So, what would happen if there was an accident? An emergency? An act of God?

Would you lose your data? Unfortunately, far too many nonprofit organizations would. And once it's gone, you're practically starting from scratch to rebuild what you can.

There are a few obvious fixes, but sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day operations, that we lose sight of these details. We see the forest but not the trees. Here are a few things that you can do almost immediately to reduce your risk.

• Utilize surge protectors. These simple devices not only expand your opportunities to plug in a variety of electric and electronic gadgets, but actually do serve a very important purpose. Should there be a large electrical surge, your computer isn't going to fry along with all the important data its holding.
• Check your wiring. Surge protectors are great in some situations, but they're not going to help much if your building's wiring can't keep up. Most situations can be improved simply by making sure that all outlets are grounded.
• Don't overload circuits. If your outlet looks like there is an octopus growing out of it, there's a good chance that you're overloading the circuit. Find out how much each outlet can handle, and don't exceed that limit. Keep in mind that there aren't a whole lot of options for protecting your data in case of fire.
• Protect your data in case of fire (or flood, or robbery, or...) Backing up your data is one of the best possible ways to protect it. If you back it up to a different location, then you're taking an extra important step. If your office in New York floods and you lose your data, you will be so grateful that you backed up to a remote location in Washington State.
• Zap viruses and spyware. More than one organization has been devastated to find that they've fallen prey to some sort of virus or spyware. Utilizing some good anti-virus software can keep you from being a victim. It doesn't have to be expensive, either. Talk to your IT professional or do a little research online to find out what is the best option for your nonprofit organization.