Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector

« Previous 10 articles | Next 10 articles »

Friday, April 29

Harmonic Convergence with the 501 Tech Club

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Fri 29 Apr 2005 04:03 PM EDT

On Thursday evening, the Boston 501 Tech Club had a record turn-out of seventeen people getting together for dinner... more »

Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Thursday, April 28

Face to Face with the Digital Divide Network in Boston

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Thu 28 Apr 2005 06:41 AM EDT

On Wednesday evening, I attended the Boston meetup of the international Digital Divide Network.

Coming so soon after the "What's Next?" seminar at the Boston Foundation and the RealTalk event, it was an important reminder that lack of access to information and communication technology is a serious local and global problem. Online tools can be used to increase and extend the power of face to face civic activism, but we also have to keep working on ways to foster digital inclusion, so that everyone who wants to use online tools in the civic arena will have that option. more »

Comments (1) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Wednesday, April 27

What's Next? Can We Foster Civic Engagement and Leadership Development with Online Tools?

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Wed 27 Apr 2005 03:15 PM EDT

On Tuesday evening, I attended a "What's Next?" seminar at the Boston Foundation. It was a follow-up to the 2004 Boston Indicators Report, and the topic was "Sharing Lessons: An Intergenerational Dialogue About Social Change." The discussion was frank and constructive, and left many of us longing for a way to extend it beyond the seminar session. So naturally, I'm dreaming of using online tools to support a network of conversations and collaborations... more »

Comments (3) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Tuesday, April 26

Plaxo: A Tool That Some People Love to Hate

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Tue 26 Apr 2005 08:31 AM EDT

I use Plaxo, a web-based electronic address book, to request updates on contact information from colleagues and friends, and to update them on any changes in my coordinates.

Plaxo is on my mind, because I recently used it to send an automatic update request to all of my contacts. Many people didn't respond at all; many confirmed or modified the contact information that I had on file; a small number sent requests to be removed from my Plaxo file, or highly articulate jeremiads about Plaxo... more »

Comments (4) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Sunday, April 24

The Right Calendar for the Job

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Sun 24 Apr 2005 03:13 PM EDT

What sort of handheld device do I use for tracking my schedule? Perhaps the answer will surprise you... more »

Comments (4) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Friday, April 22

New Civic Leadership and Machine Dreams

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Fri 22 Apr 2005 11:13 AM EDT

On Thursday evening, I attended a RealTalk forum on "New Civic Leadership" that was jointly sponsored by Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, United Leaders, and ONE in3.

What I really love about these RealTalk events is the interactivity of the discussion. Each participant was provided with a wireless device - supplied by a firm called Machine Dreams - that enabled him or her to give responses to survey questions that were posed by John. These responses were instantly tabulated and displayed on a large screen, and the same devices also functioned as wireless microphones, so that participants could interact with the panelists in the discussions that followed each question... more »

Leave Comment | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Wednesday, April 20

Adventures with Municipal WiFi

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Wed 20 Apr 2005 02:38 PM EDT

Yesterday evening, I attended a community forum at Boston Public Library to discuss current and future status of wireless networks (also known as WiFi) in Boston.

The Boston WAG's presentation, and the discussion that ensued left me wondering. Are the local movers and shakers in the world of WiFi somehow neglecting to do their homework about the mission-based (and technology-oriented) organizations that would be their natural allies in this project? Or are we, who labor in the field of nonprofit technology, somehow neglecting to do the outreach that would make these WiFi activists aware of our work? Or neither? Or both?... more »

Comments (4) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Tuesday, April 19

Online Tools to Engage Your Constituents and Obtain Media Coverage

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Tue 19 Apr 2005 03:54 PM EDT

On Saturday, April 16th, I had the pleasure of being a presenter at the Sixth Annual Grassroots Use of Technology conference.

As I promised, I am posting digital versions of my hand-outs. Please feel free to download them... more »

2 Attachments

Leave Comment | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Tuesday, April 12

A leap of faith: Buying a used laptop online

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Tue 12 Apr 2005 04:33 PM EDT

Today I embarked on an experiment: I bought a refurbished laptop computer online... more »

Comments (23) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Friday, April 8

Heroes, pioneers, technology for positive social change, and the Dirk Award

by Deborah Elizabeth Finn on Fri 08 Apr 2005 06:39 AM EDT

Since 2000, the Riders movement (also known as the eRiders or Circuit Riders movement), has recognized outstanding achievements with the Dirk Award. This year marks the first time that nonprofit technology professionals and the communities that they serve can go online to nominate their heroes and pioneers.... more »

Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Cosmos