The growth of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – what we in the U.S. loosely refer to as "nonprofits" – has been not only worldwide, but deep, as NGOs have intertwined themselves with the development world. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has experienced rapid growth as well, and given the competition NGOs face for limited resources, free software, so long as it works, and works well, can give budget-conscious managers the chance to allocate money to more pressing concerns. The problem is, with so much FOSS, how can you choose the right package for your organization?

The Tactical Technology Collective, in collaboration with Women’sNet, a South African group, have taken steps toward addressing the too-much-of-a-good-thing issue with the latest release of NGO-in-a-box, BaseBox. Currently available online, and coming soon on CD, BaseBox collects freely available programs, from office suites to volunteer and staff management programs, and presents the expertly culled list in an attractive, consistent format. The directory model still has legs, even in a Web 2.0 world.

I would like to see more guidance than the current “Installation” and “Usage” level ratings for each tool, as well as the BaseBox site itself made available in languages other than English. While English may be the most commonly used language on the internet, many NGOs, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, require resources in other languages. That said, Tactical Tech and Women’sNet have provided a great service which should help NGOs focus on their missions and not on which word processor they ought to use.