January 2012

Latest and Greatest: New Articles for January 2012

By Kyle Andrei, January 26, 2012

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.
 
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.
 
(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? 

Lies Your Printer Tells You

By Jay Leslie, January 19, 2012

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! 

Blackbaud, Convio, and the Nonprofit Software Market

By Laura Quinn, January 19, 2012

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.  
 

The Day the Web Went Dark

By Jay Leslie, January 18, 2012

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.
 

Is Facebook Doomed to Die?

By Laura Quinn, January 13, 2012

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.

There's No Such Thing As a Technology Funder

By Laura Quinn, January 10, 2012

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. 

 

Best Of Idealware: 2011 Edition

By Chris Bernard, January 6, 2012
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)
9.      A Few Good Accounting Packages (8,244)
 
 
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.
 
 
 

  

The case of the missing (project) manager...

By Marc Baizman, January 2, 2012

detectiveIt was a dark and stormy night. My face was bathed in the blue glow from the laptop's screen.  I sat staring at an email. "We won't have anyone to take on the project manager role for the upcoming major technology project at our organization.  Do you think that could be a problem?"  

I sat back, cracked my knuckles, and began to craft a reply.

"The challenge of working with nonprofits and technology is the faith that somehow "the technology will save us."   I think the hope is that by hiring a consultant or firm to run and manage a project (donor database, file storage system, etc), the nonprofit won't take up valuable staff time, the consultant will work their technical voodoo, and come back with a system that is perfectly configured, easy to use, and ready to be used by all staff with a bit of training.  This, in my opinion, is false hope.

One of the keys to a successful nonprofit technology project is staff ownership of the project.  This doesn't necessarily require that a staff person spend 100% of their time on the project (after all, that's one of the reasons you're hiring a firm, presumably), but it does require that there is someone on staff who fully owns the results of the project, is the main point of contact with the consultant, and is capable of making decisions regarding the project, or communicating with internal staff to get decisions made, and then clearly communicating those decisions.  Ultimately, staff time is always required for any successful nonprofit technology project, and ownership is a big part of that.

In a nutshell, I'd say that yes, it is problematic that no one within the organization is able to take on that role."

Exhausted, I hit send, and closed the laptop's lid, hoping that I'd prevented the disappearance of yet another nonprofit technology project manager...

 (Apologies to Elmore Leonard, and fans of real hard-boiled detective stories.)