CMS

The Nonprofit Data Ecosystem: How Does Your Data Flow?

Submitted by Anna on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 2:28pm

Flickr Photo by HappysmurfdayFlickr Photo by HappysmurfdayOver the past couple of years, we've released reports on Donor Management Software, Content Management Systems, and CRMs. As we prepped to conduct the 2009 Constituent Relationship Management Survey and Report, we started to think more deeply about how to define a CRM, how to categorize the increasing number of software systems on the market, and what would be the best way for NTEN to bring an objective, useful report to the nonprofit sector to help you make better-informed software decisions.

After some good conversations with NTEN Members and consultants who have their heads in these systems, we began thinking about the links -- or the missing ones -- between the different systems nonprofits use to track any number of tasks on a daily basis.

2009 NTC Preview: Laura Quinn on Open Source Content Management

Submitted by Holly on Wed, 03/04/2009 - 10:33am

If there's one thing I've learned in my 6+ years at NTEN, it's that people love to hate their web sites. Perhaps that's why there are so many choices when it comes to CMS (oodles of which are rated in our CMS satisfaction survey). Ask anyone in the nonprofit technology community about Content Management Systems, and they're likely to mention one of the following:

We like them because they're free. We love to hate them because there are so many twiddly bits to adjust. Thank goodness we have Laura Quinn, Executive Director at Idealware. She's going to sort out some of the differences between the three and make sense of it all, in terms even non-geeks can understand.

I spoke with her about her session at the 2009 NTC, "Comparing Open Source CMSs: Joomla, Drupal, and Plone", and why CMS seems to be the area where open source has really taken off in the sector:

Drupal for Nonprofit Decision Makers

Submitted by Brett on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 9:48am

After the success of our one-off Drupal webinar last Fall, we knew a lot of folks were interested in learning more about this groundbreaking Open Source CMS. Apparently, you love to hate your current website. So, we're teaming with the Drupal experts at OpenSourcery to bring you an entire series, "Drupal for Nonprofit Decision Makers". (Yes, that's you!)

If you're considering Drupal as your next Content Management System, or if you've already decided to use Drupal and are starting to plan your transition, we can help you start things off right. Join us for this accessible four-part series, which will cover:

> Learn more and register today!

Good Lessons from a Bad Economy

Submitted by Brett on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 9:29am

Randy McCabe, MPower Open

A bad economy can be one of the best things to happen to a marketing professional.

That may seem paradoxical, but times of constraint -- when revenues fall or simply do not meet budgeted expenditures -- force hard decisions that do not even seem like options during periods of prosperity and largesse. As Samuel Johnson, the celebrated 18th century English author, once said, "There is nothing like the prospect of being hung in a fortnight to concentrate a man's mind."

There is a powerful opportunity here. With the limitation of lower revenues and the pressure to cut costs, this is an ideal time to innovate around your operations and systems costs while still funding programs and activities and, yes, increasing investment in donor development.

Our FOSS Webinar Series Continues with "Setting up A Joomla! Organizational Website"

Submitted by Brett on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 2:39pm

NTEN's yearlong focus on Free and Open Source Software continues with "Setting up a Joomla! Organizational Website": great software, questionable punctuation.

Does an ! really make a word more exciting? Let's see: Waffles! Hmm, that's not quite fair -- waffles are already exciting. How about: Sand! Huh, maybe it does work. Those Joomla! folks must know what they're doing.

They've certainly made a very easy to use CMS system. The webinar, presented by FOSS expert, NTEN board member, and all around good person Michelle Murrain, will take you through the installation and basic setup of Joomla!, and what you'll need in order to make your new Joomla! site a success.

NTEN Content Management System Satisfaction Report Now Available

Submitted by Holly on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 11:59am

Choosing a CMS can be frustrating and overwhelming. With so many choices and so little time to research all the options, many of us rely heavily on the recommendations of our peers to cut through the noise and provide some insight.

This is why NTEN is proud to present the results of our first CMS Satisfaction Survey.

> Download the Full Report

Hot or Not? Rank Your CMS Vendor

Submitted by Holly on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 8:10am

Flickr Photo: Vin CrosbieFlickr Photo: Vin Crosbie

The survey is now closed.  Thank you to all who participated.  We should have the final report out in June 2008. 

If you've ever used a Content Management System, we want you to share your opinion.

Building on the success of our 2007 CRM Satisfaction Survey, NTEN is gathering information from the NPTech community about CMS providers. Tell us what you love -- and what frustrates, irks, and just generally annoys you -- and we'll compile the results into a handy report.

> Rate your CMS today!

This short survey will deliver both quantitative and qualitative results to you. The more people who participate, the better the results will be, so please take just a few minutes to share your experiences. And since the results will be valuable to the nonprofit community as a whole, we're pretty sure taking the survey counts as work.

Survey responses are anonymous. Survey respondents will receive a complete copy of the results, when available.

> Rate your CMS today!

If you have any questions, please send me an email: holly@nten.org.

Looking for a Content Management System?

Submitted by Holly on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 11:25am

Flickr Photo: newramblerFlickr Photo: newramblerLooking for a Content Management System? Wouldn't it be nice to know what your peers and colleagues think your top choices are? You will soon! Share your experience with Content Management Systems in our short survey, and we'll compile the results into a handy report.

> Rate Your CMS today!

This short survey will deliver both quantitative AND qualitative results to you. Of course, the more people who participate, the better the results will be, so please take just a few moments now to share your experiences. When you're done, share the link with your colleagues and peers!

> Rate your CMS today!

Survey responses are anonymous. If you have any questions please email holly@nten.org

NTEN Members Online Round-Up: ROI of Social Media, True Tales from Nptechies, Vocabulary Lessons, and Power

Submitted by Annaliese on Fri, 02/22/2008 - 3:35pm

LOLnptechNTEN member Beth Dunn picked up on the discussion on Beth Kanter's blog about outcome-based thinking for nonprofits using social media. She encourages those who set out on the "journey" through social media for good causes to plan ahead and keep notes.

Amy Sample Ward discusses Twitter for nonprofits, emphasizing the importance of individual interest over organizational broadcasting. Amy always applies the golden rule when she tweets.

Judi Sohn is back with another down-to-earth -- or from-the-trenches -- post about what it really means to implement a new technology for an organization, even if it's a free technology (such as Salesforce or Google Apps for nonprofits). Someone has to spend staff time (or consulting fees) learning the tool before it can be applied to the organization's mission.

Beth Kanter summarizes the many definitions and implications of "authenticity" and "transparency" for the nonprofit sector.

There's sad news from our anonymous NTEN friend 1centNPtech: his/her organization has decided to outsource their technology planning and oversight. Please drop by our comrade's blog to offer your condolences. And maybe some job leads.

Michelle Murrain rants about the problems with custom CMS solutions for nonprofits. She calls on all nonprofits to reject the custom CMS option in their RFPs.

Our very own Holly Ross was highlighted in PBS.org's Idea Lab blog for talking about the "power" of information, nonprofits, and technology.

If your organization is considering whether (and how) to apply social networking for your cause, read Beth Kanter's contribution to Network For Good's blog, "8 Secrets of Effective Online Networking."

Finally, Deborah Finn wrote a guide on search engine optimization (SEO). She was kind enough to re-publish it on her blog.

Ask the Expert: Drupal Edition

Submitted by Holly on Mon, 12/04/2006 - 8:33am

Drupal Do you have questions about Drupal? If you're looking to learn more about Drupal, or even if you're a Drupal veteran with some really technical questions, this edition of NTEN Ask the Expert is perfect for you. Join us online at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern tomorrow:

http://nten.org/expert/drupal

to ask your questions of David Geilhufe and Kerian Lal of CivicSapce Labs.

We know you have questions, and we've found a way to make it easier for you to get answers. About once a month we're bringing