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Best Practices Toolkit
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Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 16:31:01 -0500
From: Jillaine Smith
[...]
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I want to alert you to the newly expanded "Best Practices Toolkit" compiled by the Benton Foundation's Communications Policy and Practice program. This area of Benton's web site is intended to provide you with tips and tools for better using Internet technology to promote your nonprofit's goals. The toolkit is broken down into the following categories:- Top Recommendations- Web pages with great tools for nonprofits- Nonprofit-related electronic newsletters- Nonprofit-related discussions lists- Technology Funding for Nonprofits- Fundraising on the Internet- Nonprofit Technical Assistance Providers- Papers & Books
I include below a sampling of what's available on the site. If you would like to receive regular updates informing you about new items on the page (subsequent updates will be much shorter than this first introduction), please reply to this message.
I appreciate any feedback you have on the Best Practices Toolkit, and hope you will find it helpful.
Sincerely,
Jillaine Smith Senior Associate Benton Foundation
The following is best read in a nonproportional font like Courier 10.
Best Practices Toolkit: A Sampling as of 12/29/97 Please see (http://www.benton.org/Practice/Toolkit) for the complete= list.
Top Recommendations- 20/20 Vision's Activist Toolkit (http://www.2020vision.org/tools) includes a simple, "how to" course in letter writing or making a phone call to a key policy maker; a guide for contacting and influencing the United States Government Administration branch; a series focusing on writing Op-Ed pieces and Letters to the Editor, and having a voice in Talk Radio; and "Using Cyberspace: Activism Online."- Designing Effective Action Alerts for the Internet (http://weber.ucsd.edu/~pagre/alerts.html). Well-designed action alerts are a powerful way to invite people to participate in the processes of a democracy. UCSD Communication Department professor and long-time Internet-using activist Phil Agre provides these excellent guidelines.=20- While One Northwest's (http://www.onenw.org) focus is on helping environmental organizations in the northwest, they have compiled an impressive collection of tools (http://www.onenw.org/html/ea.shtml) to help nonprofit organizations make better use of communications technologies, including computer and modem recommendations, and what to consider when selecting an Internet provider.=20
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Web sites with great nonprofit tools- Coyote Communications Technology Tip Sheets (http://www.webcom.com/jac/tips.html) for nonprofit organizations, including "Basic Customer Database Principles," "The Internet Starter Kit for Nonprofits," "How Nonprofits are REALLY Using Online Technologies," and much more. Also check out their "How to promote your nonprofit organization online".- Media / PR Advice Online. These three sites offer a variety of media advice: Media Relations Inc. (http://www.publicity.com) on handling interviews; Communications Skills Institute (http://www.csitucson.com/) on getting press by doing survey's; and Netrageous Inc. (http://www.netrageous.com/pr) offers useful case studies.- Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse Electronic Publishing Guidelines (http://www.opc.on.ca/opc/pubguide.html), prepared for their internal use, but shared with the rest of the online world. A great checklist of activities to consider when involving your organization in electronic publishing.
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Nonprofit-related electronic newsletters- Philanthropy Journal Online has a wonderful technology section (http://www.philanthropy-journal.org/tech/tech.htm) housing its many articles on how nonprofits are making use of the Internet.- Tech News: Enhancing Human Services through Technology (http://www.uwnyc.org/tech.htm), written for human service organizations, contains many wonderful articles that any nonprofit organization can use in their efforts to better apply computer technologies. Also available in print format.- WebActive (http://www.webactive.com) can send you email updates to its excellent site that highlights nonprofits on the Internet. Send email to webactive@prognet.com, with sign me up! in the "Subject:" header.
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Nonprofit-related electronic discussions lists
Where ever you see "YourFirstName" and "YourLastName," replace your real first and last names, respectively.- Communet-L is where community networking advocates discuss challenges, policy, and lessons learned. To subscribe, send email to LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU that contains the following message: subscribe communet YourFirstName YourLastName.- On NetAction Notes, you can discuss with other advocacy organizations how to use the Internet for effective organizing and coalition-building. To subscribe send email to majordomo@netaction.org with the following message: subscribe netaction.
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Technology Funding for Nonprofits- The Conservation Technology Support Program (http://www.desktop.org/ctsp) is an annual grant program providing in-kind assistance to conservation organizations making use of geographic information systems. =20- Environmental Support Center (http://www.envsc.org). If your organization devotes at least a portion of its resources to environmental concerns and is in need of training for staff or board, consider applying to the Environmental Support Center (ESC) for assistance. Local, regional and state organizations are eligible. ESC will partially subsidize the cost of training/technical support up to $2,000 per calendar year. Deadline to apply: 15th of each month. For more information, call (202) 966-9834, or visit their website.=20 =20- The Hitachi Foundation has a new funding initiative that is looking for projects using information technologies to improve and advance teaching and learning. Open to educational and community-based organizations. Get the details by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to The Role of Information Technology in Education, Hitachi Foundation, 1509 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20037. Faxed copies are available by calling (202) 457-0588, ex 551. =20
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Fundraising on the Internet- Jeff Hallett wrote a series of excellent articles that appeared in Philanthropy Journal about nonprofit use of the Internet for fundraising and other activities: =20 * o Why the Web will Increase Giving - Eventually (http://www.philanthropy-journal.org/tech/hallett697.htm)* o Build relationships; then raise money (http://www.philanthropy-journal.org/tech/hallett2797.htm)* o Performance-driven Web Sites (http://www.philanthropy-journal.org/tech/hallett30997.htm)* o Does the Web help-- or hurt-- fundraising for nonprofits (http://www.philanthropy-journal.org/tech/hallett40997.htm) Fundraising on the Internet (http://www.fundraising.igc.org), aprint and electronic guide to using the Internet as a fundraising tool.- The Internet Prospector (plains.uwyo.edu/~prospect) is a site for nonprofit fundraising efforts, focused on using the Internet to find money. For example, see their review of Corporate Giving web sites (plains.uwyo.edu/~prospect/corp-giv.html).
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Papers & Books- A Greater Voice: Nonprofit Organizations, Communications Technology, and Advocacy (http://www.ncna.org/communications/publications.html), a survey report of attitudes toward, experiences with, and expectations of communications technology in the nonprofit sector, published by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. $10.- Making the Net Work: Online Strategies for Community-Based Organizations is an excellent book written NCExchange's Terry Grunwald, a long-time advocate for online networking. Written completely for the nonprofit audience, this book includes practical information about how to incorporate electronic networking into your organization, and an excellent (although lengthy) assessment process that your organization can do without paying a high-priced firm or consultant. The cost is $20 for nonprofit organizations and can be ordered online at http://www.ncexchange.org/guideorder.html.- NetActivism: How Citizens Use the Internet written by Ed Schwartz (an experienced net advocate) and published by O'Reilly & Associates, one of the best books on the market that easily and clearly explains the benefits and pitfalls of using the Internet as an organizing and advocacy tool. You can order this book at Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=3D1565921607
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=A9 Benton Foundation ph:202-638-5770 fax:202-638-5771 email: benton@benton.org WWW: www.benton.org
www.benton.org/Practice/Toolkit/ Last updated: 29 December 1997 jss ```
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