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News for December 2000

29 December 2000

User-Unfriendly

At nonprofit technology conferences, I will often say in my speeches that the only reason we are all together here is because our tools don't work. If new technologies were mature, we would be as likely to have conferences about them as we are to have conferences about nonprofit paper clips usage. In User-Unfriendly, LA Times writer Dave Wilson hits the nail on the head. Posted: 12/29/00; 9:00:00 AM #

27 December 2000

Red Rock Eater Digest of December 21, 2000
	Jayne Cravens pointed out the value of Phil Agre's recent Tenets of Good Public Design. Scroll down the page of Red Rock Eater Digest of December 21, 2000 to find it. Posted: 12/27/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Stockholm Challenge
	The Stockholm Challenge is a competition for projects that "contribute to a better e-society." Hmmmmm. Posted: 12/27/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Contributor Relationship Management

Thanks to Shirley Sexton for this piece on Contributor Relationship Management. If you've read any of my recent interviews, you'll know that I'm a believer in the power of the Internet to enable nonprofits to radically improve their relationships with stakeholders. Sexton's piece is an excellent overview, albeit with a slight overemphasis on web site development over email. Posted: 12/27/00; 9:00:00 AM #

26 December 2000

reviewing online philanthropy
	Adam Engst is another fine Northwest writer who takes a shot at reviewing online philanthropy. Posted: 12/26/00; 9:00:00 AM #

online giving from a Pacific Northwest perspective
	Mark Watanabe covers online giving from a Pacific Northwest perspective . He gets that the Internet is about relationships. Posted: 12/26/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Netpoint Center
	Compasspoint and Handsnet have launched Netpoint Center, a Silicon Valley based organization addressing nonprofit technology needs. They have an entrepreneurial feel to them. I look forward to working with them closely. Posted: 12/26/00; 9:00:00 AM #

announced donations of stock to Action Without Borders, the Calvert Social Investment Foundation, and Independent Sector
	Social Ecology has announced donations of stock to Action Without Borders, the Calvert Social Investment Foundation, and Independent Sector. The Stock Donation Program is intended to strengthen the company's "commitment, connection and accountability to the nonprofit sector." Posted: 12/26/00; 9:00:00 AM #

25 December 2000

Bearing Gifts, They Come From Afar
	Today is Christmas Day. I want to point to this piece by Joal Garreau in the Washington Post: Bearing Gifts, They Come From Afar. I report on the Internet and nonprofits because I believe the Internet is the greatest opportunity for the resurgence of a gift economy that we have ever seen. Posted: 12/25/00; 9:00:00 AM #

20 December 2000

Should Content Companies Sell Their Proprietary Software
	In Should Content Companies Sell Their Proprietary Software, we learn a big lesson on the dangers of a content organization (like most nonprofits) trying to be a technology company. Posted: 12/20/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Surf like a Bushman
	You are probably quite familiar with my biological metaphors for nonprofit use of the Internet. I was delighted to see a pirce entitled Surf like a Bushman in the New Scientist. It looks at how finding information is like foraging. Posted: 12/20/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Evaluating Information Architecture
	Steve Toub has written an excellent paper on Evaluating Information Architecture. All the work that my colleagues and I have been doing on nonprofit knowledge management makes me interested in such evaluation tools. Posted: 12/20/00; 9:00:00 AM #

	My apologies for the interruption of the flow of news in the last week. The holidays caught up with us. The next few days will be a bit of a backlog. Posted: 12/20/00; 9:00:00 AM #

11 December 2000

Red Gorilla going out of business
	Red Gorilla going out of business is a good example of why I don't trust free online services. My recommendations to nonprofits: Pay for your software services. Posted: 12/11/00; 9:00:00 AM #

current issues with click to give sites
	Further coverage of the current issues with click to give sites at the New York Times. Posted: 12/11/00; 9:00:00 AM #

8 December 2000

a grant of stock in the company to CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
	Social Ecology has made a grant of stock in the company to CompassPoint Nonprofit Services. This is the first in a series of grants by the company to organizations strengthening the infrastructure of the nonprofit sector. Posted: 12/8/00; 9:00:00 AM #

7 December 2000

Nonprofits and Government
	A report on Nonprofits and Government has been published by the White House Council on Philanthropy. Posted: 12/7/00; 9:00:00 AM #

reviews the book Making Dreams Come True
	Susan Ellis reviews the book Making Dreams Come True. Posted: 12/7/00; 9:00:00 AM #

dotcom employees are looking for nonprofit jobs
	Looks like former dotcom employees are looking for nonprofit jobs. Posted: 12/7/00; 9:00:00 AM #

6 December 2000

nonprofit civic participation and advocacy
	The Aspen Institute has published a guide to nonprofit civic participation and advocacy (warning: PDF format). Posted: 12/6/00; 9:00:00 AM #

Online Buyer's Guide
	NetAction has published an Online Buyer's Guide. Posted: 12/6/00; 9:00:00 AM #

World Food Programme has broken with the Hunger Site
	I don't normally link to articles for which paid subscriptions are required, but this Wall Street journal article is extraordinary news. The United Nations World Food Programme has broken with the Hunger Site, when the latter's owner, Greatergood.com, failed to pass through donations due to cash flow problems. Posted: 12/6/00; 9:00:00 AM #