In this month's newsletter for nonprofits, we have searched the internet to bring you advice from experts on what technology skills are essential to the success of your organization. We also found great articles on some of those strategic technologies, including cloud computing and social media. We know it's also important to have the basics down. So we wanted to share some tech bits and bytes that you can use in your day-to-day work. Having the fundamentals, although often taken for granted, will help give your nonprofit the right foundation for success. So read on, and don't forget to tell us what you think.
BYTES
• Strategic Technologies Research and analyst firm Gartner issues an annual report on strategic software. How many of these technologies do you use in your nonprofit organisation? Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011 • Cloud Computing As one of the strategic technologies mentioned in the Gartner report, consider how cloud computing could assist your organisation. The Future of the Nonprofit Office: Working from Home v2.0 • Digital Storytelling If you aren't using video yet to tell your story, you're missing a great opportunity. Check out Microsoft's Movie Maker and read more about the ways nonprofits can use video to get stories out there. Windows Live Movie Maker 2011 Eight Tips for Telling Your Story Digitally Interested in reading these articles in another language? Try Bing Translator: www.microsofttranslator.com
LEARN
• Cloud Computing - Online Constituent Relationship Management Read about how nonprofit, Big Brothers Big Sisters, uses constituent relationship management (CRM) software, to manage their contacts. Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada • Training Roadmap At the same time as staying on top of the strategic technologies, it's important to maintain and upgrade your day-to-day skills. Here's a training roadmap that will help you with Microsoft Office products. For more information, click here. • Online Training And when you're ready for training, try these resources. For more information, click here. • Use of Social Media Amongst Colleagues The use of social media will only continue to grow, and sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook will become part of employees' every day jobs. Here's a tool that works with Microsoft Outlook that allows users to Tweet from Outlook. For more information, click here.
ATTEND
• NetSquared Do you want to get together with like-minded people to talk about technology for social change? Find out more about your local NetSquared meet-up. For more information, click here. Do you know about a technology-focused event in your area that would benefit your nonprofit peers? Let us know. Email us at rhqcam@microsoft.com
Everyone loves a good plan, and in this month's Tech4Good newsletter, we bring you some easy-to-understand information about technology planning for your nonprofit. Your organisation may not have a full time (or even part-time!) IT person, so you've probably played the role of "accidental techie" yourself. The resources we shared below focus on strategic IT planning. After reading them you just might be able to make some IT recommendations to your colleagues. Seriously.
• The Pyramid of IT Adoption An IT plan can help make the best use of technology. Your plan doesn't have to be complicated, but it should lay out clear priorities for the technology needs for your organisation. Start out by using the pyramid in this article to think about your current technology usage and how it could be improved. IT Planning for Nonprofits • Mapping out the Process So now what? Pulling together the right people and the right process is also an important next step as you build your plan. Nonprofit NPower shares their approach. Read more... Strategic Technology Planning • What's in it for Me? Australian nonprofit Infoxchange provides ICT audit and planning services. Leisure Networks availed of the Infoxchange service and shares the outcome in this case study. Read their case study here Interested in reading these articles in another language? Try Bing Translator: www.microsofttranslator.com
• Technology Planning for Nonprofits Microsoft recently spoke at the CIVICUS World Assembly with the Asian Development Bank and TechSoup Canada, focusing on the impact of technology for nonprofits. TechSoup Canada shared a wealth of online planning resources with the nonprofit conference attendees, which we want to share with you. These should help kick start your planning. Getting Started • What do we need? Wondering where to start when it comes to the technology you need? A software checklist is a good reference point. • Glossary of Technology Terms "But I don't even know what that term means?!" you might be asking yourself. If that's true, this glossary of ICT terms (information and communication technology) will serve you well. ICT Glossary • Microsoft's Language Portal Microsoft also offers a translation service for many of these terms in local language as well as language interface packs (LIPs), which are "skins" that sit on top of Microsoft Windows and Office and translate the content into local language. LIPs are available in 50 languages. Check them out. Microsoft Language Portal Microsoft Language Interface Packs • Bing Translate If you'd like to translate an article into another language, don't forget to take a look at Microsoft's translation service - Bing Translate. Microsoft Bing Translate
• Nonprofit Connection Days Get together with nonprofits in your community to learn about the latest and greatest technology for the sector by attending a Microsoft "Connection Day".
Upcoming dates: Tuesday, 8 November 2011 - Bacolod, Philippines Thursday, 10 November 2011 - Cebu, Philippines Coming soon: Connection Days in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. For more information contact Microsoft's Corporate Citizenship team. Do you know about a technology-focused event in your area that would benefit your nonprofit peers? Let us know. Email us at rhqcam@microsoft.com
What’s Happening
Do you accept donations online? According to a recent study published by researchers M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) from the US, online fundraising increased by 20 percent from 2010 to 2011. If the US market is anything to go by, nonprofit organizations around the world should take their cue from this trend and spend time thinking about their online fundraising strategy. Even if widespread Internet connectivity is a few years off in your country, laying the foundation now could set you up to be ahead of the curve when online donations become more popular. In this issue, we bring you research, cool tools and case studies that will help you capture those online donations.
Discover • Research on Online Advocacy, Fundraising & Social Media M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) released their sixth annual eNonprofit Benchmarks Study of what is working today in online advocacy, fundraising and social networking. The study is based on primary research with 44 participating nonprofits, including the American Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Planned Parenthood and the World Wildlife Fund. All of the nonprofits covered fall under the categories of environmental, international, human rights, wildlife, animal welfare and other causes. eNonprofit Benchmark Study & Infographic • Integrating Fundraising with Constitute Relationship Management (CRM) StratusLIVE® is a comprehensive nonprofit fundraising and donor management software solution developed on the Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM platform. This whitepaper and case study help bring to life the benefits of integrating fundraising solutions and CRM. StratusLive Whitepaper United Way Case Study • Tools for Fundraising on Social Media Socialbrite, a consultancy offering social tools for social change, shares information on cool tools for fundraising with social media. Fundraising Tools Interested in reading these articles in another language? Try Bing Translator: www.microsofttranslator.com
Learn
Friend-to-Friend Fundraising Enlist your supporters to fundraise for you. A number of online tools make it easy for staff, or anyone eager to help your organization, to set up individual donation pages to engage friends and family in a fundraiser. In this article, Idealware outlines expert advice on tools and best practices that make this fundraising technique work. Best Practices • Enabling International Donations Tech solution ammado connects nonprofits, companies and individuals dedicated to positive change. Their global donations and engagement platform allows nonprofits to accept donations from all around the world — in more than 75 currencies and through all major and many local payment methods. Accepting Worldwide Donations TechCrunch Article on ammado • Nitty Gritty of Online Donations This detailed Webinar, offered by Comodo and Techsoup, will outline exactly what’s required to make online fundraising a reality for your organization. Webinar: Make it Easy to Give: Taking Online Donations
Attend
• Microsoft Connection Days Get together with nonprofits in your community to learn about the latest and greatest technology for the sector by attending a Microsoft "Connection Day". Upcoming dates: Friday, June 15, 2012 - Seoul, Korea For more information, contact Microsoft's Corporate Citizenship team. • The International Computer Refurbishing Summits are coming to Asia-Pacific August 1 to 2 - Sydney, Australia August 6 to 7 - Singapore Bringing together industry-related individuals and businesses in the computer recycling and reuse fields, the conferences are a unique opportunity for refurbishers to come together to share best practices, learn from each other and discuss new developments in the industry. Click here to register for the Sydney event. Click here to register for the Singapore event.
For more information please contact the event organizer, Kelly Hepner at PCRR, Kelly@pcrr.com.
For more information PCRR, go here. Do you know about a technology-focused event in your area that would benefit your nonprofit peers? Let us know by emailing rhqcam@microsoft.com