CGI.br releases results of the first ICT Non-Profit Organizations Survey

Indicators reveal the technological infrastructure and the ways the Internet is used by this sector

A significant portion of Brazilian non-profit organizations use computers in their activities and have an important presence on social networks. Not all, however, have the necessary infrastructure to enhance this use. This is what the ICT Non-Profit Organizations Survey points out, conducted for the first time in 2012 and released this Tuesday (24) by the Center for Information and Communication Technology Studies (CETIC.br).

The objective of the study was to map the infrastructure, use, capabilities, and skills necessary for the incorporation of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) among non-profit organizations. The analysis has a national scope and interviewed 3,546 non-governmental organizations, associations, foundations, religious organizations, and unions. The study considered formal organizations, present in the Central Business Register of IBGE, including both those with paid professionals and those based on volunteer work.

The ICT Non-Profit Organizations Survey 2012 reveals that 72% of organizations used the Internet in the 12 months prior to the survey. Among the more professionalized organizations with 10 or more employees, Internet access reaches 91%. Among organizations based on volunteer work (with no paid staff), only 52% have Internet access.

The most commonly used Internet connection method by organizations is the ADSL modem (45%), a result similar to that found in Brazilian companies. According to Cetic.br manager Alexandre Barbosa, the types of Internet connections are dimensions of ICT use that are quite sensitive to the availability of local infrastructure. “This aspect constitutes one of the main barriers to Internet use faced by Brazilian non-profit organizations, along with cost-related issues,” he states.

According to the results, 14% of non-profit organizations without a computer at their headquarters are users of the equipment – indicating that the use of personal equipment owned by members or public access centers is still significant. Among organizations with no paid staff, only 36% have a computer, although 59% use it in their activities.

Presence on the Web and uses of ICT
The study points out that 37% of Brazilian non-profit organizations using computers and the Internet have a website. This percentage is 50% among organizations with 10 or more paid people.

The analysis results also show that more than half of non-profit organizations with Internet access are present on some social network. This figure is considerably higher than that observed in Brazilian companies with 10 or more paid people (36%), according to the ICT Companies 2012 survey. “This indicates the importance these tools have been gaining for these organizations, especially considering the repercussion that social networks can provide in a scenario of limited financial resources,” says Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br.

• 52% of non-profit organizations with Internet access are present on some social network, blog, or forum;
• Among the options investigated, the most used and mentioned social network by 42% of organizations is Facebook. Twitter appears in second place, cited by 15% of organizations.

Among the activities carried out using ICT, email use and the use of the network as a source of information research stand out.

• 96% of non-profit organizations with Internet access use Information and Communication Technologies to access emails;
• 83% stated they use ICT to search for information about products or services.

The use of the Internet for electronic government actions draws attention. In smaller proportions, the actions of public agency oversight and social control appear.

• 71% of organizations with Internet access said they use ICT to seek information about government organizations and public authorities, while 61% claim to use the network to interact with government agencies;
• 32% of organizations with Internet access declare they seek information about public spending/budget, while 34% affirm they monitor/oversee the execution of public services (such as works and other public policies).

Capacities and challenges for ICT adoption
Brazilian non-profit organizations still lack specialized human resources in information technology.

• Just over a third of the organizations (38%) have an information technology area;
• 66% of organizations with computers hire service providers for equipment maintenance and technical support;
• The percentage of volunteers offering support to organizations is also significant: 30%.

Although the availability of resources and the absence of infrastructure are the most cited difficulties for ICT use in organizations, team skill limitations are also frequently mentioned aspects.

• 55% of organizations with computers cite as a difficulty the existence of few financial resources for investment in the technology area;
• 46% mention low Internet connection speed;
• 40% cite insufficient team skills in using computers and the Internet.

For the manager of Cetic.br, Alexandre Barbosa, the study contributes to generating detailed information about the profile of these organizations, which are rarely explored in quantitative studies. “The survey offers an unprecedented overview of the non-profit sector in Brazil, which can contribute to public policies and academic investigations on the subject,” he concludes.

The ICT Non-Profit Organizations Survey counts on the collaboration of a group of specialists formed by members of the Brazilian Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (ABONG), the Group of Institutes, Foundations, and Companies (GIFE), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), and researchers from various universities. To check the complete indicators of the ICT Non-Profit Organizations Survey 2012, visit https://www.cetic.br.

About CETIC.br
The Center for Information and Communication Technology Studies (CETIC.br) is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disclosing periodic analyses and information about the development of the network in the country. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do Ponto BR – NIC.br
The Information and Coordination Center of Ponto BR — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil, non-profit entity that implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. Permanent activities of NIC.br include coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to, and handling security incidents in Brazil - CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — CEPTRO.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — CETIC.br (https://www.cetic.br/) and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of services offered. Based on the principles of multilateralism, transparency, and democracy, CGI.br represents a multi-stakeholder Internet governance model with effective participation from all sectors of society in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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