The TechSoup Blog : TechSoup Event

Upcoming Webinar on May 24: Better Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint

kylahunt — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:39:00 GMT

If you read our recent blog post Does Microsoft Office SmartArt make you smarter?, you are in for a treat. On Thursday, May 24 at 11 a.m. Pacific, we will be holding a live webinar that will be covering SmartArt, Creating Better Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint.

During this free webinar, we will hear from TechSoup's Elliot Harmon and Microsoft’s Doug Thomas on ways to enhance the effectiveness of your presentations. First, we will talk about improving the visual aspects of your presentation through tools such as SmartArt. We will then discuss PowerPoint's broadcast function, which allows you to virtually share your presentation with clients or colleagues throughout the world.

Also included in this webinar will be a discussion of Microsoft Web Apps, PowerPoint resources, and information on the TechSoup Microsoft Software Donation Program.

This webinar is appropriate for nonprofits or libraries interested in creating enhanced PowerPoint presentations.

Stay tuned for announcements of other webinars in our Microsoft Tips and Tricks series!

Upcoming Nonprofits Live on May 16: Gaming

alebez — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Here at TechSoup, we believe game-based technologies can serve as powerful tools for advancing social action, civic engagement, and health for youth.

Come watch TechSoup get its game on in this month's interactive Nonprofits Live: Gaming webinar on Wednesday, May 16, at 11 a.m. Pacific time featuring experts and stories from organizations that have found new and innovative ways to catalyze social impact through digital games.

Featuring a lively mix of nonprofit technology guests sharing their unique perspectives on ways to harness the power of gaming as a catalyst for good, you'll hear how some organizations are using games as a platform for teaching leadership skills, problem solving, and global community building to youth.

RSVP today and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag: #NPLive.

Expert Guests

Barry Joseph, Global Kids. Four months after Barry Joseph was born, humans first walked on the moon. Three months later, the Internet was born. The first brought us closer to the universe while the second brought us closer to each other. Barry has been pursuing the latter ever since.

Barry has directed the Online Leadership Program at Global Kids, Inc. since 2000, helping youth to acquire leadership skills and engage in efforts to address global issues through the production of digital media. Barry stopped by the Nonprofit Commons last month to discuss all the cool things he has been up to recently. You can catch the recap of that conversation here on the TechSoup blog.

Ben Stokes, Games for Change. Ben co-founded Games for Change and served as a co-director until 2007. He is currently a PhD student at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Santa Cruz, researching how digital media foster civic engagement, informal learning and activism. You can keep track of his work on his personal website.

Josephine Dorado, (@funksoup) is a social entrepreneur, educator, artist, producer, and skydiver. She was a Fulbright scholarship recipient and initiated the Kidz Connect program, which connects youth internationally via creative collaboration and theatrical performance in virtual worlds. She currently teaches at the New School and is the live events producer for This Spartan Life, a talk show inside the video game Halo. She is currently working on a curated mobile guide for alternative lifestyles.

Whether you're looking for ways to engage youth through games, or have questions about the tools and resources available to you, our guests will discuss best practices to follow in adopting gaming into your organizations ecosystem of change. We will answer your questions and share tips in a talk-show format. No high tech skills are necessary to participate: just a decent Internet connection and your curiosity!

RSVP to join today!

Upcoming Webinar on May 10: Creating Effective Reports

kylahunt — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:02:00 GMT

If you attended our previous webinar Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online, you may remember that TechSoup is holding a webinar focusing on SAP's Crystal Reports.

This webinar, held on Thursday, May 10 at 11 a.m. Pacific time, will focus on how SAP's Crystal Reports 2011 can provide effective reporting solutions for your organization.

Crystal Reports reporting software allows you to create interactive reports via the web or embedded in enterprise applications. In this webinar, SAP's Jaclyn Churcher and Kenneth Li will walk you through the ins and outs of Crystal Reports 2011, including a discussion of mapping and visualization functions.

Have specific questions about Crystal Reports 2011 that you would like to see addressed in the webinar? Email khunt@techsoupglobal.org or ask them in the comments below.

Upcoming Webinar on May 3: Jump Start Your Grant Seeking

kylahunt — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:05:00 GMT

Curious about GrantStation? Join us for Jump Start Your Grant Seeking, a free webinar on Thursday, May 3, at 11 a.m. Pacific time. This webinar is perfect for anybody interested in the upcoming special offer from TechSoup and GrantStation on May 8 and 9.

Join Jeremy Smith, GrantStation's communications and technology director, as he provides a short tour of the GrantStation website.

Jeremy will also talk about how a GrantStation membership can provide you with full access to the website, including a searchable database of thousands of private, corporate, and international grantmakers, as well as a list of current federal grant programs.

The tour will also include a sneak peek of Grants2020, a newly developed tool to help you build an effective grants strategy for years to come.

Upcoming Webinar on April 26: Finding Funders for Your Cause

kylahunt — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:12:00 GMT

As you may recall, last month we held a webinar with the Foundation Center titled Mapping Philanthropy: How You Can Use Data Visualization to Do Good. If you did not get a chance to attend, you can still watch the recording of the event.

On Thursday, April 26 at 11 a.m. Pacific time, we are holding our second webinar in collaboration with the Foundation Center, Toolkit Essentials: Finding Funders for Your Cause. This webinar is designed to answer one of the most frequently asked question at the Foundation Center: “How do I find funders that are interested in my cause?”

Attendees will walk away knowing how to connect with the latest news and funding opportunities in their fields of interest, how to use cool tools for finding funders and program partners, and where to access expert virtual and in-person help for building knowledge and skills.

Who Is Presenting?

Speaking to the topic of funding resources will be Bobbe A. Luce and David Holmes. David is the regional training coordinator for the Foundation Center – Cleveland. David has an extensive background in the nonprofit sector, having served both as a program officer for the Stocker Foundation in Lorain, Ohio, and as the director of grants and prospect research at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio.

Our second presenter will be of particular interest to the library community. Bobbe A. Luce directs ONEplace, a nonprofit management support organization (MSO) offering opportunities for nonprofit excellence in Kalamazoo County. The center opened in March 2009, and is operated by the Kalamazoo Public Library.

More About the Foundation Center

Want more information about the Foundation Center? Check out our previous blog post, Finding Funding with the Foundation Center.

Upcoming Webinar on April 18: QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits and Libraries!

kylahunt — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:14:00 GMT

Interested in learning more about Intuit's QuickBooks? TechSoup offers a variety of ways to do so, including watching an archived webinar, participating in a forum discussion, requesting CD-ROMs through the QuickBooks Made Easy Donation Program, and reading in-depth articles.

Now, you can also participate in a live webinar, QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits and Libraries! to learn more about how you can streamline your day-to-day business with the new 2012 updates to QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits and Libraries! will be held on Wednesday, April 18 at 11 a.m. Pacific time. Register today as space is limited!

During this webinar, we will be hearing from QuickBooks Made Easy instructor Gregg Bossen about how this tool can aid your nonprofit or library, giving you an in-depth look at the new updates to the QuickBooks software.

This webinar is appropriate for technology decision makers in nonprofits and libraries.

You can learn more about the 2012 QuickBooks products on TechSoup's Intuit product donation page.

Upcoming International Webinar April 11: Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online

kylahunt — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:52:00 GMT

Did you miss our March 8 webinar, Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online? We are offering a repeat session of this popular webinar, this time specifically targeted at an international audience.

Join our webinar on April 11 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific time (15:00 GMT), Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online, to find out the answers to your data sharing questions.

SAP and Business Objects BI OnDemand

During this free, one-hour webinar, we will be hearing from SAP's Steve Williams and Saurabh Abhyankar about issues surrounding data and reporting. We will talk about possible solutions, culminating in a closer look at SAP's product, Business Objects BI OnDemand.

What is Business Objects BI OnDemand? It is a cloud-based business intelligence application which supports multiple data formats to help you understand how your organization is performing.

Nonprofit Questions About Data Reporting

Want to hear concerns that real nonprofits have about implementing data reporting tools? In preparation for this webinar, we have reached out to organizations using BI OnDemand. These organizations have shared their concerns with us, and we will in turn be addressing them during the webinar.

If you have questions of your own, feel free to email those questions to khunt@techsoupglobal.org or post them in the comments below. You will also have additional opportunities to ask questions during the webinar.

This free one-hour webinar is presented in cooperation with SAP, a donor partner of TechSoup Global, and is appropriate for technology decision makers in nonprofits.

Nonprofits Live: Green Tools and Technology Decisions on April 17th

evonne — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:46:00 GMT

Are you working to reduce energy costs, cut back on paper use, or to bring cloud IT to your team? Most organizations attempt sustainable efforts but few create comprehensive campaigns to be greener and accountable for resource use.

For the month of April and Earth Day we are focusing on green technology solutions for organizations of all sizes: efficiencies, resource use, reducing travel fuel use, and encouraging energy conservation across teams and campaigns.

Join us on April 17 at 11a.m. Pacific time for Nonprofits Live: GreenTech, a nonprofit technology talk show with live speakers sharing insights on environmental policy, cloud and information management for efficiency, and case studies for nonprofits seeking to be greener in their daily work life.

Together we aim to create a useful set of practices for nonprofits local and global to implement through the Watchitoo collaborative whiteboard during the live hour of Nonprofits Live. Audience participation is appreciated as we ask great questions of our invited guests! We want to help you create vibrant sustainability plans for your organization that offer efficiency, energy awareness and a cohesive approach to meeting your mission and goals through cleaner technology use throughout organizations.

Speakers

Jamie Henn at 350.org leads communications and helped found this environmental policy and art organization shifting dialogue on climate change
Kevin Danaher and Zoey Kroll from the City of San Francisco Department of Environment work between the NPO and GOV sectors to create useful policy changes for the public.
Jon Lebkowsky, nonprofit web strategist from Austin, Texas and frequent WorldChanging visionary contributor will round out the show with a look at greener IT, CMS, and collaboration practices for healthy organizations.

TechSoup GreenTech Survey

TechSoup's GreenTech Initiative conducted a survey of nonprofits to ask them about their green technology use and aspirations. This will help guide the discussion during the events, so here are some from the survey results about the interest in information and products and services that can assist organizations in being green.

Useful information?	Not at all valuable	Somewhat valuable	Valuable	Very valuable
Diminishing paper use	3.8%	14.5%	37.6%	44%
Diminishing electricity or power use for office equipment	4.3%	17.1%	38%	40.6%
Proper electronic recycling	3.8%	18.4%	42.3%	35.5%
Green IT equipment purchasing	2.6%	20.9%	45.7%	30.8%
Other products that save energy consumption (energy star)	4.3%	18.8%	47%	29.9%
Decreasing computer server power consumption	9.4%	26.1%	35.9%	28.6%
Video conferencing and other technologies that decrease the need to travel	17.1%	27.4%	27.4%	28.2%

All of the categories of information got at least 50% of respondents reporting that the information would be helpful or very helpful. Over 70% of respondents reported that the following information would be valuable or very valuable: diminishing paper use, diminishing electricity or power use for office equipment, proper electronic recycling and green IT purchasing.

RSVP today to join Jamie Henn, Jon Lebkowsky, Kevin Danaher, Zoey Kroll, Evonne Heyning and special nonprofit guests for the next live episode of Nonprofits Live: GreenTech, April 17 at 11 a.m. Pacific time. We look forward to hearing your questions on energy use, efficiency and sustainability for all types of organizations.

Upcoming Webinar March 29: Mapping Philanthropy - Data Visualization for Good

kylahunt — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:11:00 GMT

Many of you are aware of the giant force of good that is the Foundation Center. Here at TechSoup, we are collaborating with the Foundation Center on upcoming webinars designed to provide you with new ideas and tools to aid your organization.

The first of these free webinars, Mapping Philanthropy: How You Can Use Data Visualization to Do Good, will be held on Thursday, March 29 at 11 a.m. Pacific time. This live event will focus on visual tools designed to assist organizations in seeking support.

During this hour, the Foundation Center's George Ford and Jake Garcia will take a look at how grant seekers can use the interactive maps and charts in Foundation Directory Online, the Foundation Center’s grant seeking database for nonprofits, to identify prospective funders.

We will also turn our attention to several data visualization tools developed by the Foundation Center and other organizations that showcase how the philanthropic community has responded to a variety of issues.

Who Are the Presenters?

George Ford has been with the Foundation Center since March 2004. As product manager for online subscription services including Foundation Directory Online, he is responsible for day-to-day oversight and the development of new product enhancements.

As a geographer and programmer, Jake Garcia has worked on geographic information systems (GIS) projects for NASA, the U.S. Army, the City of New York, and Al Gore’s Climate Project. At the Foundation Center, he builds mapping applications, data visualizations, semantic analysis scripts, and application programming interfaces (APIs). In April 2011, he was the lead developer on a project that won the Large Organization award in the World Bank's "Apps for Development" contest.

You can learn more about the Foundation Center .

Get the Most Out of Your Data with CRM

kylahunt — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:42:00 GMT

This guest blog post was written by Shawn Michael, Senior Technical Manager, NPower Northwest, and originally appeared on the Microsoft Corporate Citizenship Blog.

In the decade that I have spent as part of the NPower organization, helping nonprofits make the best use of technology to further their missions and thrive, I have seen countless hours of effort and piles of financial resources directed towards solving the problem of “tracking” data.

Data is collected on clients, donors, members, and a variety of other contacts and organizations. While capturing data is a good first step in understanding more about who you serve, it means nothing without ways to “use” that data. Good uses of data include proactively managing relationships and analyzing campaigns that are successful in prompting people to take a specific action, such as donate or volunteer.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

That is where Microsoft Dynamics CRM (customer relationship management) comes in. I remember several years ago when Microsoft began the work to build a solution that is now called the Nonprofit Solution.

It is built on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform and not only provides nonprofits with forms and fields to capture data, but also reports, dashboards, and much more. From setting automated processes that remind you to send thank you notes, to helping manage tasks to make a campaign run smoothly.

Case in point – Washington STEM was a burgeoning new nonprofit organization building momentum through their connections in the education, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities. Core to their strategy for growth was nimble and effective use of technology. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Nonprofit Solution provided a central system for their staff to build and manage relationships with all of their constituencies.

So, how can you use CRM to tame your data?

Join us on Thursday, March 22, 11:00 a.m. Pacific time, for a webinar discussion about:

Key Features and Built-In Relationship Management

Find out more about the nonprofit solution for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Key functionalities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and the Nonprofit Solution
Where to get this great tool
Where to find help to configure and roll-out the solution in your organization
Full integration with Outlook and other Microsoft Office components (Word, Excel, SharePoint, Lync, and so on)
Donor management
Grants management
Member management
Campaign and event management
Available both as an on-premise (where it’s installed on your server) or a hosted solution (delivered to you over the Internet)
On-premise Dynamics CRM is available through the Microsoft nonprofit software donations program via TechSoup
Hosted Dynamics CRM is currently available at $9.99 per user, per month for eligible nonprofit organizations

You're Invited! Digital Storytelling Awards and Screening Party March 28

kristygraves — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:16:00 GMT

In this year's Third Annual Digital Storytelling Challenge, powered by Lights. Camera. Help. more than 200 nonprofits, libraries, and NGOs from 25 countries submitted one-minute videos and five-photo slideshows to showcase the impact they are making on their respective communities.

We were overwhelmed with the talent and stories you all shared with us! Check out the full playlist of videos on YouTube and gallery of photo sets on Flickr.

On Wednesday, March 28 in San Francisco and live-streamed online, we will screen and award the top photo and video entries. Winners, chosen by a panel of expert judges and the community, will receive products from our award donor partners Cisco, Adobe, Flickr Citrix, Sliderocket, Blazon, SurveyMonkey, and more.

This is a “red carpet” event! You’ll get to meet some of our local judges, see dozens of the best videos and photo stories, and connect with fellow digital storytellers. Whether you live in San Francisco, Australia, or Romania, we’d love for you to join us! Light refreshments will be provided (for those who join us in-person).

RSVP on Meetup or Facebook!

WHAT: Awards and Screening Party for the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge
WHEN: Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time
WHERE: San Francisco – TechSoup Headquarters; Online – Live-stream on Facebook and in Second Life
TAG: #TSDIGS

Again, we want to give a big thank you to all who submitted entries, participated in educational sessions, and to our sponsors and partners. We look forward to seeing you at the awards party!

Upcoming Webinar on March 22: Cultivating Donor and Client Relationships with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

kylahunt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:45:00 GMT

Back in 2010, NPower Northwest's Shawn Michael wrote a blog post outlining what you can use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for in a nonprofit (or library) environment. These uses include the "ability to manage relationships with your constituents - donors, funders, clients, volunteers, members, vendors, and other community partners."

This blog post was created in tandem with a webinar about Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The webinar was so insightful that we have decided to host another webinar with Shawn about the key functionality and implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The webinar, Cultivating Donor and Client Relationships with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, will be held on Thursday, March 22 at 11 a.m. Pacific time.

This free, one-hour webinar will begin with Shawn's introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Shawn will talk about using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, integration options, and where to get help, all with nonprofits and libraries in mind.

Srilakshmi Remala from Washington STEM will then take the floor, talking about her organization's recent implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This will be a great opportunity to hear how a real nonprofit has benefited from this client relationship management tool.

This webinar is appropriate for nonprofits and libraries seeking out new solutions for managing their client and donor relationships.

To read more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM, visit TechSoup's Guide to Dynamics CRM Editions and Licensing. If you want to learn about the Microsoft Software Donation Program, you can also visit the Microsoft Donation Program: Short Tutorials page. There you can learn more about eligibility guidelines, Microsoft requests and allotment cycles, Microsoft title groups, and the Microsoft Donation Center

Upcoming Webinar on March 8: Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online

kylahunt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:57:00 GMT

Reporting and visualizing your data promotes transparency and accountability to your supporters and advocates. However, you may be uncertain about how to report and share your nonprofit’s data.

Join our webinar on March 8, at 11 a.m. Pacific time, Explore, Report, and Share Your Data Online, to find out the answers to your data sharing questions.

SAP and Business Objects BI OnDemand

What is Business Objects BI OnDemand? It is a cloud-based business intelligence application which supports multiple data formats to help you understand how your organization is performing.

Nonprofit Questions About Data Reporting

This free one-hour webinar is presented in cooperation with SAP, a donor partner of TechSoup Global, and is appropriate for technology decision makers in nonprofits.

Upcoming Webinar on February 23: Processing Payments for Good

kylahunt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:33:00 GMT

Do you currently collect credit card information from donors and other supporters? Are you interested in finding out more about what other organizations do to process this information? If so, you may want to attend our webinar Processing Payments for Good on February 23 at 11 a.m. Pacific time.

During this free, one-hour event, we will be speaking with Alexia Marcous from Dharma Merchant Services about how and when to use a credit card processing service.

We will then talk to Megan Southern from the Northern Jaguar Project about her organization's experiences working with Dharma. The webinar will conclude with time for questions from the audience.

This webinar is appropriate for nonprofits and libraries interested in learning more about merchant services (otherwise known as credit card processing services).

Want to Learn More About Processing Credit Card Payments?

TechSoup offers a variety of articles on credit card payments, including:

You can also join in a forum discussion on the subject.

Want to Learn More About Dharma Merchant Services?

You can find out all about Dharma Merchant Services' discounted rates through TechSoup at their TechSoup product page. Not sure if you're eligible? Take the TechSoup eligibility quiz to find out more. For more information on checking eligibility, view the new TechSoup Eligibility Tutorial.

You can read more about Dharma Merchant Services and their support of the nonprofit community on their website.

TSDigs: Before You Hit Record Webinar Recap

Susan_Chavez — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:26:00 GMT

The first installment of the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge webinar series covered everything you need to consider before you hit record.

The hour-long webinar was led by Rich Vázquez, co-founder and board president of Lights. Camera. Help. Vázquez, who has a background in screenwriting, guided the audience through some of the basic concepts of developing stories for production. The discussion concluded with some examples of effective nonprofit video and suggestions for storytelling resources.

What Drives a Great Nonprofit Story?

The basic elements of a story are style, setting, theme, plot, and character. The style covers what sort of tone is used to tell the story. The setting not only locates the action but also can drive much of your film’s tone. The theme is the broad idea or message that your moving is trying to convey. Plot is the vehicle that moves the story – the action. The character, an integral element to the plot, can be a person, object, or even the setting.

One important question that drives storytelling is why do we tell stories? Understanding the intent of your digital story informs all aspects of how that story is developed.

Key considerations include understanding who your audience is and where you want to take the audience when the story concludes. Make certain the story you are telling and how you are telling it appeals to your intended audience.

Questions, to ask include:

Does the story build on existing relationships or is it meant to cultivate new ones?
What is the call to action?
Are you recruiting volunteers or donors?
Is the story meant to appeal to those that might benefit from your organization’s services?

Have a Stated Mission for Your Story

Like your organization, Vázquez suggests that your digital story have a stated goal or mission statement. Having a stated mission for your digital story can serve as central organizing element.

Planning a digital story, he proposes, is like event planning. And like event planning, involves elements such as deciding who will be involved, how much time is expected of them, and what tools or other elements are needed.

Production Planning How-Tos

Production generally requires much more in terms of time and resources than most people initially think, which is why careful planning is a must. As an example, Vázquez talked about shooting outdoors, which can be noisy depending on the time of day. Vázquez also advises that nonprofits obtain permission from subjects or the owners locations used in filming.

As for equipment, both for pre- and post-production, Vázquez’s first suggestion is for nonprofits to contact their local public access channel, which can be a great source for camera and sound tools. Organizations that want to take a more professional approach to screenwriting and production planning can use Celtx, a free online tool.

Obtaining free music, photos, or video clips is possible through online searches for creative commons licensed content. Other music sources include Jamendo, ccMixter, and MobyGratis.com. Finding photos is even easier if using CreativeCommons.org, which searches only for creative commons licensed content on Google, Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and more.

Those looking for video content can search through Archive.org or Vimeo, which features a special search setting for reusable content. And finally, Vázquez suggests that nonprofits look to the relationships they have and just ask. Sponsors will sometimes contribute for higher filmmaking budget and music, photo, or video creators are more inclined to lend freely to nonprofits.

Learn More

To learn more to help you tell your digital storytelling, make sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming TSDigs tweetchats and webinars.

(Please visit the site to view this video)