Technology

Thanks to the National Council of Nonprofits for sharing their Technology resources.

Why is Technology Important for Nonprofits?

Technology is essential to effectively advancing and managing a nonprofit. Especially in tough economic times, thoughtful use of technology can be the most efficient way for a nonprofit to communicate more effectively, engage with donors, evaluate programs and schedule volunteers, or simply research and keep up-to-date on legal requirements and funding opportunities.

The potential of technology is amazing, but knowing what tools are appropriate and how to employ them most effectively can be overwhelming. Fortunately there are terrific resources that can guide nonprofit leaders in selecting and using technology in the most effective way and provide information to help you utilize the software that is most current and suitable for your nonprofit’s operations.

Technology Planning

These resources will help you create a plan to keep your technology infrastructure and procedures healthy.

Affordable Technology Solutions

  • TechSoup offers free nonprofit learning resources, including articles, blogs, webinars, and forums led by expert hosts. Once registered and qualified with TechSoup, nonprofits can access donated and discounted products and services, including high-quality refurbished hardware and software from partners like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Intuit, and Symantec.
  • Idealware offers product reviews and reports on software of interest to nonprofits.

Blogs About Technology

  • Beth’s Blog, written by nonprofit technology guru Beth Kanter, is one of the most popular blogs sharing best practices in nonprofits’ use of social media.
  • TechSoup
  • NTEN
  • Need help? Reach out to NPower, a network that connects nonprofit organizations to technology and provides assistance to other nonprofits, serving close to 4,000 nonprofits a year.

Open Data

There is a growing movement to open local, state, federal, and shared data sources to provide communities with information about critical resources such as affordable housing, public safety, and environmental protection. Common Good Vermont works with state and national partners to bring Data resources to Vermont nonprofits. The following videos overview topics related to nonprofit data collection and use.

Watch: Common Good Vermont’s Open Data Series