Teaming for Technology Colorado

Last week the T4T team had the opportunity to attend the annual Nonprofit Technology Conference sponsored by NTEN. Held in New Orleans, the conference brought together over one thousand nonprofit IT professionals, including many "accidental techies" like myself. From David Pogue's opening talk to the discussion led by Editor-in-Chief of LouisianaRebuilds to the myriad breakout sessions over two full days, one thing was very clear: nonprofits need technology.

Whether it is a database that replaces the index cards used to track clients or the newly acquired ability to donate to an organization online, technology can exponentially increase a nonprofit's efficiency and effectiveness. Now, this isn't to say that every 501(c)3 organization needs a blog, a twitter feed and a MySpace page, but keeping up with technology does help you keep up with your clients, your donors, your volunteers and perhaps most importantly, your future constituents. With this in mind, here are a few new (or new to many of us) technologies your nonprofit might find beneficial:

• A blog: Short for web log, a blog is basically an online outlet for people to express themselves. Blogs can be public or private and represent an individual, a group, a cause, you name it. Consider creating a blog for your organization if you have an active group of constituents that enjoy virtual communication. You can post upcoming events, allow volunteers to communicate directly with one another, and engage constituents in varying geographic locations. Need more ideas? Check out NetSquared's article "10 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Blogs" or visit Urban Sprouts for an example of a successful nonprofit blog.
• Change.org: Change.org is an online service that aims to connect people who care about the same issues, engage nonprofit organizations, and allow users to make donations and take actions. Change.org accounts can also be linked to individual and group accounts on Facebook. Curious? Visit T4T on Change.org.
• GoodSearch: Now here's an easy one. How often do you search the web? Multiply that by the number of times all of your constituents search the web and you could actually be raising money. Yahoo!-powered GoodSearch donates 50 percent of its revenue to the nonprofits designated by its users. Sign up with GoodSearch and start earning money for your nonprofit today (or search on behalf of T4T).
• Skype: This innovative technology allows individuals to make a receive phone calls from anywhere in the world via a computer, absolutely free (calls to landlines and cell phones charge a small fee). Skype can also be used for conference calls, video conferencing and instant messaging. This tool is a must-have if you work with colleagues or supporters overseas--or at least farther away than the cubicle down the hall.
• Flickr: An online photo-sharing site that allows users to upload and share their photos with friends, family and the general public. You can show constituents--and potential constituents--who you are serving, what you are accomplishing, and who is involved. As online social networking guru Beth Kanter says, "Flickr creates an environment where people come together to share their interests around photos." Want to learn more? Read Beth's article "How Nonprofits Can Get the Most out of Flickr."

The T4T team brought home lots of great ideas from the NTC that we are excited to share with you. Stay tuned for more T4T take-aways from the NTC in next month's e-newsletter.