There's a vast array of technology tools, widgets, products, and services available out there to nonprofit organizations.  Some of them were designed specifically for our sector, and many of them are available online for free.  However, not all of them are plausible choices for nonprofits that have modest budgets and no one on staff who serves as a full time chief technology officer.

I receive a lot of queries from small nonprofits, but when it comes to knowing which nonprofits are using which tool, I can't keep a reliable and updated database in my head. There's too much knowledge for me to manage. I need to refer nonprofit professionals to reliable colleagues in similar organizations who can give them first hand information about what it's like to use a particular technology resource.

That's why I love Social Source Commons.

I can go to Social Source Commons, look up a technology resource, and see who else is using it.  For example, looking up Ubuntu, I see that 29 other SSC members use it - including such revered colleagues as Allen Gunn, Dirk Slater, and David Geilhufe.  (Note to self:  they are all very sophisticated techies, so if I ask any of them about it, I need to be sure to specify that the proposed users will be distraught technophobic social workers.) 

I also note that some SSC members who use Ubuntu also use WordPress, Drupal, Firefox, and Skype.  This will be helpful if I need to ask for coaching on integrating two or more tools.

I can also choose a colleague, and drill down to see all the items in his or her toolbox.  Here I note that Michelle Murrain, coordinator of the Nonprofit Open Source Initiative, is a Microsoft PowerPoint user, from which I deduce that Impress, the open source presentation application offered by OpenOffice.Org is probably not a strong option at this point.  But this is a guess, and I should follow up with her if I want a more detailed assessement.

Of course, I'm a geek and a knowledge management freak, so I can happily wander through SSC indefinitely, serendipitously learning which of my buddies use various products and services.  But I won't subject you to a description of this nonlinear and highly idiosycratic form of entertainment.

Instead, I'll point out that I actually had a specific purpose in visiting SSC today.  I've been hearing some buzz about ChipIn, a new online fundraising widget, and wondering what it's all about.  I explored SSC to see who is using it, and was surprised to discover that it wasn't listed - fortunately, it was quite easy to add ChipIn to SSC, and I look forward to seeing which other members will enter it into their toolboxes.  I'll scan the list of ChipIn users, and figure out which of my friends and colleagues to importune for more information.




I'm much obliged to my buddy Gavin Clabaugh, for responding to the query that I posted to the Information Systems Forum.  Gavin informed me that one of the folks behind ChipIn is Carnet Williams, an old buddy from the Circuit Rider movement.  This is extremely heartening news, because if small nonprofits are entrusting their online fundraising processes to a start-up company, it's great to know that someone with Carnet's experience and integrity is leading the team.




Related blog articles: