit sector might seem like an unlikely goldmine for MSPs. After all, these organizations are notorious for tight budgets, outdated technology, and lean staffing. But some MSPs have found that serving mission-driven organizations offers advantages from profits to purpose.
It’ s a good time to figure out how to grow your business with nonprofit clients too. Recent studies from Grandview Research and NTEN, a nonprofit technology advocacy firm, show nonprofits spend on technology even when budgets are tight. And their spend is increasing steadily every year. A 2024 benchmarking survey from BDO found 59 % of nonprofits planned to increase technology spending in the next 12 months, with 23 % saying the increase would be significant.
We talked with three MSPs leaders who’ ve successfully cracked the code. With nonprofits making up anywhere from 20 % to the majority of their business, they’ re enjoying healthy margins and building sustainable practices.
Choosing to Serve Those Who Serve
Working with nonprofits started accidentally for Stuart Bryan, president of Norwich, Connecticut-based I-M Technology. When his previous employer lost a major enterprise client and seemed uninterested in supporting remaining customers, Bryan saw an opportunity. Then a sales manager, he walked to the accounts payable office.
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