Serving Better by Maximizing Technology In Your Nonprofit

1. Serving Better by Maximizing Technology In Your Nonprofit A Presentation By WideNet For The United Way of Southwest Alabama Derek Conrad Brown April 15, 2008

2. Goal of This Presentation • To provide you with knowledge, insights, and tips that- • Allow you and your staff to better maximize your Nonprofit’s resources using available, affordable technologies- • Which results in better and more efficient service to your constituents www.widenetconsulting.com

3. Resources and Questions • This presentation, all resources referenced, and all links are available online for you at: www.widenetconsulting.com/uwresources • The answers to any questions asked that I cannot answer without some research will be emailed after the presentation www.widenetconsulting.com

4. More Access to Information • Technology has changed our daily lives in many dramatic ways • First, is the access to and spread of information • The Jeanne Calment examplehttp://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1995_1315554 • You can now efficiently find appropriate information with which you can make better decisions www.widenetconsulting.com

5. Search Engines How you can search better and How they work

6. How to Search More Effectively • Remember that each search engine can provide different results and ranks those results in different orders. Major Search Engines: Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Ask • Search Engine Searching Tips: • Search Terms are not capital sensitive • Words such as ‘the’ are usually automatically dropped. In Google if that word is important, place a + sign in front of it such as +The City Reader • If you are looking for an EXACT phrase, use “quotation marks” around the exact phrase • If you want to search for a term or phrase without getting results for some similar phrase, use a –in front of the unwanted word. e.g. bass –music if you were interested in the fish not the music • Resource: http://www.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=searchguides.html&ctx=basics&hl=en www.widenetconsulting.com

7. How Search Engines Work:Organic Search Results • Old: <meta tags> • New: Complex Proprietary Algorithms • Each search engine’s (organic ranking) algorithms perform differently • Most important attributes for a website to have: • Text based vs. verbiage captured in images • ‘Keywords’ on site and especially on homepage • Incoming links to your site from relevant sites NOT link farms • Your domain name • Traffic and periodic updates • SEO or Search Engine Optimization and Snake Oil Salesmen www.widenetconsulting.com

8. Paid Search Engine Advertising • No guarantee on organic rankings • Can buy advertising for paid search engine ads • How it works • Set up budget with particular search engine • Bid on keywords • Show up when someone types in something relevant to those keywords • Only pay out of budget if someone clicks on your ad www.widenetconsulting.com

9. Free Resources There are many free resources available online that can make a big difference.

10. Great Free Google Programs • Google Desktop: It allows you to quickly search for files in your Outlook and on your computer with the accuracy and speed of using the online Google search engine. It is much faster and better than the file search options built in to your computer and Outlook. • Google Docs: Simultaneously collaborate on and share important business documents online between different users. It’s a lot easier than emailing the same document back and forth a hundred times. www.widenetconsulting.com

11. Great Free Google Programs • Google Maps: You can use Google Maps to map your route from point A to point B when you’re headed to a meeting location you’ve never traveled to before. You can also take a look at the satellite image of any location. Just go to http://maps.google.com If you are fascinated by the satellite imagery, you may also want to check out Google Earth. • Google Images: When you’re looking for an image instead of text- maybe a picture of the Mona Lisa or an image of a favorite landmark, just type the search terms into Google and then select ‘Images’ from the top of the page and you’ll be shown only pictures that are associated with those terms. www.widenetconsulting.com

12. Great Free Google Programs • Google Talk: If you’re looking for an instant messaging system to use in your office among employees, you may consider looking at GoogleTalk. In addition to supporting text messages from one computer to another, it also supports voice and file transfers. • Google Checkout: Checkout and its sister Google Donate are two of the cheapest and easiest ways to accept payment or donations on your website if your needs and options are pretty simple. Google Donate is actually free through 2009 for 501 (c)3 organizations. www.widenetconsulting.com

13. Great Free Google Programs • Picasa: With this program someone who is not a tech wiz or a photography expert, and doesn’t feel they have the time to learn a comprehensive photo editing software, can quickly and easily edit and organize the photos on their computer. Take out redeye, straighten a crooked picture, crop out ex-employees or ex-‘anything else’ who no longer need to show up in a prized snapshot… it just takes a couple of minutes. Resource (for all of the mentioned Google applications and others): http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/ You can also search Google for any of these application names to go directly to that download page. www.widenetconsulting.com

14. Other Good Free or Affordable Resources • Backup Solution: Mozy http://mozy.com • Download this, pay the $4.99 a month and backup your stuff.  It’s automated, offsite, and unlimited for $5.    You’re computer could crash right now- what would happen? • Email Client: Mozilla Thunderbird/ Messaging • http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/ • A great free alternative to Outlook and all the other email programs out there. • Media Player: VLC Media Player • http://www.videolan.org • Plays 99% of everything under the sun and it’s cross platform so Macs can play too. • Compessed “Zip” File Program: 7 Zip • http://sourceforge.net/project/downloading.php?groupname=sevenzip&filename=7z442.exe&use_mirror=internap • Opens up everything and it’s lightweight. • File Conversion: Zamzar • http://www.zamzar.com • Provides a certain number of free PDF conversions online per month or you can subscribe for unlimited (also provides other file type conversions) www.widenetconsulting.com

15. Useful Computer Tips Ways to make your daily computer interaction more efficient

16. Windows Shortcuts • •       CTRL+C: Copy•       CTRL+X: Cut•       CTRL+V: Paste•       CTRL+Z: Undo•       CTRL+B: Bold•       CTRL+U: Underline•       CTRL+ I: Italic•       CTRL+A: Select All •       CTRL+F: Find • Resource: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449 www.widenetconsulting.com

17. Speeding Up a Slow Computer • UpdateYou should go to Internet Explorer and go to the Tools menu, then Windows Update.  Get all software and critical updates.  All of them. If you can’t get updates to run right or something else crazy you may have a virus so you may need to skip to the AntiVirus section first. • Clean UpDownload CCleaner, the best Registry, File, Program, Cache cleaner there is.  Install it, Run It.  Just accept all the defaults and you will be in much better shape than you were.  Use it to remove programs you don’t use anymore.  Use it to remove things from startup that you KNOW you don’t want starting up.  Don’t remove things you don’t recognize.  The trick is to look to the right side and see if a folder name is recognizable.  Like qttask is in a folder named quicktime and since there’s no reason to have that starting up with your computer you should “Delete Entry”. • http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ www.widenetconsulting.com

18. Speeding Up A Slow Computer • AntiVirusIf you don’t have an antivirus program installed, or you’re not sure if it’s working anymore (because it’s expired or more than 2 years old), then you should download AVG Anti-Virus Free.  Uninstall all other antiviruses before installing this one.  It won’t let you schedule virus scans unless you pay, but it will run them everyday at a set time.  To get around that I just use CCleaner to remove it from the Start Up Options. • http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5#avg-anti-virus-free • AntiSpywareSpyBot: Download it, get updates, run scan. • http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html • Internet BrowsersFirst go download the new and improved Internet Explorer 7.  Next go download the new and improved Mozilla Firefox 2.  Firefox has extensions that are very useful such as Mouse Guestures, Google Toolbar, PDF Download, Google Browser Sync, and IE View.  When you install Firefox you’ll see the first page shows you where to get Add-Ons. • http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx • http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ www.widenetconsulting.com

19. Helping Your Harddrive • Clean Up Again And Defragment Your Harddrive • Run CCleaner.  Then you need to do a Disk Defragmentation which can be found in your start menu under Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.  Just click defragment, don’t bother analyzing it. www.widenetconsulting.com

20. Your Computer Screen:What you see is not necessarily what ‘they see’ • Increase Your Computer Screen Real EstateHave you ever noticed that you may have to scroll left or right to see all of a website on your computer while a friend's computer allows you to see the whole website without scrolling left or right? If so, its time for you to increase your computer screen real estate. 800 x 600 is the old standard and you will see more and more company websites large and small that are moving to a larger screen resolution. • Yahoo! recently optimized their homepage for 1024 x 768. This is the most common screen resolution by far and is becoming a standard. So please, right click on your desktop and click on properties. Then click on the setting tab at the top. There should be a slider bar that says Screen Resolution and if the numbers are smaller than 1024 you should slide it to 1024 x 768. Click OK www.widenetconsulting.com

21. Useful Email Tips Advice for daily use of email

22. Email: Phishing and Scams • This is a very common scam.Here's how it works: You get a 'spoof' email that looks very legit. It mayhave just the logo or it may have the total look and feel of a website withwhom you've interacted- maybe your bank, credit card company, VISA, PayPal,or a major retailer such as Ebay, Overstock.com, etc. The email tries toprompt you to enter your account information to verify your account. Maybeit says that your account is at risk for some reason and they willdeactivate it within 24 hours if you don't 'verify' immediately. Whateverthe ploy, they want you to enter your account info because they want to usethe account information so they can steal from you or steal using youridentity. And they may even provide a link to what looks exactly like thewebsite you use or used. It makes you think that by using their link, you'llbe entering the info securely onto the real website. Well it may look likethe real thing, but it isn't. Never, ever enter your account information viaan email or on a site you've reached by using a link from an email. Type thewebsite address in yourself and then go through the process, or simply callthe retailer or bank using a number you have used before, not provided viathe email. • Resource: http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.html www.widenetconsulting.com

23. Email: Is It True or Not? • You receive an email- Is it true or not? • Find Out For Certain: Is An Email Forward True or Not True?Ever receive an email forward that makes your blood run hot because of someoutrageous 'truth' that a friend has wanted you to see 'because the liberalmedia' won't print or run it? Well, probably there's a reason they won't runit: it's probably not true. If you're ever so curious that you can almostnot stop yourself from sending it on 'just in case' then take just a minuteto investigate it first. Go to one of these websites: www.truthorfiction.comor www.snopes.com Almost any 'forward' you receive will be listed here witha 'True' or 'False' determination beside it as well as additionalinformation on the issue. But keep in mind that with most professionalbusinesspeople, email forwards are bad business and sending them on is pooretiquette. And by the way, if you ever forward an email that claims you willreceive money for every person you send it on to, or that something will popup on your screen as soon as you send it to everyone in your addressbook,you just fell off the turnip truck. www.widenetconsulting.com

24. Email: Resolve Outlook Issues • Resolve Your Outlook IssuesWhether you're using regular Outlook or Outlook Express, you've likely hadodd problems with sending and receiving your email.  Your Outlook is workingperfect, then it stops completely.  You're still online browsing yourfavorite website just fine, but those pesky errors havebeen consistently popping up for hours blocking your view.  Here are acouple of ideas that might prove to be useful.  Step one is to close Outlookand reopen it. Step two is to restart the computer. If neither of thosework, and you're sure you're able to get online, you should open InternetExplorer and get your Windows Updates.  Once you open Internet Explorer, goto the Tools Menu at the top and click on Windows Update.  Click the custombutton, check every little box you can find to check, click yes, next,accept, go or whatever helps you to get them all, and be productive whilethey run for a little while.  These solutions just might save you some downtime and a lot of time on the phone. www.widenetconsulting.com

25. Websites and the Internet Important Knowledge for Your Nonprofit

26. The Newness of It All • Automotive analogy • Pricing disparities • Transient service providers • Rapid evolution of change www.widenetconsulting.com

27. Web Stats • Pew Internet and American Life Project surveys fielded in 2006 show that internet penetration among adults in the U.S. has hit an all-time high. The latest survey, fielded February 15 – April 6, 2006 shows that fully 73% of respondents (about 147 million adults) are internet users, up from 66% (about 133 million adults) in their January 2005 survey. And the share of Americans who have broadband connections at home has now reached 42% (about 84 million), up from 29% (about 59 million) in January 2005. • 87% of those between the ages of 12 and 17 are online. • 48 million Americans -- mostly those with high-speed at home -- have posted content to the internet. • Resource: http://www.pewinternet.org www.widenetconsulting.com

28. Web Stats • For many online Americans, the internet has become a crucial source of information at major moments and milestones in their lives. Another 2006 Pew Internet and American Life Project study shows that 45% of internet users, or about 60 million Americans, say that the internet helped them make big decisions or negotiate their way through major episodes in their lives in the previous two years. • As a specific example, the 2002 and then 2005 studies showed striking increases in the number of Americans who report that over the three-year period, internet use grew by: • 54% in the number of adults who said the internet played a major role as they helped another person cope with a major illness. And the number of those who said the internet played a major role as they coped themselves with a major illness increased 40%. • Resource: http://www.pewinternet.org www.widenetconsulting.com

29. How Can Your Nonprofit Best Use The Web? • An informative, interactive website • Email campaigns • Resources and strategic partnerships • Fundraising both indirectly and directly • Communication with ALL stakeholders • An inroad for those needing your services www.widenetconsulting.com

30. Personal relationships Personal contact Multi-pronged, integrated marketing/ education campaigns Websites and Technology are NOT a begin-all, end-all one stop shop marketing campaign. It is PART OF the big view. Websites and e-Communications are NOT A Replacement For: www.widenetconsulting.com

31. What Is A Website To You? • Your face to the world, your second door front • Your informational office that is open and available 24/7 365 days a year • Your connector with all of your potential and current stakeholders- future staff, volunteers, constituents, donors, partners, community leaders, etc. • You WILL BE JUDGED by stakeholders on whether you have a website and if it is a professional website www.widenetconsulting.com

32. Evaluating Your Current Website • Organization- Is your website easy to use? • Generic- If you want to be found online, does your website relay a message in generic terms for someone unfamiliar with your service area’s jargon but in need of your services? • Modern- Does your website look modern and professional or does it look like it was created in 1995? • Browser Compatibility- Does your website work properly in Internet Explorer 6 and 7 as well as Firefox and Mac’s Safari? • Easy to Update- Is it easy for you to update and expand your website or is it a major hassle and hurdle? www.widenetconsulting.com

33. Getting A First Website ORA New Website • Organize- Think through the organization of your website to make sure it is easy to use and easy for a visitor to find what they need asap (remember short online attention spans) • Consistent navigation structure throughout site • Have you thought through an organization that is logical enough so that if you want to add more content later there will be a logical place for it? www.widenetconsulting.com

34. Getting A First Website ORA New Website • Design- Make sure that the design of your website looks modern and professional. Just because you are having a website designed today doesn’t mean that your chosen designer isn’t still designing likes its 1999 • Functionality- Make sure that your website works correctly and in a way that is consistent with other peer websites www.widenetconsulting.com

35. Website Development:What is Important • Modern design • APPROPRIATE design • Ease of use • Consistent navigation structure • Logical organization • Fast loading • Control • Active communication with your web developer www.widenetconsulting.com

36. Website Development:Vendor vs. In-House • If you have a staff member with professional web development skills they may be appropriate. Be sure to ask the staff member for a examples of their best work and compare those examples to sites of your peer organizations before committing • Generally, it is not wise to invest in web design software for an employee who says they can learn to do it themselves • The result will be more time, lower quality results, and a considerably higher cost when software and employee salary time are considered www.widenetconsulting.com

37. Website Development:Vendor vs. In-House • A professional vendor usually brings expertise from past website projects to the table • The optimal arrangement is usually one where the vendor develops the site to your specific specs and then a non-technical employee can maintain the content easily www.widenetconsulting.com

38. Website Development:Choosing The Right Vendor • All choices are not equal • Do not judge solely on price, high or low • Very high turnover among web design/ development companies • Many fly-by-night firms because of what is viewed as low start up costs • Many do not last past first year • Part time design/developers a big risk www.widenetconsulting.com

39. Website Development:Choosing The Right Vendor • Among options, be certain to truly compare ‘apples to apples’ • CHECK REFERENCES! • Review portfolio • Important questions to ask web company: • What happens if you go out of business? • Once the site is created, how will I be billed for changes? • How long do changes normally take? • Does the you or I provide the web and email hosting for the website and email addresses @YourDomainName.org • Is there a content management option for me with your website that allows me to make normal content updates? www.widenetconsulting.com

40. Websites: The Control Issue • Traditionally, the client had to send website changes to the web developer and he/she had to make the changes • Now some companies offer content management systems allowing you to make content changes yourself • These systems are not equal in what they allow you to do nor in how easy/difficult they are to use • Training new staff on a difficult system could become a challenge over time so a system designed for use by a ‘non-techie’ is important www.widenetconsulting.com

41. Website Pricing • Wide disparity in pricing • Some companies charge for design, add-ons, and per change billed at an hourly rate which may or may not be rounded • Some companies offer packages • A nonprofit website with basic to standard needs is likely to start anywhere from $500 and go up to several thousand, depending on the vendor and what is included www.widenetconsulting.com

42. Website Pricing • The starting place for getting a clear price is to talk with a FEW peer organizations with good websites to see what all services they have needs for • Then lay out your needs in a very simple RFP and ask different website companies to respond to that simple RFP with a specific price for the setup and for ongoing service of that which you’ve described. And as a SEPARATE quote, ask them to also propose to you what else in addition to what you have requested that they would suggest. • This will allow you to compare ‘apples to apples’ while also giving them the freedom to make recommendations beyond those constraints • Judge the proposals side by side but only AFTER inspecting some of their existing work and checking their references! www.widenetconsulting.com

43. Additional Website Element Ideas • Video • Private login sections for board or employees • Analytics (statistics) for measuring trends, visits, and origin of visitors • Enewsletter system • Intranets www.widenetconsulting.com

44. Online Donations • A wide range of options • Google Donate the easiest and least expensive to start with • Only catch is giver has to have or create a Google account • JustGive.org type option • Completely site-contained merchant account and secure certificate • Giving as a part of a comprehensive donor management system with total tracking www.widenetconsulting.com

45. Common Scams to Avoid • Fake invoices for domain names and search engine listings • Callers trying to sell you similar domain names for inflated prices • SEO/ meta tag ‘consultants’ trying to sell you on optimization or listing services www.widenetconsulting.com

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48. Powerpoint Templates • www.brainybetty.com- Where I got this powerpoint design www.widenetconsulting.com

49. Thank You For Your Time Contact Info: Derek Conrad Brown WideNet Consulting, LLC www.widenetconsulting.com (866) 645-9235 derek@widenetconsulting.com www.widenetconsulting.com