Hey Nonprofits! Check Out the Grant Writers’ Forum this Friday

If you’re involved with the grant writing process at a nonprofit, you know how complex and difficult (read: confusing and painful) writing a grant can be. Since grant money is the lifeblood of most nonprofits, though, it really pays for you to know as much as you can about the process, right?

Lucky for you, here’s a chance to add to your money making mojo.  It’s the Grant Writers’ Forum happening this Friday, November 18th, from 8:30 – 2 at the Council Chambers in the North Charleston City Hall.

Grant writing consultants, foundation directors, administrators and nonprofit program officers will share their knowledge about a variety of topics including:

• building relationships with foundation funders
• developing strategic partnerships & collaborations
• working with corporate funders
• essential financial components of a winning proposal
• outlook on federal funding
• and more!

Each session will last from 45-60 minutes and will include time for questions.   You’ll even get a box lunch and drink with your registration.

The event is $30 for Charleston Association of Grants Pofessionals members, and only $35 for everyone.  For more information or to register, visit the Forum’s Eventbrite page.  Hurry on over; registration closes very soon!

Sponsored by the Charleston Association of Grants Professionals and the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department.

Tech Tips Liveblog

12 PM We’re about to get started

12:05 PM Michael is explaining PATH – Palmetto Technology Hub is a nonprofit that serves as an Internet help desk for other nonprofits.

Why we’re here? Money’s tight; we need to get more done with less. Nonprofits frequently don’t know what to even ask for on the technology front.

We’re going to talk about hardware, software, social media, people, resources today.

Hardware:

• Care & Maintenance is critical.
• Simple things: memory and ventilation.
• Recommended: once a year, have a day when you pull the PC out from the wall, look at the back, clean out all the dust.  Blow compressed air into it.  Keep pets and food away from the CPU.
• When you have to buy something new, don’t buy the cheapest.  Get the most you can on your budget.  It will last longer and serve you better.
• Get a good FREE antivirus program.  Right now, that’s Microsoft Security Essentials.
•  Recommended: once a year, take care of the registry and temporary files. Options: CCleaner and GlaryUtilities.com
• Your Internet: check your speed and contract at least every 2 years somewhere like speakeasy.net/speedtest
• Secure the WiFi.  You are securing your clients & donor’s information, and if someone is wardriving on your network they’re sucking up your speed/bandwidth
• Don’t forget about physical security.  Tag your equipment, have it physically secured
• Disaster recovery – 3 2 1 strategy: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite ( multiple redundant online backups)
• Offsite backup, try something like mozy.com, or crashplan.org.  There are other good ones, too, these are just 2.  This is NOT expensive…from free to $60 a year

Software

• Standardize!  It reduces training, enables collaboration, makes machines interchangeable if something goes wrong
• Decide when to upgrade.  Sometimes you don’t need the most recent version, like the newer version won’t open on my PC
• Consider nontraditional options
• Open Office or LibreOffice – free & mostly compatible with MS Office
• Online Office programs – GoogleDocs, ZoHo, etc., helps with remote work & collaboration
• these eliminate need for backing up files since they’re stored on the cloud
• FOSS – Free Open Source Softwarware
• The Gimp = Photoshop
• Kivio = Visio
• NVU = Dreamweaver
• Want more?  Check Open Source Alternative at osalt.com
• Online file storage, like Dropbox.com or similar sites.  [Watch your Terms Of Service agreements with these - A]

Social Media

• Stake your claim.  Register your name there even if you don’t think you’ll use it.  Set it up to tell people where you *are* active online
• If you don’t use it, keep up with what others are saying about you.
• google.com/alerts – helps you find what people are saying about you.  Sends you a digest of places where you are mentioned online
• Socialoopmh.com – can look for keywords you specifiy on social media sites – this is a way to keep monitoring simple

Social Media is NOT your home base.  Your web site is your home base!!

Free web hosting for nonprofits is out there, including at dreamhost.com

You need to own & have control over your own information.  FB, Twitter, etc. own every word you put on them.  Have your own presence.

People!

• are your biggest asset
• institutional knowledge is crucial; tech is a way to keep hard-earned knowledge alive regardless of who comes & goes in your org
• Buy good keyboards & monitors; this is where stess & strain injuries occur.
• Ergonomics!!!
• Train! PATH, library, YouTube, Lynda, etc.  Encourage training.
• Security. People need passwords.  You can protect from outsides & keep people’s things separate. It preserves job happiness.  No one wants to see someone else’s stuff!  (Pay rate, etc.)

Resources

• PalmettoTechnologyHub.org
• TechSoup.org – offers software & hardware for 501(c)3
• Nten.org – training how to & why
• The Library!  [Aww!  Thanks, Michael. -A]

Questions

Q. Can you get rid of all the junk on new computers?

A. Decrappify – removes all the junk that gets put on your new PCs by the manufacturers

Q. Why doesn’t MS put MS Security Essentials on there?

A. Antitrust, basically.

Q. How does PATH support itself?

A. Grants and support from businesses like Google, Boeing, etc.

Q: Another BootCamp?

A: June or so next year.

[I'm just saying...Charleston is lucky to have such an altruistic tech community in town. -A]

Want a copy of this presentation?  Download the slidedeck for your viewing pleasure!

Tech Tips for Non-Profits at November’s Networking Lunch

In this session Michael Carnell, computer consultant and co-founder of the Palmetto Technology Hub, will discuss some easy ways that non-profits can make the most of the technology they have available. Yes, it is possible to take advantage of some of today’s cutting edge technology to advance your cause without cracking open your wallet, and Michael will show you how. Feel free to bring your tech questions too; he will be happy to tackle your computer, internet and social media questions.

Space is limited; to register for the workshop, please call 805-6930.

Where: Meeting Room B, Main Library, 68 Calhoun St
When: Tuesday, November 8th from 12 – 1:15 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

Slides from September’s Networking Lunch

As promised, here are the slides from today’s Networking Lunch.  If you have any questions about the resources we talked about today, drop me a line!

 

The Power of Email Marketing Can Be Yours On August 24th

Are you ready to get your message heard in a world of increasing email communications?  Discover how to make email marketing work for your organization at The Power of Email Marketing at the Main Library on August 24th.

You’ll learn:

• what email marketing is and why and how it works
• components of an effective email marketing campaign
• how email marketing can meet your needs
• case studies of successful email marketing campaigns
• email marketing best practices and tips

All information provided can be applied regardless of the system or service you are using for email marketing.

Our presenter is Anissa Freeman Starnes, the Regional Development Director for Constant Contact in the Carolinas.  Anissa is a small business expert with 19 years of experience in nonprofit management, fund development and sponsorship management.  She has a background as a successful small business owner and CEO of an international nonprofit organization.  Anissa is passionate about helping small businesses and organizations grow customer, member, and donor relationships through their use of email marketing.

Where: Main Library Auditorium, 68 Calhoun Street
When: Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 from 6-8 p.m.

Registration is not required for this event, but if you can preregister at http://tinyurl.com/register824 if you like.  As always this program is free and open to the public.

Hope to see you there!