Idealware: Candid Information about Nonprofit Software

Idealware, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits. Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective.

A Few Good Email Discussion List Tools
December 2008
Many organizations would like to foster community and information sharing using email discussion lists. What software packages can help? We asked six nonprofit experts about the systems that have worked for them. Read more >

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Choosing Broadcast Email Software

Wednesday, January 7th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

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Thursday, January 8th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

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Selecting Software on a Shoestring

By Laura S. Quinn, December 2008
If you need an inexpensive software tool that’s not particularly strategic for your organization, traditional software selection techniques can seem awfully complicated. Here’s a simplified six-step process that can help when you just need to make a simple choice quickly. Read more >

A Few Good Association Management Systems

By Eric Leland, December 2008
Association management systems can help track your members, special gifts, invitations to events and workshops, discounts, and more. We asked five different nonprofit experts about the systems that have worked for them. Read more >

A Few Good Donor Management Tools

By Eric Leland, November 2008
The right donor management software can make a big difference in your ability to raise funds. We asked six different nonprofit technology experts about donor management software that have worked well for their nonprofit colleagues. Read more >

Open Source vs. Vendor-Provided Software: Comparing Them Side by Side

by Jeff Walpole, November 2008
Open source software applications are becoming an increasingly viable alternative to vendor provided commercial software. Jeff Walpole explores the differences between these types of software, and the pros and cons of each alternative. Read more >

A Few Good Broadcast Email Tools

November 2008
One of our most popular articles, now fully updated! Email newsletters, action alerts, or fundraising emails can be a very cost effective way to communicate with your supporters, but it can be complex to send and track thousands of emails. We talked to eleven nonprofit technology experts to find out what eNewsletter tools have worked well for them. Read more >

The Truth About Hosted Software Packages

November 2008
Should you consider hosted or Software As a Service software applications for your nonprofit? There are a lot of conflicting and often inaccurate messages out there: They're not secure! Use them – they'll replace your IT staff! Perhaps they'll change your life… or perhaps they're evil. What's the truth? Read more >

A Few Good Online Survey Tools

October 2008
Online surveys can be a huge help in understanding what your constituents think and how successful your programs are - without breaking your budget. We spoke to a number of nonprofit staff members to understand how the existing online survey tools compare. Read more >

The Basics of Email Metrics: Are Your Campaigns Working?

October 2008
Email metrics can help you determine the effectiveness of email communications - like your eNewsletter or email appeals. We talk through the data points and the calculations that can be useful, and how to use them to improve results. Read more >

The Perfect Fit: A Guide to Evaluating and Purchasing Major Software System

By Peter Campbell, September 2008
A major software package shouldn't be chosen lightly. In this detailed guide, Peter Campbell walks through how to find software options, evaluate them, make a good decision, and then purchase the system in a way that protects you. Read more>

A Few Good Page Layout Tools

September 2008
Do you want to create a monthly newsletter, a formatted report, thank you cards, or an event invite? You need a page layout tool. Top-end software solutions can be complex, but there are simpler solutions as well. We spoke to five nonprofit technology and creative professionals about the layout tools that have worked for them. Read more>

A Few Good Photo Manipulation Tools

September 2008
If your photo needs to be cropped, adjusted, or reformatted, how can you get it ready for publication in print or the web? We spoke to five nonprofit technology and creative professionals about the photo-editing tools that have worked for them. Read more>

A Few Good Methods for Processing Credit Cards

August 2008
It's not necessarily difficult or expensive to accept payments by credit card. We provide some tips and tools to process credit card transactions both online and off. Read more>

Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies

By Anthony Pisapia and Brett Bonfield, July 2008
A Constituent Relationship Management system can help track of all the ways that you interact with each of your supporters. But what does it take to implement one? What changes will you need to make to support it? We look at four different organizations' CRM stories. Read more >

A Few Good Online Conferencing Tools

July 2008
Adding visuals to a phone conference or online seminar can make a big difference - for instance, you can show a document, software application or slides. There are a number of affordable software packages that can help. We talked to a number of nonprofit professionals about the tools that have worked for them. Read more>

Better Organization through Document Management Systems

By Peter Campbell, June 2008
Is your organization drowning in a virtual sea of documents? Document management systems can provide invaluable document searching, versioning, comparison, and collaboration features. Peter Campbell explains. Read more>