Newsroom

White Paper: Use These Four Steps to Find Social Media Success

Nonprofits that want to integrate social media into their communications and fundraising now have a powerful new planning tool – Four Steps to Success, the social media white paper from NPower Charlotte Region’s Project Ignite initiative.

But the paper isn’t just for reading. Nonprofit leaders can use it as a workbook for their agency’s social media planning. It includes essential questions nonprofit leaders need to ask – and space to write down the answers – as part of any agency’s social media strategy development. Click here to download and print a copy.

Social media emerged into the nonprofit marketing scene in a big way in 2009. Some agencies saw this new medium as a fix for many of their communications challenges, while others felt intimidated by its new, public format. NPower Charlotte Region, as part of our Project Ignite initiative, brought together a group of nonprofits to explore social media tools and develop strategies for using them as part of a larger communications program.

The group worked collaboratively for three months to exchange ideas, share concerns and test social media tools with our social media experts. The result of their hard work is a simple, four-step process to implement a social media program that is both meaningful and measurable for nonprofit organizations.

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Volunteer Management Technology

May 13, 2010

Three Charlotte Nonprofits Begin Testing Innovative

Volunteer Management Technology Solution

Beth Van Gorp, volunteer coordinator with Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, points to a 3-inch binder full of paperwork that has been filled out by hand.

“This is just our AmeriCorps volunteers for this year,” she said of the thick binder that lies on a co-worker’s desk partially covered by a spreadsheet of names and contact information. “We are blessed with tremendous volunteer support, which makes it essential that we find a better way of managing all of this information and cultivating relationships with our dedicated volunteers and donors.”

The days of processing hand-written forms will soon be over for Van Gorp as well as for Amy Berkowitz of Classroom Central and Jim Warren at Carolina Raptor Center. All three nonprofits have intense volunteer engagement and commitment that keeps their organizations running and providing services to the community. At the end of April, all three began testing a technology solution developed as part of the Project Ignite Volunteer Management Collaboration Group during the past year.

“We’ve done so much work on this technology solution, and I’m so excited to be at the point of testing,” Berkowitz said. “This really has the potential to make us more efficient and to change the way we engage with volunteers and donors.”

The IT solution will allow volunteer managers to coordinate volunteer events, manage schedules and training opportunities while tracking actual attendance and hours volunteered.

The Project Ignite Volunteer Management Collaboration Group, which consists of nonprofit agency leadership and NPower technology consultants, has worked intensely over the past several months to develop an IT solution that will ease volunteer sign-up procedures, improve communications with volunteers and more easily provide summaries of hours volunteered to both the individual and corporate volunteer.

The solution is so groundbreaking that it has garnered interest from Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. for potential applications beyond Charlotte.

The volunteer management solution, powered by Salesforce.com and built by technology consultants from NPower Charlotte Region, will enable Van Gorp, Warren and Berkowitz to connect with volunteers beyond group leaders who typically coordinate work details from companies, churches and other organizations. The nonprofits will be able to set up individual Web pages for specific volunteer groups, providing updates on home building projects, new volunteer opportunities, work-in-progress photos and video.

Volunteers will register online, providing name, address, phone number, employer and community affiliations, all of which are added to the nonprofit’s database. Volunteer coordinators can send e-mail updates to volunteers concerning specific work shifts, messages of appreciation and alerts related to any weather delays.

The system will allow volunteer coordinators to sort the database by company, school or faith affiliation and create reports showing volunteer hours associated with various organizations. These reports will be instrumental in requesting corporate matching funds and encouraging additional volunteerism among employees.

Similarly, Carolina Raptor Center frequently needs to generate reports of volunteer hours for their individual volunteers. Currently that is an arduous, manual and paper-based process. The new database will allow users to generate this type of report with relative ease from one technology-based source – no more paper.

On the administrative side, volunteer coordinators will work from a customizable dashboard. It can include activities they manage on a regular basis, such as shifts for the Habitat ReStore, Julia’s Café, and Classroom Central Teacher Shopping

“During the test period, we will simulate various scenarios to test the complete functionality,” said Tina Trabucco, consulting director with NPower Charlotte Region. “With the involvement of our collaborative partners, Habitat, Classroom Central and Carolina Raptor Center, we’ll verify that essential volunteer management needs have been met. From there, additional refinements will be made, with a goal of general availability late this year.”

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NPower Announces New Tech Program for Small Nonprofits

Media Contacts: Dana Haydock, 704-926-1301, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lindsay Jones, 704-999-3386, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
_____________________________________________________________________
New Technology Program Gives Small Nonprofits
a Chance to Make a Big Difference

NPower Charlotte Region Launches Pilot Program Designed
to Help Small Nonprofits Fast-Track Their Technology
_____________________________________________________________________

In a move to transform the technology landscape for small nonprofits, NPower Charlotte Region launched Simplicity, a pilot program that will provide six nonprofits in Mecklenburg County with new computer hardware, software, and strategic technology planning over a three-year period at a 55 percent discount, thanks to grant support from Project Ignite, a Knight Foundation funded initiative.

“Some of Charlotte’s small nonprofits are forced to work with outdated technology tools that limit their ability to accomplish their missions,” says Chris Meade, NPower Executive Director. “Through NPower’s work with small organizations, we know many have limited resources to invest in the technology solutions and strategy that will help them effectively and efficiently reach the people they are trying to serve. We believe Simplicity will give small nonprofits an affordable way to acquire new hardware, tech support and long-term technology strategy for their organizations.”

Nonprofits must submit an application online at projectignite.npowercharlotteregion.org by March 12 to be considered for the program. A full list of application criteria is available on the web sites listed above, but some qualifications include having 10 or fewer employees, being willing to operate without a server and demonstrating commitment from senior management and board members to engage in strategic technology planning. Application selection will also be based on each organization’s need and their ability to positively impact the Charlotte community with the help of technology.

Simplicity addresses common technology challenges small nonprofits encounter by giving them a technology makeover. This makeover includes a strategic assessment of technology needs, replacing existing computers with new laptops for all employees, replacing desktop printers with one wirelessly networked multifunction printer, implementing data backup and installing a new wireless router. Participating nonprofits will also gain access to help desk support, receive two strategic review sessions per year and be included in group workshops focused on effective use of these upgrades.

“In the past, there has been a tendency to throw people at outdated hardware rather than replacing it because of limited funding, furthering the break-fix pattern,” says Troy Norman, NPower’s Director of Managed Services. “ If an old computer breaks, smaller nonprofits are forced to find a temporary fix but tomorrow there will likely be another problem, then another, then another. NPower has a vested interest in the nonprofit community. We want the nonprofit marketplace to benefit from technology innovation and Simplicity can help us do that.”

Simplicity At-A-Glance:
Simplicity transforms the way participating nonprofits accomplish their missions, reach their constituents and conduct everyday business practices. It creates a virtual office environment that nonprofits can access from any computer with an internet connection. This 24-7 accessibility allows nonprofits to serve the Charlotte community through a technology experience that provides unique business advantages. Simplicity allows nonprofits to be more mobile, flexible, innovative, efficient and effective by offering the following:

• New, fully-loaded laptops for up to 10 employees
• The most current software programs: Windows 7 Operating System, Office and PDF Conversion software
• One new, networked printer
• Two strategic review sessions every year
• Data security and backup
• New wireless network with router
• A user-friendly way to store and share files
• Web-based email, calendars, document sharing
• Live Meeting for web-based conferencing
• Access to help desk support
• Network access storage device to archive data
• Collaboration groups with other participating nonprofits

Apply now!

Exact costs vary according to agency size and the number of employees; the monthly cost during the three year commitment ranges from $108 for one user to $322 for ten users. This payment structure provides small nonprofits an affordable way of acquiring new hardware, securing the technical support they need and determining the best long-term strategies.

About NPower Charlotte Region
NPower Charlotte Region is a 501 (c)(3) information technology consultancy serving other 501(c)(3) organizations in the 14-county region surrounding Charlotte, N.C. NPower Charlotte is part of the national NPower network.

NPower assists nonprofits in the strategic application of information technology with a goal of enhancing and expanding client service. NPower Charlotte Region was launched in 2003 with funding from Microsoft, Accenture, Bank of America, Duke Energy, Wachovia, Foundation for the Carolinas, Duke Endowment, United Way of Central Carolinas and Arts & Science Council. (www.npowercharlotteregion.org)

Funded by a $2.75 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Project Ignite is a three-year program of NPower Charlotte Region that is transforming the ways in which nonprofits use IT. projectignite.npowercharlotteregion.org

About the Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote community engagement and lead to transformational change. (www.knightfoundation.org)

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NPower interviewed by Channel 36

Watch Chris Meade as he is interviewed by Channel 36 WCNC on social networking from the August 13, 2009 forum.

WFAE Charlotte Talks

Listen to Chris Meade, NPower Charlotte Region Executive Director, on WFAE's "Charlotte Talks" Discussing Social Media and Nonprofits from August 13, 2009.