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News for May 2001

30 May 2001

in a bind with the advent of Internet publishing
	The prestigious magazine Science has found itself in a bind with the advent of Internet publishing. Its nonprofit mission seems in conflict with its lucrative business as a publisher. Posted: 5/30/01; 1:46:57 PM #

British e-Government gateway is Windows only
	According to Linux User, the new British e-Government gateway is Windows only. Posted: 5/30/01; 1:46:47 PM #

26 May 2001

nominations for the Terry McAdam award
	You are invited to submit nominations for the Terry McAdam award for the "most inspirational and useful new book published that makes a substantial contribution to nonprofit management". Posted: 5/26/01; 11:11:33 AM #

corporate death penalty
	Dan Gillmore writes persuasively about the idea of a corporate death penalty, something I've always thought made a certain kind of sense, given the rights accorded to corporations under modern law. Posted: 5/26/01; 11:11:20 AM #

Circuit Rider conference
	I'll be at the Circuit Rider conference in Denver on June 29 - July 1, 2001. (Warning about the web site: For some reason, it's entirely done in the proprietary Flash format.) Posted: 5/26/01; 11:11:06 AM #

25 May 2001

Mirror Worlds

If you share my interest in a vision of technology that works like we do, you'll want to read Mirror Worlds by David Gelernter. The subtitle of the book tells us more: "The Day Software Puts the Universe in a Shoebox. How it Will Happen and What it Will Mean." I want to meet Gelernter. He gets it. He has such a deep understanding of the malleability of new technology that he is not limited by the metaphors of the past. Plus he totally understands how we might actually use the remarkable new vision he sets forth. The metaphor of the "mirror world" completely captures the remarkable power of that thinking of technological infrastructure has for helping us think about our organizations in general. This is why I think technology planning is really just organizational planning, using technology as a mirror. Posted: 5/25/01; 8:07:52 AM #

Douglas Adam's Towel Day
	Today is Douglas Adam's Towel Day. In memory of a very kind and funny man, I'll be carrying a towel with me today. Really. Posted: 5/25/01; 8:01:48 AM #

23 May 2001

Enabling Technology Funding
	If you have not already read the draft of Enabling Technology Funding, an article on improving the funding environment for nonprofit technology projects, I recommend that you do. Posted: 5/23/01; 9:49:41 AM #

OpenLaw
	OpenLaw is an experiment in crafting legal argument in an open forum. Fascinating! Posted: 5/23/01; 9:49:30 AM #

21 May 2001

International Conference on Volunteer Administration
	The International Conference on Volunteer Administration will be held in Ontario, Canada on October 3 - 6, 2001. Posted: 5/21/01; 2:57:24 PM #

Eco-Index
	The Rainforest Alliance's Eco-Index is a peer-reviewed database of biodiversity conservation projects. Posted: 5/21/01; 2:42:17 PM #

Exploration of Email Newsletters
	The latest issue of Dot Org, a newsletter from Marc Osten and Michael Stein, is out. This issue continues the exploration of email newsletters for nonprofit organizations. Posted: 5/21/01; 12:55:06 PM #

20 May 2001

described as failures of fundraising in support of content
	About one out of twelve public broadcasting consumers in the U.S. pledge financial support. So I find it truly bizarre that 10% return rates for online pledge drives are being described as failures of fundraising in support of content. I think these are fantastic numbers! Posted: 5/20/01; 3:06:25 PM #

increasing problem of aliteracy
	I'm a reader and so are you. But more and more people are not. Linton Weeks looks at the increasing problem of aliteracy, when people who can read choose not to. Posted: 5/20/01; 3:05:59 PM #

Gender Differences in Email Communication
	Recent research looks into the gender differences in email communication. The general pattern seems to be related to the classic patterns of getting things done versus building relationships. Posted: 5/20/01; 3:05:45 PM #

16 May 2001

unified chart of accounts for nonprofits
	The California Nonprofit Quality Reporting Project has produced a great unified chart of accounts for nonprofits. Posted: 5/16/01; 7:20:07 PM #

board meeting styles
	The lastest issue of Planet 501(c)3 looks at board meeting styles. Posted: 5/16/01; 7:19:53 PM #

enter nominations for the Tech Museum of Innovation Awards
	You have until June 1, 2001 to enter nominations for the Tech Museum of Innovation Awards, intended to honor people and organizations who are doing good with new technologies. Posted: 5/16/01; 7:19:40 PM #

15 May 2001

Tech Surveyor
	NPower has released Tech Surveyor, a tool for tracking technology assets. Now if we could only figure out how to make those assets conform to the actual human capacities and opportunities with an organization.... Posted: 5/15/01; 11:05:42 AM #

Passion Plays a Role in Online Communication
	Nancy White thinks that passion plays a role in online communication. I totally agree. There was a point where I considered making Nonprofit Online News less passionate and more objective, but my readers persuaded me otherwise. Posted: 5/15/01; 11:05:27 AM #

high tech donors
	I enjoyed reading the recent research on high tech donors, conducted by Social Welfare Research Institute at Boston College and the Association of Professional Fundraisers. Posted: 5/15/01; 11:04:24 AM #

13 May 2001

Chicago Luncheon 2001
	We announced this last week to our subscribers. I'll be in Chicago this coming Friday and I'll be speaking at a luncheon to be held at 1 PM on the subject of "The Future of Nonprofit Technology or Why I Can't Wait for this All to Go Away". The price is $89, which includes a very nice lunch as well. Posted: 5/13/01; 10:20:52 AM #

11 May 2001

the shakeout in the e-philanthropy business sector is a good thing
	I agree with Todd Cohen, who writes that the shakeout in the e-philanthropy business sector is a good thing. Posted: 5/11/01; 8:30:34 AM #

Tech4Impact: An EMail Newsletter for Mission-Based Organizations
	The remarkable Jayne Cravens has finally decided to launch Tech4Impact, a monthly email update to her respected online material. Posted: 5/11/01; 8:30:09 AM #

e-Philanthropy v2.001: From Entrepreneurial Adventure to an Online Community
	The Kellogg Foundation has released an updated version of their e-Philanthropy report, e-Philanthropy v2.001: From Entrepreneurial Adventure to an Online Community. Posted: 5/11/01; 8:29:57 AM #

Spanish version of Idealist.org
	Action Without Borders has launched a Spanish version of Idealist.org. Posted: 5/11/01; 8:29:44 AM #

Advancing Community Technology
	Hundreds of Community Technology Centers will gather next month at their 10th Annual Conference, Advancing Community Technology. Posted: 5/11/01; 8:28:47 AM #

10 May 2001

Email Manifesto Firestorm
	Ryan Turner and many others requested that we compile some of the reactions and discussions surrounding The Gilbert Email Manifesto (GEM). I'm pleased to say that we have now done so in Email Manifesto Firestorm in which we look at what people had to say, stories of email success, advice, resources, and our plans for the future of the conversation. Posted: 5/10/01; 7:54:59 AM #

Build, Buy, or Rent
	Tim Mills-Groninger has a nice piece in the Nonprofit Times on nonprofit databases entitled Build, Buy, or Rent. Posted: 5/10/01; 7:54:46 AM #

8 May 2001

typical usability problem of business to business sites
	I'm a Jakob Nielsen fan. Take a look at the web sites of most companies serving the nonprofit sector. Can you find any pricing information? Probably not. According to Nielsen, this is a typical usability problem of business to business sites. Posted: 5/8/01; 1:29:18 PM #

the aggressive direction taken by the recording industry
	Anyone concerned with Fair Use of copyrighted material, research, or the whole democratic software movement should be highly alarmed with the aggressive direction taken by the recording industry. Posted: 5/8/01; 1:29:04 PM #

Managing Complex, Distributed Environments
	Karen Ruhleder and Brigitte Jordan look closely at Managing Complex, Distributed Environments in this First Monday article. Posted: 5/8/01; 1:28:51 PM #

6 May 2001

Technology and Nonprofit Management
	Marc Osten graciously agreed to ask leaders attending the recent Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference in Cleveland about the connection between new information technologies and their work. In Technology and Nonprofit Management, he captures those themes. Posted: 5/6/01; 1:58:06 PM #

Learning from our Failures
	I recently attended the annual conference of the (U.S.) Council on Foundations in Philadelphia. In Learning from our Failures, I explore one of the core issues that echoed through the event. Posted: 5/6/01; 1:57:53 PM #

A Survey of High End Automatic Email Answering Systems
	Jupiter Research has done a survey of high end automatic email answering systems and found out that they mostly don't work. Posted: 5/6/01; 1:57:40 PM #

4 May 2001

recent upgrade to their email marketing platform
	It's been great to watch our sister organization Social Ecology not only weather the financial downturn, but actually thrive. They've been releasing software at a furious pace, including this recent upgrade to their email marketing platform. Posted: 5/4/01; 11:49:27 AM #

The Independent Media was raided by the FBI
	When will YOU be getting a visit from the FBI, with sealed demands to turn over your server logs and a gag order prohibiting you from telling anyone? It just happened here in Seattle. The Independent Media was raided by the FBI a couple of weeks ago. Posted: 5/4/01; 8:59:23 AM #

foundation support of nonprofit capacity building
	Stephen Greene takes a good look at foundation support of nonprofit capacity building in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Posted: 5/4/01; 8:58:57 AM #

More Than Bit Players
	The Surdna Foundation has published Andrew Blau's More Than Bit Players (in PDF format), an overview piece on the impact of new information technology on philanthropy. Posted: 5/4/01; 8:58:31 AM #

3 May 2001

workshop presention material
	The recent tech Forum in Seattle has posted much of its workshop presention material. Most of it is in Powerpoint or PDF formats. Posted: 5/3/01; 9:27:16 AM #

Email Communication Advocate
	Michael Webb of Conference house in the UK advocates email communication in his reaction piece to the Email Manifesto. Posted: 5/3/01; 9:21:17 AM #

An E-Quandary
	Bob Woods looks at email versus web sites in his reaction piece to The Gilbert Email Manifesto (GEM). Posted: 5/3/01; 9:21:13 AM #

Total Cost of Ownership
	Marc Osten has a nice piece in Nonprofit Quarterly on Total Cost of Ownership. Posted: 5/3/01; 9:16:27 AM #

what to do with the 'deadwood' board member
	Board Cafe tackles the issue of what to do with the 'deadwood' board member. Thank you! Posted: 5/3/01; 9:16:15 AM #

1 May 2001

days of free Internet services are effectively over
	Nonprofits may still be looking for a free ride on the Internet, but the days of free Internet services are effectively over, according to Saul Hansell of the New York Times. Posted: 5/1/01; 10:42:28 AM #

Evaluating and Improving Your Internet Strategy
	I love what Techsoup is doing for nonprofits that are just starting to think about new technologies. Nick Allen is a talented online fundraising consultant. So what's up with the fact they are hosting a discussion called Evaluating and Improving Your Internet Strategy when the entire focus is on web sites? Posted: 5/1/01; 10:40:37 AM #