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"Technology on a Shoestring" Articles
These articles are published by Alder Consulting
about every six weeks.
Updating Your Website on a Shoestring:
Macromedia Contribute vs. Database-Backed Tools (July 2005)
It seems like everyone is talking about Content Management Systems these days. Are these tools the best way to allow non-technical users to update the information on your website? Well, it depends. There’s another very low cost option: Macromedia Contribute. Read more 
Branding
Your Organization Through Your Website (May 2005)
Your website speaks volumes about your organization. Is it saying
the right things? This overview of branding concepts will help you
tailor your website text, features, information, prioritization,
and graphic design to ensure constituents and funders see you as
you would like to be seen. Read more
E-Newsletter
Tools on a Shoestring (October 2004)
Email newsletters are an enormously cost-effective way to stay in
touch with and grow your audience. In this article, we'll look at
the many free and inexpensive tools that can help nonprofits manage
subscriber lists, create and send e-newsletters, and track the results.
Read more
Websites on a Shoestring 1 - Guidelines
for Successful Sites (June 2004)
Building a great website doesn't have to be any more expensive than
building a bad one. In this article, we suggest ten guidelines that
will help you think through website functionality, content, navigation,
and graphic design to evaluate your existing website or plan a new
one. Read more
Accepting Credit Cards Online - On
a Shoestring (April 2004)
More and more nonprofits are accepting donations, taking registrations
or selling products through the internet. However, the sheer number
and variety of available online payment tools can be overwhelming.
An overview of online payment concepts and descriptions of the many
options and tools available will help you start collecting credit
card payments online. Find out how
Planning Projects for a Shoestring
(March 2004)
Defining Software to Account for Limited Resources
Software projects, such as websites, databases, and applications,
should be designed to accommodate the money, time, people and other
resources available. This article outlines ways that organizations
and technologists can define their functional needs, understand
their resource limitations, and creatively plan the best possible
system given the available resources. Find
out how
Organizational Email Addresses on a Shoestring
(January 2004)
Organizational email accounts allows everyone in your organization
to use personalized email addresses, like "george@washington.org"
and "martha@washington.org", for under $50/year. And they're
straightforward to set up, whether you have a lot of technical experience
or not. Find out how
Site Search Engines on a Shoestring
(January 2004)
A website search feature doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming
to create - there are a number of free or cheap services that allow
you to create a site search with just a basic knowledge of HTML.
This article provides an overview of the top services and helps
you think through which service is right for you. Read
more.
General New York Technology Resources
There are a number of internet sites that provide useful information
for New York area nonprofits interested in technology issues.
TechSoup (www.techsoup.org/)
This website is entirely devoted to helping nonprofits effectively
use technology. It provides articles and forums on a diverse set
of issues - everything from coding tips to strategies for funding
projects. They also have a local site focused on the New York nonprofit
community at www.techsoup.org/newyork/.
CompassPoint's ASP Guide
(www.compasspoint.org/enonprofit/")
CompassPoint's fabulous free publication, "The eNonprofit:
A Guide to ASPs, Internet Services, and Online Software", offers
an overview of the technology companies, known as ASPs, that deliver
software tools over the Internet, usually for a fee. This guide,
targeted at nonprofits, includes a beginner's guide to ASPs, a directory
of links to over one hundred providers, a detailed guide to selecting
an ASP, tips on how to plan for successful implementation, and a
collection of nonprofit Internet technology resources.
Groundspring
Internet Strategies (www.groundspring.org/learningcenter/series.cfm)
An
excellent series of articles about effectively marketing and fundraising
online. Keep in mind that the organization sells online donation
and email marketing tools; the articles are slanted a bit in this
direction.
United Way of New York City Tech News (http://www.uwnyc.org/technews/)
This site features technology articles and news of interest to New
York nonprofits, with a free email newsletter that summarizes the
current articles. It has a slight focus towards human service agencies.
NTEN (http://www.nten.org/)
The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN) is a membership
association of nonprofits, technology support organizations and
consultants, and funders. Their website has a number of articles
and resources for those considering technology projects.
Dot Org Media (http://www.dotorgmedia.org/)
This site provides a useful newsletter dealing with nonprofit technology
topics.
New York and New Jersey Consultants Directory (http://www.resourcedevelopmentnetwork.com/directory.htm)
This directory contains free listings of independent New York and
New Jersey consultants who assist nonprofit organizations with a
broad variety of services, including technology planning and implementation.
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