NTEN published my somewhat snarky predictions for nonprofits’ use of fundraising technologies in 2012. My overall predictions are that most things will be pretty much the same as last year (and 2010 and 2009, etc.): many nonprofits will struggle with out-of-date systems.  No surprise — many will also lack the funding to replace them.  But [...]

Tags: Advancement Services, Fundraising, IT Management, Mobile Communications, Nonprofit Management, Nonprofit Technology, NTEN, Online Fundraising, Social Media, Web, Web 2.0

Since HP abandoned the Palm Pre I decided to do the same.  I’m sad about it — I’ve been a Palm user since the Pilot days and loved Palm’s WebOS.  But my Pre’s keypad was no longer reliable, the erratic GPS was constantly vexing, and the lack of apps was annoying (and not likely to [...]

Tags: Mobile Communications

One of the presentations at last month’s Association of Advancement Services Professionals conference dealt with mobile giving. I’m still skeptical about its suitability for most nonprofits, and the NY Times said the same yesterday. If you have an urgent call to action, a way of reaching a mass audience, and don’t mind not being able [...]

Tags: Fundraising, Mobile Communications, Online Fundraising

I’ve been trying to find a way to keep my appointment times from moving around on my calendar as I change time zones.  Here’s a description of the problem from Microsoft (edited to match my situation): You are traveling through multiple time zones and need the calendar to display the local time for each appointment. [...]

Tags: Consulting, Mobile Communications

I’ve had my Palm Pre Plus for a little over a month now.  I wrote up my initial impressions after having it for a week.  Overall, I love it except for Outlook sync. Sync My major problem with the Pre is due to its lack of a built-in sync with a standalone/desktop copy of Outlook.  [...]

Tags: Mobile Communications

In the wake of the huge number of donations given to Haiti earthquake relief via text mesage, MobileActive has published Texting for Charitable Dollars: The Definitive Guide.  It describes the process of raising funds via SMS from the donors’ and the nonprofits’ perspectives, including costs and tips for getting started. The guide is available for [...]

Tags: Fundraising, Mobile Communications, Online Fundraising

I’ve been waiting for the Palm Pre for nearly a year.  Sprint released it last summer, but Verizon waited until January.  Why a Palm?  I’ve been a loyal Palm PDA user for over a decade, from the original Pilot through the 700P.  I’m also a fan of MS Outlook.  I love having all 3,000 of [...]

Tags: Mobile Communications

I’ve been using Vindigo for at least a decade. It’s a big part of what kept me loyal to Palm PDAs and phones. It provided a restaurant guide with reviews, maps, and walking directions; movie reviews and show times for theaters; museum listings; a guide to bars and clubs; locations and contact info for local [...]

Tags: Mobile Communications, Software

Following up on Elliot’s blog post, How Important Is Mobile Giving?, and the subsequent TechSoup discussion, I’m posting an analysis conducted by Sarah Grosvenor, the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Willamette University, on the potential for mobile fundraising at the University. Sarah granted me permission to share her findings with the world. The information [...]

Tags: Fundraising, Mobile Communications

The early-bird registration period for NTEN’s 2009 Nonprofit Technology Conference ends January 31.  I love the NTC.  Here’s what the NTEN folks have to say about it: In addition to the scores of breakout sessions, the networking, camaraderie, and general nptech-related good times, noted author Clay Shirky will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 [...]

Tags: Consulting, Email Marketing, IT Management, Mobile Communications, Online Fundraising, Social Media, Web 2.0