Posts about Nonprofit Technology
Nonprofit Technology includes articles on innovative uses of web campaigns, nonprofit software and integration across advocacy, social networks and fundraising; mobile/cell phone and texting/SMS activism; and Second Life and organizing in virtual worlds.
Sexism is bigger than any one person; it’s a system in which our entire society is enmeshed. Too often, such systematic discrimination as treated as discrete, individual acts, disconnected from the larger reality. What too many men miss is the reality that the system under which they face such inhumane expectations is the same one that limits the potential of women. This exists in the technology and nonprofit tech communities no less than the rest of society — and has to be faced in a systematic way, not simply by counting the number of women on a tech panel.
The subtitle of this workshop could be, “Social change has always relied on social networks — they just weren’t called Facebook.” I’m going to be talking concretely about the strategy of using online tools for social change. This won’t be an ain’t-it-cool presentation of shiny technology, nor will it be a technical exploration of complicated software. It will be an interactive how-to on making social change work more effective by using online social technology.
Soapblox helps set up hosting and put a friendly face on a somewhat complicated piece of software. But there are hundreds of people working on DrupalDrupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) used for many complex nonprofit sites. Other examples of CMSes include WordPress, Joomla! and Plone. that aren’t in any way connected to open-source hosts Bryght, Acquia or May First — and that’s something that all of their customers benefit from: new features, continually-upgraded plugins and security fixes. Even if Bryght/Acquia/May First went out of business tomorrow, virtually all of its customers could find another vendor to take their system completely intact and get them up and running in an hour or two.
Some really incredible presentations here at the NetSquared conference, both from featured projects and individual speakers. Seth Horwitz and I are busily collecting information for next Tuesday’s Philly NetSquared event.
The NetSquared Year Three conference has gotten off to a great start: nonprofit staffers, activists, techies and funders gathering to talk about — and award some money to — using technology for social change.
Some nonprofits, older and more institutionalized, are wary of giving their members “control” of their “message” in the realm of social networks and social media. Mostly, I think that’s nothing more than a fear of losing power. When you think you know how to change the world, it can be hard for some people to want to involve others — or give anyone else the credit. What’s interesting here is that there’s a significant ability for activists to self-organize. The message to nonprofits from the past few years seems pretty clear: Stand in our way, and we’ll just go around you.
In return for NetSquaredNetSquared is an organization “remixing the web for social change” by bringing together nonprofits, activists, techies, social entrepreneurs and funders. These articles deal with using social technology for social change.’s generosity, I wanted to post some tips for nonprofits thinking about using DrupalDrupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) used for many complex nonprofit sites. Other examples of CMSes include WordPress, Joomla! and Plone. for their sites — when to use it and when not to use it, as well as a few useful tidbits from a recent workshop.
Idealware “provides candid Consumer Reports–style
reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits. Through
product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news,
Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will
help them be more effective.”
Nonprofit technology and software for techies, “accidental techies” and nonprofit executives alike, from Deborah Elizabeth Finn.
Michelle Murrain’s perspectives on nonprofit technology, with a specific focus on open-source software.
