The blog post Holly wrote recently on the leadership gap in Nonprofit IT departments has been gaining traction -- along with quite a few comments. It seems she's touched a nerve, and that's a good thing. As she says, "More nonprofit EDs need to understand technology's strategic importance."

Nonprofit technology leadership is one of the issues we care about the most here at NTEN. For the sector to work as efficiently as possible, Executive Directors and other nonprofit leaders need to feel comfortable making technology decisions without formal technology training. Equally as important, IT Staff need leadership skills to bring technology out of the back office and into the strategies of their nonprofit organizations.

We're doing what we can to address the issue with our Technology Leadership Series of webinars.

We've run the series before, and the response has been terrific. Presenter John Kenyon is "...DEFINITELY the best presenter for any webinar I've taken." As to the sessions themselves: "I've said it once and I'll say it again, these are best webinar facilitations ever!" Perhaps most telling, when given the chance to suggest changes, one attendee said, "absolutely great seminar; no suggestions". (I've read a lot of survey responses, so I know it's rare for the NTEN crowd not to find a few areas in need of improvement.)

The series will begin June 4th at 11 am Pacific, and run every Wednesday after that through July 16th. What better way to spend part of the slower Summer season?

As always, NTEN Members get a large discount on the series, as well as on the individual webinars, which include:

• Getting the Big Picture: Intro to ICT Systems and Analysis (6/4/2008)
• Building the Foundation: Hardware, Software and Networks (6/11/2008)
• Mission Critical: Databases/Constituent Relationship Management (6/18/2008)
• Measure Twice and Cut Once: Technology Planning, Budgeting and Implementation (6/25/2008)
• The eNonprofit: Effective Internet Presence (7/2/2008)
• The eNonprofit: Online Engagement and Internet Services (7/9/2008)
• The Next Latest Thing: The Future of Technology in Nonprofits (7/16/2008)

Already up to speed? Sign up one of your org's leaders, so that they, too, understand why you shouldn't just buy the cheapest server available or scan your printed marketing materials and turn them into a web site. (Unless, of course, you want to end up on Web Pages that Suck.)