Our Project Management event in Oakland, CA is NEXT WEEK, on May 20-21.  It's going to be a great time, with a fabulous group of facilitators including consultants John Kenyon, Michael Stein, and Eric Leland, as well as Seth Schneider of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, Clarissa Goodlett of Color of Change, Anna Berns of Benetech, and Tanya Africa of MoveOn.

It's your last chance to sign up!  Read more or register at http://www.aspirationtech.org/events/mntp-sf

Idealware seminars are designed to give you the tactical advice you need to make software decisions. They include all the candid advice and product comparisons of the reports and articles on which they are based, but offer plenty of extra guidance and insights straight from the author.

Each is just $40, and all you need is an internet connection and a phone line to participate.

Choosing a Low Cost Constituent Database

Thursday, May 15th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST
There are a number of solid and affordable options to track your volunteers, donors, partners, and other constituents. What should a small organization look for? What tools are available? How should you choose? We'll walk through everything you need to know to pick the right database for your organization, and consider the pros and cons of commonly used databases such as GiftWorks, DonorPerfect Online, eTapestry, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, and Democracy In Action.

10 Mistakes in Choosing a Donor Database

Thursday, May 29th 1:00 - 2:30 EST. Presented by Robert Weiner
How do you choose a donor database that will support successful fundraising? The software is only half the story. Fundraising technology strategist Robert Weiner will walk through ten common mistakes that can prevent you from selecting the right database and managing it effectively.

Introduction to Website Analytics

Thursday, June 5th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST.
How many people visit your Web site every day? What are visitors doing when they get there? Which features are most popular? We'll talk through the tools and strategies you can use to get the answers to these questions. Through demos of free tools such as AWStats and Google Analytics, we'll look at what these tools can tell you about your site, and what the statistics mean. We'll close with a discussion of when more advanced statisics packages - such as ClickTracks or WebTrends- might be useful.

Choosing eNewsletter Software

Thursday, June 12th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST
Email newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with and grow your audience, but it can be complex to send and track thousands of emails. In this seminar, we'll walk through what you need to know in order to setup, send, and track eNewsletters effectively, and talk about some of the reliable and affordable tools most commonly used for mass emailing, such as EmailNow, ConstantContact, NPOGroups, CampaignMonitor, Vertical Response, Emma, Topica, and more.

View more information and more seminars >

Want all the information for half the price?  Check out our recordings of previous seminars>

Here are some of the best posts and resources from the Idealware blog last month.
What Goes Into the Cost of a CRM (Nonprofit CRM)
How much does implementing a Constituent Relationship Management system cost?  Well, it depends, but Anand Sethupathy breaks down the many different elements that go into that cost.

10,000 Emails a Month Free to Nonprofits (VerticalResponse)
This is a pretty amazing deal from a quite solid bulk emailing tool:  all nonprofits can send 10,000 emails per month for free.

Ask Idealware: International Petition Sites (Idealware)
Alan Rosenblatt, with the Center for American Progress Action Fund talks about some online petition sites, including The Petition Site, Pledgebank, and Petitions.pm.gov.uk

Google Apps and Salesforce - A first look (A View from Judi Sohn)
Google Apps and Salesforce roll out some integrated features - Judi Sohn takes a look at what that means. 

An online "TurboTax" for 990 tax forms (Idealware)
Running late on your taxes? Here's a system that allows you to prepare your IRS Form 990, 990-EZ, or request for extension online.

eNonprofit Benchmarks Study (E-Benchmarks)
The hugely useful Benchmark Study from last year is now updated with a new version.  Want to know how your eNewsletter click rate compares to other nonprofits?  Your online donation rate?  Donation amount?  This report will tell you.

Nonprofit Internet Toolkit and Resources (DCN.org)
A great collection of articles and resources about websites, collaboration and communication tools, and more

Mission Over Membership in Online Advocacy (NTEN)
Charles Lenchner provides an interesting and provacative look at the conflict between list building and engaging your members with actions that truely forward your mission.

Has Facebook Jumped the Shark as a Political Tool? (e.politics)
A careful look at the place of Facebook in politics and advocacy

Using Social Media to Help with Outreach (NTEN)
Brian Reich from EchoDitto provides some useful thoughts and case studies as to how social media - things like viral videos and interactive websites - can help you reach a wider audience.