Press Release: Dallas-based CRM provider MPower Systems announced last week that it’s moving to an open source software model, making its solution available to all nonprofits without license fees. Additionally, users will have access to MPower’s source code so they can develop features and functionality to meet their organizations’ individual requirements, as needs arise. To download and begin using MPower, visit www.mpoweropen.com.
We’ve all heard stories about the man who traded a paper clip for a house, watched as Prince generated an untold amount of publicity for his work by threatening to sue a dancing baby on YouTube for copyright infringement, and laughed when the “Leave Britney Alone!” video grabbed mainstream media attention and caused even more interest in Britney Spears’ antics — just in time for her new album release. Now business-to-business marketers — and, increasingly, nonprofit organizations — are going viral too. When you look at some of these high-flying, over-the-top tactics that generate tons of buzz, you begin to ask yourself: “What
This year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference taking place in New Orleans March 19-21 will be FundRaising Success’ first. And we’re very excited about it. Sure, that’s partly because of the location. But more so because we’re really turned on by and tuned in to the implications that new and still-emerging technologies will have for the fundraising sector. Or at least we’re trying to stay tuned in. It’s not always easy given the pace of innovation in the area. All the more reason for us — and you — to be there. The theme this year is “Building Community: Connections Around the Globe and Around the
With just the click of a mouse, shoppers can buy nearly any product online — from groceries to cars, from insurance policies to home loans. And potential donors can form intimate relationships with the nonprofit organizations of their choices — getting information, registering for events and responding to other calls to action, and, ultimately, making donations or, better yet, signing up for automatically deducted monthly giving programs.
Is your organization considering setting up a profile on a social-networking site? Are you wondering what tasks are involved, how much time it will take, and how you might streamline your efforts? Maybe your organization has established a presence on MySpace and is now contemplating adding one to Facebook. Perhaps you’re wondering how you can juggle multiple profiles and still have time left to do other work. As more and more organizations jump on the social-networking bandwagon, people are seeking ways to make the time spent on these tools as efficient and fruitful as possible. I recently surveyed several nonprofit professionals and social-networking mavens
For a list of social-networking blogs and other resources, check out Beth Kanter’s Social-Networking Resources Wiki.
Spring — which, believe it or not, really is coming soon — is an exciting time. People emerge from hibernation, outdoor activities are on the rise, and nonprofits tap into the renewed energy of their staff, donors, and volunteers. And for those organizations that rely on special events for funding, it’s either the final countdown or full-blown planning for fall. Online components to special events are becoming the norm. From managing an auction online and encouraging personal fundraising pages, to joining the virtual community of Second Life and posting video highlights from your cow patty bingo fundraiser on your organization’s Web site (or
With Web 2.0, as with all emerging technologies, there is a fine balance with what to use, what to lose and where to start. What is clear though, is that nonprofits need to embrace these technologies to take themselves to the next level. I recently had the opportunity to participate in an event hosted by a forward-thinking nonprofit organization that invited its technology partners to an open discussion about Internet trends in the nonprofit industry. As I prepared for the discussion, I jotted down four key concepts every nonprofit should embrace when thinking about where technology and
Everyone had to be wondering the same thing I was wondering as we sat in a room at the JW Marriott Hotel toward the end of the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s 2008 Washington Nonprofit Conference in Washington, D.C., last week: How is Tom Gaffny going to pull off a session titled “‘E’ Is for Engagement: 65 Organizations, A Case Study”? I pictured the executive vice president of fundraising for Epsilon in a cowboy hat, scatting into a microphone like the auctioneer at a livestock sale. (I guess I was the only one who went that far, but like I said, the conference was winding down.)
[Editor’s Note: This article first apperared on NPAdvisors.com and outlines ideas presented to New Orleans-area nonprofits after Hurricane Katrina. Though born of a specific disaster, they also offer sound advice for any small nonprofit looking to find a place for the Web in its fundraising efforts.] Think cheap and quick. There are plenty of free Web tools out there, but don’t use any that take too long to learn. … Many large nonprofits need to “have” a Web site. A small nonprofit with no budget, no tech staff, who is literally digging itself out of the mud needs to only “do” online what produces
