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5 steps to getting buy-in

Nonprofits that are just embarking on a voyage into the brave new world of technology may find themselves reaping huge benefits down the road.

That road may be bumpy, however, especially if they do not prepare properly for what they are undertaking. Knowledge of what is entailed and what to expect can be extremely helpful.

At a recent nonprofit technology conference, some of the necessary steps to get started were aired. Among the items to remember:

Prepare for change. This means building a technology team that is empowered, institutionalized, representative and responsible and involving and updating staff throughout the entire process.
Understand the challenges you face. Who will take ownership of the technology? Is there resistance to change? Are the key decision-makers on board? Does this align with organization goals?
Map out what you have. Look at what tasks staff perform. Assess staff proficiency with technology. Review individual, departmental and organizational goals. Look at existing frustrations and existing technology.
Know who is going to make the final decision. Get them involved.
Understand hidden costs. This includes cost of staff time, cost of supporting the technology (it will not work perfectly and will not run itself) and cost of training versus cost of learning.

Collaboration For An “Open” Sector

Nonprofit organizations occasionally find it helpful to collaborate on individual projects or long-range ventures. This kind of collaboration can also be stretched to include technology or computer-related matters.

With that in mind, attendees at a recent national conference on nonprofit technology learned several collaboration terms that may be helpful for any organization involved in collaborative efforts.

API (Application Programming Interface). When a project is built, developers allow certain functions to be used by others, so the project can be extended and customized.
Open Source. A solution or application that is distributed, usually for free, along with the programming code that it is made of. This allows others to change the project for their own needs.
Open Source Development Model. Open Source software is usually built by different people, either alone or in groups, in different areas and with different setups and different goals. By listing projects they can work together.
Open Content. Making content freely available to redistribute, including writing, images or other content. Usually requires including credit for the author.
RSS (Real Simple Syndication). An XML based standard that lets a site provide a feed of content. Can be viewed to an RSS reader or fed to other sites.
SOAP (Service-Oriented Architecture Pattern). An API exposed for use by other applications on the Internet. In practice, it means one site can automatically call a function on another.

Punch up your PowerPoint presentations

     Anyone who has to give lots of presentations (or has to sit through them) is well aware of the popularity of Microsoft’s PowerPoint software. That very popularity and ease-of-use is what makes audiences groan when you boot up your laptop to make a presentation. Because most users incorporate one of the built-in designs, one PowerPoint presentation looks very much like another.
     There are a number of software add-ins that can really punch up your PowerPoint presentations. These make your presentation stand out, and really capture attention.
     One solution is VoxProxy (www.voxproxy.com). Priced at $199, it’s not inexpensive, but it gives your PowerPoint presentations a unique feel. VoxProxy incorporates Microsoft’s Agent technology to let you insert programmable animated talking characters into your presentations. Agent technology is what Microsoft uses in its Office applications to present help characters like the animated paper clip (Clippy) or friendly puppy.
     VoxProxy comes with 17 characters and you can purchase others or even download free characters from the Web. The voices included with the product are a bit robotic sounding, but you can use your own voice, or purchase AT & T’s TrueVoice if you want more realistic sounding characters.
     VoxProxy lets your characters move around the slides, make things appear and disappear, or even appear to hold a conversation with you as you make your presentation. Using VoxProxy requires that write simply scripts, but these aren’t hard to do. You can even create self-booting CDs incorporating your presentation.
     Another very cool tool is the $99 Ovation add-in from Serious Magic (www.seriousmagic.com). Ovation takes your PowerPoints way beyond the typical bottled boilerplate, with templates that incorporate motion, high-resolution text, and moving semi-transparent moving text in the background.
     Ovation still lets you use bullet points, but they move into the foreground and become emphasized as you cover them, retreating into the background as you move on to the next. Serious Magic built in some useful features for the presenter as well, including a teleprompter-like script that only you see, as well as timer, so you know how much longer you have.
     Software isn’t the only solution for tired PowerPoints. The Microsoft Press book, Beyond Bullet Points, by Cliff Atkinson, is a classroom in a book on enhancing presentations by the creative use of PowerPoint. Serious Magic includes several chapters of this terrific tome in the box with Ovation. You can also get some excellent free tips and downloads from Atkinson’s web site (www.sociablemedia.com).

HOW FAST IS YOUR BROADBAND?

     All broadband suppliers like to brag about their speed. But if you look at what they are claiming, a lot of the time, you see the wiggle words “up to” or “as fast as” in the marketing materials.
     If your service doesn’t seem as fast as it should be, there are reasons why. It simply might not be what you expect. DSL (digital subscriber line) service is very sensitive to the distance from you to the place where the telephone company’s switch is located, called the Central Office or CO. DSL has a maximum service range of between 15,000 and 18,000 feet. At that distance, you’ll be lucky to see a data transfer rate of 300-400Kbps.
     Cable modems theoretically are not affected by the distance between the cable head (main office equipment) and your location. The data transfer rate, however, is often dependent on how many customers are sharing the same cable simultaneously.
     If you think that you’re not getting the speed that was promised, it isn’t hard to double check. Most broadband services offer a speed check button somewhere on the site. But, you don’t have to take the vendor’s word for your connection and transfer speed.
     A good broadband resource is www.dslreports.com. On this site you can test your up and download speed, and for DSL, find out just how far you are from the CO your location. If you are at the edge of DSL availability, more than 12,000 feet, you might need to switch to cable to get better Internet speed.
     An even more comprehensive set of tests is available using the download from www.broadbandspeedtest.org. This utility, Dan Elwell’s Broadband Speed Test, conducts up to 38 separate down and upload tests and presents the results in tabular or graphic format. The base utility is free, but for an $18 payment, you get enhanced utility, including the ability to schedule tests at different times.
     Don’t rely on the results of a single test. But if your testing shows slower than expected broadband, you might want to look to see if you have one or more heavy users on your staff, or put some hard questions to your broadband provider.

Making information technology work for you

New information technology is changing the way nonprofits operate. Much of the technology can seem overwhelming to staff and volunteers, but organizations need to set realistic goals in how each is going to equip itself and utilize technology to achieve its goals.

The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management, Second Edition, by Smith Bucklin & Associates, Inc., states that the evaluation of how well your technology system is working is simple. Simply ask yourself, is it meeting the needs for which it was intended?

Begin with a carefully conceived strategic and operational plans. Consult with both staff and outside experts. Be clear, yet flexible, to accommodate changing technology. Move consistently into the future without extreme leaps forward. Have goals and timelines in place with demonstrated milestones. Be prepared to change as different systems become available.
Start with the simplest system that will meet your needs and then build on it. It will eventually become more complex but as it grows, your users and staff will grow along with it. Training and professional development of staff and hardware and software additions and upgrades are very important to the overall care of your system.
Make intelligent use of technologies including voice mail, email and Web sites. All organizations should have some type of Web presence. Consult outside experts and consider the use of an Internet Service Provider to manage the technical requirements of your site.
Enjoy the new technology. With increased efficiency and productivity take time to enjoy the labor saved, the increase in output, and the added creative possibilities. Give your staff freedom to explore new ways of doing business.

Use a shredder to protect your data

     With all of the fuss being made about identity theft and data falling into the wrong hands, it’s surprising how many organizations still aren’t taking the most basic security with their vulnerable information.
   How many times have you simply tossed a financial report or a CD or DVD containing information that you really wouldn’t like to see get out?
     While visions of accounting firms and huge multi-national companies feeding tons of paper through shredders is almost idiomatic, using a shredder to destroy paper printouts is good basic security. There are special shredders made to destroy or deface optical discs, and rendering any optical disc that’s no longer current or being used as unreadable is also just good basic security.
     Alera Technologies (www.aleratech.com) has a variety of inexpensive disc shredders, including a $50 unit that doesn’t actually physically destroy the optical disc but just scores it badly enough so that there is no chance that it will be readable.
     In purchasing a shredder, make sure that the unit you choose can handle a decent amount of papers, and that it won’t be damaged if you forget to remove a staple or paper clip. There are plenty of $29 shredder models, but they aren’t usually a good value for office use.
     A good one is the $99 model that Staples markets under its own label as the SPL-1524CP. This model has a slot for up to 24 sheets of paper, and a separate slot for optical discs and credit cards. The discs and cards are chopped up so that they can’t be reconstituted. Similar models are available from other vendors as well.
     To assure that these shredders actually get used, buy several and install them in convenient locations around the office. Encourage your staff to bring in their personal documents and junk mail offerings and use the office shredders to destroy them. It will generate some additional refuse to be gotten rid of, but will get your office staff use to frequently shredding anything that might be sensitive or used for identity theft.

Is it time to replace your office printers?

If your office printers are more than a couple of years old, you might want to think about replacing them. While many office printers have useable lifetimes of up to 10 years or more, it’s not always easier on your budget to continue using them that long.

The problem arises from the fact that mechanical wear-and-tear eventually do take a toll. Even with laser printers where you replace both the toner and photoconductor with each cartridge change, other parts, including the fuser mechanism, wear down as thousands of pages are printed. With inkjet printers, the carriage transport mechanism, which moves the print head and toner cartridges across the paper to print, also experience significant wear over time.

The result is a printer that still produces output, but the quality of output declines over time. This decline is subtle, but if you compare a letter printed on a five-year-old printer to one which was just put into service, you are likely to see the difference.

For some applications, including output that will be used solely inside your office, this reduced print quality is not likely to become an issue. For output that will be seen outside the office, it may make sense to present a cleaner and crisper image.

With even laser printers available for way less than $100, it pays to make sure that any output that will be seen by outsiders looks good. Old printers can be relegated to strictly internal tasks, or donated to a school.

USING DRAFT MODE ON YOUR PRINTERS

     Most users, if they even think about setting or adjusting the different print modes on most inkjet or laser printers, use either the Normal or Presentation/Best modes to perform all of their printing.
     While it’s true that these two modes do provide the crispest and clearest print output, they also use the most ink or toner. Still, if the document is going to be sent to a donor or other individual where you need to make the best impression, the ink and toner is well spent.
     For most day-to-day output that will be used within your office or organization, you can set the print quality to “Draft”. Yes, the output will generally be a bit light, but it will still be quite readable. Over the short-term, there will be little difference in either print quality or toner/ink usage. Over a ream of paper, however, the difference is significant. Using draft mode can save 10 percent or even as much as 20 percent of the toner or ink that would be used printing in “Normal” or “Best/Presentation” mode.
     On an ink cartridge that costs $40, saving 20 percent is equivalent to $8. On a $100 laser toner cartridge, it’s $20! With several printers in the office, those savings add up fast.

4 tips for considering new technology

“I’m in finance, so why do I have to worry about technology, too? Technology, software, and even phone systems -- what do these have to do with accounting?”

Everyone knows that nonprofit professionals -- especially finance staff -- wear many hats. The executive director must spend a majority of time “facing out” from the organization, typically working closely with the board, donors, and program officers.

Therefore, management of daily operations usually falls to the finance/accounting folks, whether they like it or not. They are left to wrestle with accounting and investing, as well as running day-to-day operations, which often includes making technology decisions.

According to Liz Marenakos, product line manager, Financial and Business Solutions at Blackbaud, Inc., the big questions -- what to buy, how much to buy, which providers to work with -- need thoughtful, careful answers. It’s easy to recall technology mistakes because they leave a lasting impression. For a nonprofit chief financial officer, one of the most difficult decisions is whether to make a significant investment in technology. But the reality is that an organization cannot achieve long-term financial growth without investing in technology, she said.

Here are four tips Marenakos suggests:

If new technology for your organization requires more staff time than it saves, don’t use it.
Training is critical to using technology effectively. Many nonprofits have powerful tools they can’t use because of insufficient training.
Don’t forget to evaluate the vendor’s customer service and technical support services, which can set one vendor above the rest. Seek out the top experts -- not the “discounted” service. (Nobody talks about finding “the hospital’s cheapest surgeon.”)
Investigate how long the technology vendor has been in business. Many software suppliers don’t stay in business for long. The longer the company has been in business, the better the odds it will still be around in 10 more years.

11 Computer Questions To Ask Your Staff

Organizations that are initiating or expanding the use of technology in their operations can often be hampered, or helped, by the familiarity of their staff with high-tech gadgetry.

At a recent conference on nonprofit technology, attendees learned that to maximize the benefit a computer system can bring, or to minimize the difficulties associated with such a move, a questionnaire of employees about their computer ability can help.

The questionnaire could ask:

Describe one or two major duties and responsibilities of your role.
What four specific tasks do you perform most often (not necessarily related to technology)?
Rank your computer skills ( e.g., novice, moderate, educated, advanced, expert).
How many hours a day do you spend working on a computer?
Which of these tasks would you like to do with technology to help you better fulfill your responsibilities? (This can include a wide variety of areas, such as communication, tracking and management, accounting, etc.)
What would you like to do that you can’t without computer equipment?
In what ways has technology made you more productive or effective, or made your job easier?
How many hours per month do you spend receiving help from co-workers to solve computer-related problems?
How many hours per month do you spend assisting others?
How much formal classroom training have you had on computers or related systems?
How much informal training have you had (e.g., studying a book, etc.)?

Have CD-Rs become passé?

Most of the personal computers sold these days are equipped with DVD burners either instead of CD-R/RW drives, or in addition to them. The next generation of optical storage, high-density DVD bumps up storage capacity from 700MB (for CD) and 4GB or 8GB (for single-layer/dual-layer DVD) to somewhere between 25GB and 45GB.

Does this mean that CDs are an obsolete media? Not really.

While the sales of dedicated CD-R/RW drives are continuing to decline, the sales of blank CDs remains strong. That’s because even dual-layer capable DVD burners are backwards compatible. They can also burn CD-Rs and CD-RWs.

As DVDs become the media of choice for many applications, because of their large capacity, they have also experience the economies of scale, dropping to the 25 cents a piece or less. CD-Rs, however, have become even less expensive, and are frequently available for about a dime each. At that price, you can afford to use them almost indiscriminately. Need to back up just a few files? Burn a CD. Want to share a photo? Burn another CD.

It’s very likely that this backwards compatibility will be maintained with the next generation of optical media. So for at least the foreseeable future, expect CDs to maintain the position of easy and affordable storage that floppy disks occupied for many years.

Is it time to upgrade monitors?

     Computer monitors seem to have an unlimited life. That’s an illusion, especially when dealing with a CRT-based (cathode ray tube) display. Because the image on a CRT is created by a beam of electrons manipulated numerous times across a phosphor-filled faceplate by complex electronics, there are lots of variables -- all of which need to fall exactly into place to keep the image crisp and sharp.
     The problem is that electronic component values start to shift the moment that the device is first plugged in and this shift continues throughout the life of the display. While it happens gradually, the electron beam drifts out of alignment with the red, green, and blue phosphors on the face of the CRT. This causes the display to gradually lose focus and become blurry. You probably don’t notice it, because it happens gradually, but it does happen with almost every CRT, and this loss of sharpness often results in eyestrain or even headaches.
     It is possible to re-align a CRT display, given the right tools and the know-how. This process is called convergence, and most users don’t have a clue of how to go about performing it. A better and simpler approach is just to replace the display with a new LCD-based flat-panel monitor.
     Now that they have become a lot more affordable, flat-panel LCDs not only look great on your desk, but never require convergence or focus adjustments. The reason for this is that these LCD displays produce an image differently. Each image element on the display, called a pixel, is physically fixed in place. It might go bad (a condition called a “stuck” or “dark” pixel), but it can’t shift from its place on the screen. The net result of this is an image that doesn’t lose sharpness over time as the electronics age. What you see the first time the display is powered up is what you get every time.

Putting Your Own "Stamp" on Things

   How many times have you had to waste an hour or more running out to the post office to buy postage? There’s also the hassle of cutting a check or raiding the petty cash box for payment.
     Point your browser to www.stamps.com. Approved by the U.S. Postal Service, this Internet-based company lets you print your own postage stamps in any denomination, and for the exact amount of postage needed.
     Stamps.com frequently runs special programs that supply a digital postage scale for very little cost, or even free.
     The program works like this. When you sign up, you are charged $15.95 a month and provided with software that lets your computer connect with Stamps.com’s secure servers. You purchase postage that resides in your account and which is automatically deducted as you print postage. You can replenish this postage account at any time using a credit card.
     Postage can be printed on envelopes, or special postage labels available from Stamps.com or in many office supplies stores. You can print any kind of postage including First Class, Priority Mail, Express Mail, or Parcel Post. Postage can be printed on any standard laser or dot matrix printer capable of 300 dpi output. You can also purchase a dedicated postage label printer and postage label stock.
     At the present time, Stamps.com only works with computers running the Windows operating system, which leaves most Mac users out. The necessary software can be downloaded from the Web site, and new users are given the first month’s service free and provided with a starter kit of supplies. There is no contract, so you can cancel at any time.
     When you consider what your time is worth, that $15.95 a month service fee is not much to gain the convenience of never again having to stand in a Post Office line.

DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND BY TECHNO TERMS

As nonprofit leaders navigate the ever-changing world of high technology, they find themselves encountering terms that can be arcane or confusing.

At a recent national conference on nonprofit technology, several words and terms were explained for the benefit of those unfamiliar with them.

Among the words:

RSS. A format for storing online information in a way that makes that information readable on different kinds of software.
Aggregation. Gathering information from multiple Web sites, typically via RSS.
Blog. Originally short for “weblog,” a Web page that contains entries in reverse chronological order. An easy way for people to maintain a constantly updated Web presence.
Blogroll. A list of recommended sites that appears in the sidebar of a blog.
Mashup. A Web service or software tool that combines two or more tools to create a whole new service.
Moblogging. Short for “mobile blogging,” refers to posting blog updates from remote or mobile equipment, such as a cell phone or camera phone.
Newsreader. A device that gathers the news from multiple blogs or news sites via RSS, allowing readers to access all their news from a single Web site or program.
RSS feeds. A constantly updated version of the site’s latest content, in a form that be read by a newsreader or aggregator.

Using checks generated by computer

The widespread availability of high-resolution graphics printers has allowed organizations to design and customize a wide variety of business forms, such as invoices and statements.

A new development has made check printing a possibility, with the benefit of avoiding huge bank fees. This new development is known as magnetic ink character recognition (MICR). It offers possibilities for streamlining, although it may not be the answer for everyone.

According to Ted Needleman, a technology consultant and columnist for The NonProfit Times, there are several considerations to keep in mind regarding MICR:

There is software that produces formatted MICR lines on blank safety stock. With an MICR toner cartridge in its laser printer, an organization can print checks as needed.
There are programs available that can generate checks with logos and even digitized signatures. Their cost run in the range of $100 to $200.
It may be possible to get by without having to purchase special MICR laser toner. Most larger banks have moved over to optical check readers that don't care if toner is magnetic or not. A bank manager can supply information about this.
MICR toner is not hard to find. Many office supply stores can order such toner, and information can be obtained at www.tonerfillkits.com
This technology is even available for some inkjets.
These MICR packages can be set up to work with a variety of software packages.

Technology …
High-Tech And High-Touch: How One Helps the Other

Times have changed. The new donors of today and the donors of tomorrow are far different than the donors many nonprofits have become accustomed to. These up and coming donors are tech savvy. They grew up with video games and the World Wide Web.

They are comfortable completing entire conversations and interactions via e-mail or text message. They instant message and talk on their mobile phone while browsing the Internet and reading up on the latest news.

According to Darryl Gordon, a vice president at Kintera in San Diego, this is a lifestyle not imagined or experienced by the typical baby boomer donor. But the baby boomer donors of today are going away.

Taking their place is the always connected and always accessible younger generation that has come of age in a fast-paced society. Nonprofits need to adapt their mentality to transform fundraising and communications strategies to high-touch strategies that incorporate high-tech.

Not only will society force this change, but the more commonplace technology becomes, the cheaper it becomes. Many organizations have already experienced the cost-effectiveness of e-mail campaigns and appeals.

The ability to accept and process donations online has saved many organizations administrative time. But as technology continues to evolve and alter the way constituents interact, nonprofits will be forced to more frequently utilize new and upcoming technology to communicate and engage their audience.

With the plethora of high-tech choices available today, nonprofits no longer have to worry about the costs associated with a high-tech, high-touch campaign or the fear of bombarding their constituents’ inboxes. Organizations can send a newsletter via e-mail, send a text, post updates on its social networking site, post a blog, send a podcast, and call the cell phone.

These choices enable nonprofit communicators to more frequently communicate with constituents, communicate via multiple mediums, and communicate in a manner that is accepted by recipients.

Technology has given nonprofits the ability to communicate and cultivate relationships with constituents in accordance with the way constituents communicate and cultivate their personal relationships — making technology an effective tool to build donor affinity and deepen donor relationships.

Make Techies The Decision-Makers

Information technology has a growing role in how nonprofits effectively do business. But the nonprofit techies -- whether you are the chief information officer or the only person that understands email -- need to be included in an organization’s decisions so technology effectively grows with the mission.

If you are the resident nonprofit techie, focus on these five areas of technology leadership developed by NPower Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia-based regional affiliate of the national NPower, which helps nonprofits use technology strategically:

Implement strategic technology planning. A strategic plan can help your organization budget and set technology goals that make decision making easier.
Develop a vision. Make sure that the organization’s goals and the technology work together to improve the missions. Look at each goal and determine whether technology can help the overall organization.
Build a team. You can’t do it on your own. Don’t just fix a problem – take time to teach people solutions so that they can handle it the next time. You may be the expert, but you shouldn’t be called every time a computer needs to be restarted. Try to enlist technology savvy volunteers to help whenever possible.
Communicate. Insist that all team members attend meetings. Bridge the gap between staff and the technology team by keeping everyone updated about what efforts you are making. Document when you try a new technology or change systems to track what’s working for the organization.

Role models. Reach out to other nonprofits and share information to benefit your organization by learning through others. Try to join a nonprofit technology network so you stay up-to-date on the newest practices.

You need a constituent relationship management plan.

Enough about me, what about you? Nonprofits should take a look into constituent relationship management (CRM) – focusing attention to your constituents’ needs and wants to make a donor-centric Web site.

Nora Isaac, senior manager for information technology at The ALS Association, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, says CRM online practices helps her chapter connect with people and families affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Keep these tips in mind when thinking about expanding your CRM:

Engage your donors in events. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter doesn’t just list walk-a-thons and other events for ALS happening in the coverage area. If you click on an event, donors can contribute to a team or create their own. There is also a thermometer marking contributions and a list of the top 10 amounts raised by teams to spark friendly competition.
Allow donors to make their mark. Your donors are used to everything being personalized to their needs – social networking sites, news feeds, credit card rewards and previous purchase searches. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter let’s donors continue the personalization by creating their own Web page in the Community of Hope section that is linked to the chapter’s site.

“We wanted every person who created a page to have the full functionality of managing that page. So they can basically design it fully, they can send emails to their friends, and can see who donated and how much,” said Isaac. “We found that even in the saddest of cases, when someone has passed, when they are making a page to honor that loved one, it’s important to them to see that people will support our organization.”

Communicate through donors. Try to include a Web site function that makes it easier for people to email your organization’s information to friends and family. Allow for e-newsletters to be emailed through the donor -- they might connect people to the organization that wouldn’t seek it out on their own.