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Idealware, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits. Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective.


The Perfect Fit: A Guide to Evaluating and Purchasing Major Software Systems
By Peter Campbell, September 2008
A major software package shouldn't be chosen lightly. In this detailed guide, Peter Campbell walks through how to find software options, evaluate them, make a good decision, and then purchase the system in a way that protects you. Read more>

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How to Build or Edit a Website without Technical Skills
Introduction to Content Management Systems
Wednesday, October 8th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

Considering Social Media for Your Organization
Thursday, October 23rd, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

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Recent Reports and Articles

 

A Few Good Page Layout Tools

September 2008
Do you want to create a monthly newsletter, a formatted report, thank you cards, or an event invite? You need a page layout tool. Top-end software solutions can be complex, but there are simpler solutions as well. We spoke to five nonprofit technology and creative professionals about the layout tools that have worked for them. Read more>

A Few Good Photo Manipulation Tools

September 2008
If your photo needs to be cropped, adjusted, or reformatted, how can you get it ready for publication in print or the web? We spoke to five nonprofit technology and creative professionals about the photo-editing tools that have worked for them. Read more>

A Few Good Methods for Processing Credit Cards

August 2008
It's not necessarily difficult or expensive to accept payments by credit card. We provide some tips and tools to process credit card transactions both online and off.  Read more>

Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies

By Anthony Pisapia and Brett Bonfield, July 2008
A Constituent Relationship Management system can help track of all the ways that you interact with each of your supporters. But what does it take to implement one? What changes will you need to make to support it? We look at four different organizations' CRM stories. Read more >

A Few Good Online Conferencing Tools

July 2008
Adding visuals to a phone conference or online seminar can make a big difference - for instance, you can show a document, software application or slides. There are a number of affordable software packages that can help. We talked to a number of nonprofit professionals about the tools that have worked for them.  Read more>

Better Organization through Document Management Systems

By Peter Campbell, June 2008
Is your organization drowning in a virtual sea of documents? Document management systems can provide invaluable document searching, versioning, comparison, and collaboration features. Peter Campbell explains.  Read more>

A Few Good Web Hosting Providers

June 2008
We asked seven nonprofit internet specialists to share some of the Web hosting providers that have worked well for them, and some tips for hosting everything from a basic website to a powerhouse web application.  Fully verified and updated in June 2008! Read more >

A Consumers Guide to Grants Management Systems

June 2008

This detailed 89-page report summarizes the common features and eighteen different systems used by grantmakers to track outgoing funds, with prices and a comparison chart. Register and download the free report on our partner Solpath's site>

Online Project Management Software in the Real World

By Michele Murrain, May 2008

Coordinating all pieces of a project can be daunting, but online project management software can help. We present three case studies of nonprofits who have used packages like Basecamp, Central Desktop and Trac to manage real projects. Read more>

A Few Good Mapping and GIS Tools

By Eric Leland, April 2008

A map can be worth a thousand words. If you're looking for ways to create maps or to display geographic data, there are a number of software package that can help. We talked to five nonprofit GIS specialists experts to find out what tools have worked well for them. Read more >

A Few Good Tools for Sharing Files with Distributed Groups

March 2008

Sharing and collaborating on files can be a challenge when your team isn’t together in one office. We asked six nonprofit professionals about the file sharing software that has worked for them. Read more >

Using Wikis for Internal Documentation

By Jeremy Wallace, March 2008

Documenting your organizational procedures can be a big help, but this information often languishes in obscurity and goes slowly out of date. Jeremy Wallace talks about how wikis - easily editable websites - can help. Read more>

Characteristics of Successful Online Communities

By Andrew Cohen, February 2008

Successful online communities require more than a software package. In this article, we outline the strategies and features that can help you build online message boards, social networks, or other conversation based sites that become vibrant, useful communities. Read more>