The TechSoup Blog

Introducing: TechSoup Registration and Eligibility Tutorials

kylahunt — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:18:00 GMT

Are you interested in receiving TechSoup product donations and discounts, but do not know where to start? We're happy to announce that we now have three short videos designed to help guide you through the TechSoup's processes of registration and determining eligibility.

The three videos, available on the TechSoup YouTube page:

In the TechSoup Eligibility Tutorial, you will find out where to go to check eligibility, what the best practices are for checking eligibility, and what you need to know before taking the TechSoup eligibility quiz.

In the TechSoup Registration Process video, you will learn how to create an individual member account on TechSoup.org, and how to register an organization.

Finally, in the TechSoup Registration for Non-501(c)(3) Public Libraries video, you will learn about the registration processes in relation to non-501(c)(3) public libraries. To find out more about TechSoup's resources for libraries, visit the TechSoup for Libraries website.

Like what you see? Do you want to see more short, multimedia content? Share your ideas in the comments below or in our TechSoup community forum thread.

2012 Accounting Tools Are Here!

PatrickDuggan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:58:00 GMT

TechSoup serves nonprofits and libraries of all shapes, sizes, and budgets. Most of our member organizations have budgets under $250,000 a year, but managing finances is essential to all of them, regardless of size. Whether your organization is looking for help paying the bills or tracking grants, we have the financial management tools to get the job done.

And, don’t forget that in addition to software, we have great learning resources for your nonprofit-specific financial needs:

Ask questions and get answers in our Community Forums.
Read up on a few good accounting packages with this classic article.
Find out what other organizations are doing in our Accounting Tools Survey results.

Accounting Software from Sage and Acclivity

Keep your ledger in check. Both of these programs include basic accounting tools and functions such as bookkeeping, printing checks and invoices, profit and loss analysis, and tracking expenses, payments, and inventory.

Track finances with Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Nonprofits 2012 (admin fee: $45). It is intended for nonprofits with less than 50 employees and offers standard accounting functions like bookkeeping and inventory tracking. In addition, it has tools to develop fundraising letters and manage donor contacts and outreach.

From paying your bills to long-term expense tracking, Sage Simply Accounting Premium 2012 (admin fee: $48) will keep your organization’s finances in order. In addition to basic accounting tools, Simply Accounting is fully bilingual (English and Spanish), supports unlimited currencies, and features customizable interfaces for users with different levels of accounting know-how. Includes two user licenses.

Manage purchases and payroll with AccountEdge 2012 by Acclivity (admin fee: $35). Get the basic accounting tools your organization needs, like sales, inventory, and expense tracking, and more than 200 built-in financial management reports. Plus: AccountEdge Pro comes with a free app that lets you enter transaction data from iPads and iPhones and track your budget on the go. AccountEdge is available for Mac, Windows, and Mac Networks.

Webinar Recap: Making the Most of Your Microsoft Software Donation

kylahunt — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:16:00 GMT

On January 26, I had the pleasure of facilitating the interesting and informative webinar, Making the Most of Your Microsoft Software Donation.

During the webinar, we heard from TechSoup's Julie Navejas and Brian Calvert on a variety of Microsoft related topics, including the eligibility rules and Microsoft's Get Genuine program. We also heard from Microsoft's Gretchen Deo, who discussed Microsoft's relationship with TechSoup, the Volume Licensing Service Center, and more.

This free webinar can now be viewed on the TechSoup YouTube page.

In addition to discussions regarding the Microsoft Software Donation Program, we also heard about Microsoft's online resources for nonprofits. One of these great resources is the Microsoft Nonprofit Website, an all-in-one resource where nonprofits can learn about Microsoft's offerings to their community.

Interested in learning about Microsoft's contributions to nonprofits? Take a look at the Microsoft Local Impact Map.

Want to learn more about the Microsoft Software Donation Program? 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 February 9: Digital Storytelling - Capturing Your Story on Camera

MichaelDeLong — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:07:00 GMT

In conjunction with the third annual TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge, we are offering three free webinars to ensure you know the nuts and bolts of all the stages of production — and get your questions answered by the experts.

The second part of this three-part webinar series on Thursday, February 9, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time will focus on everything you need to know to shoot quality video. In addition to getting nonprofit technology recommendations, you will come away understanding the basics of cinematography, lighting, and sound. The objective of this webinar is to get you comfortable behind a camera with your director's hat on. Register now!

The second webinar of the series will provide you with great tips for shooting your video. You'll learn:

What equipment is right for your organization
How to set up a good shot
Considerations for capturing indoor, outdoor, and event footage

David J. Neff is the co-founder and CEO of Lights. Camera. Help. He would say that he is a author, teacher, speaker, blogger, network weaver, and social media scientist.

For more than ten years he has been helping people and nonprofits focus on doing good all across the world. He did this through nine years at the American Cancer Society as the director of web, film, and interactive strategy. While there he started their film and documentary department. David also shot a full-length documentary and owned and operated a film production company in Austin, Texas.

Find David on Twitter at @daveiam.

San Francisco Net2: Craig Newmark Talks About Technology for the Common Good

susan_chavez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:19:00 GMT

San Francisco NetSquared (Net2) kicked off its 2012 Meetup line up with Craig Newmark, of Craigslist and craigconnects, who talked about using technology for the common good.

Speaking to the packed house at TechSoup's San Francisco headquarters, Newmark, a self-described nerd, recounted his path from Craigslist to his latest endeavor, craigconnects. Newmark also spoke at length about the potential for good created by technology, why it matters and how anyone can contribute.

The growth of Craigslist opened up many circles for Newmark, including that of the nonprofit world. While it would’ve been very easy to use his influence and remain in the world of technology, Newmark went in a slightly different direction. The direction he chose, to help support nonprofits and grassroots causes, drew on his strengths in technology.

Newmark’s first foray into the nonprofit world was the launch of the Craigslist Foundation, which itself launched the Nonprofit Boot Camp, but is organizationally winding down after many years of success in connecting social change organizations and technology. Working in this capacity, as Newmark sees it, is naturally aligned with his role as the creator of and currently works customer service representative of Craigslist.

Currently, Newmark has focused his directions on craigconnects. Craigconnects focuses on six core issues: military families and veterans, accurate and honest journalistic practices, public diplomacy, open government, consumer protection, and technology for the common good.

The organization has worked on projects such as helping a local Veterans Affairs hospital improve its technological infrastructure to serve veterans more efficiently. Craigsconnect has also supported the Tenderloin Tech Lab, a computer lab that serves low-income and homeless people in San Francisco.

Newmark believes in harnessing the power of technology to amplify voices not otherwise heard and redistributing access to power equitably. Much like the printing press, technology has the potential to democratize access to learning and speech. Access to the Internet and social media lowers barriers to supporting causes and organizations.

Just about anyone can easily support causes according to Newmark. Helping can be as simple as teaching someone how to use a computer, get online or help build a Facebook fan page. By way of example, Newmark shared how he uses Twitter to mostly tweet and retweet in support of causes and organizations he feels strongly about.

Technology provides an opportunity to generate grassroots solutions and to judge what solutions are working best. Methods for measuring effectiveness matter because 501(c)(3) status isn't enough to indicate an organization is really fulfilling its mission. And not to let the audience off the hook, Newmark good-naturedly advised to “be as transparent as you can be without doing something stupid."

Newmark closed by sharing his vision, “that ordinary people working together en masse are going to change the world in this decade.” That vision, coupled with the energy in the room, made for a great ending to the night and a good outlook for 2012.

Photos: SF NetSquared Meetup

Upcoming Nonprofits Live: Storytelling and Collaborative Video

evonne — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:32:00 GMT

One of the most frequent questions I hear at events from nonprofit professionals in the field is how to coordinate teams to produce compelling media across offices, time zones and countries.

Our ability to collaborate effectively in the cloud and create meaningful media together is quickly evolving as more nonprofits expand their borders.

We learn to use mobile production tools, cooperative social sites for group curation and unique filesharing services like Dropbox, Skype along with new tools like Instagram, WeVideo, Stroome and many new apps to edit our captured video and photos for story creation.

On February 8, Nonprofits Live will explore how to collaborate on video stories across borders and office boundaries. We'll discuss best practices, platforms, cloud services and filesharing, how to edit together when you're not in the same place, and how to agree on ways to tell your story when you may not be speaking the same language.

Our guests will talk about consistency, production quality, distribution tips and ways to work effectively together to achieve the greatest impact with your nonprofit stories.

This special digital storytelling episode of Nonprofits Live will include secrets from the pros for nonprofits submitting photo and video stories to the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge in February. Get your story ideas ready and RSVP for Nonprofits Live on February 8. This is a participatory live video show - come ready with your questions for our experts!

Guests for Nonprofits Live: Collaborative Video

Windy Borman - Filmmaker & Strategist

Windy brings over a decade of professional experience in film, video, event planning, theater, and the nonprofit sector to D.V.A. Productions. As an independent filmmaker, Windy has produced and directed promotional videos, films, and documentaries, including “The Tillamook Burn” (2003), “The ‘D’ Word: Understanding Dyslexia” (Sundance 2012), and “The Eyes of Thailand” (2012).

She is an experienced Director, Producer, Researcher, Screenwriter and Social Media Marketing Strategist with field and studio experience on large- and small-scale productions in the United States, England, Ghana, Thailand and Laos. Windy founded D.V.A. Productions in 2006 to produce dramatic, engaging, life-changing documentaries, films and media in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. Windy currently serves on the Advisory Board for Bay Area Women in Film and Media (BAWIFM).

David Evan Harris - Global Lives

David Evan Harris is Founder and Executive Director of the Global Lives Project and Research Director at the Institute for the Future. David is a cross-disciplinary mediamaker, working at the intersection of art, activism, and academic inquiry on the politically charged questions surrounding globalization and social justice.

His forthcoming book, Você Vai me Servir ("You Will Serve Me," Annablume Publishers, São Paulo, 2012) is a comparative ethnographic study of relationships between domestic workers and their employers in Brazil and the US. In Brazil, David wrote and directed newscasts for CurrentTV.

His writings and photographs have been published in print and online with the BBC,Guardian, Adbusters, the Sarai Reader, Glimpse Magazine, Next American City, Focus on the Global South, Alternet, and Grist. He has spoken publicly about his work to audiences at the Smithsonian, UC Berkeley, Stanford, United Nations University, New York University, UC Santa Cruz, the British Museum, Apple, Google, Adobe, and numerous other conferences and public events around the world.

Thomas Grasty - Stroome

Driven by a desire to make a game-changing difference in how people consume content, Tom comfortably resides at the junction where media and technology collide. A recognized thought leader in the field of collaborative media, Tom was awarded a Knight 2010 News Challenge grant for Stroome, a collaborative video editing and publishing platform designed to simplify the production of user generated video content.

He was recently named an “Innovator to Watch” by the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation. A regular contributor to PBS MediaShift Idea Lab, Tom also blogs for the Huffington Post.

Aaron Bramley - Lights Camera Help

Aaron Bramley is the Co-founder and Director of Communication/Education for Lights. Camera. Help. In this role, he's responsible conceptualizing the organization’s vision and working to see it through.

He focuses on communication, collaboration, nonprofits, video, social media, and the bleeding edge technology behind these things. He learns, he teaches, he shares and he works to make the world, or at least a small part of it, a better place. Follow @aaronMSB at @lightscamerahelp.

RSVP today to join this event on February 8 at 11 a.m. Pacific time and participate through Watchitoo with Twitter, Facebook, and social channels.

Please spread the word about the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge and enter your photo stories or videos in February!

Upcoming Webinar on February 2: Digital Storytelling - Before You Push Record

MichaelDeLong — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:09:00 GMT

The first part of this three-part webinar series on Thursday, February 2, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time will focus on all the decisions you need to make before you start recording your video. You'll learn how to tell your story in a way that touches your audience and moves it to action. This includes understanding the basics of good storytelling, translating that story into a script or production guide, and where to find great auxiliary tools and resources to really make your story shine. Register now!

This webinar will cover what you need to know before you record your video. Topics include:

The importance of storytelling
Creating a script and production Guide
Finding free music, stock video and photography

Rich Vazquez is the co-founder and current Board President of Lights. Camera. Help. His current causes include promoting open source software, creative commons, and computer security. He also serves on the board for the Austin Time Exchange Network, Single Parent Resource Network and EFF-Austin.

Rich attended Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, majoring in dramatic writing and serves as webmaster for the Cine Las Americas film festival. Find Rich on Twitter: @drapetomaniac

Webinar Recap: App It Up!

kylahunt — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:39:00 GMT

On January 19, I had the pleasure of assisting in our app-inspired webinar, App It Up! You can now view a recording of the webinar to watch at your convenience.

The App It Up! webinar featured two great speakers, Ariel Gilbert-Knight from TechSoup, and Shawn Michael of NPower. This webinar was inspired by the power and popularity of TechSoup's App It Up project, which was developed thanks to a grant from Microsoft.

If you visit the App It Up page, you'll find all kinds of app resources, including resources and a round up of cool apps.

So What Is an App, Anyway?

As defined by the project, "An 'app' (short for 'application') is a small piece of software with limited functionality. Apps can be used online (a web app), on mobile devices (a mobile app), or as an add-on to other tools (widgets, plug-ins, templates, and so on)."

Some great apps mentioned in the webinar are as follows. Most are free, but we urge you to do research into any and all apps included.

Library Apps

Nonprofit and Other Cause-Related Apps

To check out other and future webinars and online events, check out our Tech Events page!

Let us know what you think of these and other apps you've used. We'll be continuing to feature other apps for nonprofits and libraries in the coming months, so let us know in the comments if you know of ones worth highlighting!

What's New With Microsoft? A Quick Guide

autumnt — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:05:00 GMT

Did you know that Microsoft has changed its rules around making donation requests, and that TechSoup is continuing to add tools and resources to help organizations understand the program and manage their Microsoft donations?

First Things First: Program Rules, Eligibility, and Guidelines

On July 27, 2011, Microsoft made some updates to their donation program allowing eligible organizations to request even more Microsoft products, and with more flexibility as to when and how often they can place donation requests.

Here are the basics:

You may request licenses from up to 10 of over 70 available Microsoft title groups.
You may request up to 50 licenses per non-server title group.
You may request up to 5 server products (either 5 different server products or 5 of a single title).
You may make as many requests as you need within a 2-year cycle.
The 2-year donation cycle will start when you place your first Microsoft request after July 27, 2011, and will reset every two years on the anniversary of that request.
Requests placed before July 27, 2011, will not count against your new Microsoft software donation allotment.

The Microsoft Donation Center

To make navigating the program even easier, TechSoup also introduced the Microsoft Donation Center, where eligible organizations can easily track their Microsoft requests, see the value of donations received to date, and more.

Check it out now! You can access your Microsoft Donation Center by logging in to your individual TechSoup member account, clicking on My Account, and then the Donation Request History/Status link. Eligible organizations will see a Microsoft Donation Center link.

Learn More!

Not sure if your organization is eligible for the Microsoft Software Donation Program? Simply login to your account and take our Check Program Eligibility Quiz to see if you’re eligible for Microsoft and our 40+ other donation programs.

If your organization is not eligible, or you need to request additional Microsoft products for your organization, you can get in touch with a Microsoft Charity Reseller for discounted prices.

Check out our overview of the Microsoft Donation Program and for information on the Program rules, eligibility and guidelines visit Microsoft Donation Program — Eligibility and Allotments.

Microsoft: Now with Video Tutorials!

We've also created a few short video tutorials to help you quickly and easily gain answers to your questions regarding the Microsoft Donation Program and using the Donation Center.

Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Eligibility
Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Requests and Allotment Cycles
Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Title Groups
Microsoft Donation Program: Frequently Asked Questions
The Microsoft Donation Center

Additional Microsoft Resources

Your Guide to Microsoft Donations Through TechSoup
Visit this article for a guide on the new Microsoft Donation Program.
Microsoft Donation Program: How Does It Work?
Watch our free, recorded webinar, and learn how the updates to the Microsoft Donation Program affect your organization.
Community Forums
Need assistance with your Microsoft products? Get your questions answered about both software and hardware by our community of experts and fellow nonprofits and libraries.
Making the Most of Your Microsoft Software Donation
Thursday, January 26, 11 am Pacific time - Register Now
Find out more about the broad range of software Microsoft donates to nonprofits and libraries through TechSoup.

Still have questions? Don't hesitate to Contact Us!

Renewing Your Products and Services

PatrickDuggan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:26:00 GMT

Many donated and discounted products at TechSoup have services and licenses that are tied to a one-year timeframe. Because of this, we get a lot of phone calls from nonprofits and libraries asking:

Does my service expire or shut off after one year? Do I need to request another donation from TechSoup? Is this something I need to renew with a software provider directly?

Worry no more! Below, you’ll find all of the renewable product donations and services at TechSoup broken up into four categories: those that renew automatically, those renewed through TechSoup, those renewed through TechSoup with special conditions, and those renewed through our donor partners directly.

And if you’re not sure when you actually received your donated product or service, log in to your TechSoup account, click My Account, and then head to the Donation Request History/Status page.

If you have any further questions on what you need to do to renew your product, don’t hesitate to leave comments on this blog, check out or community forums, or contact Client Services at TechSoup.

Automatic Renewals

Pitney Bowes PBSmartPostage automatically renews each year. It can be canceled at any time.
Sage Payment Processing requires a three-year contract between your organization and Sage Payment Solutions, and the contract is automatically renewed for another two years at the end of the initial period unless your organization provides 90 days' written notice.

Yearly Renewals Through TechSoup

For each of these programs, at the end of your one-year subscription, you’ll need to place another donation request through TechSoup. Generally, if you don’t request another donation the software or service will cease functioning, or in some cases continue to function but discontinue updates.

Caspio Bridge
Cisco IOS Content Filtering Service
Efficient Elements
eTapestry
FluidSurveys
MailShell Anti-Spam Desktop will continue to run after one year, but spam updates will no longer be provided. Each year thereafter, you can choose to receive an additional year of updates by requesting a new donation from TechSoup.
NOZA
SlideRocket
Symantec Norton Desktop Products for Windows (Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security)
Symantec Norton Desktop Products for Mac (Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security)
Symantec Norton 360
Symantec Enterprise Products (Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition, Protection Suite Small Business Edition, Endpoint Protection, and Mail Security)
Wikispaces

Yearly Renewals through TechSoup With Special Conditions

DonorPerfect Online can be renewed through TechSoup by requesting the product again up to four times, for a total of five years.
Citrix Online Products (GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, GoToWebinar, and GoToTraining) can be renewed through TechSoup by requesting the product again up to four times, for a total of five years.
Flickr Pro accounts remains assigned to individuals even if they leave the organization. After one year, the pro account reverts to a free account unless it is renewed through TechSoup. Free accounts have limits on use that are not present in pro accounts. If someone leaves your organization and takes their Flickr account with them, your organization can place a request for new accounts through TechSoup.

Yearly Renewals through Our Donor Partners

Atlas Business Solutions: ScheduleAnywhere includes a one-year subscription. After that time, your organization can renew expired subscriptions directly from Atlas Business Solutions at a 50 percent discount from their current retail rates.
ClickTime donations include one year of service. After one year, you may renew your service through ClickTime at a special nonprofit discount rate of $5 per user, for each month of service.
Policy Patrol Mail Security licenses provide product updates for one year, after which updates may be purchased annually from Policy Patrol at a discounted rate.
VolunteerMatters donations consist of a one-year subscription to a starter edition of VolunteerMatters for up to 1,000 volunteers. If your organization wants to continue with your current account, you can upgrade to either VolunteerMatters Standard or Pro at current retail rates. If your organization does not upgrade, its subscription will be canceled and its data removed.

Other Products and Services Requiring Renewal

BetterWorld Audio Conferencing is a pay-as-you-go service with no setup fees. Note that if your organization doesn’t use the service for 12 consecutive months, your account will be discontinued. To reactivate a discontinued account, your organization must request this product and pay the administrative fee again.
Blackbaud Now (with MatchFinder) donations come in five-year subscriptions. At the end of your subscription, you can request another donated five-year subscription through TechSoup.
Microsoft TechNet Plus includes a two-year subscription. At the end of that period, you can request another two-year donation through TechSoup.
SAP hosted services like StreamWork and Business Objects OnDemand are donations of two-year, 10-user licenses. After two years, your organization can request another donation through TechSoup.

What is the Current State of Grantseeking? Education

cindyadams — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:37:00 GMT

Today and tomorrow only, GrantStation memberships are available to eligible U.S. nonprofits and public libraries at a very special discounted $99 administrative fee. Learn more and request yours today!

Cindy Adams is the president and CEO of GrantStation, one of TechSoup's donor partners, and is an expert on nonprofit grantseeking and fundraising. She is guest blogging for TechSoup on the current state of grantseeking for different types of organizations. Read her posts on the overall state of grantseeking, the state of community development, and arts and humanities organizations!

Educational Institutions vs. Education-Focused

Education organizations, both institutions and those organizations focused on education, comprise a little over 15% of nonprofit organizations in the United States and represented over 13% of participants in the State of Grantseeking survey published by GrantStation and PhilanTech in November 2011.

The majority of these respondents (68%) indicated that they either applied for more or the same number of grants as they had the year before. So the overall pursuit of grants by education organizations did not change dramatically this past year.

But within this category of response, there were some significant differences between organizations focused on education and educational institutions, which I think indicate trends as well as confirm what we already know: educational institutions are much more adept at securing grants of any type then are their education-focused counterparts.

In fact, educational institutions, when compared to all the other organizations participating in the survey, received more federal (76% vs. 45%) and state (76% vs. 50%) government grants, whereas education-focused nonprofits, when compared to other organizations, received less federal (30% vs. 45%) and state (42% vs. 50%) government grants, and less local government grants (18% vs. 40%).

Now, here’s what I find interesting (and this is right out of the survey findings):

During the first six months of 2011, the federal government was the source of the largest awards for educational institutions (33%), followed by private foundation grants (27%) and state government grants (17%), whereas during this same period private foundations were the source of the largest awards for education-focused nonprofit organizations (25%), followed by corporate grants (20%) and community foundation grants (10%).

So, clearly, education-focused nonprofits are pursuing and being awarded private funding from both foundations and corporate giving programs, and may be starting to secure more private funds then institutions. Why? What is going on here?

Private Grantmakers Grow Support for Education-Focused Organizations

According to an article written by John Kania & Mark Kramer and published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Winter 2011) “The scale and complexity of the U.S. public education system has thwarted attempted reforms for decades. Major funders, such as the Annenberg Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Pew Charitable Trusts have abandoned many of their efforts in frustration after acknowledging their lack of progress.”

The articles goes on to say, “The heroic efforts of countless teachers, administrators, and nonprofits, together with billions of dollars in charitable contributions, may have led to important improvements in individual schools and classrooms, yet system-wide progress has seemed virtually unobtainable.”

It’s a good article, well worth the read, and it demonstrates this shift in the investments that private grantmakers are willing to make in educational institutions. This is a trend that could be key for both educational institutions and education-focused organizations in their grantseeking in 2012 and beyond.

Collective Impact in Education Reform

This article goes on to talk about one very successful initiative, and its use of collective impact. According to the article, collective impact is the “commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.

Unlike most collaborations, collective impact initiatives involve a centralized infrastructure, a dedicated staff, and a structured process that leads to a common agenda, shared measurement, continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities among all participants.”

Grantmakers, both government and private, will be looking for this type of collaboration in the proposals that are funded in the years to come. There is a ground swell in this country to create change, not just in our educational system, but throughout our society.

These types of collaborations, by whatever name, are definitely the way to position yourself if you are going to secure strong grant support in the future. Please email cadams@grantstation.com if you would you like a copy of the institutional or organizational education breakout for the State of Grantseeking survey.

RCI Free End-Of-Life Takeback Program

jimlynch — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:52:00 GMT

The big computer makers are not the only ones who offer free and responsible end-of-life recycling of their PCs that have finally reached the end of their usefulness. TechSoup’s Refurbished Computer Initiative (RCI) does as well. Just like Dell and HP, we want make sure that our RCI computers are as environmentally responsible as possible at no extra cost to nonprofits and libraries.

I think it’s pretty well known that TechSoup supplies refurbished computers to nonprofits and libraries in the United States through our Refurbished Computer Initiative (RCI), which provides reliable, warrantied desktop and laptop computers. What is not so well-known is our free recycling program for our RCI PCs when folks are done with them.

Our RCI free end-of-life takeback program is really due to our great refurbishment partners, Redemtech and InterConnection. Both refurbishers offer free takeback in the same way.

How Does Takeback Work with TechSoup RCI Machines?

When your RCI PC is no longer useful to you, just have a look at the sticker on the machine and it will tell you what website to go to in order to request a takeback. Here’s how it works:

Once on the takeback website, fill out a request form, or in the case of Interconnection send an email to takeback@interconnection.org with the tracking number of the RCI piece of equipment.
Our refurbisher will verify that it’s an RCI computer and then send you a prepaid mailing label. You then put the PC in any box that it will fit in, pack some newspaper around it, seal it up, and then mail it in. That’s it.
PCs will be then have their hard drives cleaned of all your data (even if you’ve already done that yourself), and then responsibly recycled to reclaim the metals, plastic, and glass that they’re made from.

Both of our refurbishers are certified by one of the two programs that the U.S. EPA encourages that everyone use. Redemtech is certified under e-Stewards. InterConnection is certified under the R2 (Responsible Recycling Practices) Program.

Both are independent third-party certification programs that ensure responsible recycling of used electronics. They require that best management practices are in place so that used electronics are processed according to environmental standards that minimize exposure to human health or the environment, ensure safe management of materials by downstream handlers, and require destruction of all data on used electronics.

It’s TechSoup’s long-time environmental position on IT to encourage extending the life IT equipment as long as possible through refurbishment, and then when devices have eventually outlived their usefulness for them to be responsibly recycled.

What is the Current State of Grantseeking? Arts, Culture, & Humanities

cindyadams — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:25:00 GMT

Cindy Adams is the president and CEO of GrantStation, one of TechSoup's donor partners, and is an expert on nonprofit grantseeking and fundraising. She is guest blogging for TechSoup on the current state of grantseeking for different types of organizations. Read her posts on the overall state of grantseeking and the state of community development organizations!

Despite Challenges, Arts Organizations Remain Optimistic

Despite many challenges, nonprofits retain a sense of optimism about the next six months according to the survey results cited in the State of Grantseeking 2011 (published in November 2011). And it gets particularly interesting when you start looking at the responses from arts, culture, and humanities groups.

For example, 71% of total survey respondents feel that they will receive the same number or more awards in the coming year, whereas 77% of arts, culture, and humanities-focused organizations believe that they will receive the same or increased numbers of awards. (On a side note: other organizational sector responses ranged from 66% to 74%).

What does that mean? Arts, culture, and humanities- focused organizations comprise 10% of nonprofit organizations in the United States and 11% of the State of Grantseeking 2011 survey participants, so it wasn’t as if this survey inaccurately reflects the attitudes of these groups. Are arts organizations just optimistic or do these results foretell a trend?

State Grants Still Go to Arts and Humanities

The survey showed that these organizations receive more awards from private foundations than from any other grant source, which does not seem surprising, but compared to other organizations, arts, culture, and humanities-focused organizations received more state government grants (20% vs. 13%), which I do find surprising.

Considering the budget cuts we’ve witnessed over the past two or three years in almost every state, I wonder how this can be happening? Again, is this a trend? Or is it perhaps remnants of previous financial commitments? I’d love to hear your take on this.

However Funding Is Still a Struggle

As I think we all know, the economic conditions all nonprofits are forced to contend with these days has been particularly hard on arts, culture, and humanities organizations. As one survey respondent said: “The current state of the economy has forced the emphasis in our area to be on human needs. We are seeking arts funding, and it's difficult to compete with the needs for food and shelter for so many.”

But in a way, hasn’t this always been the case? I have been fundraising for over 40 years, and I can not remember a time when the arts haven’t struggled to garner support when up against social and human services. I am curious to know if people have come up with new ways to demonstrate the value of the arts, particularly in such a challenging economy?

Please email cadams@grantstation.com to receive the arts, culture and humanities fact sheet developed as a sub-set of the 2011 State of Grantseeking Survey.

2012 Digital Storytelling Challenge Is Here!

MichaelDeLong — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:21:00 GMT

While the barrier to video production and distribution tools has lowered greatly in recent years, many organizations miss the opportunity to present their stories, lacking the skills to use the tools effectively.

The TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge, powered by Lights. Camera. Help., provides training, resources, and inspiration to create and tell a compelling story. During the one-month challenge TechSoup will host a series of interactive trainings designed to help nonprofits produce a one-minute video or five-picture Flickr slideshow.

Don't Miss Our First Two Learning Sessions!

Tuesday, January 31, 11:00 a.m. Pacific time
Join us for a tweet chat on the topic of mobile storytelling

Mobile Storytelling Tweet Chat - Learn More!

Thursday, February 2, 11:00 a.m. Pacific time
Join us for a webinar on the topic of pre-production

Before You Push Record Webinar - Sign Up Now!

Read all about the challenge, see the full schedule of events, and check out all the terrific prizes!

Image: dancetechtv

Citrix Gives Back

PatrickDuggan — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Citrix Online is helping to make a difference in the nonprofit and library community through their donation program here at TechSoup. Their audio and web conferencing services let organizations conduct training sessions, reach out to constituents, and hold meetings with staff and board members around the world. See how organizations like yours are benefitting from their donated Citrix Online products.

Simply Serve

As a company, Citrix Online tries to focus on helping families in need through their philanthropic efforts. Every Citrix Online employee can take two paid volunteer days each year to help a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a school. Employees also regularly join in community events such as blood drives, mentorships, charity walks and food donations.

Citrix Online’s global volunteer program is called Simply Serve. Last year, they launched a Global Day of Impact as part of that program, and over 3,500 employees provided their time, talent and willingness to help those in need. They supported over 150 nonprofits in 15 countries, across 5 continents.

Simply Give

Citrix Online also runs a sizeable corporate giving program: Simply Give. It provides grant dollars at the corporate level, and also matches employee donations made through their charitable match program.

In 2010, the Corporate Citizenship program donated close to $2 million US dollars in the form of grants, employee donations, employee time, and donated products to nonprofits and NGOs around the world.

To learn more about Citrix Online’s social responsibility efforts, check out their philanthropy page.

Want to hear more about the corporate social responsibility efforts of other TechSoup donor partners? See how Adobe, SAP, Symantec, and B Corps like BetterWorld and Azavea are giving back.