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Adding visuals to a phone conference can make a big difference - perhaps by showing a document, software application or slides. Or maybe you want to conduct a more formal online seminar-sometimes called a Webinar. There are a number of affordable software packages that can help. We talked to five nonprofit professionals about the tools that have worked for them.

Tableau is desktop-based data visualization software used by many large companies and media properties to create sophisticated visual representations of large datasets. They have now released Tableau Public, a free web-based tool that allows users to create and share interactive charts. The catch is that there is no ability to create private visualizations - all data that you upload to the Tableau Public site is publicly accessible to anyone on the web, and anyone can download the workbook (and underlying data) that you are displaying. The site has active forums, and is full of helpful information for people trying to get a handle on data visualization best practices.

Free, but data becomes public

Screenstream(www.nchsoftware.com/screen/). Free for anyone to use, Screenstream allows Windows PC presenters to share their desktop with participants on PCs, Macs or Linux, who view the desktop through a browser with no install required.

Shared by Chris

It's a free poll and survey service. You can embed their tools on your classroom website and this brings interest to your site.

"Easy-to-use graphic organizer with lots of templates help you organize, visualize, plan, create and share graphic organizers and diagrams."

Yugma provides desktop sharing, chat and white-boarding. It also supports VOIP conferencing, including a feature that integrates seminars with Skype calls. Presenters can use PC, Macs or Linux. Participants can use almost any system or browser by downloading a Java applet. A free, limited-functionality version allows up to 10 people to participate; more feature-rich versions start at about $200 per year for up to 20 people

While focused more on desktop support situations, TeamViewer allows presenters to share PC or Mac desktops with participants on PCs or Macs. Both presenters and viewers must download and install an application-making it more appropriate for internal teams than more public situations. A free version of the tool is available for private use; otherwise it starts at about $250 for six months.

"The Center for Academic Technology is a university resource center with the focus on supporting faculty in the effective use of technology in the classroom. The Center is faculty-driven in a setting that is sensitive to all technology comfort levels. We partner with faculty to seek out and integrate appropriate technologies. Acting on suggestions from faculty, we have outfitted the center with a variety of software, equipment, and training resources. The greatest of these resources are the Academic Technology Specialists who provide expertise and leadership and are committed to supporting and promoting all academic departments in the use of technologies for teaching and learning at Regis University."