Helping New Zealand Nonprofits Make the Most of Software Donations
This post is part of a series that highlights Microsoft employees in Asia Pacific who are providing their expertise and time to NGO organisations, creating a positive impact in their local community, while inspiring others along the way.
As a proud father of three, Terry Chapman has always been interested in activities that promote the wellbeing of young children. Drawing from his professional experience as an architect at Microsoft over the past five years, Terry is putting his skills to use as a volunteer with the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, which provides parenting information and developmental support for children under the age of five.
Terry Chapman takes great pride in being able to use his consulting skills and technical knowledge to support nonprofits and enrich the local community
“Having personally benefitted from Plunket’s assistance as a parent, I was keen to help them make the most of the software donations provided by Microsoft. It brings me a great sense of satisfaction to represent Microsoft through my volunteer work, knowing that I can make a difference in my local community,” he said.
Among the first nonprofits in New Zealand to embrace cloud computing, Plunket is currently in the process of moving their core business applications into CRM Online and rolling out the use of Windows 8.1 tablets to transform how their nurses interact with children and parents.
Terry provides Plunket with strategic guidance on leveraging their Microsoft software to help positively impact community outcomes.
“As a Microsoft architect I need to understand the broad portfolio of our technologies and how they fit together to enable business outcomes. This is something that I do on almost every interaction—whether it is coordinating an emergency management donation matching service in Azure or helping an NGO save money on their valuable travel budget through use of our Unified Communications technologies. Every organization’s requirement is a little different,” Terry said.
Terry provides Plunket with strategic guidance on leveraging their Microsoft software to help positively impact community outcomes
Besides Plunket, Terry has volunteered with NZ Red Cross, Stand for Children and Kaibosh. As a member of the global Microsoft team that supports disaster relief efforts across Asia, he helped area relief agencies coordinate the emergency response during the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.
Having been inspired by the strong culture of volunteer engagement at Microsoft, Terry would like to encourage others to get involved. “Don’t wait for someone to ask you to volunteer for something—visit a local nonprofit today and ask them what they are working on and how you can help! The satisfaction you gain from supporting these NGOs will far outweigh your time devoted to volunteering," he added.