Apparo’s Tech Therapy® assists Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region to tackle nonprofit data security challenges.

Since 1983, Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region has empowered over 5,000 families in Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Gaston counties by developing affordable communities, conducting critical home repairs, advancing financial literacy, and promoting intergenerational wealth.

Habitat Charlotte Region came to Apparo for assistance safeguarding organizational data. It’s easy to assume nonprofits aren’t prime targets for cyber threats. In reality, the opposite is often true. David Flynn, Information Technology Director for Habitat Charlotte, states “Nonprofits are a more interesting target because they’re considered soft targets,” making data security more critical than ever.

When a Technical Challenge Becomes Too Big to Tackle Alone

David Flynn and the Habitat Charlotte Region team had begun exploring Microsoft Purview, a powerful tool designed to help organizations manage data security, permissions, and compliance. But they quickly realized the scope was larger than expected. David states, “We started to dip our toe in and realized how big it was. This was something we needed help framing.” Without the right context, even conversations with vendors left gaps. The team needed a clearer understanding of what questions to ask, what solutions were realistic, and how to move forward strategically.

Through Apparo’s Tech Therapy® program, Habitat Charlotte Region connected with skilled volunteers from Opkalla who have deep expertise in Microsoft Purview. In a few sessions, the experience delivered clarity. David states, “In the space of just a few hours, we sat down experts and got the guidance that helped us break the problem into manageable pieces.”

The volunteers helped define what success looks like for data security, broke down a complex system into actionable steps, provided context to evaluate vendor proposals and outlined a realistic path forward. David says the volunteer team was “engaged, open, and ready to share insights,” creating a collaborative and productive experience.

With a clearer roadmap, the team is evaluating vendor proposals with greater confidence, planning implementation of security permissions and policies, and preparing to roll out improvements across their Microsoft environment.

Strong data security is about more than compliance. It protects the people nonprofits serve, the donors who support them, and the integrity of their mission. For Habitat Charlotte, this work ensures they can continue building homes and strengthening communities without compromising trust.

Tech Therapy is designed for moments exactly like this, when a challenge is too complex to solve alone, but doesn’t require a full-scale project to get started. By connecting nonprofits with skilled volunteers, Apparo helps organizations move forward with clarity, confidence, and momentum. As David sums it up, “It’s the quintessential Tech Therapy experience. I have a problem that’s too big for my current resources, and in a short time, I get the guidance I need to move forward.”

To learn more about Apparo’s Tech Therapy program, visit this link.