| Tapping the Web |
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| Written by Pam Baker, Contributing Editor | ||||||
| Wednesday, 10 October 2007 02:58 | ||||||
Page 2 of 2 Picking a Web Winner “Non-profits should use the same selection criteria as a C corp.,” explains Matthew Gallagher, proprietor of Maka’s Surf Shop, an immersive interactive design boutique. “Assess the organization’s needs and then find a partner that will guide them to the end goal.” If technical skills are woefully short among existing staff, it is doubly important to get input from other sources that do possess those skills. Otherwise, a provider may deliver what was asked for rather than what was needed for the project to succeed. “Many non-profits dictate a creative strategy and the service provider blindly follows it,” warns Whittington. There is a plethora of providers who cater to the non-profit sector, but even among these it is important to assess the skills and knowledge of the people behind the promise. “Understanding the complexities that non-profits are required to work within requires an understanding of more than pushing pixels on the screen,” says Gallagher. The takeaway: - To maximize contributions and savings found though the Web, work to add technical expertise to your staff and/or update staff job descriptions to include technical skills as a way to stay abreast of changes in technology and to “grow” new donors online. - Secondly, do your homework on existing technologies appropriate for your scale of business. - Thirdly, test drive several offerings before committing funds and effort to any one platform or tool. Check for compatibility with your existing technologies before adding new ones. Ask for references from other non-profits and then take the time to listen to both praises and critiques. | ||||||
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About the Author: Kurt Martin is a Founder and Group Publisher of Progressive Media Group (PMG) and the Publisher of Nonprofit Technology News. During his 4 years as Publisher of The NonProfit Times, he grew the imprint from a single newspaper to a community of websites, online job boards, email newsletters and digital editions of the print editions. Prior to taking the role of Publisher he was the East Coast Sales Manager for Broad Daylight, Inc. a knowledgebase company. He also held management roles in advertising and ciruclation sales at American Banker/Bond Buyer (Thomson), Faulkner & Grey (Thomson) and SourceMedia (Investcorp.) Kurt graduated from Montclair State University with a B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration. |
