Ed. Note: As we prepare for the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference, we wanted share a wee bit of the wisdom our speakers will be serving up, so as not to overwhelm you when you get to Atlanta. We're asking them all to share their answers to five very important questions.

Speaker: Steve Maclaughlin, Blackbaud

Session: Online Fundraising Benchmarks and Metrics

1. What's the most important trend in nonprofit technology for 2010?

Measuring your results instead of just counting clicks, opens, and tweets.

2. Why do you think your session topic is important for nonprofits to address?

If you can’t measure it, then you can’t manage it. Finding out what works and what doesn’t shouldn’t be a guessing game. And making strategic decisions is easier when you have trends to use for guidance.

3. What's the one thing you want attendees to remember from your session?

Industry benchmarks are meaningless unless you know how your organization compares to them. It all starts with measuring your own performance. Then you can start comparing your results to other nonprofits in more meaningful ways.

4. Which Muppet do you most identify with and why?

Animal, the drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. He eats glass and drums, but still has an appreciation for impressionist artists.

5. Where can people follow you online (twitter, blog, etc.)?

• Blog: http://www.blackbaud.com/connections
• Twitter: @smaclaughlin