Westchester Not-for-Profit Technology Council
Home About Us Resources Case Studies Join Contact Us
Software Purchasing
Hardware Purchasing
Technology Planning
Professional Development
Funding Opportunities
Helpful Web Sites
Web Design
PC Training
Resources

HELPFUL WEB SITES

ONLINE TOOLS AND RESOURCES HANDOUT FOR NOT-FOR-PROFITS

This is not an endorsement for any of these sites, but a collection of available web resources. As both the web and the not-for-profit sector are ever-changing, so are these links. This is an abbreviated listing of the resources that are available. Please do not distribute without permission.

General Information:

Independent Sector - www.independentsector.org
The website gives an overview of Independent Sector programs and includes a section on the basics of lobbying by charitable organizations; facts and figures on the size and scope of the nonprofit sector; and a statistical overview of the IS 1999 Survey on Giving and Volunteering.

IdealistNews - www.idealistnews.com
A project between Idealist and Reddit to bring social news to all things nonprofit.

Network for Good - www.networkforgood.org
Network for Good is a nonprofit collaboration to help nonprofit organizations increase capacity, reach new audiences, and build Internet strategies.

National Center for Charitable Statistics - www.nccs.urban.org
The National Center for Charitable Statistics serves as the national repository of statistical information on the nonprofit sector from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other sources.

Webopedia - www.webopedia.com
This is a handy resource for technology terms. Also has links to news, interesting information in their "Do You Know" section and support resources.

Back to Top


General Technology information:

Idealware - www.idealware.org
Idealware provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits, centralized into a website. Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective.

Nonprofit Matrix - www.nonprofitmatrix.com
This is a guide of commercial portal and ASP (application service providers) for nonprofits.

TechSoup - www.techsoup.org
This is a highly informative technology guide for nonprofits. One can search the TechSoup for articles on a range of topics from discussion lists to database management.

Nonprofit Good Practice Guide - www.techsoup.org
This website contains resources from working with technology, to utilizing technology to benefit your organization. Also, contains resources in the other areas like advocacy, financial management, fundraising, governance and more.

Back to Top


Foundations and Corporate Funders:

Time Warner Foundation - http://www.timewarner.com/corp/citizenship/community/index.html
The AOL Time Warner Foundation is dedicated to using the power of media, communications, and information technology to serve the public interest and strengthen society. Rather than simply providing grant monies or funding unsolicited requests, the foundation prefers to enter into strategic partnerships with organizations that have a demonstrated commitment to pioneering innovative ways of meeting its four priorities: Equipping Kids for the 21st Century; Extending Internet Benefits to All; Engaging Communities in the Arts; and Empowering Citizens and Civic Participation.

AT&T Foundation - www.att.com
The AT&T Foundation supports education programs that focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Grant guidelines and application information available online.

JPMorgan Chase - www.jpmorganchase.com/cm/cs?pagename=Chase/Href&urlname=jpmc/community
JPMorgan Chase works with thousands of not-for-profits across the United States and in global markets to make an impact in three primary areas of need: Community asset development to encourage community development and economic empowerment; Youth education to enhance educational initiatives for public education, from early childhood programs to pre-collegiate schooling; and Community life to enrich communities with sponsorships and events focused on arts and culture. The grant application process involves two phases - a preliminary inquiry by the not-for-profit agency and, if accepted, an invitation to apply.

Microsoft Corporation Community Affairs - www.microsoft.com
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft makes grants of cash, software, and technical support to nonprofit organizations worldwide in order to help bring the benefits of information technology to people and communities; provide support to organizations in communities in which its employees live and work; and support its employees taking an active role in their community through volunteer and matching-gift programs.

Rockefeller Foundation - www.rockfound.org
The New York City-based Rockefeller Foundation's Communication for Social Change (CFSC) supports projects in three areas: researching, testing, and applying new indicators and evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of communication projects and programs; testing and conducting trials of communication-for-social-change methodology on key social issues impacting the poor and excluded, especially in partnership with foundation grantees; and creating new training models about how to apply communication-for-social-change methodology.

Verizon Foundation - foundation.verizon.com
The Verizon Foundation supports projects and programs that directly address community needs through effective communications and information management technology. The foundation recently launched two new programs: E-Solutions, which provides a full menu of technology training, including an online Needs Analysis Tool, to nonprofits nationwide; and eGrants - cash awards of $240 to smaller nonprofits (those with an annual budget under $500,000) to help them get connected to the Internet.

Back to Top


E- Philanthropy Resources and Grants:

Tides Center - www.tidescenter.org
Tides Center is a Tides organization. Tides Center supports existing and emerging projects that share their vision of a just, healthy, and sustainable world.

e-Philanthropy - www.ephilanthropy.org
The ePhilanthropy Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, education organization that seeks to foster the ethical use of the Internet for philanthropic purposes. The Foundation provides educational services via conferences and seminars, through its various publications, flyers and printed articles and over the Internet in its various eLearning courses.

Google Grants - www.google.com/grants/
Google Grants is a unique in-kind donation program awarding free AdWords advertising to select charitable organizations. We support organizations sharing our philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts.

Independent Charities of America - www.independentcharities.org
Independent Charities of America is a nonprofit organization that pre-screens "high quality national and international charities, and presents them for your giving considerations."

Back to Top


Discussion Boards, Electronic Mails, Onlines Forums:

Idealware - www.idealware.org
Idealware provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits, centralized into a website. Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective.

L-Soft - www.lsoft.com
These are the developers of the original ListServ software, who offer software solutions and services.

ListServ FAQ's - email.about.com
This is a helpful facts list from www.About.com that describes ListServs and the different ListServ products.

WebBBS - awsd.com
This is scripting for creating a web-based bulletin board. Implementing this sort of bulletin board would require a somewhat experienced developer.

WebCrossing - webcrossing.com
This service allows one to set up a discussion board with their servers. Unless a licensing fee is paid, their ads will have to be viewed.

NetAction - www.netaction.org
NetAction is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting use of the Internet for effective grassroots citizen action campaigns and to educating the public, policymakers, and the media about technology policy issues.

Philanthropy News Digest - fdncenter.org
This is the The Foundation Center's weekly online journal of philanthropy-related news and features. It includes a searchable archive of 3,000+ abstracts dating to January 1995 and is available as a free weekly e-newsletter.

TechSoup Community Forums - http://techsoup.org/community/index.cfm
Active technology-themed boards from the folks at TechSoup. Forum topics include the digital divide, e-fundraising, software, virtual community, and Web development.

Student-run tech support program for nonprofits at UW-Madison - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/techshop/news.php
Informational website of the process used to build a "TechShop" to support Madison area community organizations' computer support needs. Survey results on the very basic technology issues that community organizations are facing and a UW seminar class in sprint 2008 will be delving deeper to learn more about the specific kinds of support community organizations would like to see and the models that can provide that support.

Back to Top


Open Source/Web 2.0/Social Media Technologies:

Web 2.0 Technologies with Business in mind - Software as a Service
Socialcast, Socialtext and Huddle are products that leverage technologies similar to Twitter, Facebook and classic Web 2.0 products and attempt to revise them for business use. Read the article by Jim Rapoza from eWeek to learn what each product has to offer.

Using Social Media to Meet Nonprofit Goals: The Results of a Survey - Results
Are social media channels working to help nonprofits engage their current audience? Recruit new supporters? Raise money? This 20-page Idealware report provides the results of our survey of 459 nonprofit staff member actively using social networking for their organization. It summarizes what nonprofits are using, and how well they think it works, for tools including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs, photo sharing, and video sharing site.

Board Management for Nonprofits by Social Source Commons - Board Management Tools
Social Source Commons is a place to share lists of software tools that you already use, gain knowledge and support, and discover new tools. It’s a place to meet people with similar needs and interests and answer the question: what tools do they use?

BlackbaudNow - Free Websites
BlackbaudNow provides 6 pages free website which includes the following modules: WebNow- publish your own website using one of the prebuilt designs and accept donations in minutes; DonorNow- manage your constituent relationships and run reports; Email Now- Send emails to stay in touch with your constituents.
Although the website is free, you pay a transaction fee of 4.95% and $0.30 per transaction for all online donations.

Web Conferencing and Online Meeting Tools - Meeting Tools
A list of software tools that enable synchronous or "real time" online meetings, conferences, and one-to-one collaborations.

Workshop about Web 2.0 and Social Media - Wiki
This WIKI is sponsored by the New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc., based on their workshop about Web 2.0 and Social Media. It provides participants an easy way to:

  • Get slides (and updates when the presentation is updated)
  • Connect to resources from the workshop (and updates)
  • Ask questions, add feedback, links, resources, etc. of their own! (Check out the discussion tab up top...ask the group questions, as more people attend the workshop we can gather a community of Web 2.0 Users!)

Google Cheat Sheet - Cheat Sheet
This two page PDF Google Cheat Sheet lists all Google services and tools as well as background information. The Cheat Sheet offers a great reference to grasp of basic to advance Google query building concepts and ideas.

Non-profit GIS and Online Mapping - Guide to Nonprofit GIS
This free Illustrated Guide to Nonprofit GIS and Online Mapping includes: a brief introduction to mapping and GIS (geographic information systems) technology and concepts; examples of successful nonprofit projects using GIS and/or mapping technologies; helpful strategies for planning your own mapping/GIS project; a review of public data sources with freely available data; a brief review of free and low-cost tools for nonprofit mapping and GIS projects

Six Ways to Protect Your Privacy on Google - Privacy Protection
Concerned that Google knows too much about you? The company provides many ways to protect your privacy online -- you just need to find them. Here are six good ones.

OpenOffice.org: 7 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do - Tips
OpenOffice.org–an application suite, not just a Web site—has tricks even Office can't manage. Here are a few that may not be obvious, plus a few ways to make it less annoying out of the box.

Top 50 Proprietary Programs and their Open Source Alternative - Open Source Alternatives
These fifty proprietary programs are listed in no particular order within broad categories along with their open source alternatives. In some cases you could probably write your own book on frustrations with the proprietary programs shown here. In other cases, you’ll discover that the open source alternative isn’t quite up to snuff yet. And, in other cases still, you’ll learn that some proprietary programs are real gems, but that the open source advocate can replace those gems with equally shiny objects from the open source repertoire.

Web 2.0 & Social Networking Nonprofit Survey by Citizen Schools, Inc. and Public Learning Media Laboratory - Web 2.0 Survey
Citizen Schools and the Public Learning Media Laboratory have launched a survey to gather detail about specific Web 2.0 and social networking technologies that nonprofits are using.

Tips for Managing and Engaging Online Communities by Allyson Kapin - Blog
Should online communities be moderated? How do you handle heated debates and inappropriate comments? Read this interesting article for more information.

Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2009 by Georgia Tech Information Security Center - Emerging Cyber Threats
On October 15, 2008, the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) hosted its annual summit on emerging security threats and countermeasures affecting the digital world. At the conclusion of the event, GTISC released this Emerging Cyber Threats Report—outlining the top five information security threats and challenges facing both consumer and business users in 2009. What's the top threat to data security going to be in 2009? According to this report the answer is malware specifically disguised as "benign social networking links."

WNTC Technology Forum: Web 2.0: New Ways to Meet Your Organization's Mission and Goals - October 2008 Forum
Go to the above page to see the different video and power point presentations.

Back to Top


Advocacy and Community Development:

The Alliance for Justice - www.afj.org
For information about the legal implications of online advocacy, get the book, "E-Advocacy for Nonprofits: The Law of Lobbying and Election-Related Activity on the Net."

Grassroots.com - www.grassroots.com
Grassroots.com provides software that enables organizations to organize and mobilize constituents.

The Virtual Activist - www.netaction.org
This is an online guide in using email for outreach and advocacy.

Idealist.org - www.idealist.org
Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.

Back to Top


Web Development:

BlackbaudNow - Free Websites
BlackbaudNow provides 6 pages free website which includes the following modules: WebNow- publish your own website using one of the prebuilt designs and accept donations in minutes; DonorNow- manage your constituent relationships and run reports; Email Now- Send emails to stay in touch with your constituents.
Although the website is free, you pay a transaction fee of 4.95% and $0.30 per transaction for all online donations.

Grassroots.org - Free Website Hosting, Design, etc.
The mission of Grassroots.org is to serve as a catalyst for positive social change by leveraging modern technologies and best business practices. They currently serve 1,959 charitable organizations in the US and Canada and have provided them with a total savings $2,299,044 since 2003. Their ultimate goal is to adopt 10,000 nonprofit members and provide them each with an average of $10,000 of services per year at no charge (for a total savings of $100 million per year!).
Make sure you read their membership terms before you make your decision.

Webmonkey - www.webmonkey.com/
One of the first developer resources on the Web, this site is now available in a special version especially for children. (http://www.webmonkey.com/kids/) Quick reference sheets, tutorials, articles, resources, and more for developing one's website are available.

Web Developer's Toolkit (Online Resources) - www.fund-online.com
A nice collection of links to Web authoring, design, and graphics resources taken from Fundraising and Friend- Raising on the Web: A Handbook for Libraries and Other Nonprofit Organizations.

Web Page Design for Designers - www.wpdfd.com
A gateway to a vast array of free Web design-related resources on the Internet. The information on the site is searchable, and resources are conveniently grouped by subject area on the front page.

Back to Top


Technology Sites:

CNET - www.cnet.com/frontdoor/0-1.html
This is a website with information and resources on a wide variety of technology issues that include: sections on tech news, hardware, downloads, Web building, how-to's, and tech help.

Tucows - www.tucows.com
This website specializes in Internet shareware and freeware, whose sections include news, downloads, and top picks.

ZDNet - www.zdnet.com
ZDNet has information and resources on a wide variety of technology issues, with sections on free downloads, product reviews, buying guides, updates, and wireless.

Back to Top


Local Resources:

Foundation Center - foundationcenter.org
The Foundation Center is the nation's leading authority on philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector.

Freecycle - www.freecycle.org
The Freecycle Network™ provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. The Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is run by a local volunteer moderator. Membership is free.

National Executive Service Corps - www.nesc.org
NESC provides management consulting and business advisory services to organizations in the fields of arts and culture, health and human services, public and private education, religion and government. The objective of each engagement is sharply defined and tailored to the specific needs of the client. All this is possible through quality, affordable consulting services which are donated by senior-level business people and professionals.

NPowerNY - www.npowerny.org
An offgrowth of NPower, NpowerNY is a membership service for NYC nonprofits providing discounted training and services. Although they service NYC exclusively, they often offer conferences and forums open to all.

NTEN - www.nten.org
NTEN is a membership organization of nonprofit technology professionals. Their members share the common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively. NTEN facilitates the exchange of knowledge and information within the community by providing professional development opportunities, educating their constituency on issues of technology use in nonprofits, and spearheading groundbreaking research, advocacy, and education on technology issues affecting the entire community..

Per Scholas - www.perscholas.org
Since 1995, Per Scholas has placed over 30,000 computers in needy schools and homes in 28 states. To families everywhere they provide a toll-free bilingual help desk. Through intermediate sponsor agencies they offer group family computer orientation training. They are located in the Bronx, NY.

Tech Soup NY - www.techsoup.org/newyork/
Formed in partnership with NPowerNY, this is a great resource for metro New York training, information and resources.

Westchester Alliance for Telecommunications and Public Access (WATPA) - www.watpa.org
WATPA designs and hosts Web sites and listservs for not-for-profit groups at no cost on a server provided by the Westchester Library System.

Westchester PC Users Group - www.wpcug.org
Westchester PC Users Group's mission is to raise the level of computer literacy in the Westchester community. This is a membership organization for any Westchester County's resident who needs help with technology or wants to share their knowledge with others.

United Way of Westchester Putnam - www.uwwp.org
Offers Gifts in Kind. This program helps agencies stretch their resources by distributing excess product donated by business. Among those donations, computer hardware and software become available several times a year, at a fraction of the market price. The only requirement to enroll in the program is for the agency to be a not-for-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status.

Back to Top


Disability Resources:

Designing More Usable Web Sites - www.trace.wisc.edu
An offshoot of the Designing a More Usable World project of the Trace Center at the University of Wisconsin, this site offers links to website accessibility guidelines, Web access tools, accessibility discussion forums, and selected resources on disability and Web use.

World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative - www.w3.org
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative focuses its work in five areas: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. The WAI Web site offers an extensive list of links to resources, information about news and events concerning Web accessibility, and new Web technologies from W3C.

Back to Top


Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing? - Cloud Computing
Definitions, classifications, options and assessment.