Group items tagged

Simple use by New York city of QR codes on building permits to provide links to additional information. 

Wow. Just think, I didn't even know what QR codes were a few weeks ago. I really see them blooming in the next few years (Ha!Bloomberg/ Blooming!). I scanned one from a Meijers grocery coupon and got a 10 second commercial sent back to me.

Very progressive! Excellent use for that specific labeling technology --- especially in a high density population area where a construction project could be a big hassle. This would make it easy for the public passerby to find out more about it, and perhaps a target completion date. Plus, you are certain the contractor has a legal permit from the city of New York for the work they are doing.

This article covers donor database implementation for a non-profit. Giftworks was endorsed for ease of use. Administrators are happier with a more customized solution when its possible. Microsoft Access was criticized because it seems less directed toward the non-profit sector. It was interesting to note that the competition for donor dollars is increasing. A highly integrated database clearly outperforms segmented data. The online database with a trained rep might be the best choice of all.

No matter how amazing your website looks, it won't produce results unless you have a solid content strategy. A content strategy is nothing more than a plan for how you'll create a conversation around your cause.

A website, www.protectyourtexasborder.com, launched March 3rd, which was originally intended to be a forum for farmers, ranchers, and other border dwellers to discuss border violence spawned by illegal immigrants and drug smugglers, has "turned into a political hot potato". It has spawned some senators to call for its removal because it "exaggerates the problem" faced on the borders. U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, has spearheaded the campaign for its removal, citing it as a waste of tax payer dollars as well as breeding hate speech and other such things.

""There's way too much made of a couple of acquisitions to make our market seem uncompetitive," said Gene Austin, CEO of Convio in Austin, Texas. "We are all competing in a very healthy way, in a way that fosters innovation and better things for the clients," he said. He pointed to as examples Kintera and Blackbaud, as well as other "small yet emerging organizations that will also bring innovation and competition to the marketplace."

Consolidation in the sector will continue to some degree as the firms move toward Software as a Service (SaaS). Major mergers will dictate the direction of cloud computing...

A link to a weekly quiz to gather opinions about issues going on around the world. A cool example of how easily globalization can happen with the use of the internet. A short time ago people didn't know what was going on around the world, now they can gain information and contribute to discussion!

This is a website that I found off of the GVSU library database collection. You can use this to look up a foundation or nonprofit. There are many different search categories too. For example, you could look up all of the foundations in Michigan, but then narrow your search to a city like Grand Rapids, or a county like Kent.

This article explains how a database helps your organization save more then just money. Databases bring potential fundraising and more program control. It will alow your organization to grow and is a great way for communication. So a database is more then just saving on money and paper.

The shared IP is a good affordable choice... Nexcess.net was mentioned but there certainly others that would offer a comparable cost of 135.00 per year. You do have to shop wisely and avoid pitfalls in certain offers. Typically there is cost overruns when a certain amount of traffic is achieved. It would be imperative to understand what your anticipated traffic is and exactly how much you could afford. Some of these plans are designed to pigeon-hole the consumer. It would be considered a good problem to need a higher traffic plan at 270.00 because the investment should return much more than cost.

Clover is a small business web design site that offer a website some money, very good news.

This is a survey using information from 238 non profit organizations in seattle. I found it easy to read and interpret. It's a great snapshot of IT use and needs by non profits in a US city.

There is a Tech for Good contest for nonprofits to show how they are using Microsoft software to do good and Microsoft is donating $5000 in cash/up to $100,000 in new software to the winner.

Microsoft hosts a conference called Tech for Good Contest, where eligable nonprofits prove why they deserve the donated money anywhere from 5 to 100 thousand dollars worth of Microsoft software. Along with it they will receive consulting from the organization teaming up with Microsoft, NPower Seattle.

Microsoft is holding a contest for nonprofits to win money through use of technology and holding a technology seminar for non profits next month

Open APIs (application programming interfaces) are VERY important to look for when considering cloud-based solutions. Think about the implications for nonprofits selecting an online solution... would you want one with an API or not? (BTW... take a look at the APIs for both Google Apps online and Microsoft Office365 online. Let me know what you find.)

This is the video I showed during the 1/31 class re: APIs. (Cards vs. Candyland)

Email marketing is CHEAP and EFFECTIVE means to marketing in a nonprofit but there is a wrong way to do it. This article outlines the importance of not upsetting people with SPAM. A targeted, restrained outreach is more effective in the long run.

This is a good example of what we descussed in class a couple of weeks ago regarding a cooperation of both private and public health organizations.

Part 2 of a Website Health Check.  Worth a look as a quick way to identify possible improvements to an organization's website.

With over 500 million users, Facebook is the undisputed king of social media. Many users are now turning to Facebook first to learn about businesses and organizations. So, how can a non-profit make the most of Facebook?

A detailed list of things non-profits can do to improve the way they use facebook. I'm sure it is surprising for organizations to find out how much work is truly involved in keeping a social media account up to date and relevant.

This is a blog from the president of Yele Haiti. He is updating the general public on the success of the organization and things that may need a little more work. This is a great way to visualize how technology has affected the world of non- profit.

A promising report on a potential reduction in spam traffic. I'm very under impressed on any supposed actions to reduce spam so far. My opinion is that email boxes are exactly backwards because every company believes it is an imperative function. No, I believe every email should require a pre-authorization which big business will fight to the end.... This strikes me as politically motivated