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PublishDate:  January 2012            
January 2012

Software to Support Program Evaluation 

There's no one tool specific to program evaluation, but different types of software can help with the different parts of the process. In this article, we explore some of the tools out there that can help you make sense of the data you’ve collected.

Understanding and Improving Email Deliverability
How can you help ensure people receive the emails you send them? In this article, we talk about how to keep your bulk emails in your constituents' inbox, and out of the spam folder. Mouse Clicks for Cash: Supporting Nonprofits Through Online Retail
(A version of this article was originally published in the Non-Profit Times.) Can you make a difference in the world, just by shopping online? A growing number of businesses promise just that.

Looking to master Facebook and Twitter? Look no further than The Advanced Social Media Toolkit!

Upcoming Live Online Training

Looking to boost your software savvy? Here are the online seminars we have scheduled over the next month or so:

Choosing a Low-Cost Donor Management System
January 26, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
For this session you've got two options: you can either take the webinar as normal, or join us for our first-ever offering of a webinar/consulting combo pack! 

The Advanced Social Media Toolkit
January 31, 2:00 pm - February 28, 3:30 pm Eastern. $200.00
Step beyond social media basics with this 5-session course. We'll delve into advanced social media strategy and discuss how to use your social media for branding, deeper engagement, and integrated campaigns while exploring how to measure your social media impact and creating a social media policy. Offered in partnership with NTEN. 

FREE! Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines
February 2, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
Does your organization show up on the first page of results in search engines like Google or Yahoo?  This session will cover the techniques that can help for those without technical skills.

The Email Fundraiser's Toolkit
February 8, 2:00 pm - March 7, 3:30 pm Eastern. $175.00
Email campaigns are a fundraising tool within the reach of even the smallest organizations. An effective way to communicate with donors and raise money without much expense, they're an opportunity to provide reasons and reminders for constituents to give. This five-week series of classes will walk nonprofits through the soup-to-nuts process of creating such campaigns, just in time for year-end appeals.

Top Sellers: Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Videos
February 9, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you convey the great work your organization is doing with blogs, photos and videos? These tools are powerful ways to share the difference you're making in the world.  We'll cover the principles of good storytelling, look at examples and research about what's working for nonprofits, and then discuss the tools that can help you put them online.

Top Sellers: Introduction to Website Analytics
February 16, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How many people visit your Web site? What are they doing there? Through demos of AWStats and Google Analytics, we'll look at what analytics packages can tell you about your site.

See more Live and Recorded Online Trainings»

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Here at Idealware, we're starting the New Year with our best foot forward. It's still January and we've already got three new articles for you, and a handful of others on the way in the next month or two. Let us know what you think...

Software to Support Program Evaluation 

There's no one tool specific to program evaluation, but different types of software can help with the different parts of the process. In this article, we explore some of the tools out there that can help you make sense of the data you've collected. Read More.   Understanding and Improving Email Deliverability How can you help ensure people receive the emails you send them? In this article, we talk about how to keep your bulk emails in your constituents' inbox, and out of the spam folder. Read More.   Mouse Clicks for Cash: Supporting Nonprofits Through Online Retail (A version of this article was originally published in the NonProfit Times.) Can you make a difference in the world, just by shopping online? A number of businesses promise just that. Read More.

 

What articles would you like to read in 2012? 

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PublishDate:  January 2012 Author:  Colin Pizarek and Chris Bernard

Neither “snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” might stay the U.S. Post Office’s couriers from delivering the mail entrusted to them, but it’s a cold fact of the digital world that email has no such steadfast guardians. Some electronic mail will simply never reach its destination—it might go to a bad address, get caught in a spam filter, or routed to a “junk” folder where it’s deleted or overlooked. This can be frustrating for nonprofits who work hard to nurture a list of email addresses. 

There are ways to increase your delivery rates when sending out mass mailings, however. You should already be using a broadcast email tool. (If you’re not, find out why you should be, and learn about your options, in our “A Few Good Broadcast Email Tools” article.) These can greatly improve your email’s chance of reaching the people on your list, but they’re not perfect.   So how can you help ensure people receive the emails you send them? To find out, we talked to a few experts with considerable experience in the area of bulk email delivery. We also created an email deliverability study. What we learned—and what we didn’t—surprised us.   Mail server administrators like to keep their systems free of unsolicited messages. One way they do this is by subscribing to blacklists (sometimes called “block lists”) run by organizations that create a database of computers and domains known to send spam. Every time a mail server sends an email, these lists catalog the domains and IP addresses—the numeric code that designates a particular computer—and recommend which should be denied. Mail servers basically check incoming emails against these databases and reject those from a “bad” source. Getting off one of these lists is relatively difficult, and can take some time.   One way to get on this list is to have lots of people flag your email as spam. Another way is guilt by association—if you’re using a broadcast email tool, you’re sharing an email server with other organizations and businesses whose bad behavior has the potential to negatively influence your email deliverability. Finally, the content and layout of your individual emails can also have an impact on deliverability.   Let’s look at those pieces one at a time.   If It Looks Like Spam… Email can be flagged as spam either automatically, as by an automated scanner installed on the recipients’ mail servers or at one of the routing points along the messages’ journey, or manually when recipients mark it as spam using their email software. Preventing these from happening is one of the most critical ways to ensure your messages get through. Equally important is that if a lot of people flag your emails as spam, your entire email domain is tagged as a “spammer.” It can be very difficult to change that, which will affect all your email to all recipients, not just broadcast messages to the person who marked them as spam.    How do you prevent your email from being mistaken for spam? For starters, make sure it’s not actually spam. It should go without saying, though it doesn’t, that your email should provide value to recipients. Don’t send email they haven’t signed up for. Make sure you provide a way to opt out in the form of an unsubscribe link. And don’t send too many emails, messages that are content-poor, or too few messages—wait too long between emails and you run the risk of recipients forgetting they ever signed up for your list to begin with.   Even if your content is good and your practices pure, some people are still going to tag your messages as spam. To an extent, this is inevitable, but good email practices can limit the risk before enough people flag messages that originate from your domain and get you added to the black list.   Prune your list regularly to remove known bad email addresses, or addresses that bounce. If someone unsubscribes, make sure they’re removed immediately. Asking people to add your email address to their contact lists can help their servers recognize your email as welcome, making it far more likely that it will be allowed through. This means you should consider sending your bulk email from the same address each time.   Choosing the Right Tools Does it make a difference which broadcast email tool you choose to use? Yes—and no. A good service can definitely help, but as long as you choose one of the more reliable services, it’s difficult to say whether there’s any significant difference among the different vendors.   We tried to find out by creating a study to test five tools on a level playing field to see which were most likely to experience deliverability problems. After six weeks of continuous email blasts, we discovered there was not as much of a difference between tools as we thought there would be. Our conversations with a few industry experts revealed that our research wasn’t of a sufficient scale to learn what we’d hoped: though we sent out thousands of emails, the sheer volume of our blasts wasn’t enough to trigger many of the algorithms that modern mail servers use to block spam. (Some corporate accounts, and even larger nonprofits, may send emails to hundreds of thousands of addresses at a time, or more.)   Remember, you’re sharing an email server with other organizations and businesses, and their bad behavior has the potential to negatively influence your email deliverability. This guilt by association means that the history of the server that sends out your mail is important, and that’s not always easy for you to find out. What you can do, however, is make sure you’re dealing with a reputable mail service. Popular tools are more likely to get flagged as spam simply because of the volume of emails they send out, but they’re also more likely to remedy that situation when it happens. Smaller vendors are less likely to be flagged as spam, but when they are, it can be time-consuming for them to do anything about it.   In short, you should certainly consider deliverability when looking at broadcast email services, but as long as you’re using a generally reputable tool you can likely have much more of an effect on deliverability by ensuring you follow the best practices for bulk email described in this article   Email Content and Layout The textual and visual content of the email itself matters, as do a number of good email practices related to the content, like the layout. A good broadcast tool lets you use predefined templates to create your mass mailings. Many let you customize your own templates—you can design them on your own, or hire a person skilled in HTML to do it for you, but a poorly coded template can trigger spam filters and result in undeliverable mail.   You can check your templates for broken links or obvious errors, but the best way to guard against this is to use a reliable broadcast service. If you’re working with a designer to create templates, make sure they’re skilled not only in HTML (the coding language of websites), but in email deliverability as well.   Keywords in the content itself can also trigger spam filters. If your email uses any words likely to be recognized by automated scanners as spam-worthy (like those commonly associated with junk mail, like “pharmaceuticals” or “Nigerian royalty”), your messages may not be making it through to their intended recipients. Some websites, like the open source Spam Assassin (http://spamassassin.apache.org/tests.html), will let you test your messages for bad keywords.   Certain email servers also simply reject HTML-formatted emails if no plain-text alternative is provided, which poses problems for organizations that prefer the visual appeal of HTML emails.   Wrapping Up Bulk email is an integral part of communications and fundraising for many nonprofits. If yours is among them, you should assume that not all your messages will be delivered—that’s just the nature of the beast. But taking a few measures toward good email practices can minimize the dangers.   Be thoughtful when crafting emails, as well as when sending them. Use the right tools to ensure your domain isn’t at risk for blacklisting. And use common sense and courtesy to avoid irritating recipient—that’s a sure way to get your mail marked as spam.   This article was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support, but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions are Idealware’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the foundation. Thanks as well as to the following nonprofit technology professionals who provided recommendations, advice and other help:       Colin Pizarek, Former Idealware Americorp VISTA Cameron Lefevre, M+R Strategic Services Nick Allen, DonorDigital Bill Pease, GoodGuide  

  

License:  Copyright © Idealware

Back in my day, one toner cartridge could outlive the printer itself. OK, maybe immortal toner is yet another mirage in my *cough* middle-aged mind. But since 60 is the new 40, I hereby declare myself 21! I digress. Yes, toner. . .

We at Idealware relatively recently bought a fast, reliable color laser printer. We love the machine, but after a few months, it stopped printing. “Replace toner,” read the tiny LCD. I’ve pulled a Lazarus on many a “dead” toner cartridge with a just a few shakes. I tried it on this one but still came up with “replace toner.” No minor miracles this time around. We replaced the toner cartridge as the printer demanded and all was well.   Several months later the printer again ground to a halt. This time it was the color ink cartridges that needed replacing, which was odd since we did very little color printing. Also strange was that cyan, yellow and magenta were all empty at the same time. This time around, we decided to Google the issue.   It turns out our printer has an undocumented toner count reset feature. I followed the somewhat confusing three step reset process for each of our three color toner cartridges and was rewarded with a working printer. Suspecting this resurrection would be short lived, I ordered a set of high capacity toner cartridges, which we’ve yet to unbox. That was over three months ago. Obviously there was plenty of toner left. Our printer is a Brother and while it might be tempting to simply avoid the brand, HP recently settled a class action suit over toner status misrepresentation. It’s likely that such toner shenanigans are an industry-wide practice.   What to Do? Google “toner count reset” with your printer’s model number, print the results and file them away. The next time your printer claims it’s out of toner, try out the reset procedure. You might save yourself some money. Pick out a cape and a tacky unitard; you'll be a superhero for a minute or two!  --> Trackback URL for this post: http://www.idealware.org/trackback/2679

So as you've likely heard by now, Blackbaud has plans to aquire Convio. As two of only a handful of big companies in the nonprofit technology space, this is big news. But what does it mean? There's been a lot of concern and speculation.

Peter Campbell, an Idealware blogger and board member, said:  "It seems to me that if I'm looking for an eCRM or DonorDB for a mid-sized org that can't afford to gamble its fundraising system on some clever startup, I have a range of products to choose from, but I'll be sending the RFPs all in one envelope to the same address. Am I wrong about that?"   Gavin Clabaugh said: "It seems a perennial truth that, after the nuptials, merged companies kill the decent products, roll out the crap, and try to tell you that you're all the better for it. One need only look at the undead things called "Computer Associates" or  "Symantec" to see the hideous results of such a zombie wedding... Perhaps this won't happen here... Who knows, Blackbaud might just be the better for it, and perhaps their customers will be too...  I doubt it, but who knows. They might be the rare exception that proofs the rule."   At Idealware, our job isn't to try to predict the future, but to do impartial research.  So for us, it's too early to have specific data.  But there's one related piece of research I'd love to do if I had unlimited time and money: Does it help or hurt the nonprofit sector to have big vendors making real money?   This aquisition makes it clear that the financial market cares about what's going on, at least somewhat, with nonprofit software. Is this good or bad for nonprofits?  I could see the data lining up either way. I think the nonprofit sector is quick to judge that bigger companies with more financial motives are likely to do worse things, and maybe Blackbaud will -- but they'll also have more revenue with which to try new things, or the ability to support one product (like something for small nonprofits) that doesn't sustain itself with revenue from a product that does.     And it's definitely good news for nonprofits that it's possible to make a living creating software for nonprofits -- after all, we'd have fewer software choices if no one could support themselves creating them. So to my mind, however this aquisition turns out, it's an indicator about something good in the marketplace itself, which is that solid vendors can make enough money from nonprofits to create viable products.     --> Trackback URL for this post: http://www.idealware.org/trackback/2678

In a show of online solidarity Wednesday, Wikipedia and other famous strands of the Web, along with countless more below the A-list, turned their backs to the world in order to turn our attention to what is arguably the latest four letter word in the Yankee-English lexicon: SOPA. 

  As judged by its full name, the Stop Online Piracy Act sounds fair enough. Despite our cultural love affair with sugar cereal buccaneers, adventure rides and Johnny Depp, actual pirates—at best—profit from theft. Why shouldn’t lawmakers seek to protect the intellectually property rights of those wronged online?   SOPA’s opponents say the bill’s innocent name belies its nature as a tool that tramples on the notion of “fair use.” Many folks—possibly including you, the reader—claim that this post, decorated with a spoofed animation of Pirates of the Caribbean’s “The Black Pearl,” may be cause under SOPA to censor Idealware’s website. SOPA’s supporters, including the music and movie industries, would probably be happy to have available the broadest possible powers to prevent the theft of their products.     In any case, SOPA’s sponsors have abandoned the bill. Or have they?   SOPA will likely live on as an epithet applied to any attempt, no matter how reasonable, to rein in the online free-for-all. Similarly, those who feel the Internet robs them of profits will continue to lobby for legislation to protect their products from online theft. SOPA was likely but a skirmish in a war that could rage for decades to come.   While few of us want the online censorship SOPA was purported to promote, more of us should take seriously the view from the other side.    An example: Suppose you’d just patented your daughter’s award-winning science project, only to have it become part of the torrent-sphere. As a result, ACME TechnoGlom, which was considering buying that patent for $2.5 million, decides that it is now worthless. Your daughter’s in tears. Her 529 plan continues to bleed like a stuck pig and you’re in tears because you’ll be paying her college tuition with your anemic 401K. Would you want legal protection? If so, what form should that protection take?   If you believe that even in this case that “information wants to be free,” I’d love to hear from you, too.   --> Trackback URL for this post: http://www.idealware.org/trackback/2677

The website i09 has an interesting article:  Is Facebook Really Doomed to Die? 

They ask a number of experts what the think the fate of Facebook will be, with answers ranging from "it will be gone in a matter of years" to a contention that it will "replace regular email and instant messaging as the main way that people communicate with their friends," becoming kind of "the Ma Bell of the 21st Century."

This is all interesting speculation, but what does it mean for nonprofits? I would argue, strongly that it means nothing. It doesn't mean anything at all.

You can't do any effective communication decision making now based on what might or might not happen with Facebook in a few years. This is the type of article that gets nonprofits scared about investing any effort in social media: Why start if it's just going to be gone in a year? Or, alternately, deciding foolishly to give up email or print mail to devote more time to Facebook: Why not? It's Ma Bell of the 21st Century!

But, honestly, what else might change in a couple of years? Likely, stuff that you've never even considered will be diffferent. So all you can do technology-wise is look at what's useful now and what's likely to continue to be useful in a year from now if things continue in a typical direction. Cross your fingers, and prepare to handle changes as they come.

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PublishDate:  February 2012

You already know the value a good email campaign can bring to your nonprofit, whether it’s an eNewsletter, action email or fundraising appeal, but how can you tell if your electronic communications are actually having the impact you hoped for? Is the work you’re putting in worth the effort? Email metrics can help you determine the effectiveness of your communications and fine tune them to improve their efficiency.

  What data should you gather to help you track the success of your emails? Start with the core information about the emails themselves, such as:   ·         Messages Sent. The number of outbound emails sent as part of a particular mailing. ·         Messages Delivered. The number of sent emails actually delivered to recipients’ inboxes. If they’re not delivered, that means they’ve “bounced.” ·         Hard and Soft Bounces. A hard bounce is a permanently undeliverable email—for example, one sent to an invalid email address (joesmith@yahoo.con) or an address that no longer exists. A soft bounce is an email that’s only temporarily undeliverable—for example, to a recipient whose mailbox is full. Ideally, you should track both. ·         Unsubscribes. The number of individuals who unsubscribe from your list in response to each mailing sent. ·         Messages Opened. The number of recipients who open your email to read it. Due to the way open rates are tracked and the rise of image-blocking software, this number will never be accurate, but can still be useful. ·         Click-Throughs. The number of times any recipient clicks on any trackable link within the email. Ideally, each link should be counted only once, even if it is clicked multiple times.   Data about your emails will come primarily from the bulk email software package that you’re using. Most packages track messages sent, delivered and opened, and click-throughs. Many will also provide the number of unsubscribes, as well, but the number of hard and soft bounces may be a little more difficult to find in an email package.   If your software doesn’t let you track these data points, or if you’re using something that wasn’t designed for bulk email, your options are limited. Short of building your own tracking mechanisms—which would be an expensive exercise in reinventing the wheel—you’re reliant on the numbers your emailing software package provides for you.   If you’re serious about tracking and improving your email campaigns, it’s worth investing in a software tool that can help in your quest to track metrics. A number of software packages provide solid services and metrics without a huge investment.   For more information about email metrics and the software available to help you track them, read our article “The Basics of Email Metrics: Are Your Campaigns Working?"

PublishDate:  January 2012 You need an audience for any social media strategy to work. The good news is, because of the “network effect,” attracting a few followers can often increase your potential audience exponentially—the very nature of social media makes it easy for your friends to spread the word to their own networks of friends, and so on. So how do you attract people to “like” your Facebook page, follow your Twitter feed or subscribe to your blog?   It should go without saying that if you want people to pay attention, post something they’ll find useful and relevant. This is true of all communications, not just social media. If you’re launching a new blog or Twitter account, start out by posting a few interesting things—even though no one is “listening” yet—to show the audience you hope to gain that your resources might interest them.   How do you know what will interest the type of people you’d like to follow you? Ask them. Find a good representative sample of your desired audience and start a discussion with them, through conversations, phone interviews or a survey, about what kinds of posts they’d like to read.   No one is ever drawn to an empty restaurant, no matter how good the food. Social media is similar—even with brilliant content, it’s difficult to attract supporters to a site that no one else is following. Reach out to your staff and other core supporters of your organization and ask them to follow your tweets, or “like” your Facebook page—and to invite their personal friends.   Getting them to post comments or reply to your posts can help show an active community. A small, critical mass of followers will make it easier to attract others to your channel.   Once you have a few core posts and a reputable-looking number of supporters, it’s time to open the doors to the general public. An easy way to begin doing this is to add your social media profile information anywhere your contact information is given. A Facebook or Twitter logo on your website can link people directly to your pages, and if you have a blog, make sure people can easily find it through your website.   People who already know you are more likely to join your social media communities than strangers, and you can reach people who already support your organization through email, print newsletters and other social media channels.   Social media is meant to be social. Participating honestly in the online conversation about topics of interest to your organization will build an audience more successfully than any other tip or trick.   Look for other blogs on related topics, read them, and start conversations with those bloggers. Follow interesting organizations on Twitter, and “like” them on Facebook. Post relevant comments that add to the conversation, and tweet and retweet the resources other people offer. By becoming a regular, reliable part of the conversation, you’ll put yourself top-of-mind for other people who are looking for interesting resources to follow or to distribute to their own community.   For more information, read our article, “Building your Social Media Fan Base.”

PublishDate:  December 2011 An email list is one of the sharpest arrows in any nonprofit’s quiver. An effective list can maximize your reach, help foster closer relationships with constituents and improve fundraising. But what makes a list effective?   For one thing, critical mass—the more people you can reach who are genuinely interested in your organization, the better. But you can’t just buy an email list as easily as you can buy one for direct mail. So how do you expand yours sufficiently to meet your goals? There are a number of ways within reach of any organization—choose the methods that best meet your audience and needs.   One potential source for new subscribers is the people already familiar to you. Anyone who receives your printed newsletters and other mailings has already shown interest in your organization and might be inclined to receive emails from you. But first you need to get their email addresses, which may not be included in the contact information you already have.    The most obvious way to encourage people on your direct mail list to subscribe to your e-newsletter is to send them a piece of direct mail—for example, a postcard or letter—promoting your email resources and asking them to subscribe. It’s also worth including a prominent website link with every newsletter and other mailing you send out. Entice readers to subscribe by promising compelling information that’s relevant to them, such as upcoming events for kids, or online follow-ups to newsletter articles. Make the link simple enough to be easily typed, and make sure it leads directly to the content you promised, but also include a prominent request for readers to submit their email addresses to be notified of similar news and stories about your organization and its work.   Is your organization on Facebook? Twitter? Chances are that a good number of the people who follow you on social media are not on your email list—at least, not yet. Don’t just encourage people to “like” your Facebook page or follow your Twitter feed. Give them an easy way and a compelling reason to sign up. Make sure the email information you offer is of some relevance to what you post on social media, since that’s what appealed to these visitors in the first place.    And don’t forget your website. Anyone who visits your site should find it simple to find and join your email list. Sign-up forms should be easy to find, and uncomplicated. Remember that, while you want to collect as much information as possible, the initial registration should be a matter of filling in a name and email address; people are more likely to complete a short form than a long one. You can ask for more information later in the context of providing better-focused correspondence.   With a little effort, your organization can expand its reach to a broader constituency of people with similar interests—and, potentially, its ability to mobilize and fundraise. Growing an email list requires a little strategy and forethought, and retaining the people on that list requires a steady stream of relevant, engaging content. It’s a work in progress, but the rewards can far outweigh the effort.   For more information, read our article, “Building an Effective Email List.”

We get asked all the time, "My organization wants to do this really important/ cool/ necessary technology project -- where can I find a technology funder to give me a grant for it?"

Unfortunately, there's no such beast. I'm not aware of any funder that looks to fund technology projects specifically. (This probably saddens us as much, or more, than it does  you, as pretty much every project we're trying to fund is a technology project).

Instead of looking for the mythical technology funder, look to those who support your cause, and talk to them about how the project will help you better fulfill your mission. For instance, consider:

• Can you make the case to a current funder that the technology will help you do the things they already care about, either better or more effectively?
• Do you have major donors who would consider funding a technology project? It's a nice, tangible thing to support, especially for donors out of the business world who generally understand just how important technology is.
• Can you include it as a piece of a bigger proposal -- for instance, that your website redesign is part of a new advocacy project, as it will help you to reach out?
• Can you interest local banks or corporate consulting firms? Local firms like to support local nonprofits, so they might be a source for small grants or volunteer experts.

Be creative and be persistant. Funding for technology isn't a lost cause, but seaching for an ideal "technology funder" is likely to lead you down the wrong path. 

 

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The end of a year is always an occasion for every magazine, newspaper, TV news show and website to put out lists of their favorite things. We have favorites, too, but thought it might be more interesting to tell you what your favorites were—at least, your favorite Idealware posts.   First, a word about the criteria: The measurement was the number of unique views, and we allowed a few resources published in 2010 to sneak onto the list because of their continuing popularity in 2011.   So here they are, the top 10, beginning with the most-viewed:   1.      Microsoft Office vs. OpenOffice.org (56,434 views). 2.      A Few Good Online Survey Tools (53,070) 3.      Comparing Open Source Content Management Systems: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Plone (34,099) 4.      The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide (25,971) 5.      A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems (21,829) 6.      A Few Good RSVP Tools: Online Registration Options for Free Events (9,812) 7.      Using Facebook To Meet Your Mission: Results of a Survey (9,799) 8.      A Few Good Online Donations Tools (9,474) 9.      A Few Good Accounting Packages (8,244) 10.   2011 Field Guide to Software for Nonprofits (7,882)   Our Consumers Guide to Volunteer Management Systems and Consumers Guide to Grants Management Software both made the top 15, as well.   What can we learn from this? Our “Few Good Tools” series of articles seems popular, accounting for seven—nearly half—of the top 15 most-viewed resources. Our big reports also did well, accounting for seven more. The remaining publication was also our most-viewed, an article comparing Microsoft Office’s suite of productivity software to OpenOffice’s free, open-source competitor, a topic with broad appeal both in- and outside the nonprofit community. (Though written the year prior, its popularity continued to lead through 2011.)   It’s nice to see our research being used. And since the end of one year means the beginning of another, and a new year is a time for making resolutions, at Idealware, we’re resolving to continue creating and updating the thoroughly researched, impartial resources to help organizations like yours make smart software decisions.   What would you like to see more of from us in 2012?   Happy new year, and thanks for your support of Idealware.      

  

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PublishDate:  December 2011

 

           
December 2011         Building An Effective Email List
An email list is one of the sharpest arrows in any nonprofit’s quiver. An effective list can maximize your reach, help foster closer relationships with constituents and improve fundraising. But what makes a list effective? For one thing, critical mass.   
Multiple Constituent Groups, One Database? How to Track Everyone Who’s Anyone to You
Since most organizations don’t track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them is something of a holy grail. In reality, though, a single constituent database usually means some sort of compromise.  In this article, we walk through a framework to decide what makes sense for you.  

Multiple Constituent Groups, One Database: Case Studies

 

Three case studies from organizations in different database situations illustrating the article "Multiple Constituent Groups, One Database?"

             

 

 

 

 

 

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Upcoming Live Online Training

Looking to boost your software savvy? Here are the online seminars we have scheduled over the next month or so:

 

The Executive Series: Tactical Technology Planning
January 5, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
You're proprobably aware that the right technology can streamline your processes and help fulfill your mission more effectively. But how can you know which technology project will provide your organization with the best bang-for-the-buck?  

The Executive Series: Social Media for Executive Directors
January 12, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
As a decision-maker, you are responsible for figuring out which social media your organization should use. How do you work through all the possibilities, hype, and data to decide which channels actually make sense for your organization? 

The Executive Series: How to Know What People Think About You
January 19, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
Communication is a two-way street: your organization speaks, and the Internet will speak back. But how do you monitor what people are saying or know what people think about you?  Are what they think your organization does and what your organization really does the same? Join us to figure out what people are saying about you and what you can do about it.  

FREE! In-Person Maine Event: Getting Beyond the "Like"
January 24, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Eastern. $0.00
People “like” you...so what? In this session we’ll take off the kid-gloves and talk critically about how you can move constituents up a ladder of engagement from a simple “like” to actually get them to do something for your organization. This in-person lunch time event in Portland, ME is a part of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) 501 Tech Club series. 

Choosing a Low-Cost Donor Management System
January 26, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
For this session you've got two options: you can either take the webinar as normal, or join us for our first-ever offering of a webinar/consulting combo pack! 

The Advanced Social Media Toolkit
January 31, 2:00 pm - February 28, 3:30 pm Eastern. $200.00
Step beyond social media basics with this 5-session course. We'll delve into advanced social media strategy and discuss how to use your social media for branding, deeper engagement, and integrated campaigns while exploring how to measure your social media impact and creating a social media policy. Offered in partnership with NTEN.

 

 

   

 

 

 

See more Live and Recorded Online Trainings»

 

 

 

 

 

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PublishDate:  November 2011

 

            November 2011         The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide
UPDATED in October 2011. With more than 750 million people signed up for Facebook alone, there's little doubt that social media can be a powerful part of most organizations' communications mix. But what can it be used for--outreach and engagement? Event management? Advocacy? How about fundraising? For many nonprofits, it's far more obvious that such tools can be useful than how to use them. Download the report for free.  
Is Open Source Right For Your Organization?
(This article originally appeared in the Nonprofit Times.) Lots of people seem to be talking about “open source” software these days, but for non-techies, it’s not always easy to find out more about this option.   A Few Good Tools for eAdvocacy A large display of public opinion can have a powerful message, and advocacy groups often help to focus and channel this support to make the most impact. In this article we look at a few of the tools that help advocacy groups promote their message online.

    Idealware is Hiring... Are you a college student in southern Maine, or do you know someone who is? Idealware is looking for a marketing and communications intern for the spring semester. Learn more!  

       

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking of using social media for your organization? Download the Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide to get started.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Live Online Training

 

 

 

Looking to boost your software savvy? Here are the online seminars we have scheduled over the next month or so:

For in-depth lessons, check out Idealware's upcoming, intensive five- and six-part online trainings offered in partnership with state associations across the country. Read more or register >

FREE! Fundraising Through Social and Personal Networks
November 17, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $0.00
Recruit your staff, volunteers, or committed supporters to fundraise for you online. We'll talk through the tools and best practices that can lead you to success. Read more or register >

Measuring Your Social Media Strategy
December 1, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
Perhaps you have a Facebook site, a blog, a Twitter account or a YouTube channel. Is it working? Is it worth the time? How do you know? We'll walk through a framework that includes Views, Followers, Engagement, and Conversion and the tools that can help you gather the data to allow you to analyze your strategy, strengthen what works and change what doesn't. Read more or register > 

Introduction to Website Analytics
December 8, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How many people visit your web site? What are they doing there? Through demos of AWStats and Google Analytics, we'll look at what analytics packages can tell you.  Read more or register > 

 

FREE! Choosing the Right Communications Mix
December 15, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
Which channels-- like email, direct mail, and websites, social networking sites, blogs, online communities and more--make sense to communicate what kind of messages, and which encourage action? We'll provide a decisionmaking structure to help you define what's a good fit for you.  Read more or register >

 

   

 

 

 

See more Live and Recorded Online Trainings»

 

 

 

 

 

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Idealware | 640 Brighton Ave #5B | Portland ME | 04103

 

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DONATE TO IDEALWARE

Your support helps nonprofits nationwide understand the software that can help them do what they do even better.
Donate Now »

CONNNECT WITH US!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to get more software resources, links, and news about Idealware. 

  

   

 

 

PublishDate:  October 2011

 

            October 2011         A Consumers Guide to Grants Management
Completely updated in 2011, our free, 169-pageConsumers Guide to Grants Management looks at the features and processes used by 20 grants management systems to help private foundations accept and review applications and track grants throughout their life cycles.       Download the report for free.  
Trends in Donor Management
(This article originally appeared in the Nonprofit Times.) As user demand increases, vendors are adapting their donor management system offerings to support mobile devices and cloud computing, one of several recent market trends that are adding value and capability to the software. They’re also enhancing functionality that’s critical for nonprofits, like integrated email and ease of use, in many cases adding substantial functionality without raising prices. 

      Building Your Social Media Fanbase   (This article originally appeared on Third Sector New England's site.) If you post a message on Twitter and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a noise? The fact is, there isn’t much reason to tweet if you don’t have an audience—a fundamental truth of all social media channels. As you think about ways to engage constituents and advance your nonprofit and its mission through Facebook, Twitter and blogs, you should also be thinking about how to promote each channel and build your audience.   

       

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a grantmaker? Download theConsumers Guide to Grants Management Software for detailed reviews and comparisons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Live Online Training

 

 

 

Looking to boost your software savvy? Here are the online seminars we have scheduled over the next month or so.

For in-depth lessons, check out Idealware's upcoming, intensive five- and six-part online trainings offered in partnership with state associations across the country.
Read more or register >

Choosing a Low-Cost Donor Management System
October 13, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
The right database can help you track all of your contacts and related data in a manageable, efficient way that ensures your information is current, accessible and reportable. Join Idealware for a closer look at the most commonly used, affordable databases and what each might offer your organization.
Read more or register > 

FREE! Creating Great Graphics for the Web
October 20, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
How do you take your current photos--or find inexpensive photos or illustrations online--and convert them into great graphics for your website? We'll talk through methods to acquire good material, principles of transforming them into great web-ready images, and the inexpensive software packages that can help you whip them into shape.
Read more or register > 

Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Videos
October 27, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you convey the great work your organization is doing with blogs, photos and videos? These tools are powerful ways to share the difference you're making in the world.  We'll cover the principles of good storytelling, look at examples and research about what's working for nonprofits, and then discuss the tools that can help you put them online.
Read more or register >

 

Building an Effective Email List
November 3, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you build a list of constituents truly interested in your cause? We’ll discuss a wide variety of techniques that can help, and how they all fit together.
Read more or register > 

The Social Media Decision Maker's Toolkit
November 1, 2:00 pm - December 6, 3:30 pm Eastern. $200.00
The hardest part of getting started with social media is figuring out what tools your organization should use. How do you work through all the possibilities, hype, and data to decide which channels actually make sense for your organization? Offered in partnership with NTEN.
Read more or register >

 

   

 

 

 

See more Live and Recorded Online Trainings»

 

 

 

 

 

You received this email because you signed up for Idealware updates. Unsubscribe now

Idealware | 640 Brighton Ave #5B | Portland ME | 04103

 

SUBSCRIBE

If you have received this email second-hand, you can subscribe on the Idealware website.Subscribe Now »

DONATE TO IDEALWARE

Your support helps nonprofits nationwide understand the software that can help them do what they do even better.
Donate Now »

CONNNECT WITH US!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to get more software resources, links, and news about Idealware. 

  

   

 

 

PublishDate:  September 2011

 

            September 2011 New Social Media Articles!       While we are making huge strides as a sector to understand the most effective techniques and approaches to using these tools, we still have a lot to learn about one of the most important areas of social media: measurement. Andrea Berry and Chris Bernard help you through the process of measuring your organization's social media success in these three articles, originally published in the NTEN: Change journal and the NonProfit Times.

    Measuring Your Social Media Success   Measuring Your Social Media Success Case Studies   Tools to Measure Your Social Media Efforts      


Do You Consult Nonprofits on Social Media Strategy?  This week is your last chance to help them find you by purchasing a listing in our Social Media Consultant Directory. This directory will appear in both our updated 2011 Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide, coming this October, and in our new Social Media Policy Workbook, coming in early 2012. 

The directory is priced to make listings accessible to all--a basic listing starts at just $45. Read more or purchase a listing.

 

 

 

 

 

Get back to school with Idealware. Check out our 5 and 6 week courses for an in-depth look at social media, email fundraising, and technology planning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Live Online Training

 

 

 

Looking to boost your software savvy? Here are the online seminars we have scheduled over the next month or so.

For an in-depth lesson, check out Idealware's upcoming online courses. These intense five- and six-part trainings are offered in partnership with state associations across the country.
Read more or register >

The Email Fundraiser's Toolkit
September 27, 2:00 pm - October 25, 3:30 pm Eastern. $200.00
Email campaigns are a fundraising tool within the reach of even the smallest organizations. An effective way to communicate with donors and raise money without much expense, they're an opportunity to provide reasons and reminders for constituents to give. This five-week series of classes, created and presented through a partnership between Idealware and NTEN, will walk nonprofits through the soup-to-nuts process of creating such campaigns, just in time for year-end appeals.
Read more or register > 

Choosing a Volunteer Management System
October 6, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you keep track of your volunteers? Do you still use pen and paper? Should you buy a new tool for tracking volunteers, or use one that you already have?
Read more or register > 

Choosing a Low-Cost Donor Management System
October 13, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
The right database can help you track all of your contacts and related data in a manageable, efficient way that ensures your information is current, accessible and reportable. Join Idealware for a closer look at the most commonly used, affordable databases and what each might offer your organization.
Read more or register > 

FREE! Creating Great Graphics for the Web
October 20, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
How do you take your current photos--or find inexpensive photos or illustrations online--and convert them into great graphics for your website? We'll talk through methods to acquire good material, principles of transforming them into great web-ready images, and the inexpensive software packages that can help you whip them into shape.
Read more or register > 

Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Videos
October 27, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you convey the great work your organization is doing with blogs, photos and videos? These tools are powerful ways to share the difference you're making in the world.  We'll cover the principles of good storytelling, look at examples and research about what's working for nonprofits, and then discuss the tools that can help you put them online.
Read more or register >

   

 

 

 

See more Live and Recorded Online Trainings»

 

 

 

 

 

You received this email because you signed up for Idealware updates. Unsubscribe now

Idealware | 640 Brighton Ave #5B | Portland ME | 04103

 

SUBSCRIBE

If you have received this email second-hand, you can subscribe on the Idealware website.Subscribe Now »

DONATE TO IDEALWARE

Your support helps nonprofits nationwide understand the software that can help them do what they do even better.
Donate Now »

CONNNECT WITH US!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to get more software resources, links, and news about Idealware. 

  

   

 

 

Event Price:  175.00 EventDate:  February 8, 2012 - 2:00pm - March 7, 2012 - 3:30pm Type:  Live Training

Email campaigns are a fundraising tool within the reach of even the smallest organizations. An effective way to communicate with donors and raise money without much expense, they're an opportunity to provide reasons and reminders for constituents to give. This five-week series of classes will walk nonprofits through the soup-to-nuts process of creating such campaigns, just in time for year-end appeals.

Offered in Partnership with the Montana Nonprofit Association.

Event Link:  https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/957/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY... Presenter:  Laura Quinn Andrea Berry

Event Price:  200.00 EventDate:  January 25, 2012 - 10:00am - February 22, 2012 - 11:30am Type:  Live Training

 Like most nonprofits, you’re probably aware that the right technology can streamline your processes and help fulfill your mission more effectively. But with tight staffing and budgets, it’s hard to devote the time necessary to keep up with new technologies and find the right tools—how can you know which technology project will provide your organization with the best bang-for-the-buck? This course can help.

Offered in partnership with the New Jersey Center for Non-Profits

Event Link:  https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/957/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY... Presenter:  Laura Quinn Andrea Berry

Event Price:  40.00 EventDate:  March 8, 2012 - 1:00pm - 2:30pm Type:  Live Training

Vendors are lured by visions of long term residual subscription income, while customers dream of IT services and software without significant up-front costs. Sounds like techno Shangri-La, but what of security?  Pessimists warn us away from the cloud on the grounds that we should maintain control over the security of our property. Those bullish on the cloud argue—often delusionally—that your data is safer in the cloud than on your own hard drives. Make no mistake: the Internet is the lion’s den, and the cloud sits squarely in it. This session will discuss the security realities of traditional IT software and infrastructure, and contrast them with those of cloud based resources.

Event Link:  https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/957/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY... Presenter:  Jay Leslie

Event Price:  0.00 EventDate:  March 1, 2012 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm Type:  Live Training

Nonprofits are under unprecedented pressure to produce more results, with more clients, for less money. To shed light on how organizations are meeting this challenge, MAP for Nonprofits commissioned a study by Idealware to investigate how Minnesota service providers are innovating their service delivery, with an eye to factors that foster innovation. During this free one-hour session, we will highlight key findings and best practices, along with real-world examples, to share Minnesota’s innovation with the rest of the country. How will their stories inspire your organization?

 

Event Link:  http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/957/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=... Presenter:  Laura Quinn Kyle Andrei