New items in the Toolkit since 6/23/98 (it was summer...) include:
Announcements
---
Benton published, over this summer, a new publication, Losing Ground
Bit by Bit: Low-Income Communities in the Digital Age
. In addition to looking at
telecommunications policy issues concerning the economically
disadvantaged, the report also includes examples of technology
projects in low-income communities. Available in HTML, PDF, and hard
copy.
Philanthropy News Network (formerly Philanthropy Journal) is taking
their Nonprofits and Technology
conferences on the road. This conference is designed for nonprofit
and foundation staff members eager to learn more specifics about how
technology and the World Wide Web are transforming the way the
nonprofit world does business. Check out when they'll be in a city
near you.
Benton Senior Associate Jillaine Smith (that's me) spoke at the NCNA
conference in Atlanta about using new technology to deliver
technical assistance. That talk is evolving into a What's Working:
Technology Approaches for Delivering Technical Assistance
page. Feedback is appreciated.
Planning, implementation & evaluation
---
Alert Box: Current Issues in Web Usability
contains semi-monthly short and
focused articles by Jakob Nielsenon on such topics as outsourcing
design, fighting linkrot, cost of user testing and more. Update
announcements are available by email.
"Impact of CTCNet Affiliates: Findings from a National Survey of
Users of Community Technology Centers,"
reports on the extensive
research about the effectiveness of CTCNet's programs. Hard copies
of this report are also available for $10. Send a check to CTCNet
Publications, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458-1060.
As anyone who's ever started up a discussion list or online
conference, if you build it, they won't necessarily come and
participate in it. Resources for Facilitators and Moderators of
Online Discussion (star.ucc.nau.edu/~Emauri/moderators.html) is an
annotated list of articles and other materials to help you set up,
maintain, and have a successful experience with online dialogue.
Organizing & advocacy tools
---
"Constituency Organizing on the Net"
, by Desktop Assistance's Marshall
Mayer, is a case study in how a northwest environmental movement
used Ebase, a powerful organizing database/communications software
program, to campaign for environmental protection.
The Institute for Global Communications, nonprofit Internet Service
Provider for peac and environmental organizations, has recently
launched IGC's Online Advocacy Tips
, short pieces of advice on
using online technology for advocacy, with pointers to examples. You
can also share your own.
Publicizing your efforts
---
"Under The Radar Why do some Web launches and events get online
media coverage, while others don't?"
Eric Ward has updated his
already excellent presentation on publicizing one's web site. Topics
covered include recognizing and finding online publicity
opportunities; positioning your site content and message right;
using online PR services to contact online media outlets; and search
engine rankings.
How to Develop an Email Newsletter
from Web Marketing Today explains the why's and how's of creating
an electronic newsletter to build an online business. Granted, this
article is intended for a for-profit audience, but its suggestions are easily transferrable to a nonprofit web site.
Technology funding for nonprofits
---
Microsoft Corporation's Nonprofit Technology Leadership Grants
program provides software grants.
WebLab , with support from
the Ford Foundation and PBS, is a new approach to technology funding
(specifically web-site building), following a book-publishing
approach rather than a grantmaking approach. (Read the fine print
carefully.) Round 1 participants may be reviewed to see who and how
WebLab funds. A new round of support is available; applications are
due 9/13/98.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food Systems/Rural Development program
makes technology-friendly grants through "Managing Information with
Rural America (MIRA)"
. Its
purpose includes helping rural people use information systems and
technologies as a tool to meet current and future challenges. Each
year, through 2001, MIRA will provide grants for clusters of
community teams, community support organizations, and policy support
organizations to work with electronic communications and information
systems issues in rural America.
The Reuse Collaborative
announces version 1 of a database of reuse efforts nationally.
Companies with computers can post availability; organizations can
search for what they're looking for.
Technical assistance
---
The Circuit Rider Saddlebag
contains
resources used by technology assistance providers as they roam the
backroads of the NII, helping nonprofits use technology well.
Nonprofit-Tech , organized by Alnisa
Algood, is a combination web-site/newsletter with technical tips,
fearless reviews of software, and a Q&A area for posting your
technical questions. This is no-nonsense site built with the
nonprofit in mind. A recent addition includes "Year 2000 Compliance
The Millenium Bug and How It Effects Your Nonprofit"
Web Stuff
---
Wonder why the color you used to design your web graphics looks so
lousy on someone else's computer? "Color On The Web"
, by Lynda Weinman, explains challenges
behind and solutions to using color in web design. See also her
"Photoshop For The Web" -- tips for using
Photoshop for designing web graphics.
Good Documents , by Dan Bricklin, helps
content providers write for the Web-- specifically content that will
be read on the screen. The Techniques and Samples sections provide
tips on creating screen-readable documents.
In "Nonprofits need to examine the accessibility of Web sites"
, Emily Brewer points out that
web pages with special graphics and uncaptioned audio and video are
inaccessible to millions of disabled computer users. In addition to
shutting these users out, nonprofits risk violating the Americans
with Disabilities Act. See also her "Tips for making your Web site
more accessible" .
Nonprofit-Related Newsletters
---
Campaign Web Review is a biweekly
newsletter, available through a web site or via email, that examines
the use of the Internet by political campaigns.
Miscellaneous
---
What? You haven't checked out Benton's Cyber Pages lately?
You'll find there annotated links to a
number of resources related to communications policy and practice.
Here are recent additions:
DevMedia is an excellent compilation of
organizations and resources focused on progressive, public interest
media issues.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
is a new US Department of Education meta-site
that acts as a gateway to US government sites that can be used as
teaching tools or resources. FREE is a handy way for teachers to
find quickly useful government sites that can be put to use in the
classroom.
"Ending the Siege: Introducing Technologies into the Regular
Classroom" , by Jamie McKenzie,
looks at what it's going to take in order for technology
implementation in the classroom to be successful.
The Well-Connected Educator , while not new,
contains some recent and excellent articles written by teachers for
teachers on a range of education technology topics including: What
do you do after you open the (computer) box, developing an
international student exchange program via email, and Multimedia in
the foreign language classroom.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
is the largest nonprofit organization
supporting technology-using educators in the world. Included on
their site is "Learning and Leading With Technology," a journal of
articles written by educators for educators that emphasize practical
ideas for learning about technology and integrating its use into the
K-12 curriculum.
Current Cites is a
wonderful email newsletter and web site, run by the University of
California, that covers current trends in information technology as
it applies to libraries and librarians. Nonprofits who publish a
great deal of content could benefit from subscribing to this free
service.
"Copyright in the Digital Era" by Janet Balas, is an excellent
annotated collection of sources for researching copyright issues.
Learn what the United States Copyright Office, the American
Library Association, the Digital Future Coalition, the Creative
Incentive Coalition and others have to say about fair use and
other copyright issues.
Community Networking
====================
Over the summer, there has been a flurry of meetings,
presentations, and reports concerning the current state of
community networks and community networking. Here's what's come
out this year: (See Benton's Cyber Pages
for a fuller list of
community networking resources.)
Community Networking in the U.S.: At a crossroads?
,
by Amy Borgstrom, is a wonderful and current overview of where community networking started, where it's been, and the challenges and
opportunities it faces today.
Developing Community Resources on the Internet Community Resources
Self-Sustaining Online Models
,
by Peter Krasilovsky for the Markle Foundation, looks at models for being self-sustaining, public/private partnerships, and the lessons we can learn from what's been done to date. See also a related paper by the same author, Developing Community Resources on the Internet: Local Community Partnerships
With Community Sites .
Both papers (which have a fair amount of overlap) appear to be calling for
increased partnership between nonprofit community networks and commercial services.
Democracy is Online , by
Steve Clift, discusses the challenges to using communications
technologies to promote and enhance democracy, while pointing to
examples throughout the world where he believes it's working. People
interested in these issues may also discuss them on Steve's
E-Democracy discussion lists.
Global Communication and Community Networks: How Do We
Institutionalize Democracy in the Electronic Age?
This piece by Doug Schuler
(author of Community Networking) looks at the role that the Internet
in general, and community networking specifically, can play in
promoting democracy, as well as the challenges faced in order to
make such a role successful.
In UIC Neighborhoods and Nonprofit Network's "Lessons Learned,"
Albert Schorsch shares,
in a brief, annotated style, the lessons this community initiative
has learned using technology. A quick read.
Little Engines that Could: Case histories from the global telecentre
movement, by Richard P.
Fuchs for IDRC, evaluates the successes, challenges, lessons
learned, and policy implications of six telecentres around the
world. If you don't have time to read each of the case studies, do
be sure to read the Analysis and Conclusions
.
"Making the Net Work -- Terry's Tour"
is a collection of reports and
presentations about the current state of community networking, and
new approaches to its evolution, prepared by community networker
Terry Grunwald (of NCExchange) for her summer 1998 tour in the U.K.
"Rethinking Community Networking as Networked Communities"
is a
thought-provoking keynote speech that Andy Carvin gave at the
Community Information Networking conference in Osage Beach,
Missouri, March 1998.
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How do you use this information? And to whom do you pass it on?
Please let us know: ---
(c) Benton Foundation
ph:202-638-5770 fax:202-638-5771 email: cpp@benton.org
WWW: www.benton.org/Practice/Toolkit/
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