The TechSoup Blog

Fundraising Success Story: Couple Raises Money to Adopt a Child with Teespring

Teespring — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 GMT

This post was authored by Sean Pennino, a jack of all trades at Teespring.

Teespring is excited to announce a successful adoption campaign! Since mid-March, Chris and Shelley Russell have raised $1,810 by selling custom t-shirts online. The money will aid them in the lengthy and expensive child adoption process.

Shelley is a news reporter for KWWL in eastern Iowa and maintains the blog This Family’s Journey where she chronicles stories from her and her husband Chris’ marriage. She also features stories from local families and engages the community in conversations on topics of family matters.

With the help of a friend, Chris and Shelley designed their “Love makes a Family” t-shirts and promoted their Teespring campaign on Shelley’s blog. Within 12 hours of launching, Chris and Shelley reached their goal of 50 shirts. Sales continued for two weeks and they reached a total of 144 sales. Because of the success, they relaunched the campaign two weeks later and sold an additional 75.

Friends and family of Chris and Shelley were able to support their fundraising efforts and receive a token of appreciation in return. “It was more than a shirt,” Shelley told us, “it was a pledge of support.”

Teespring is thrilled our platform helped a couple ease the financial burdens of adopting a child. We wish the best of luck to Chris and Shelley and hope to help more families in the future!

Inspired? Find out how your organization can kick off a fundraising campaign with t-shirts through the Teespring donation program at TechSoup.

How the Bridge School Uses Tech to Educate Students Who Have Impairments

ginnymies — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Bay Area residents and music fans everywhere are familiar with the Bridge School Benefit concert, an annual, star-studded charity event organized by musician Neil Young.

While the concert's headliners might get most of the press attention, the Bridge School itself is doing amazing work through assistive technology. The nonprofit helps children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs.

TechSoup was thrilled to have the Bridge School director, Dr. Vicki Casella, as a guest speaker for its SharingSoup program.

SharingSoup was started by Cody Greenly, an account management specialist at TechSoup. Previous guests include the Mira Scholars Foundation and She Is Safe. It is an excellent opportunity for TechSoup members to share their story and talk about their technology needs and desires.

"SharingSoup came out of a desire to get a more personal look at the work of the organizations we interact with," Cody explained.

Dr. Casella, who has worked in special education for 50 years, discussed the different kinds of technology the Bridge School uses with its students. The goal of the program is to develop a sense of independence within the students by giving them as many tools as they need.

With advanced technology, the students are empowered with mobility, education, and communication.

The Bridge School's work and research has global reach. Every summer, the organization holds a teacher in residence program with participants from all over the world.

The teachers take what they've learned at the Bridge School and disseminate it via trainings and workshops in their own countries. The teachers and specialists also publish research and findings on the Bridge School website.

With all the work the Bridge School does, it was surprising to learn how small the staff is. In order to do global-reaching work, the organization relies on a strong technology foundation. Through TechSoup, the Bridge School can get donated products from companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Cisco.

For example, the Bridge School uses Microsoft Office on their assistive devices. They use PowerPoint to create touch-friendly books for their students. Watch the video below for more on how the Bridge School uses donated technology to empower their students:

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Video by Ale Bezdikian

How Digital Inclusion Is Done in Africa

jimlynch — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:42:00 GMT

I've just returned from organizing an electronics recycling conference in Cape Town, South Africa, where I met Dr. Hylton Villet, the chairman of MyDigitalBridge in Namibia.

I’m well acquainted with the big digital inclusion projects in the U.S. like Connect2Compete and was completely surprised at how African projects like MyDigitalBridge are getting low-cost Internet to low-income people in a mostly rural country.

Namibia is a medium-sized country that borders South Africa. It's located on the southwest Atlantic coast of Africa. Its official language is English. It has a population of just over 2 million in an area considerably larger than Texas. It received its independence from South Africa in 1990.

It is mostly a desert country and the home of both the Namib and Kalahari deserts. After Mongolia, Namibia is the least densely populated country in the world. It is a country of rural villages and small towns. Half the population lives below the international poverty line, and the country has been hard hit by HIV/AIDS.

One thing that Namibia has going for it is a stable parliamentary democracy and a government that clearly believes in digital inclusion.

An NGO with A National Mandate

MyDigitalBridge is an NGO that started its work fairly recently. Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba stated, during his 2012 Annual State of the Nation address, that "our country cannot afford to lag behind in this (digital inclusion) area, because it is vital to the competitiveness of our nation."

MyDigitalBridge was founded soon thereafter that to refurbish PC donations for use in schools, recycle end-of-life IT equipment, and figure out how to get broadband to rural communities throughout the country.

Their mission is to connect schools to Internet learning, to connect rural clinics with telemedicine, and to develop village telecommunications in this part of rural Africa.

Citizen Connect

Their project for this is called Citizen Connect. What's really interesting is how Namibia is approaching the huge infrastructure problem of providing broadband in places that don’t have much basic electricity yet.

In Africa, Internet is wireless, and Africa uses mainly cell phone towers to provide broadband. It is expensive and metered by the MB (megabyte). It is also only available in and around cities.

How 4G Works in Africa

To make affordable Internet available in rural places, MyDigitalBridge is setting up an ambitious pilot project to construct solar-powered WiFi stations that use UHF TV band spectrum, commonly known as TV white spaces.

This is a bit technical, but basically the idea is for them to use old analog TV and FM radio frequencies that were abandoned after conversion to digital TV, just like we did in the U.S.

In the U.S., we auctioned off these frequencies to mobile companies who then used them to create 4G LTE (fourth generation long-term evolution) wireless networks. Verizon Wireless launched the first large-scale LTE network in North America in 2010. The new 4G networks can carry much more data and so are suitable for both mobile phone and PC broadband.

Digital Inclusion Collaboration in Africa

In Namibia, a considerable portion of the TV white spaces spectrum has been allocated for digital inclusion rather than for commercial use. Of course, the Citizen Connect project will require millions of Namibian dollars to complete, but Prime Minister Hage Geingob is providing strong support for MyDigitalBridge's work.

Like all successful digital inclusion projects, it has a strong base of stakeholders and collaborators, including the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia, the Ministry of Education and its Advanced Education Technology Services, and the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.

My special thanks go to Dr. Hylton Villet for attending the E-Waste and Refurbishment Standards Conference in Cape Town on June 7 and providing me with a draft of the Citizen Connect technical concept paper.

Image: logo (MyDigitalBridge)

NetSquared Local Events: Week of June 17, 2013

Elijah-van-der-Giessen — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:20:00 GMT

We are deep into June already, but NetSquared Local isn’t taking a vacation! In fact, we’re excited to announce that our new chapter in the the popular holiday destination of Victoria, Canada is holding their first meetup this week! It you can’t make it to Victoria (you’re missing out!) you can always follow them online on Twitter or Facebook.

NetSquared Local believes that the best way to build a strong, self sufficient community of #nptech practitioners is for us to go outside and get face-to-face. We challenge you to join a NetSquared Local group or start your own! With 50 groups in 20 countries, there’s probably a group nearby.

Event Reports

What have NetSquared Local groups been up to recently? Check out the blog to keep on top of the gossip from our neighborhood.

Vancouver’s Stevie Vu asks if you’ve ever been to a conference with no agenda. Using NetSquared Camp as an example, he introduces readers to the participant-driven unconference model.
NetSquared Community Manager Elijah van der Giessen shares notes, slides, and video from the recent Net Tuesday introduction to maximizing your Google Grants budget for nonprofits.
Maria Zaghi organized a virtual regional meetup as part of the G-Everyone Summit. They discussed how online innovation can impact everyone from the agricultural sector to small startups. Participants included Cocodes (representatives of 8000 civil society organizations and communities in Guatemala), Campus Tec (representatives of 100 companies and 300 e-projects in Guatemala for different sectors) and Congreso Transparente (an organization powered by young Guatemalan leaders in the open government/data space, especially in the legislative branch).

This Week’s NetSquared Events

Find your closest NetSquared group on our global map. With meetups in 50 cities, there’s probably a group near you!

Monday, June 17

Boston, MA: The Power of E-mail Marketing for Non-Profits

Tuesday, June 18

Victoria, Canada: NetSquared Victoria: Remixing the Web for Social Change
Washington, DC: Making of a Prince: Prince of Petworth

Saturday, June 22

Chicago, IL: Joint Networking Event W/Chicago Geek Breakfast

Don’t have a local NetSquared Local group? We’d love to help you start a new meetup.

That’s all for now. Join us next week to learn what nonprofit techies are doing in your community.

Image: Evan Leeson, Creative Commons

Global Giving: Making Change Happen on a Deadline

PatrickDuggan — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:00:00 GMT

We're happy to announce a new, more robust partnership between TechSoup and Global Giving. For those new to their work, GlobalGiving is an online fundraising platform for nonprofits and charities of all sizes all around the world. Since 2002, more than 7,800 projects have raised nearly $85 million through GlobalGiving.org. If you're interested in growing your donor relationships and raising funds effectively, the GlobalGiving community is worth your attention.

To secure a permanent spot on the site (and get access to a range of benefits) you're invited to join via one of Global Giving's Open Challenges. During an Open Challenge, organizations are required to raise $5,000 from at least 40 people for your project. But don’t worry! GlobalGiving offers training, tools, and support to help organizations reach this fundraising goal. Once organizations secure a spot on GlobalGiving, they can benefit from GlobalGiving’s corporate partnerships (with Nike, Dell, Gap and Ford, for example) as well as GlobalGiving’s marketing campaigns and media outreach.

In the latest Open Challenge in April, 351 organizations raised over $590,000 with this opportunity. The next Open Challenge will begin on September 1, 2013. This is a great opportunity for nonprofits of all sizes to mobilize their networks and to reach new donors.

The deadline to submit the full application is July 22, 2013. Get Started!

Image: Global Giving

What's Involved in Technology Planning — Tech Planning for Your Mission

MobileBeacon — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:07:00 GMT

Welcome to the first of three blog posts in our technology planning series. We’ll discuss how to maximize your resources with a well-thought-out plan, how to conduct a technology assessment, and technology planning for disaster preparedness.

What’s Involved in Technology Planning?

It’s been said that: "People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan." The same is especially true for a nonprofit’s technology — without having a plan in place, it’s impossible to spend limited resources wisely.

Why? Because technology has a very short life span — it changes and becomes obsolete very quickly. For example, new iPods come out every September. And updates to software and hardware continuously improve the tech experience.

Another problem that nonprofits often have is what we call "technology by accident." That’s when well-meaning donors give you their old computers when they purchase new ones. Before you know it, you’re surrounded by old technology that you may not know what to do with.

So how do you decide where to spend your limited resources? Having a technology plan in place will help you focus on where your technology is now, where you want to go in the future, and how you’re going to get there.

A technology plan is important because it helps your nonprofit:

Align technology with your mission and accomplish more.
Save money on technology, since you only buy what you need.
Write grants and request funding, as it clearly defines goals and needs.
Avoid mistakes by planning ahead.
Be more productive.
Anticipate equipment failure before it becomes a crisis.
Use staff time more effectively.
Provide documentation of existing systems, which is valuable organizational intelligence that is often lost due to staff turnover.

Getting Started

Start by looking at your mission statement and organizational goals and determining how technology can help get you there. Writing out your rationale for why those goals are important can help you prioritize them.

It’s also helpful if you state your goals in a measurable way. For example: "Increase student academic performance by 10 percent by integrating technology."

Asking three important questions will help you begin to focus:

What does your group plan to do with computers in the next few months? (Remember that short life span.)
What can technology do for your organization now, six months from now, and a year from now?
How do you currently use technology? Dig into all the details: does everyone have access to the information they need, when they need it? What type of device is most practical — computer, tablet, or smartphone?

Anatomy of a Good Plan

A good technology plan will:

Look more like a road map than a wish list, with both the route and the destination clearly defined.
Include recommendations on policy, professional development, and staffing.
Take a holistic approach.
Assign responsibilities.
Address the decision making process.
Include a strategy to measure success.

What’s Next?

It's a good idea to put together a technology team to help you create a written technology plan. This could be a group of four to five stakeholders who can devote the time required.

You should include not only people who are tech-savvy, but representatives from across the organization to identify all pain points and areas for improvement.

Their job will be to assess the state of your current technology and determine what your technology strengths and weaknesses are, as well as what technology you need in order to achieve organizational goals. Then make a list, and prioritize the items in accordance with your goals.

We’ll have more on how to perform a technology assessment in our next blog post. Meanwhile, tell us: has your organization created a formal technology plan? If so, do you have any tips for success?

This post was authored by Mobile Beacon, a TechSoup donor partner. You can read more posts like this on their new blog, 4 Your Mission.

Upcoming Webinar June 20: Getting Started with TechSoup 30-Minute Tour

BeckyW — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:50:47 GMT

In this half-hour live tour of TechSoup scheduled for next Thursday, June 20 at 11 a.m. Pacific time, learn how to join, register your organization, and request donated software, hardware, and services. TechSoup's product donation programs make myriad resources donated by companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and more available to eligible nonprofits, charities, public libraries, and foundations!

Join us for a step-by-step walk-through of how to get started! This event is best suited for nonprofit and library staff in the United States who are new to TechSoup or would like a quick tour of how to get more out of our donation programs.

Leading the Way Toward Digital Inclusion

JeffHancock — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:20:00 GMT

Jeff Hancock has been working with technology both from the developer or technical standpoint and as a business manager for more than 20 years. He's been involved with nonprofits and community technology since 2000, when he helped establish the San Diego Futures Foundation. Today he runs his own consulting company, Adapt∞Impact, which serves the nonprofit community exclusively.

In this blog post, I highlight a model for successful digital inclusion programs. Check back for part two and three of this series, in which I'll recommend the next steps that organizations should take to be successful in closing the digital divide, and I'll describe the "secret sauce" that makes community solutions effective and sustainable.

Recently, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) published guides to help community organizations create or expand programs to close the digital divide.

These guides provide an overview of a successful program model, its key elements, and the challenges organizations are likely to face in establishing or growing a digital inclusion program.

Successful digital inclusion programs vary based on the core services provided by the organization running them.

Many of the organizations offer housing assistance as their core service, for example, and are serving thousands of families with limited resources, knowledge, or skills related to technology. Some organizations are based in workforce development, while others offer primarily training and education services.

Over the years, successful programs have developed comprehensive solutions that share much in common. The key elements include:

Low-cost, refurbished hardware
Low-cost Internet service
Strategic outreach plans
Basic training
Technical support
Partners that provide additional training and support services

One organization that showcases this approach is the San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF). SDFF was founded in late 1999 by two co-workers and me to provide technology and technical services to nonprofits in San Diego County. The core products and services provided by SDFF include low-cost computers, technical support, and education and training.

In the early 2000s, to address digital divide issues, SDFF developed partnerships with regional housing agencies serving families that were not using broadband in the home. Collectively, these agencies served an estimated 30,000 people who were part of the digital divide.

With limited low-cost Internet options, SDFF worked with agencies like the City Heights Community Development Corporation to build wireless networks and provide free access to families in the CDC’s housing units.

In 2008, SDFF received a grant from the California Emerging Technology Fund, which enabled SDFF to fully develop their digital divide program and expand the number of families they could reach.

SDFF partnered with Cox Communications to develop a low-cost Internet solution and eliminate the barriers that kept families from adopting broadband at home. These barriers included things like up-front equipment costs, credit checks, and installation fees.

New partners were added to provide basic training, a help desk was established for expanded technical support, and a retail store was opened where people could browse and learn about technologies including desktops, laptops, netbooks, wireless networking, and peripherals.

Using this model, SDFF has helped more than 10,000 previously disconnected families connect to the Internet via broadband at home.

The NTIA Toolkit provides several examples of organizations like SDFF that have pioneered, developed, and adopted the successful model. Yet, the NTIA reports that 47 percent of the digital divide still does not adopt broadband at home, claiming they "don’t need it." And experience shows that this objection persists even when low-cost options are available.

Going forward, organizations that offer digital inclusion solutions will need to take a closer look at their target population as consumers, and tailor their solutions with applications and other resources aimed at solving specific problems.

Additional Resources

NTIA Toolkit (PDF)
IMLS Getting Started Guide (PDF)

Why Microsoft Gives

jyoo — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:30:00 GMT

This post was authored by Microsoft Citizenship for TechSoup Global.

Giving has been a part of Microsoft’s culture since its beginning and stems from their mission to help people realize their full potential. It’s the cornerstone of the company’s citizenship work. And we’ve heard from employees that it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of their jobs.

Employee Giving – Past, Present and Future

Microsoft employees are passionate about supporting their own communities and other causes they care about. Microsoft extends the reach of employee giving by matching contributions and volunteer time dollar for dollar, up to $12,000 a year. Microsoft also uses its own in-house volunteering tool to help employees find nonprofits that best match their skills and interests.

Microsoft’s annual Employee Giving Campaign takes place throughout the year, with a special push every October. Thousands of employees participate in more than 300 activities, including a 5K Run, an online auction and other special events.

When Microsoft’s employee giving program began in 1983, approximately 200 employees raised $17,000. Today, more than 35,000 employees – approximately 65% of Microsoft’s total U.S. workforce — participate in the campaign. In 2012, Microsoft employees reached an incredible milestone – 30 years and $1 billion in employee giving to more than 31,000 nonprofits around the world.

Software Donation Program

In addition to charitable cash contributions, Microsoft partners with TechSoup Global to provide software donations to more than 60,000 eligible nonprofit organizations each year through the Microsoft software donation program. The software expands the reach of nonprofits by helping them lower costs and increase efficiencies. By providing access to software and training, Microsoft helps nonprofits connect with people and places both near and far, creating more impact around the world.

Creating Opportunities for Youth

In September 2012, the company launched Microsoft YouthSpark, a global, company-wide initiative. The goal of YouthSpark is to create opportunities for 300 million youth over the next three years by connecting them with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. Though Microsoft has long had programs and initiatives to empower and educate young people, they made the decision to focus on youth in a more concentrated way. Microsoft aims to reduce youth unemployment and close the opportunity divide – the gap between those who have access to the education and training needed to succeed and those who do not.

Give for Youth

A new initiative that Microsoft launched last year as part of Microsoft YouthSpark is Give for Youth, a global micro-giving marketplace for youth causes. When Microsoft started looking at ways to address these issues, they realized there were numerous projects that deserve support, but no easy, at-a-glance way for the average person to find them. With that in mind, Microsoft collaborated with GlobalGiving.org to create Give for Youth and help fund the dreams of young people around the world. Today, there are nearly 400 projects in the portal that range from supporting business training for young Nigerians, to funding after-school enrichment programs in Detroit.

Why Does Microsoft Give?

The programs described above represent just a sample of the ways in which Microsoft gives to people and communities around the world. Microsoft gives because it cares about our local communities. It cares about supporting small businesses, about the global community and about aiding young people in their journeys through education, employment and entrepreneurship. Find more information about Microsoft’s various programs to serve communities – both local and global – by visiting the Microsoft Corporate Citizenship website.

Image: Microsoft Citizenship

New Program! Award-Winning Bitdefender Security

Carolyn-C — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:00:00 GMT

Drum roll, please! TechSoup is pleased to present … the Bitdefender donation program! Now available to nonprofits, charities, and libraries through TechSoup, Bitdefender security products protect individual PCs and Macs as well as enterprise networks. These applications have won awards, excelled in rigorous testing, and met our strict standards.

This new addition serves to emphasize how essential up-to-date security is. When we connect to the Internet or a network, we face daunting risks that most of us would rather not think about, from invasions of privacy (Want to share keystrokes, passwords, or credit cards with a cyber criminal?) to downtime and loss (Never would have guessed that email had a virus that hijacks computers to make them pass it on to others?). We might even take for granted and forget about the complex electronic security that protects us from what could be costly and time-consuming disasters.

Awards and Praise

Named a "Best Antivirus for 2013" by PCMag, "Product of the Year" by AV-Comparatives (see full report), and "Best Repair 2012" by AV-Test (and still number one in 2013), Bitdefender security comes highly rated with a string of accolades and awards from CNET, LAPTOP magazine, PC Pro, Expert Reviews, Web User, PC Achat, Micro hebdo, and others.

Large and Small

Bitdefender is offering eligible TechSoup members unlimited requests (while supplies last) of these network and individual products from its arsenal:

Bitdefender Internet Security (1, 3, or 5 users)
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac (1 or 3 users)
Bitdefender Client Security and Management Server (10 or 25 users)
Bitdefender Small Office Security (10, 25, 50, or 100 users)

Real-Time and Intelligent

Bitdefender has an extensive lineup of features. PC World said it "may just be everything that you’d want in a security suite … [and] also comes with several extra services." Here is a rundown of some of those features:

Behavior-based protection in real time. Sophisticated protection stops emerging threats by analyzing the behavior of a given program or process in a virtual environment before it's executed. If deemed safe to run, Bitdefender continues to analyze it to identify likely threats that have not yet been reported.

Two-way firewall. A two-way firewall continuously monitors Internet connections and prevents unauthorized access — even on a WiFi network or when working remotely. On networks, remote and roaming users get personal firewall protection.

Safepay™ and privacy. Banking and shopping pages automatically open in a secure browser, plus Bitdefender includes antispam, antiphishing, and a web page search advisor. Critical personal data is never transmitted, USB flash drives are scanned by default, and when you delete sensitive files, no trace is left behind for snoops.

Unobtrusive performance. Scanning does not interfere with computer performance, and the program automatically checks for outdated security, missed security patches, and unsafe system settings. On networked computers, the application allows flexible scheduling of on-demand or immediate execution scans for possible infection assessment.

Management dashboard and quarantines (networks). For network systems, a dashboard brings together configuration and threat information from all managed and unmanaged endpoints and servers. Infected or suspected files are quarantined to minimize the risk.

Remote access (networks). With Bitdefender, administrators and IT support can remotely configure, audit, install, and remove applications and system settings on any managed Windows endpoint or server in the network.

Integrated with Active Directory (networks). The network application integrates with Active Directory to leverage the organization's existing Windows domain structure and group policies.

More Resources

Interested in learning more about security?

TechSoup Security Solutions
TechSoup Security Forum and Security Corner
Bitdefender website
Idealware antivirus protection article specifically intended for nonprofits
Stop Think Connect for quick, easy tips for safe emailing, web surfing, and other basics
U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Department of Commerce small-business security essentials
National Cyber Security Alliance resources to assess risks, develop a security plan, and protect your organization's data
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) free nontechnical guides on security topics like cybersecurity and firewalls

Join TechSoup's Focus Group at Our San Francisco HQ!

ssigman — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:50:00 GMT

Do you work for a nonprofit in the SF Bay area? Would you like to participate in a discussion with other local nonprofits, and help TechSoup at the same time? If so, we'd love to meet you in person and ask you a few questions about where you go for technology information.

Twelve participants will be chosen to participate in this focus group, to be held on Thursday, June 27, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at TechSoup's headquarters in San Francisco. Participants will receive a nonprofit technology book, a $10 Amazon voucher, and entry in a random drawing for a $100 Amazon voucher.

If you're interested, please complete this short questionnaire so that we can contact you. The focus group is open to both TechSoup users and non-users alike, so please spread the word! We look forward to hearing from you!

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Join TechSoup's Focus Group at Our San Francisco HQ!

Twelve participants will be chosen to participate in this focus group, to be held on Thursday, June 27, 6:00-7:30 pm, at TechSoup's headquarters in San Francisco. Participants will receive a nonprofit technology book, a $10 Amazon voucher, and entry in a random drawing for a $100 Amazon voucher.

The focus group is open to both TechSoup users and non-users alike, so please spread the word!

Join TechSoup's Focus Group at Our San Francisco HQ!

The focus group is open to both TechSoup users and non-users alike, so please spread the word!

Your Online Account Has Been Compromised — Now What?

tsg_kevin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:21:00 GMT

One evening earlier this week, I left my smartphone home before I left for class. Upon my return, it said I had login issues and needed to reset my credentials.

Once I did and logged in to my email, friends were writing and replying to me about the spam I was sending. It contained a link to a file that presumably downloads more malware, hosted on a compromised website.

After an initial few minutes of panic (and embarrassment), here's what I did to recover. While the breach happened with my Google account, the following tips apply to most scenarios.

Disconnect the compromised device from the Internet. Although I was not able to immediately pinpoint how the breach occurred, I speculated it was via a laptop I had used earlier that day. I have an installed email program that accesses my Gmail via IMAP, and this contains an address book that may have been accessed via malware. Knowing that, I made sure the laptop was no longer online by disconnecting the laptop's network cable and shutting off its WiFi.
Do a virus and malware scan. I made sure that the laptop had updated definitions, which I loaded from another computer. Then I did a full scan of the computer.
Clear the cache and all cookies. For every site that has a "Remember me on this computer," a cookie is stored on that computer. In exchange for convenience, your login information is kept and is not encrypted. Malware can target that information to attempt unauthorized logins.
Change your password (and enable 2-step verification). Make sure to change your password using a safe device. Most online services now have what is known as "2-step" or "2-factor" verification. What that means is that another device or step is required before you are authenticated. This is based on the fact that while an intruder may have access to some of your information (like your password), they are unlikely to have also taken physical possession of your phone or key. A verification code is sent to your phone when a login is attempted. You should also make sure your password is complex, with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Notify affected individuals. Depending on the people affected, you should broadcast a message on your social networks about the issue and that you have resolved it. If you have contacts with whom you are not connected on a network, or if they are generally less tech-savvy, you may even decide to contact them via text or voice. I did not email everyone on my list since that can be perceived as even more spam.

Here's to a speedy recovery!

NetSquared in May: Healthy as an Ox

Elijah-van-der-Giessen — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:00:00 GMT

June already? Yup!

That means it’s time for our monthly roundup of all the crazy goodness created by NetSquared Local in May.

What is NetSquared Local?

NetSquared Local is TechSoup’s volunteer-driven network of nonprofit tech meetups and salons. Our organizers hold monthly offline events for anyone interested in the connection of technology and social impact. They offer an opportunity to convene locally to share ideas, learn from one another and collaborate on projects for real world impact.

Highlights from the Community

NetSquared’s Organizers are movers and shakers. Peruse this Whitman’s Sampler of their projects in May.

Maria Zaghi in Guatemala is bringing her fellow Latin American organizers together for a regional salon (Watch out! Spanish!) This is the first step in her grand plan to build a regional hub of NetSquared organizers.
The Social Media Surgery community (of which Net2 Manchester organizer Steven Flower is a key member) won the BBC Learning Through Technology Award. Not sure what a Social Media Surgery is? Check out this wicked explainer video.
Stephen Blyth of Common Knowledge invited Beth Kanter to visit New Zealand to facilitate some workshops for NGOs interested in networked capacity building.
NetSquared Local organizers rallied around Ushahidi’s BRCK kickstarter. Ushahidi is a NetSquared project alumnus who has gone on to create an amazing interactive mapping platform.
Seattle’s Michael Grenetz is leading the Sierra Club’s WTZuck campaign against FWD.US’s support of the Keystone XL project. Michael will be sharing the secrets of this massive online campaign at Seattle’s next meetup.

Bonus Feature
Why was NetSquared created? Jim Lynch delves into the archives to tell the story of NetSquared: In the Beginning.

A Sneak Peek at the Future

NetSquared Local organizers will be descending on their communities in full social media surgeon costume this September. They’ll be creating social media for social good clinics where volunteers will offer one-on-one consulting to NGOs, activists and engaged citizens. Stay tuned for more details!

May Events

A total of 28 events were held in May in cities ranging from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Adelaide Australia. Find your closest NetSquared Local group on our map!

Wednesday, May 1

Portland, OR: Mini Sessions from Locals Who Presented at 2013 Nonprofit Technology Conference

Friday, May 3

Adelaide, Australia: Adelaide HootUp with HootSuite, Yelp and #socadl

Tuesday, May 7

Johannesburg, South Africa: Open Data for Non-Profits - an Introduction
New Orleans, LA: Networking Happy Hour + Going Away Event for One of Our Own @ Booty’s
Philadelphia, PA: Crowdsourcing Change: Applying the Social Web to Important Philly Nonprofits
Toronto, Canada: Measuring & Engaging your Email List
Vancouver, Canada: Using Video to Tell Your Stories

Thursday, May 9

Baltimore, MD: May Tech & Social Change Meetup: Website Redesigns

Tuesday, May 14

Guatemala: Agenda del espacio de Guatemala
Manchester, UK: Open badges meetup
Guayaquil, Ecuador: The Guayaquil NetSquared Meetup Group Monthly Meetup
Houston, TX: How Can We Use the City of Houston’s Open Data to Do More Good?
Warsaw, Poland: CiviCRM – spotkanie o tym jak zarządzać relacjami z otoczeniem i nie tylko

Wednesday, May 15

Morrisville, NC: It’s a SNAP: An easy social networking process to increase marketing results
New York, NY: Anatomy of an Engagement Campaign

Thursday, May 16

Seattle, WA: May Mixer & Benefit for Net2Seattle

Friday, May 17

Guatemala: Educación y Tecnologia en Guatemala
Singapore: Health UP hackathon

Tuesday, May 21

Washington, DC: Behind the Scenes: Metro Connection
Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Abidjan NetSquared Meetup Group Monthly Meetup
Vancouver, Canada: How individuals are using technology and data to support vulnerable populations

Wednesday, May 22

Burlington, VT: Social Change Anytime Everywhere with Amy Sample Ward

Tuesday, May 28

Wellington, New Zealand: 5 + 5 in 5 social media sharing session: #net2welly May meetup
Manchester, UK: Charity & non-profit analytics meetup: Email
Silicon Valley, CA: Mobile Devices & UX Evolution – Eyeing the Future- Free S4 Giveaways

Wednesday, May 29

Paris, France: “CRITICAL MASS” – Film - “Une Masse Critique”
Peterborough, Canada: Future Topic Brainstorm

Thursday, May 30

Melbourne, Australia: “Charity is boring. Giving is awesome” Will Dayble talks clarity.io

Want in on the fun? You can apply to be a NetSquared organizer or find your closest event on the global calendar.

The Accidental Hacker: From the Floor at National Day of Civic Hacking

ginnymies — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:35:00 GMT

This past weekend, I tried something I never thought I would do: I participated in hackathon. Although I've been writing about tech for a few years, I have no coding or programming skills. When I showed up to San Francisco's National Day of Civic Hacking (NDoCH) event, I wasn't sure what to expect. Was I going to be kicked out for not knowing how to code? Was the whole day going to be spent in silence as the programmers went to work?

What a Civic Hackathon Is Really Like

Fortunately, all of my preconceived notions were completely wrong. The hackathon kicked off with representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Peace Corps presenting data sets and particular challenges associated with them. The challenges included connecting African farmers to markets, creating an online networking space for women veterans, mapping Africa's natural resources, and a few others. I sat in on the mapping group because the Peace Corps presenter said that he thought nonprofits could also take advantage of whatever solution they came up with.

The leader of this group, Jordan Welty, was not only a former Peace Corps volunteer, but also worked at the World Affairs Council, another nonprofit. And, like me, he had no coding experience nor had he ever attended a hackathon. I quickly got over my trepidation and got to work.

Our group was made up of programmers with varying skillsets. Interestingly, none of them had any experience working with mapping tools. I found that I could be of help by looking up information about various mapping tools or examples of other programs while the programmers were coding. I also discovered that I could provide the perspective of the end-user — the volunteer or activist who was actually going to be using the app in the field. "Keep it simple!" was our mantra for the day.

My group started out by considering Crowdmap (from NetSquared alumnus Ushahidi), but ended up going with Google Fusion and Google Maps to create the project. The finished product, an app called ResMap, got second place overall in the challenge.

Lessons Learned

After my jaunt into the civic hacking world, I came away with a few lessons:

Your project will change rapidly over the course of the weekend. One of the coolest things that happened during the San Francisco Day of Civic hacking was how our group morphed over the course of the day.
Not all hackathons are coding-centric. Events like ReWrite Oakland (read Sarah Washburn of TechSoup for Libraries/Caravan Studios' recap of the event here) and the [freespace] hackathon in San Francisco were more focused on swapping ideas than programming.
Diverse skillsets are valued. As I discovered, I didn't necessarily need to have coding skills in order to participate.
Prepare to be surprised. I didn't expect to meet and work with people with such diverse backgrounds, interests, and skillsets. I was also surprised by how much discussion and listening happened before we actually got down to building the foundation for the project.

The Nonprofit Perspective

In order for an app or project to be successful, it has to be meaningful to the audience that's using it. Representatives or volunteers from nonprofits can act as liaisons between the programmers and the people the app is intended to help. They can ask questions, point out scenarios, and describe the actual users for the developers.

"I think it was helpful to have a presenter and group leader who is not a programmer themselves, since they can add the outside perspective that someone who is fluent in the technology might not view as a user challenge," Jordan said after the event.

"Hacking" has come a long way from something associated only with security breaches and cyberpunk novels. I'm excited to attend my next hackathon and watch the movement grow.

TechSoup Global at National Day of Civic Hacking

ginnymies — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:53:00 GMT

On June 1, programmers, activists, and civic leaders participated in the first ever National Day of Civic Hacking (NDoCH) across 83 U.S. cities. The weekend event was organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Code for America, Random Hacks of Kindness, and many other organizations and companies. TechSoup, Caravan Studios, and NetSquared were on the scene to observe and participate in hackathon events all over the country. Interestingly, the hackathons varied in terms of their activities and the challenges. While some were very coding-focused, other events were focused on exchanging ideas and brainstorming solutions.

San Francisco Day of Civic Hacking

This hackathon took place at San Francisco State University's Paul J. Leonard Library. The diverse crowd, made up of students, activists, government employees, and librarians, worked on datasets presented by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Peace Corps. The challenges included connecting African farmers to markets, creating an online networking space for women veterans, mapping Africa’s natural resources, and a few others.

Open source champion Brian Behlendorf spoke at the event, encouraging the hackers to focus on finding an interesting problem to solve rather than worrying about building a sustainable model. He also spoke about the importance of hackathons in general and why we need more events like these.

Honolulu Day of Civic Hacking

Arthur Grau of NetSquared Honolulu reported back on the National Day of Civic Hacking/Code for Hawaii event in Honolulu. While the challenges were focused mainly on local or statewide issues, they came up with solutions that could be adopted for national issues as well.

One interesting challenge was creating a database of bicycle rack locations throughout the islands. The concept is that people can tweet the @bicyclerack Twitter account. Using tweets' GPS, the database can then track where the rack is. Another project was creating an easily accessible map of Hawaii's farmer's markets.

Burlington, VT Day of Civic Hacking

Burlington hosted its first-ever Day of Civic Hacking event. The participants were tasked with developing digital tools to help nonprofits and government agencies work better together. The projects varied from educational tools for children to energy efficiency. Amanda Levinson of NetSquared Burlington put together a Storify page to document the weekend's events.

[freespace], San Francisco

TechSoup Global's Ale Bezdekian attended another San Francisco event, but it was much different from the one at San Francisco State. It was actually a kickoff event for a series of events and hackathons at [freespace], a "pop-up community center." Hosted in the warehouse in San Francisco, the space will serve as a place for civic hacking for the month of June.

The projects for this event don't necessarily have to be technology-related. One group is working on a mural, while another was designing an LED sculpture. Another interesting concept was a mobile tech shop for homeless shelters. To see what [freespace] comes up with for the rest of this month, be sure to "like" them on Facebook.

ReWrite Oakland

Caravan Studios' Sarah Washburn attended ReWrite Oakland, which focused on rebuilding the Oakland City website to make it easier to use and more accessible. This NDoCH event differed from some of the others in that it focused on brainstorming ideas and asking questions, rather than coding. Or, as Sarah put it, "Instead of codes and binaries, we used words and sentences." You can read Sarah's account of becoming a civic hacker over at Caravan Studios.

Did you or your organization participate in NDoCH? Share your experiences with us in the comments!

Image 1: National Day of Civic Hacking, IntelFreePress

Image 2: Code for Hawaii, Bytemarks

Image 3: ReWrite Oakland, Caravan Studios