Choose Storage Based On Real Usage, Not Guesswork
Message storage often gets underestimated until a mailbox starts filling with signed agreements, scanned forms and donation records. Non-profits that work with municipal funding, compliance documents or donor reporting usually need more space than a small internal team. If your staff send large attachments or keep long message trails, storage should be part of the plan choice from the start.
A useful next step is deciding what belongs in message and what belongs in shared document space. Message is for communication, not for storing every version of a proposal. A simple folder structure, plus shared documents for working files, can reduce clutter and keep search time down. That becomes even more useful during load-shedding, when staff want to pick up work quickly after power returns.
- Review the average mailbox size used by your current team.
- Ask whether staff keep attachments in mail or save them elsewhere.
- Allow extra space for scanned PDFs, photos and signed forms.
- Set a rule for archiving old messages instead of keeping everything in the inbox.
Match Shared Calendars To Your Workflow
If your organisation runs training sessions, clinic visits, outreach days or board meetings, calendar sharing is not optional. It helps everyone see who is available, which venue is booked and where deadlines sit. A shared calendar can also reduce double-booking when staff are moving between townships, offices and community sites.
Before choosing a plan, look at how your team schedules work. Do you need one central calendar, several department calendars or access for project teams across different towns? A small admin team in Bellville may only need a few shared calendars, but a larger national office may need calendars for finance, programmes, leadership and events. Keep it simple at first, then add structure as the team grows.
- Check who needs to create events and who only needs to view them.
- List recurring meetings, outreach dates and travel schedules.
- Decide whether board calendars should be separate from staff calendars.
- Confirm that calendar access works on phones and tablets for staff in the field.
Decide What Collaboration Tools You Actually Need
Some non-profits only need message and calendars. Others need shared document spaces for policies, donor reports, funding applications and meeting notes. The right plan should support the way your team drafts, reviews and stores documents without making everyone learn a complicated system.
A practical approach is to group documents by function. Keep governance files separate from programme files, and separate active working documents from final signed versions. That makes it easier for staff to find what they need and easier for an admin or manager to hand over duties when roles change. It also helps when internet connections are slow, because people can keep working from one central place instead of sending files back and forth.
- List the file types your team uses every week.
- Separate working documents from final approved copies.
- Make sure access can be limited by role or project.
- Check whether your team needs comment, edit or view-only permissions.
Plan For Migration, Setup And Staff Training
The right plan is not only about features, it is also about the move into the new system. If your team already has mailboxes elsewhere, you need mailbox setup, mail migration and contact imports handled carefully so messages do not go missing. A good migration plan keeps old correspondence, calendar entries and contacts together rather than leaving staff to rebuild everything by hand.
Training matters too. Even a simple system needs an admin handover, a security review and a clear go-live support period. If people are used to personal inboxes or using free accounts, they may need a short session on folders, sharing and mobile setup. That saves time later and cuts down on avoidable support calls.
- Confirm how old mail, calendars and contacts will be brought over.
- Ask who will receive admin access after the move.
- Schedule team training before go-live, not after.
- Make sure mobile devices are set up for staff on the road.
Use A Simple Checklist Before You Choose
Before you sign up, run through a short checklist with your operations lead, finance person and whoever manages day-to-day admin. The aim is not to buy the biggest plan, but the one that fits your size, budget and reporting needs. A non-profit in Pretoria with a small core team may need a different setup from a service organisation in Durban with several field workers and volunteers.
If you are comparing plans, ask how much support is included for ongoing admin help, security reviews and account changes. Also check whether the provider can help with staff changes, password resets and new device setup when people join or leave. That kind of support is useful during busy periods, especially when offices are short-staffed or working through power cuts.
- How many active users do we need today and in six months?
- Do we need shared calendars, document space or both?
- Will we need help moving from our current message system?
- Who will manage users, devices and permissions after go-live?
- Do we want ongoing admin help or just initial setup support?
