Comparing Open Source CMSs:  Joomla, Drupal, and Plone by Brett Bonfield and Laura Quinn, September 2006 Open source content management systems can make creating and managing your website a lot easier - and there's no licensing fee involved. But which CMS should you use? We look carefully at Joomla, Drupal, and Plone to compare their strengths and weaknesses.  Read more >

A Few Good Web Hosting Providers

June 2008

We asked nine nonprofit internet specialists to share some of the Web hosting providers that have worked well for them, and some tips for hosting everything from a basic website to a powerhouse web application. Fully verified and updated from our 2006 version! Read more >

10 Steps to Being Found on Search Engines

By Laura Quinn, March 2008

Does your organization show up on the first page of results in search engines like Google or Yahoo? The content and structure of your website can have a dramatic effect on how easily potential constituents can find you via search engines. This article explains how. Read more>

Eight Ways a CMS Can Help with Search Engine Optimization

By Laura Quinn, April 2008

If you want your site to show up prominently in search engines like Google, your website content management system can help - but not all CMSs are created equal. We suggest the features to look for to help with search engine optimization.Read more>

Characteristics of Successful Online Communities

By Andrew Cohen, February 2008

Successful online communities require more than a software package. In this article, we outline the strategies and features that can help you build online message boards, social networks, or other conversation based sites that become vibrant, useful communities.  Read more>

Should Your Organization Use Social Networking Sites?

By Brett Bonfield, January 2008

Are social networking sites like MySpace or FaceBook likely to be a good fit for your nonprofit's goals? Brett Bonfield outlines some guidelines to help you decide if social neworking is right for you. Read more >

Comparing Lower-Cost Online Integrated Applications

By Eric Leland, December 2007

Online integrated applications allow nonprofits to manage a number of different aspects of their constituent information and Web presence all together in one package. Eric Leland took a close look at eight of the more affordable packages to compare their functionality in a variety of areas. Read more >

A Few Good Event Registration Tools

September 2007

These days, most event participants expect to be able to register online for events. Luckily, there are lots of tools that can help with that, from simple to sophisticated to multi-functional. We asked 11 nonprofit technology professionals what online registration tools have worked for them. Read more >

Behind Closed Web Sites: A Look at Three Nonprofit Intranets

By Laura Quinn, September 2007
Secure, staff-only websites, called intranets, are widespread in the business world and increasingly common among nonprofits. What are NPOs doing within these private Web sites? What are the benefits, and the costs? We profile three different administrative intranets. Read more >

A Few Good Online Auction Tools

July 2007

An online charity auction can be a good way to raise money and rally support for your cause. Five nonprofit technology professionals recommend tools you can use – and steps you can take – to help make your next auction a success. Read more >

A Few Good Tools to Manage Content on Simple Sites

July 2007
Not every nonprofit needs a complex website or sophisticated content management software. Six nonprofit experts recommend reliable tools for creating and updating content on simpler Web sites. Read more >

Online Payment Processing in Pictures

April 2007
It can be hard to understand how online payment processing works. Many different steps and a lot of jargon make it seem more complicated than it is. To help you see the big picture, we’ve laid out a typical payment process in diagrams. Read more >

A Few Good Web Analytics Tools

April 2007
How many people visit your Web site each day? What are visitors doing when they get there? Web analytics tools can help you answer these questions and more. We asked six nonprofit internet experts what analytics tools have worked well for them.  Read more >

A Few Good Online Payment Multitaskers

February 2007
While there are many applications out there that can help you process any single type of online payment, what if you want a tool that will support a variety of transactions?  We asked six experts what tools they would recommend to process various types of payments on an existing website. Read more >

Top Ten Mistakes When Selecting a CMS

by James Robertson, January 2007
Selecting a content management system (CMS) can be a complex task, and organizations often run into pitfalls with processes, politics, and understanding the CMS environment. James Robertson outlines a common-sense approach to avoiding the most common mistakes. Read more >

Getting Started with Blogging Software

June 2006

We reviewed and compared the seven tools most frequently used to create a blog. Which are easiest to get up and running, or to tailor to match your site? Which has the best comment moderation features? Reporting functionality? We'll give you all the details and recommend a tool for you.  Read more (free registration required) >

A Birds Eye View of the Content Management Landscape

By Jeff Herron and Usha Venkatachallam, April 2006

Do you dream of a website with up-to-the-minute information? It's likely within your reach. Jeff Herron and Usha Venkatachallam of Beaconfire Consulting map out the landscape of Content Management Systems that can allow non-technical staff to update websites.  Read more>

Donate Now:  Selecting an Online Donation Tool

November 2005

Idealware reviewed twenty-seven lower-priced online software tools that accept donations from an existing website. What we found was good news: many affordable tools are also powerful, friendly, and flexible. We offer recommendations for high-quality tools, as well as a method to choose the right tool for you.  View the report (free registration required) >

Retooling the eNonprofit: Expanding the Options for Integrated Online Software

by Michael Stein, January 2006

New integrated online software tools lead to more possibilities for nonprofits. How do you choose? Internet strategist Michael Stein describes what's available and offers some considerations when choosing tools that can help with emailing, online donations, advocacy online, and more. Read more >

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