NonProfit Technology

Idealist.org is the premiere online resource for nonprofit employers and job seekers looking to make a connection. And for the entire month of June, job postings are free at Idealist.org! Why free? Here is how the folks at Idealist.org answered that question:

“So that anyone, anywhere can try Idealist at no cost.

Usually, job postings on Idealist cost only $60, but this month we are inviting all nonprofit organizations, as well as vendors and consultants who serve the nonprofit sector, to post all their job openings for free. (Volunteer opportunities, internships, and jobs posted outside the United States are always free.)

If you have never tried Idealist, or if you have used us only for entry-level jobs, we hope you’ll try us for all your positions. 60,000 people come to Idealist every day, and many of them are seeking high-level jobs.

And if you are looking for a job, our goal this month is to get you as many job openings as we can, but to do this we need your help. If you know anyone at an organization that is not currently using Idealist, please invite them to join us. And if you have a way to get the word out to friends and colleagues across the sector – through a mailing list, a blog, or any other way – please tell them that Idealist is free for the whole month of June.”

So, if you’re recruiting for a position, be sure to post the announcement on Idealist.org. And if you’re looking…well, we can keep a secret!

Popularity: 89% [?]

Google for Non-Profits Group

Google has just announced that on Wednesday, June 11, the Google for Non-Profits Group will become a fully open discussion group. Since the group was started a few months ago, it was only used for the rare announcement from Google regarding the Google for Non-Profits launch and this most recent announcement. Now members will be able to post their own messages and have a dialogue with others in the nonprofit community. Even though the group is not yet an open forum, you can still join the more than 4000 others who have already joined by visiting the Google for Non-Profits Group page and clicking “Join the Group” in the right column. Of course, a free Google account is required to join.

Google has said that all registered members of the group will receive an email on Wednesday “that includes a community charter with guidelines for taking advantage of the discussion.” Google will be working closely from volunteer members of the nonprofit community to assist with implementation of the group.

Google for NonProfits on YouTube

Google’s other big announcement was their recent launch of a new YouTube channel called Google for Nonprofits.  The first video on the new channel was Google 101 Implementation, a video created by the Ann Arbor, MI team how the Ann Arbor Friends of CASA has used Google tools to create a website, create documents and accept donations.  Google has added three favorite videos for a total of four videos in the channel.  Hopefully there will be additional videos added to this resource.

[Editor's Note: On this blog I use the spelling nonprofit while Google uses non-profit.  However, the YouTube channel is spelled without the "-".  That is the reason for the spelling inconsistency in this post.]

[PhotoCredit:Jurvetson]

Popularity: 29% [?]

Okay, here’s my list of the best blog posts and Internet articles from the past month for those nonprofits interested in technology news and information:

10 Steps to Being Found on Search Engines (TechSoup.org) – An excellent introduction to search engine optimization (SEO). Follow these ten steps and your website will no longer be hidden in the depths of Google.

Five-Step Strategy to Market Your Nonprofit Online (Nonprofit Communications) – Some great steps to getting started with your online marketing. And we’re not talking about buying advertising on someone’s website. Check out this 5-step plan.

Five Methodologies to Deal with Email Overload (ReadWriteWeb) – Who doesn’t want to get a better handle on their email inbox? Here’s five strategies that will do just that.

Google Jumps Head First into Web Services with Google App Engine (TechCrunch.com) – This is a beta launch of online applications for data management and web developers. The tech savvy among us will find this announcement worth reading.

Windows Vista SP1 Update: Endless Restart Bug Fixed, Automatic Rollout Starts Next Week (Gizmodo.com) – Fixing faulty OS software should be easier, but it’s not. Well, that’s not entirely true. Read this post at Gizmodo and follow the link to learn more about Microsoft’s effort to make installing SP1 a little bit smoother.

Trim Down WIndows to the Bare Essentials (Lifehacker.com) – I chose this post because so many nonprofits reuse older computers for guest computers, simple Internet surfing or other program related tasks. But one of the problems with using older hardware is the need to keep software requirements and use to a minimum. This article will help you set up your computer to maximize hardware resources while keeping Windows requirements at a minimum.

[PhotoCredit:Edwin.11]

Popularity: 83% [?]

For several years Craigslist.org has been the ultimate online classified ad service.  What started in 1995 as a simple service publishing local event notices in San Francisco has exploded into a worldwide advertising phenomenon.  Today Craigslist regularly ranks in the top 100 websites on the Internet and still operates as a non-commercial venture.  But does it make sense for your nonprofit to post ads seeking employees on Craigslist?

The answer is a resounding, YES!  With unlimited words, free images, free or inexpensive advertising and thousands of daily readers, why wouldn’t you try Craigslist?  But if you’re not a regular Craigslist user, you might have heard a few myths about advertising there.  So before you use Craigslist, let me destroy a few employment ad myths about advertising there.

1)  Craigslist is only available in a few major cities like New York and San Francisco.  For many years this was true, but today Craigslist is operating in 450 cities in over 50 countries.  In the United States, Craigslist provides classified advertising in all 50 states.  Just visit Craigslist.org and click on the area where you want to advertise.

2)  Craigslist job ads are only good if you are seeking entry level employees.  This myth is perpetuated by the simplicity of the Craigslist website.  But don’t be fooled in believing that an ultra basic, non-graphical website means professionals and executives don’t read their ads.  In fact, more and more executives are starting their job searches with local Craigslist advertising.

3)  Since Craigslist started charging a fee to place job ads, there really is no cost savings.  Well, this is a loaded myth in many ways.  To begin with, Craigslist does not charge for advertising in most locations (only some major cities) and even then the fee is minimal (usually $25).  Also, employment advertising isn’t about saving money, it’s about finding the right person without busting the bank.  Even the $75 fee charged in San Francisco is far better than the hundreds it would cost for a major newpaper ad.  Also, read about the “gigs” category later in this post.

4)  With all of the Get Rich Quick type ads in the job section, no one will really take our employment ad seriously.  One of the reasons Craigslist began charging for advertising in some areas was to minimize the scams and Get Rich Quick advertising.  But the ads still appear.  Nonetheless, Craigslist is still proving to be a great source of leads for employers.  Don’t let the ads scare you off; they haven’t scared off the qualified job seekers.

5)  Craigslist ads are listed in order of when they are first posted.  That means our ad will soon be lost and get no response.  Let me address this myth from personal experience.  About five months ago I placed a small employment ad on Craigslist in the Sacramento, California region looking for a bilingual clerical worker.  I received more than 130 replies with more than 25 of those coming a full month after the ad was posted.  Write a good ad and feel confident that job seekers will find it through Craigslist’s search feature.  There is even a search function for finding only nonprofit jobs.

6)  Job advertising is the only way to find employees on Craig’s list.  Not exactly.  Since most of us understand that networking is the best way to find great employees, we must not forget the Craigslist forums.  But don’t just post an ad in the forums, get involved in the dialogue.  The Craigslist forums are not regionally specific, but there is a location indicator next to the first post in a thread.

If you’re just looking for someone to work on a short term project or an intern, try advertising in the gigs category. This category is free for any one-time work project.  If you’re looking for a band to play at your fundraiser or a painter for your new offices, start looking on Craigslist.

So the next time you need to fill an important vacancy, start your search on Craigslist.  And when you find the right person to fill the job, be sure to thank Craig Newmark for starting this amazing venture more than a decade ago.

[PhotoCredit:acloudman]

Popularity: 56% [?]

Windows Vista has been out for just over a year and, as usual for OS releases, it has been met with mixed reviews. But your small nonprofit is still operating on Windows XP (or some other version) and wanting to know if it’s time to upgrade. Whether you are using Macs or PCs, here’s a few questions you want to ask before making the switch to a new operating system.

Has the OS been out long enough to work out all the bugs? Microsoft will often release a free patch that corrects software bugs a year or two after the new OS launch. It may be a good idea to wait until the patch is released before making the change.

Is the new OS a significant improvement over our current system? Does the new operating system offer any valuable improvements over the current system? Usually a change in OS does not mean a significant improvement in productivity, but there may be other advantages.

Will the new OS work on your current computers? If an upgrade also requires new hardware, then consider the cost before making a decision. You may be better off buying new computers with the new OS already installed. If you were planning a computer upgrade in the next year, don’t purchase a new OS.

Will your peripherals devices (e.g. printers, monitors, scanners) work with the new OS? Often times, older peripherals will not have the necessary driver to operate with new OS releases. Check this out before making an upgrade.

Do you have a knowledgeable person to install the OS and assist with the transition? Can this be handled in-house, or will you need to hire a consultant/contractor to do the work? Will training be required for staff using the new OS? Consider all the possible disruptions before taking this step, and plan for how these will be handled.

If you have one, how will the upgrade affect your network? You will probably want to upgrade every computer at the same time, and be sure the network will continue to function. Plan ahead so your network isn’t down for several days while you try to solve problems.

Is your old operating system will supported? As software ages, the manufacturer will eventually stop providing updates and support. Microsoft current supports Vista and releases immediately prior to Vista. Don’t expect any new updates for Windows 96.

After answering each of these questions you should have a good idea whether or not upgrading your OS is worth the trouble and expense. But here’s my simple rule for when to upgrade operating systems. I upgrade whenever I find that what I need to do is only possible on the new operating system. In other words, I wait until the need is evident before making the switch. For the nonprofits I have worked at, this is typically a year or two after the release of the new OS.

So, take your time and don’t rush to buy the latest OS. Carefully weight the pros and cons and make an educated decision.

[PhotoCredit:RudolfSchuba]

Popularity: 36% [?]

Yesterday Google announced on their official blog the launch of Google for Nonprofits.  For the most part, Google for Nonprofits is simply a collection of their already existing tools that may be useful to nonprofits (or any organization, for that matter).  On the homepage of Google for Nonprofits, you will find many of the well known Google tools such as GMail, Google Docs and Google Calendar.  There are also links to YouTube, Blogger and Google Groups.

In addition to Google tools available to all Internet users, you will find a couple special items just for nonprofits.  For example, Google Grants can provide free online advertising for your nonprofit through Google’s highly successful Adsense program.  Also, nonprofits can use the Google Checkout tool until 2009 to accept donations without the typical setup and monthly fees.  Beginning in 2009, Google may start charging nominal fees for this service.

Even though there’s not a lot of new resources for nonprofits, now you can find all the helpful Google tools in one place.  Below is a list of the Google Tools that I have used and would recommend.  They can all be found at Google for Nonprofits.

• GMail – This is an excellent Internet based email program.  You can set it up to receive emails sent to accounts under your own domain (e.g. tdavis@mynonprofit.org) and access that email from any computer connected to the Internet.
• Analytics – If you don’t already get great statistics on the visitors to your website, Google Analytics may be the tool you need.  With Analytics, you can get daily reports on nearly every detail related to who is visiting your website, how long they stay, what they look at, and how they got there.
• Blogger – Blogger is one of the easiest ways to set up a blog for your nonprofit.  You can create a new blog in less than 20 minutes.
• Calendar – Google Calendar is a great way to keep your organizational calendar and share collaborative calendars within your agency.

Take some time to check out the special pages for each Google tool accessible from the Google for Nonprofits homepage.  Each tool page has some ideas for tips for how to use the tool, inspirational examples, and steps to get started at the bottom of the page.

Popularity: 48% [?]

Nearly everyone knows that eBay is the dominate leader in online auctions. Anyone can open an account to buy and sell almost anything on eBay. But did you also know that eBay has special programs to help nonprofits raise money?

EBay calls their special nonprofit program Giving Works. In the past eight years, more than $100 million has been raised for nonprofit organizations through eBay listings. There are two ways that eBay helps nonprofits raise money through their online auctions:

1) The nonprofit organization can sell items on eBay through direct selling. Direct selling means just that, the nonprofit sells directly to the buyer. The transaction is handled like any other eBay auction and the nonprofit keeps the proceeds, minus the typical eBay fees. This is a great way to benefit from in-kind donations that you can not use in your organization.

So, you’re probably wondering how this is helpful to nonprofits since anyone can sell on eBay. The advantage is that nonprofits registered with the eBay partner, MissionFish, will receive a special ribbon icon next to the title of the auction and additional visibility through a unique search function just for eBay Giving Works auctions. More about MissionFish later in this article.

2) Others can sell items and have all or some of the purchase price donated to your organization. This is called community selling. Community selling is a great way to get your volunteers and supporters to donate without writing a check. They simply sell unwanted items on eBay and direct a portion of the sale (10-100%) to your nonprofit. MissionFish collects and disburses the donations, provides online tracking, and sends tax receipts to the donor.

Nonprofit organizations can promote their community selling listings with a Giving Works home page in the featured nonprofit section of eBay. In order to be listed in the eBay nonprofit section, you must first have a home page on MissionFish. For more information on establishing a home page listing on eBay, visit the eBay Community Selling page.

Okay, so what exactly is MissionFish? MissionFish is a service under the Points of Light Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping engage people in volunteer community service. Since 2003, MissionFish has partnered with eBay to promote and operate the Giving Works program to support charitable donations through eBay selling. MissionFish provides a way to verify and register nonprofits for the Giving Works program and manages most of the details of the community selling service. MissionFish is supported through a small fee taken from each community selling donation made.

Popularity: 100% [?]

A blog, short for web log, is a website where content (articles and stories) is added to the homepage with the most recent at the top. For example, this website is a blog. Originally blogs were online journals, often personal and usually opinionated. But today, the blogging format has a variety of uses. The real advantage of a blog is the unique method for keeping current information front-and-center on your homepage. Readers want new content, and a blog is designed to give them just that.

So, should your nonprofit have a blog? That question was recently answered on the WildApricot.com blog. Their post, 10 Reasons Why Every Nonprofit Must Have a Blog presents an excellent argument for starting a blog today. From great search engine optimization (SEO – the ability to find your website on a search engine, like Google) to maximizing your fundraising efforts, WildApricot tells you how blogging can help you achieve your mission.

How do you get started in blogging? First, I recommend reading a few good blogs and possibly an ebook about blogging. For some great examples of nonprofit blogging, visit SOS Children’s Villages – USA and LA’s Homeless Blog. When you want to learn more about blogging, visit Blogging Startup or any of the other blogs listed in 7 Must Read Blogs for New Bloggers.

Finally, if you’re looking for a book on how to start a blog, it’s not easy to find one. But here’s the short list of books I would recommend:

• Clear Blogging: How People Blogging Are Changing the World and How You Can Join Them (2008) by Bob Walsh
• The Secret Power of Blogging: How to Promote and Market Your Business, Organization, or Cause with Free Blogs (2007) by Bruce Brown
• Blogging for Dummies (2008) by Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley [There is also an older Blogging for Dummies book by Brad Hill. It's a good book, but already a couple years old.]
• WordPress for Dummies (2007) by Lisa Sabin-Wilson and Matt Mullenweg [WordPress is the most popular software used for blogging. And it's free.]

And, if you want a free book on blogging, download Bryan Clark’s ebook, Bigshot Blogging. This is a great book for beginning bloggers with lots of great advice and instructions.

Finally, if you just want to ask some questions about blogging or need some guidance, contact me and I will gladly assist you. I’m a dedicated blogger (currently managing and writing for four blogs) and love to assist new bloggers.

[PhotoCredit:Antigone]

Popularity: 100% [?]

There is a lot of mythology surrounding the idea of data recovery. People have to go through it when they delete some important files by accident off their hard drives. You’ll probably also see forum posts from people wondering what to do about their lost data after a computer crash. There are plenty of so-called experts on data recovery that would answer them, somewhat annoyingly, with: “Did you make a back-up?” Nope. And now your only history paper has gone down the tubes.

The theory holds that: If it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

The fact is, however, that in most cases concerning data recovery, that statement isn’t exactly true. Unless the data has been physically overwritten, it has not completely disappeared. It doesn’t matter whether it was deleted accidentally, went corrupt because of a virus, or a disk got formatted accidentally—data in a system is very clingy.

So what’s really going on? Well, it’s not so much that the data is “lost.” In reality, it just cannot be accessed by normal means. Let’s say, for example, that your project, “American History,” was in a file that was accidentally deleted. Don’t think that you’ll have to re-do those many hours of research to get a passing grade on your final. Your file, in fact, is still contained in the drive, only now it has a signature byte added to start of its filename.

Now for the tricky part. Your file will stay on the drive, but as soon as you save something new, this new data occupies the space of the signatured file. That means that, if you do happen to lose files, don’t save anything new so you’ll keep the file you’ve deleted intact and ready to be recovered.

So there’s one important thing to keep in mind with data recovery: don’t ever put in new data following the accidental deletion of a file.

Did you learn from this lesson? Let’s now move along to another myth we should get rid of.

It won’t hurt to install data recovery software, will it?

It’s a simple answer to this one: NO. Even though data recovery software is all the rage nowadays and running it yourself on the drive can seem like a good idea, you should NOT do this. You can use the data recovery software you downloaded, but make sure it’s run on a separate drive that’s working properly.

Don’t forget Lesson #1: Don’t ever put in new data on your drive. Even a mere one-megabyte from some data recovery software might harm your chances at a successful data recovery.

There are “experts” that can recover and reload data.

This is actually true. There are experts out there, but even they are humbled by a drive that’s been significantly physically damaged and in which there is absolutely no hope of recovering data. Also, they can’t restore data completely back to 100%. Remember, they’re experts, not sorcerers.

And if you’re looking for the best way to make sure you don’t lose files, then here’s the most proven method: back everything up.

About the Author: Jane Wyvern is an established freelance writer. You can find more of her writing at Data-Recovery-Team.com, WebHostMatters.com and Domain-Name-Hunter.com

[InformationSource:ISnare.com] [PhotoSource:WonderFerret]

Popularity: 38% [?]

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is the ability to show live presentations with a speaker or speakers when the speakers and/or the observers are at different locations. Video conferencing often includes other content in additional to the video such as a computer presentation. Video conferencing equipment cost $3000 or more depending on the setup. Hardware is needed in each location that will participate in the conference, either through broadcasting or receiving the video conference.

A major consideration for video conferencing is bandwidth. A fast internet connection is required for quality broadcasting. It is expensive, but yields the best results.

Polycom – Polycom is the leading standard for video and phone conferencing equipment.

The main components of a basic video conferencing system are:

Hardware – A pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera. This is the main video hardware. It’s really more than just a camera as it has the built-in codec, interface, and much more. Other equipment includes telephone, speakers, headset, and video display (computer monitor or television).

Bandwidth – Quality video conferencing requires high-speed Internet services. Either fractional or full T1 line services are recommended ($550 – $1200 per month, depending on speed and network traffic).

Web Conferencing with Video

Web conferencing can include a video feed, however, the quality of the video is not nearly as good as hardware video conferencing above. However, the cost is much less. Equipment costs for each location can be less than $50 and DSL or cable Internet connections are sufficient.

WebEx – WebEx offers a low cost solution that is somewhat of a compromise between full video conferencing and web conferencing, or webinars. This service enables you to see and hear everyone with a phone and a webcam. This is strictly web-based, displaying only on computer screens through browsers such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. WebEx provides a pay-as-you-go service that does not require a monthly commitment.

ReadyTalk – ReadyTalk has partnered with TechSoup.org and offers a level of service equal to WebEx.

Again, these options do not perform as well with live video (choppy, grainy image), but the offset of travel expenditures for a face-to-face meeting make this option more attractive.

Web Conferencing/Webinars

For clarity, we define web conferencing and webinars as the ability to show a PowerPoint type presentation or share a desktop with multiple people at different locations. This does not include a video display, so you don’t see the person speaking.

LogMeIn – LogMeIn offers a free web-based service that is not only great for supporting remote computers but can also be used for point-to-point webinars. With some creative setup and good projectors, LogMeIn’s free service can be adequate for certain training style meeting. There is also the option of paying for advanced service capabilities.

by Shane Nurnberg

[PhotoCredit:ScottFeldstein]

Popularity: 61% [?]