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By Patrick Yurgosky, New York University,
June 2012
Strategic, mission-critical decisions require a clear understanding of program performance, but for most nonprofits, making decisions on facts rather than gut feelings is easier said than done. As a way to better understand program performance and become more responsive to changes, organizations are increasingly turning to dashboards—custom utilities that gather, organize and present information in an accessible way—that let them more effectively measure, monitor and manage the way they meet their missions.
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May 2012
Many organizations question the security of information kept in the cloud. The internet can be a dangerous place for data, but no more so than your own computer, where your data faces many of the same threats—in fact, a good cloud storage vendor is likely to protect your data better than you’d reasonably be able to do on your own. With a little planning, it’s possible to take advantage of the benefits offered by the cloud while making sure your organization’s data is as safe as is practically possible.
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May 2012
Constituent Relationship Management systems allow you to track a 360 degree view of all your interactions with constituents. What’s more, all the available options—including Salesforce.com, CiviCRM, SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM—are relatively inexpensive for nonprofits, or even free. Sounds ideal, right?
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April 2012
Looking for a broadcast email tool? Groundwire has created the report for you. The nonprofit consulting firm, which helps create technology that engages people, organizations and communities in building a sustainable society, has updated its report that takes a close look at email service providers and offers advice on how to evaluate the various price points and feature sets.
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April 2012
From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, nonprofits are flocking to social media, but not everyone is prepared for the challenges and ramifications of what you post--or how to manage the process. Who is allowed to tweet? Who can comment on your posts? How do you respond if someone says something mean about your organization? How do you make use of what social media offers while protecting your nonprofit and your constituents?
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April 2012
You’re on social media—maybe Facebook, Twitter or your organization’s blog—and you’re having some success, but you know there’s room for improvement. Before you start strategizing big plans for what you might do with the tools, take a little time to consider what you’re already doing with it, and whether you’re making common mistakes that are needlessly hindering your progress. Here are 10 such mistakes you can turn around with a little effort for quick, improved results.
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March 2012
MAP for Nonprofits and Idealware came together for an exciting research project that paves the way for organizations to use technology in innovative ways to deliver services and advance their missions. To download the report for free, visit http://tinyurl.com/7sqmv4s.
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By Laura S. Quinn, Idealware and Amy Wagner, MAP For Nonprofits,
March 2012
Many nonprofits think of innovation as a luxury they can’t afford. Staff time and budgets are limited, and improving the way they use technology seems out of reach. But technology can offer straightforward, inexpensive means of providing higher quality services, and create numerous opportunities to do more with less—even in our current economic climate. Which makes innovation something organizations can no longer afford not to embrace.
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February 2012
The ubiquity of video cameras and the proliferation of video-sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo have made it possible for even the smallest organizations to include short videos as part of their outreach and engagement strategies. In this article, we look at a few good options for editing the footage you shoot and readying it for public consumption.
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February 2012
You want a donor database that will provide clean data, solid reports, and happy staff, but the software itself is only half the story. How do you choose the right system, and how do you maximize its capabilities? Fundraising technology consultant Robert Weiner walks through 10 common mistakes that get in the way of selecting the right database—and using it properly.
