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Circuit Riders: Pioneers in Non-Profit Networking
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Date: Tue, 08 Oct 96 15:42:29
From: "Brian Wheeler"
Dear Phil, I am an big fan of RRE and I want to share a report that the W. Alton Jones Foundation (WAJF) just published that may be of interest to you and RRE subscribers: "Circuit Riders: Pioneers in Non-Profit Networking" http://www.wajones.org/circuit.html It is a case study of the deployment of a technical assistance "circuit rider" into one of the foundation's grantmaking initiatives. We believe these "circuit riders" can be a very useful tool for foundations and non-profits alike when they are working on projects to improve the use of communications and information technology. Below is a brief announcement of the report that includes the introduction from our director. You also may be interested in the consensus statement from a technology workshop we held last year for many leaders of the environmental movement: http://www.wajones.org/confin.html Thanks for all your good work. Feel free to post part or all of this message to RRE. Brian Wheeler ====================================================================== Brian Wheeler, Grants Manager bwheeler@wajones.org W. Alton Jones Foundation http://www.wajones.org/ 232 East High Street 804-295-2134 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 Fax 804-295-1648 ====================================================================== +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Try the Foundation e-mail "InfoBot" infobot@wajones.org| | In the SUBJECT of you message, put the word INDEX | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Jones Fndn "Circuit Riders" report available Author: Brian Wheeler at WA-JONES Date: 10/8/96 1:37 PM
The W. Alton Jones Foundation and the Telecommunications Cooperative Network (tcn) have just finished our public report on the electronic networking project we undertook for advocates working on low and zero emission vehicle (LEV-ZEV) issues during 1995-96. "Circuit Riders: Pioneers in Non-Profit Networking" You may visit the report on the Jones Foundation's web site at the following address: http://www.wajones.org/circuit.html This report discusses how technical assistance "Circuit Riders" can be a very successful way to promote the more effective use of technology in the non-profit sector. To request a copy in the mail, you can do one of the following: 1) Use the order form on the Web site; or 2) Send a message with your name and address to: circuit@wajones.org Brian Wheeler W. Alton Jones Foundation bwheeler@wajones.org The Foundation's director, J.P. Myers, wrote the following introduction to the report: ========================================================== New information technologies create remarkable opportunities for foundations and other non-profit organizations. Even with limited communications dollars, advanced networking tools can increase markedly the effectiveness of our communications. Unfortunately, most non-profits remain underachievers in the information technology world. And when we do invest in technology, we fail to make a corresponding investment in the human resources needed to make the equipment perform. At the W. Alton Jones Foundation, we have found a productive way to help grantees communicate more effectively: "circuit riders"--talented individuals who provide hands-on, technical consulting and education to non-profit organizations. The foundation had begun an ambitious program to support advocates of Low Emission Vehicles and Zero Emission Vehicles (LEV-ZEV). This was one component of the foundation's commitment to encouraging wide-spread adoption of hydrogen fuel cells as environmentally-friendly sources of energy. Early on, it became evident that electronic communication would facilitate effective cooperation among the network of organizations working in California, New England and the mid-Atlantic on LEV-ZEV. Our circuit-rider proved highly effective in bringing these advocates quickly to a position of making effective use of computer communications. The success of this LEV-ZEV networking project led us to several important conclusions:
* Content drives communication--serious networks go beyond surfing by connecting advocates to mission-critical information and resources;* Our investment enhanced the impact of other grants we made to these environmental advocates; and* It would have cost much more to achieve the same results had each LEV-ZEV organization sought its own individual technical consultant.
For a partner in this project, we chose tcn, a communication technology cooperative. As a member of tcn, the Jones Foundation knew that a tcn circuit rider would bring important knowledge and resources to the participants. Indeed, tcn successfully changed the profile of the LEV-ZEV organizations' use of new communications technologies. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contact both tcn and the W. Alton Jones Foundation. This report is also available on the Internet at WAJF's World Wide Web site: http://www.wajones.org/circuit.html J.P. Myers, Ph.D. Director, W. Alton Jones Foundation ```
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