One thing we're really proud of here at NTEN is the knowledge of the community and the generosity within the community to share that knowledge with each other so that we can all do our work better, which in turn, we believe, makes the world better.

This last year we were able to harness that community wisdom and generosity and produce the first NTEN book: Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. 

I am happy to be able to give a copy of this book as one of our Member Appreciation daily prizes to:

Annika Billqvist, from Hands On Bay Area

And you are all invited to explore more information and bonus materials for the book in the book's wiki.

Thanks to Jossey-Bass/Wiley for publishing this book and for providing the complimentary copy for Annika and Hands On Bay Area! 

Flicker photo: jaredchapmanIn every corner of the NTC, frequently in the NTEN Affinity Groups, and at least two times a week in my in-box, you'll come across a conversation that goes a little like this:

"They hired me to help them create a new data/web/email/IT strategy, but now they don't actually want to DO any of the things I recommend. I've given them statistics and logic, but they won't listen to reason!"

Every so often, Holly walks by my desk, says, "You need to read this article", and drops the latest Stanford Social Innovation Review on my keyboard. Since I have to move my hands out from under it anyway, I read the recommended piece -- and then the rest of issue. There's just something about the feel of paper and the heft of well-written, insightful articles -- complete with references -- that warms the cockles of a liberal artist's heart.

Yes, SSIR is great, and I'd recommend it to anybody working in nonprofit technology even if they weren't running a new promotion giving a free copy of our book, Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission, to new and renewing two-year subscribers. (If you're unfamiliar with SSIR, visit their web site, where they offer a number of articles for free.)

To take advantage of this offer:

Maybe you heard we have a book out, Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission.  That's right, Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission.  But what on Earth does that mean? It's tough to define, because most of us have a really hard time thinking about technolgy as more than that stuff that helps you work faster (or the stuff that you want to throw out the window).

Steve Heye wrote the very first chapter in the book, on the topic of IT Alignment, aligning technology to your mission.  Steve, John, and a number of other IT staff at YMCA's across the country came up with concept and really know what it means to bring technology to the leadership table.

I got the chance to chat to the both of them a while back.  In addition to laughing a lot (I had to edit a LOT of it out), we talked about some of the most important issues that IT staff and leaders face together in their organizations:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/nten/heye_steve.mp3

And in case you questioned Steve's geek street cred, you should know that he MAY be more excited about visitng the LucasArts video games office than his session.  I don't even like video games and I'm jealous.

And when I say "we", I mean the NTEN community. Fourteen NTEN Members contributed to the 11 chapters in Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders.

Now that it's been released, we're pretty sure you'd like to:

> Buy the Book!

We've also made a wiki to support and extend the book. Check it out. Notice how it doesn't look entirely like a wiki? Yeah, that's just how we roll. We're currently soliciting tips on how to manage technology when budgets are tight.

> Add your suggestions to the wiki today.

In support of the launch, we had a virtual release party. Ten of our authors joined us on the line to talk about their chapters and answer your questions. And we recorded it, so:

> Attend our party after the fact. At least it's Free!