(ISF) RE: Harnessing Techie Grassroots for Nonprofits: How you can help.

Relief organizations are one thing; their needs are clearly defined. What about grassroots oriented advocacy groups? Most of us are too involved in our day-to-day world to even understand these new technologies, much less make use of them. We need to better reach out to people who don't know us; to better respond to those who do know us, to better get our messages out to the wider world......

We're all about growth, not for the sake of money (though that helps!) or ego, but for the sake of effectiveness; the more people we have participating, the more effective we are......NIRS uses web and paper petitions, e-mail and other means to try to get people involved; very interested in other ideas......


best
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnetnirs.org


-----original message-----
>>;I'd like to pose a challenge. There will be 100 programmers in a room building technology for nonprofit organizations in October (see announcement below). How many NTAPs and nonprofits will be in that room to make sure the techies build something useful? In just a few days, hundreds of programmers solved the problem of multiple databases of missing persons during Katrina (the PeopleFinder Project). Imagine what would have been possible if the Red Cross and other relief organizations contributed their energy and expertise? Something even more amazing and sustainable. This is the role you can play... making sure a whirlwind of innovation can actually be incorporated into the technology work of the NPO sector...>>

-----original message-----
>>; Relief organizations are one thing; their needs are clearly defined. What about grassroots oriented advocacy groups? Most of us are too involved in our day-to-day world to even understand these new technologies, much less make use of them. We need to better reach out to people who don't know us; to better respond to those who do know us, to better get our messages out to the wider world...... We're all about growth, not for the sake of money (though that helps!) or ego, but for the sake of effectiveness; the more people we have participating, the more effective we are......NIRS uses web and paper petitions, e-mail and other means to try to get people involved; very interested in other ideas......>>

I think the biggest thing that individuals need to remember is that NGOs often think that if they spend money on "technolgy" rather than on programming issues, that they are not fullfilling the mandate of their organization. Also, I think the biggest thing that "Techies" often forget is "skill level"; and turnover rate. I would like to see less development of "new products and systems" and more development of effective training and retnetion programs and most importantly a way to make executive directors understand how important making sure their staffs understand the basics of technology.

I looked at the responce from the individual from headstart and all I could think of was "turnover rate" for employees. I hope the CNET conference is great, and I hope "techies" which I consider myself to be, remember the basics.

Victoria