Tech4Good / Tech4Impact and Tech Tips
for Mission-Based Organizations
how to support my work &
this web site
"If the users
can't use it, it doesn't work
"If it doesn't work, the users can't use it"
This is my
technology philosophy.
When I first started my web site
back in 1996, it was focused on helping nonprofits use
computers and the Internet. The focus of my web site has
changed and expanded, and I'm much more focused on communications / public relations
and volunteer engagement
and international
development now, but my technology philosophy never has
changed.
My advice regarding computer and Internet use is focused on
cause-based / mission-based organizations (nonprofits,
non-governmental organizations or NGOs, public sector
organizations, civil society organizations, etc.), including
those working in and for developing countries. And it is based
on more than 25 years of work regarding #tech4good.
Employees and volunteers at cause-based / mission-based
organizations have to stretch existing resources a long, long
way, and they may not have the resources to hire a full-time
tech manager or even a short-term consultant, let alone
purchase specialized database software or send employees to
computer training. My tech-related advice is made with those
organizations with extremely limited resources primarily in
mind. And that means that some readers may find the
information too basic. But based on the emails I still
regularly receive and my own first-hand experience working
with nonprofit organizations, this basic tech-related
information fills in a lot of gaps left by various software
manuals and workshops and organizations that claim to be
trying to bridge the digital divide -- I provide basic
information that those groups think most people already
understand.
My advice is given in as much non-technical
terminology as possible, because tech jargon changes yearly -
maybe monthly. Also, my advice is focused more on the
human-side of technology use, more on the user of the
technology, rather than the tech itself. That's the reason the
advice remains rather timeless, in my opinion: tech trends
come and go, but the best practices for getting the most out
of networked technology largely stays the same.
In addition, I believe that: success in using technology
tools is driven by user attitude. Users who want to
reach out, to make people feel informed and involved, who are
committed to quality and timeliness, and who are ready to try
something even at the risk of making a mistake are the people
who flourish using technology. People who hate change, don't
like sharing information freely and continually, and don' like
involving others in their work are those that struggle with
technology. What's your attitude?
This advice comes from the many years I have spent using
computers and the Internet and working with volunteers in
tech-related projects, as well as reading articles whenever I
can. This advice is further enhanced by continued suggestions
posted to various online
discussion groups.
- A New Nonprofit's First
Online Steps (& some software tips as well)
You are leading a brand new nonprofit, charity, NGO or
other community group. You have the basics for your
program's existence in place: your board of directors,
your business plan covering what you want to achieve in
the first year and how you will do that, and you've filed,
or are filing, your by-laws and other paperwork with the
state and the IRS. But now, in addition to all of the
other things you need to do next, you also need to take
some first steps in terms of being online and what
software you need to buy. This web page can help you.
- Keeping Volunteer
Information Up-to-Date
Keeping track of volunteer information is a challenge. At
minimum, an organization has to keep track of volunteers'
up-to-date email address and phone number. Organizations
also need volunteers to report what they are doing as
volunteers and how many hours they are contributing --
each day, each week or each month. Having this information
for volunteers is vital to the sustainability of volunteer
involvement. This page offers suggestions on how to keep
volunteer information up-to-date, with the goal of getting
the information your organizatin needs with minimal effort
on your part.
- Finding a Computer/Network
Consultant
Staff at mission-based organizations (nonprofits, civil
society organizations, and public sector agencies) often
have to rely on consultants, either paid or volunteer, for
expertise in computer hardware, software and networks.
Staff may feel unable to understand, question nor
challenge whatever that consultant recommends. What can
mission-based organizations do to recruit the "right"
consultant for "tech" related issues, one that will not
make them feel out-of-the-loop or out-of-control when it
comes to tech-related discussions?
- One(-ish) Day
"Tech" Activities for Volunteers
Volunteers are getting together for intense, one-day
events, or events of just a few days, to build web pages,
to write code, to edit Wikipedia pages, and more. These
are gatherings of onsite volunteers, where everyone is in
one location, together, to do an online-related project in
one day, or a few days. It's a form of episodic
volunteering, because volunteers don't have to make an
ongoing commitment - they can come to the event,
contribute their services, and then leave and never
volunteer again. Because computers are involved, these
events are sometimes called hackathons, even if coding
isn't involved. This page provides advice on how to put
together a one-day event, or just-a-few-days-of activity,
for a group of tech volunteers onsite, working together,
for a nonprofit, non-governmental organization (NGO),
community-focused government program, school or other
mission-based organization - or association of such.
- Tech4Causes
An online community on Reddit - a subreddit - for the
discussion of examples, resources and ideas for applying
apps and online tools to activities supporting causes that
help humans and the environment. It's a place to discuss
hackathons / hacks4good, apps4good, community tech
centers, ICT4D, ethics regarding such, etc., and even
for-profit companies that have deveoped something
tech-related that is having an impact in developing
countries, microbusinesses, farmers, etc. It's also a
place to discuss how a nonprofit, NGO or community program
you work or volunteer with is leveraging ICT - computers,
smart phones, online communities, apps, special software -
to do its work. This is a subject I have been focused on
since the 1990s.
- Survey of software tools
used to track and manage volunteer information
With Rob
Jackson. Published online July 11, 2012. In March
and April 2012, Rob and I drafted a survey, in English,
regarding software used to manage volunteer information.
The purpose of the survey was to gather some basic data
that might help organizations that involve volunteers to
make better-informed decisions when choosing software, and
to help software designers to understand the needs of
those organizations. We also wanted to get a sense of what
organizations were thinking about volunteer management
software. We chose wording in our messaging that we hoped
would reach those who might not identify as volunteer
managers, but who do recruit and/or support volunteers,
such as fundraising staff, reception staff, office
managers, and volunteers themselves. Here
is a blog that summarizes the report.
- Advice on Choosing Volunteer
Management Software
Some of the most frequently-asked questions to me are
regarding volunteer management software: what's available,
how different packages compare with each other, the cost
of each, the features of each, and on and on. I used to
try to maintain such. For two decades I tried. But I've
given up. Instead, my page is now on how to identify what
features you need and how to evaluate software. How to
access the last version of the list I maintained is listed
on the page.
- Fundraising for
Technology
How to get a foundation or angel donor to buy laptops,
tablets or smart phones for a nonprofit or charity is a
frequently asked question on numerous online discussion
groups. Can it really be done? This resource offers
realistic advice.
- Web Development,
Maintenance, Marketing for non-Web designers
A step-by-step guide to web development and maintenance
for people who are NOT web designers or web masters, as
well as information on how to market your web site. If you
have to manage a web designer or web master, this section
of my web site is also for you.
- How To Successfully Move an
Online Discussion Group
Thinking of moving your online discussion group / online
community from one platform to another? Maybe the platform
you have used for years has become too expensive. Or maybe
that platform is going away altogether because the company
has decided to discontinue it (like what happened to
YahooGroups). Maybe the upgrade to the platform you have
been using is not at all to your liking. Or maybe you have
decided there is a better platform that will provide you
and your community with the features it needs. There are
upsides and downsides to moving an online community. How
can you move a community in a way that reduces the number
of community members you lose and so that you don't lose
valuable content from your community - knowledge acquired
over years that you want to continue to be readily
available? This guide can help. This is advice for content
managers / community managers (facilitators and
moderators), from a techy point of view but from a
how-to-guide-your-IT-department point-of-view.
- Using Whats App
or Similar Direct Messaging Apps in Volunteer Support
& Engagement
Includes examples, how to get started, and evaluating if
this is something you should explore.
The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook
by Jayne Cravens and Susan J. Ellis
available for purchase as a
paperback & an ebook
Completely revised and updated, &
includes lots more advice about microvolunteering!
Published January 2014.
- Lessons from NetAid and
onlinevolunteering.org
Some key learnings from directing the UN's Online
Volunteering service from February 2001 to February 2005,
including support materials for those using the service to
host online volunteers.
- Where to Find Online
Volunteering Opportunities
My work is focused mostly on nonprofits, government
agencies and other mission-based programs, but a lot of
individuals that want to volunteer contact me as well,
often about where to find online volunteering
opportunities. I created this page for anyone looking to
quickly get into virtual volunteering, whether it's a
long-term, high-responsibility commitment or a micro task.
I also have a list
of high-impact virtual volunteering ideas, for those
looking to do more than just completing some online tasks
for a nonprofit.
- Women's
Access to Public Internet Access in Transitional and
Developing Countries
Home and family obligations, lack of transportation,
low-literacy and perceived lack of value keep many women
and girls from accessing public Internet access points in
developing and transitional countries. But there's another
factor that is rarely talked about: in developing and
transitional countries in particular, many of these public
access points can be male-dominated, with mostly male
users and few -- or no -- female users, and for many
women, particularly women in developing countries, this
makes the public access point off-limits to them. This new
web page advocates for women-only Internet centers, or
women-only hours at such, and offers resources to support
such efforts. This page was born out of an online event / discussion on
TechSoup in 2003.
- United
Nations Tech4Good / ICT4D Initiatives
a list of the various United Nations initiatives that have
been launched since 2000 to promote the use of computers,
feature phones, smart phones and various networked devices
in development and humanitarian activities, to promote
digital literacy and equitable access to the "information
society," and to bridge the digital divide. My goal in
creating this page is to help researchers, as well as to
remind current UN initiatives that much work regarding
ICT4D has been done by various UN employees, consultants
and volunteers for more than 15 years (and perhaps
longer?).
- Advice for staffing a
community technology center
This is Chapter 4 from the August 14, 2000 version of the
Community Technology Center Start-Up Manual, published by
the Community Technology Center Network - CTCNet. While
community technology centers and community computer labs
have, for the most part, come and gone, these guidelines
are still quite valid and easy to adapt for any Tech4Good
/ tech capacity-building initiative, such as one at a
senior center, a youth community center, a library, even a
community of faith (church, temple, mosque, etc.).
- Defunct Tech4Good web sites, and
other sites, I still refer to
Organizations that are gone but I still use their old web
sites Defunct websites, or web sites of now defunct
organizations, still available on the Internet Wayback
Machine. Note that many of these URLs may still be
functional, but have long been taken over by other
companies, including porn sites. To see the original web
sites. cut and paste a URL into archive.org and look for
the earliest version of the web site. Most of these
started being abandoned in 2002.
- Using the Internet to
Share Your Adventure During Your Adventure
Advice on blogging, photo-sharing, tweeting, etc. while
you are traveling.
- Is Your Staff "Walking the
Talk" Re: Your Organization's Online Activities?
Mission-based organizations use the Internet in all sorts
of ways to interact with the public, or with staff and
volunteers abroad: for instance, online discussion groups,
an intranet where staff and volunteers can share profiles
about themselves and updates about their work with each
other, or an online service that is promoted as central to
the organization's mission and identity. But is your staff
showing leadership in using these online tools? If your
organization is to use technology successfully, all staff
must embrace it. Here are tips on how to encourage that. .
- Non-IT Staff Taking the
Lead on the Exploration of Technology Use
An IT professional is not always the best person to *lead*
at a mission-based organization regarding use of
information communications technologies (ICTs) to meet the
organization's mission and help staff members do their
jobs. Originally published in Tech4Impact.
- Introducing New Technology
Successfully into an Agency
and Why Your Agency Needs a Technology Plan
Many mission-based organizations invest considerable
resources in computer hardware, software and staff
training for computerized systems that then end up being
under-utilized and failing to live up to their vast
potential, because the staff had unrealistic expectations
for the technology, or they never bought in to the idea of
the technology in the first place. Many agencies also
don't create technology plans, and end up engaging in
crisis management that effects fund raising, staffing and
the agency's mission-based activities. This tip sheet
provides an overview of the reasons to computerize or
upgrade a system, the disadvantages and risks, getting
staff buy-in, and links to other resources.
- Early History of
Nonprofits & the Internet
The Internet has always been about people and
organizations networking with each other, sharing ideas
and comments, and collaborating online. It has always
been interactive and dynamic. And there were many
nonprofit organizations who "got" it early -- earlier than
many for-profit companies. So I've attempted to set the
record straight: I've prepared a web page that talks about
the early history of
nonprofits and the Internet. It focuses on 1995 and
previous years. It talks a little about what nonprofits
were using the cyberspace for as well at that time and
lists the names of key people and organizations who helped
get nonprofit organizations using the Internet in
substantial numbers in 1995 and before. Edits and
additions are welcomed.
- Overview of Databases
- Database Terms
- "Flat" and Relational Databases
- How Databases Are Joined
- Shopping for Database Software?
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Stages of Maturity
in Nonprofit Orgs Using Online Services
What does a networking technology-savvy nonprofit
organization look like? To help nonprofits think about
networking tech standards they should pursue, and possible
goals for the future, I've created this assessment of the
states of maturity for a nonprofit organization's use of
networking/online technologies.
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Basic Customer Database
Principles
The very first tech or nonprofit advice I ever published
on the Internet. It started as a post on the USENET
newsgroup soc.org.nonprofit:
What information should you track about donors,
volunteers, clients, community members, potential
audiences, etc? Who should be in charge of the database?
What about security members? Should you delete people off
of your database? This is basic information about database
management for cause-based / mission-based organizations,
presented in as non-technical terms as possible, and
written so that it doesn't matter what software you use -
the principles still apply.
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Customer Database Regular
Maintenance
A database is only as valuable as the quality of
information in it. How do you maintain that quality in the
data you are gathering?
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Importing Information Into a
Database
Just because your fund raising consultant uses a Macintosh
and you have an IBM clone, or just because she uses one
kind of database program and you use another, doesn't mean
you can't import information from her database -- or just
about any other database -- into your own.
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Resources For Users of Older
Computers
Mission-based organizations, particularly small ones,
often don't have the option to buy or to upgrade their
computers to the latest and greatest toys on the market.
Heck, neither do a lot individuals! Plus, there are those
of us who find the constant upgrading and discarding of
computers extremely wasteful and unnecessary. Even in the
new millennium, you CAN get a lot out of such older
computer systems -- you can surf the Internet, send and
receive e-mail, create databases, do desktop publishing,
etc. This tip sheet will show you that a lot can be done
with just a little technology, and where to find resources
for your older computer. LOTS of links to other resources
as well.
This web page is no longer
updated.
- I love my lime iBook
Read how I walk my talk regarding using
old hardware and software, showing that it has a
much, much longer shelf life than the media and many
others will admit. And, I hope, this
page can help others using "older" computer tech to
get more speed and power from such.
- Free Help With Databases &
Software
Free templates and online advice are harder and harder to
find on the web, particularly for nonprofit organizations.
This page documents some of the very few left online.
This web page is no longer
updated.
- Using a Cell Phone or
Feature Phone as a Smart Phone
Though it may be hard for those of you have smart phones
to believe, not everyone has a smart phone. Millions of
people simply cannot afford a smart phone. Some of them
use a simple cell phone, with very limited capabilities:
the ability to make and receive phone calls and text
messages. Some people have something that's more than a
cell phone but less than a smart phone: they have a feature
phone, which has some web browsing capabilities. Can
you use a simple cell phone or a feature phone as a smart
phone? Yes! There are several free online tools that can
help you use whatever phone you have interact with various
Internet tools and help your phone be something more than
for making phone calls. This
web page is no longer updated.
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