Cloud computing has been around – and you've likely been using it – for years. At a basic level, if you use a Gmail, Yahoo, or even (dare I say) AOL webmail account, you've been in the Cloud.

But it's one thing to use the Cloud, quite another to understand what it is – and how its myriad of applications can benefit your organization.

Our webinar series, “Nonprofits & Cloud Computing: A Guide to Navigating the Nonprofit Cloud", will dive into the benefits and the potential pitfalls of cloud computing. Thanks to the generous support of Google, we're able to offer it to you for free.

> Space is limited. Learn more and RSVP for free!

Annika Billqvist, Office and Technology Manager, HandsOn Bay Area

When I started at HandsOn Bay Area in 2006, the organization didn’t have a long-term technology plan in place and used many different systems for communication, collaboration, and data storage. My job was to keep everything up and running: the network, file servers, computers, printers, email systems, etc. Technology was not part of the strategic plan and the budget for technology was included in the office supply budget -- definitely not any room for technology improvements, even if the desire was there.

Last month, we dedicated our newsletter to the topic of cloud computing for the first time.What IS cloud computing? It's not as nerdy as you think.

You're probably computing in the cloud every day, maybe even right now! It basically just means consuming services (like software) over the web instead of installing software on our computers or managing those services on our own hardware (like and email server). If you use Twitter, or GMail, or Flickr, or Microsoft Dynamics CRM, then you, my friend, are computing in the cloud!

We're not gonna lie: here at NTEN, we are unabashedly pro-cloud computing. We are a small organization, which means we don't have the time or the skills to manage a bunch of servers ourselves. We are also a distributed organization -- we have staff in 3 locations -- and we travel a lot. Being able to access and share documents and data in our browser, no matter where we are, is key to our efficiency. Quite simply, it's how we do so much with so few staff. The cloud lets us focus on our members instead of the tech stuff.

So, we love the cloud. But that doesn't mean I think the cloud is a panacea for nonprofits.

Jane Meseck, Microsoft Corporation

The technology scene today is distinguished by the growing connectivity among devices, mobile phones, the PC, and the browser, which enable people and organizations to access information, communicate and collaborate in more powerful ways.

What we will see over the next 3-5 years is a new paradigm of computing where the use of these devices will be more and more seamless. This new paradigm offers great potential to improve how we all work -- but even greater potential for nonprofits to manage their operations more effectively, deliver a broader array of services and achieve greater impact for the communities they serve.

But how can these technologies be used by social mission organizations, social entrepreneurs, NGOs and nonprofits to benefit the most vulnerable people in society?

Lucy Bernholz, Blueprint R+D

Once upon a time, just a little more than a century ago, every factory that wanted to run its systems on electricity had to build its own electrical generating system. Thomas Edison and a few other entrepreneurs put an end to this by building an electrical grid -- so factory owners could focus on making shirts or chairs or widgets and not on running their own electrical plant.

Cloud computing offers us all the same freedom for our information infrastructure. On a broad scale, it will also fundamentally change how we work, where we work, and with whom we work.

Judi Sohn, C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition

When C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition started in 2005, cloud computing wasn't the buzz word it is today. It was simply the only way we could operate and build the organization.

We have never purchased a server and have no plans for one. The services and tools we use to run and build C3 have allowed us to expand and add programs while keeping our operating expenses low, maximizing every dollar we raise.

In honor of C3's 5 year anniversary we're celebrating this month, I present to my fellow techies in young nonprofits my 5 simple lessons learned from 5 years of operating in the cloud.

Rob Jordan, Idealist Consulting

You may have already heard all the great things that happen when you move your technical solutions into "The Cloud": Automated back ups; ability to forgo networks; automated upgrades; ability to intermingle hardware; lower maintenance; virtual office space, thicker hair and better dating life. (Well, most of those anyway.)

In roughly three months time, you can shift your most pertinent business operations from "on-premise" solutions (a.k.a. traditional offline software) into the cloud (a.k.a. online software) without too much hassle. Here are four steps that can help guide you through the process.

Every Wednesday, Gartner does a free webinar on a variety of topics. This week, they presented "Technology Trends You Can't Afford to Ignore." I tweeted my way through the one hour call, but here are some notes with a little more clarity and reflection.

Rem Hoffmann, Exponent Partners, and Rob Jordan, Idealist Consulting

Everyone has come across the term "cloud computing", but what exactly does it mean? What relevance does it have to a nonprofit organization like yours?

The short answer: Cloud computing levels the technology playing field for nonprofits. It no longer matters whether you have a sizeable budget or a shoestring budget: With cloud computing, sophisticated technology solutions are more accessible because all you need is access to the Internet.

The co-located conferences CommunityOne West and JavaOne are shaping up to be a great opportunity for techies for good to get some information, inspiration, and maybe even some hands-on training at these FREE events in San Francisco next month. Here's the official low-down: