{"id":65661,"date":"2016-08-25T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T16:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=65661"},"modified":"2025-12-14T16:01:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:01:30","slug":"backing-up-for-non-profits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/backing-up-for-non-profits\/","title":{"rendered":"Backing Up for Non-profits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Backing<\/a><\/p>\n

A lot of us dedicate our time and effort to causes we believe in. If you\u2019re responsible for the data used by your non-profit, here are some guidelines to think about. Develop a backup plan of your own by answering these questions.<\/p>\n

Backing up copies of crucial organizational information like financial and bank statements, donation lists and other material vital to your organization\u2019s operation should be mandatory. But if you don\u2019t have the budget to outlay for a lot of expensive hardware or software to throw at the backup problem, what do you do? Come up with a plan that works with your budget. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n

What Are 3-2-1 Backups?<\/h2>\n

Here at Backblaze, we like to talk about the 3-2-1 backup strategy<\/a>: Keep three copies of your important data. Why three?<\/p>\n

The first one is your local copy\u2014the one on your computer\u2019s hard drive. The second one is a local backup\u2014an external hard drive, network storage device, or server. The third one goes in the cloud<\/a>: That\u2019s what Backblaze is for.<\/p>\n

This strategy hedges your bet against data failure. You\u2019ve got a \u201clive\u201d copy of the data you can work on with your computer. There’s a nearby backup if you need to restore or recover the file. Then, there’s a copy on Backblaze\u2019s secure servers<\/a> just in case anything happens.<\/p>\n

What Backup Media Should I Use?<\/h3>\n

External hard drives, burnable CDs and DVDs, USB thumb drives. There are myriad local storage options, depending on your budget. Most of us are content to back up crucial data on an external hard disk drive using USB 2 or USB 3, depending on the speed of the computer.<\/p>\n

If portability is your main concern, consider using a USB thumb drive. USB thumb drives can easily slip in your pocket for portability, with capacities of up to hundreds of gigabytes.<\/p>\n

Hard disk drives come in much larger capacities. Some drives are big enough to store multiple computer backups, if you have more than one machine that needs backup.<\/p>\n

Burnable CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs are an option to consider if you\u2019re interested in long-term archival. Hard drive contents can easily be changed, while optical discs are burnt and then put away. This makes optical media handy once you\u2019ve finished a big project. If you want to preserve it in amber like the mosquitos in Jurassic Park, optical media is the way to go.<\/p>\n

Whatever physical backup medium you use, just remember that things break and stop working. That\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to use more than one device for a backup. The old adage about not putting all your eggs in one basket may have come from the farm, but it still holds true in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

What Backup Software Should I Use?<\/h3>\n

Macs and Windows PCs come with backup software built right in, so start with that. It may require you to make an investment in additional external USB-based storage, like a hard drive<\/a> or thumb drive, but it\u2019s the easiest and most effective way to get your stuff backed up.<\/p>\n

Macs’ and PCs’ built-in backup software enable you to archive and duplicate the contents of your hard drive elsewhere. On the Mac it\u2019s called Time Machine<\/a>, and on the PC it\u2019s in the \u201cUpdate & security\u201d settings<\/a>. Since most operating systems have some sort of built-in backup software, it\u2019s good to use it. It\u2019s simply an added layer of protection. While it may seem like an added encumbrance when you\u2019re first setting it up, the payoff is in the peace of mind you\u2019ll have knowing your data is safe.<\/p>\n

What’s Cloud Storage?<\/h3>\n

Depending on how much information you have to back up, cloud-based services give you that third line of defense I\u2019ve talked about. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive: You can\u2019t go too far online without bumping into a cloud storage<\/a> service. Backblaze backs up the contents of your computer\u2019s hard drive to our own cloud storage safely and securely.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not using Backblaze, make sure to take appropriate security safeguards when it comes to sharing your files on any sort of network. Make sure that the cloud storage provider supports file encryption.<\/p>\n

Of course, the major downside to any sort of internet services is what happens when the internet is not available. As long as you\u2019re syncing a local directory, you will still be able to access your files. But it bears repeating that you should have your data locally and<\/em> remotely, so you\u2019re never susceptible to a single point of failure.<\/p>\n

What Do I Back Up, and How Often?<\/h3>\n

At the outset, I said that you should make sure your organization\u2019s most essential data is safe. That includes financial records, any government forms, and any other records you might need as a matter of compliance. It\u2019s a good idea to back up contact and client databases, contracts, and any other records your organization might need later for accounting and record keeping.<\/p>\n

In terms of frequency, the nice thing about using cloud-based backup like Backblaze<\/a> is that it\u2019s pretty much set and forget. As long as you have a persistent internet connection, Backblaze will back up as quickly as it can.<\/p>\n

A single local backup can be sufficient if you need to restore data in a hurry, but if you don\u2019t want to take chances, consider adding a second local backup. Backup software<\/a> like Apple\u2019s Time Machine, built into the Mac, can manage multiple backup drives automatically once you\u2019ve set them up. One way or the other, allow the backup software to do a complete backup, then store incremental backups to save time.<\/p>\n

Hopefully I\u2019ve given you a few ideas to get started. Still have questions? Have specific implementation issues? Give me a heads up in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A lot of us dedicate our time and effort to causes we believe in. If you\u2019re responsible for the data used by your non-profit, here are some guidelines to think about. Develop a backup plan of your own by answering these questions. Backing up copies of crucial organizational information like financial and bank statements, donation… Continue reading Backing Up for Non-profits<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":65761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[121],"tags":[471],"class_list":["post-65661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backing-up","tag-businessbackup","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGuide to Essential Backups for Non-Profits<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back up data for your nonprofit the same way you back up your home computer: Make sure that you have both a local and offsite copy. 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