New to Nonprofit Technology -- Here's a Brief Overview

My colleague Tom Cesarini and I did a brief seminar about nonprofit technology during USD's nonprofit innovation event last Friday. It was fun, but most likely overwhelming to people who are new to the nonprofit technology arena. (Here's a link to our brief presentation).

So I decided to write another brief overview, this one about Nonprofit Technology. This is great timing because I just wrote the chapter about nonprofit technology for Sage's new Handbook: Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations due out next spring.

Overall great nonprofit technology websites

• Tech Soup offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support.
• Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network is the membership organization of nonprofit technology professionals whose members share the common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively.
• NTEN has Affinity Groups groups.nten.org where anyone can post nonprofit technology questions, find technology consultants and learn great technology tips.
• My favorite groups are: 501techclub-sf@groups.nten.org (there are groups for practically every metropolitan area) nten-discuss@groups.nten.org & accidentaltechies@groups.nten.org. There are also groups about blogging, social media and other np tech topics.
• NPower a network of locally based nonprofit organizations that provide comprehensive, high-quality and affordable technology assistance to other nonprofit groups nationally.

Selecting hardware for your nonprofit

• Tech Soup's Healthy and Secure Computing Program Use this workbook to find steps and recommendations for creating a healthy and secure computing environment and establishing a sound technology infrastructure at your nonprofit.
• PC Magazine Computer Hardware, Software Reviews, Downloads, News and Opinions
  

Selecting software for your nonprofit

• Tech Soup Stock A site that provides donated software for your nonprofit organization
• Idealware provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits.
  
• Social Source Commons a place to share lists of software tools that you already use, gain knowledge and support, and discover new tools.
  
• Downloads.com Free Software
• The eNonprofit: A Guide to ASPs, Internet Services and Online Software
  

Web Presence & Using Technology to Fundraise

• General Technology Fundraising Resources Robert Weiner provides fundraising resource links about donor databases, e-mail marketing, newsletters, online fundraising, online privacy, social media, spam, technology planning and more.
  
• The 2008 Online Fundraising Survival Guide: 12 Winning Strategies to Survive and Thrive in a Down Economy
• Online Fundraising Handbook: Making the Most of the Web and E-mail to Raise More Money Online

Nonprofit Technology Events and Conferences

• Nonprofit Technology Conference The event to learn about nonprofit technology hardware, software, professional development and to connect with nonprofit techies.
  
• Penguin Day is a day long conferences where non-profit organizations explore the range of issues and options involved using Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS). The host of Penguin Day, Aspiration also organizes a variety of other nonprofit technology events including the Nonprofit Software Development Summit, Managing Technology Projects, eAdvocacy trainings and more.
  
• Netsquared is a two-day meeting that brings together the minds of unlikely allies from different professional fields including: leaders in philanthropy, corporate philanthropy, engineering, media and world-class innovators driving the development, distribution and use of social technologies for progressive change.
• Other Nonprofit Technology Events listed on Tech Soup's Website

Helpful Nonprofit Technology Books and Reports

• Accidental Techie: Supporting, Managing and Maximizing your Nonprofit's Technology by Sue Bennett
  
• Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders eds Katrin Verclas, Holly Ross, Allison Levine
  
• Nonprofits and Technology: Emerging Research for Usable Knowledge eds. Kevin Rafter and Michael Cortez.
  
• NTEN has a variety of reports available for download on their website My favorites are the IT Staffing Reports, and Nonprofit Social Network Survey
• Idealware and Tech Soup also have a variety of articles and reports available for download on their websites.
  

Social Media for your nonprofit

• An Overview of Social Media for Nonprofits presentation by Beth Dunn
• The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits: We are Media
• Social Media as a Fundraising tool presentation by Emily Davis
• How much time should nonprofits spend on Social Media? (Slide 18 & 19) presentation by Beth Kanter
  
• Return on Investment for Social Media blog post by Beth Kanter. Beth also writes about everything you ever wanted to know about Social Media on her blog.
• Using Social Media in Your Nonprofit: Overcoming Objections by Debra Askanase
• Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age book by Allison Fine.
  
• Blogs in the Nonprofit Sector: Should your nonprofit launch a blog? Overview by Nancy Schwartz
• The top nonprofit technology bloggers listed on twitter, these bloggers provide amazing technology tips and resources: John Kenyon, Michael Stein, Beth Kanter, Michelle Murrain, Laura Quinn, Rebecca Leaman, Allison Fine, Michele Martin, Peter Campbell, Holly Ross, Britt Bravo, Deborah Elizabeth Finn & NetSquared Blog (please forgive me if I forgot someone).
• 26 Charities and Nonprofits on Twitter
• A beginners guide to Facebook for Nonprofits by Wild Apricot

For the true techies

• Early History of Nonprofits and the Internet by Jayne Cravens

As a Caveat: I know many nonprofit techies read my blog, so if there are sites and resources I am missing please let me know and I will add those resources to this page. I am not going to delve into the nonprofit marketing arena on this post because I know my favorite nonprofit marketing consultants Kivi Miller, Katya Andresen & Nedra Weinreich would do a much better job at providing a brief overview of nonprofit marketing. :)