Technology Resources
TANO has partnered with Idealware to provide access to Idealware resources —including articles, reports, online seminars, trainings, and other information—to help you make smart decisions about the software and technology that can help you meet your mission.
Many are free—those that aren’t, we’re pleased to offer at a special discount for TANO members.
Who is Idealware? A small nonprofit that understands the uneasy relationship many other nonprofits have with technology. Because shoestring budgets and lean staffing make it a challenge to keep up with the tools that can help organizations meet their missions, Idealware provides hundreds of resources covering a wide range of topics of interest to them—and the library is always growing.
Each topic in the list below links to all the information Idealware has researched, gathered, or produced on that subject, from major reports and articles to seminars, blog entries, or other resources. Bookmark this page and check back often for more information, access to member-only pages, new topics, and more.
Idealware Webinars:
TANO Members receive a 15% discount on all Idealware Webinars:
More Than Apps: Program Delivery Through Mobile Phones
Categories:
Managing Constituents
Websites
Email
Social Media
Graphics and Multimedia
Collaboration
Fundraising
Advocacy
Back Office Operations
How to Choose Software
Events and Meetings
Managing Constituents
Your organization has constituents—everyone from donors and volunteers to clients, participants and media contacts, and more. Software packages like donor-management systems, Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) systems and case- and client-management systems can help you track and build your relationships with each of these people.
- Is Your Donor Data Trapped in Excel?
- In Search of Better Data About Nonprofits’ Programs
- The New World of Donor Management Apps for Nonprofits
Websites
Your website is often the first view people have of your organization. Many different types of software—from Content Management Systems (CMS) and online donation systems to web hosting providers and analytics tools—can help make the most of your site.
- In Search of Better Data About Nonprofits’ Programs
- There’s An App For That: Mobile Users Requiring More and More Attention
- 11 Ways to Improve your Sponsorship Packages with Online Perks
Email outreach, through eNewsletters, email appeals and action alerts, should be a key element of almost every organization’s communication strategy. Best practices can help you connect with subscribers, while broadcast email and discussion list tools can help you manage your lists.
- Mapping Your Mix: Are You Providing The Right Mix of Content?
- Marketing is Dead; Long Live Marketing
- Understanding and Improving Email Deliverability
Social Media
Social media—like blogs, social networking sites, online photo and video sharing, and more— can provide interesting ways to communicate and build relationships with your supporters. Tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube can be low-cost ways to listen to your supporters, and to reach out and interact with them.
- Infographics for Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing: From Data to Design
- Using Social Media to Meet Nonprofit Goals: The Results of a Survey
- In Search of Better Data About Nonprofits’ Programs
Graphics & Multimedia
You need more than text to best communicate your message. Photos, graphics, videos, podcasts and screencasts can sometimes speak louder than the written word. Software like photo manipulation and page layout tools, video editing applications and multimedia hosting can help.
Collaboration
When a group of people has to work together on a project, the logistics can be daunting—particularly if they’re in different geographic locations. There’s a wide range of tools that can help your group share information and get to know each other, including project management software, file sharing applications, online conferencing, email discussion lists, social networking sites and more.
- Comparing Options for Collaboration Software
- Comparing Google Apps to Microsoft Outlook
- Enlisting Your Supporters to Fundraise For You: A Case Study
Fundraising
Every organization needs to raise funds, and there are a lot of different types of software that can help. Donor-management systems, online donation tools, email fundraising, friend-to-friend fundraising and other types of software can all aid your nonprofit in its fundraising process.
- A Call for Vendors of Online Donation Software
- A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems
- How Crowdsourcing Can Help Your Nonprofit
Advocacy
It’s not easy to win friends and change minds to embrace your cause. Software can’t do it for you, but it can help—online petitions, social networks, software to email legislators and other tools can be allies to your campaigns.
- It’s Not Just What You Say, But How You Say It
- A Few Good Tools for eAdvocacy
- Engaging Constituents Using Mobile Technology
Back Office & Operations
Successful organizations start with a solid infrastructure. Through solid email clients, file and document management, backup, accounting and knowledge-management software, you can create a foundation for your staff to work productively and effectively.
- What is a Computer Replacement Cycle?
- AskIdealware: When Would I Need an HR Management Tool?
- A Few Good Tools for Online Data Backup
How to Choose Software
It can be complex to weigh all the considerations when buying new software packages. By establishing a solid process and having a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different types of software—like open source, hosted or Software-as-a-Service applications—you can be one step ahead of the curve.
- Cheap and Cheerful Video Conferencing
- A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems
- A Note About an Event Registration Software Vendor
Events & Meetings
Events like conferences, meetings, seminars, galas and auctions are an important component of many organizations’ work. Event RSVP and registration tools, online conferencing and auction software can help you pull them off without a hitch.
- A Few Good Tools for Event Registration
- A Few Good RSVP Tools: Online Registration Options for Free Events
- AskIdealware: No One Is Coming To Our Events – What Do We Do?
