Nonprofit software review site Idealware this month turned its attention to collaboration tools, http://www.idealware.org/articles/collaboration_software.php.

It looks at options from Video Conferencing to Online Project Management, via email discussion lists and more, giving a good idea of strengths and weaknesses of the various types. However, it is limited in the actual software examples it mentions, ignoring for instance our probable current favourite, Huddle (http://www.huddle.net).

Recently highlighted on Nonprofit Online News (but produced Feb 2006) is ‘Insights into Participatory Video: a handbook for the field’: “This isn’t just another video production guide for nonprofits. It’s just as much about community organizing, communication, and development.” Download in sections or the whole handbook at http://www.insightshare.org/training_book_download.html.

From NCVO’s Campaigning Effectiveness newsletter (http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/campaigningeffectiveness/news/index.asp?id=14272):
- DigiActive is a volunteer-led organisation helping grassroots campaigners and activists to use the internet and other digital technology to increase their impact. Find out about various tools and more at http://www.digiactive.org.
- Tactical Tech is an international NGO helping human rights advocates use information, communications and digital technologies to maximise the impact of their advocacy work, http://www.tacticaltech.org.

The results of Virtual Promise 2008, the annual survey of how charities are using the internet, have been published by nfpSynergy.

Some notable results are that 35 per cent of charities had redesigned their web site in the last 6 months, almost half were using social networking, but only a fifth of respondents agreed that their charity was making the most of the internet, halved since 2005. Download pdf, 1.21MB.

A survey on the use of social media by civil society associations is being carried out as part of research for Carnegie UK Trust’s programme on the Future of Civil Society. The questions are aimed at people responsible for the organisation’s web site, or the media/communications/marketing strategy.

Complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bGRXu2T_2f_2fpzW0SfmQzr7DA_3d_3d (no deadline given), or read a little more at this blog item.

The newish information and learning site KnowhowNonprofit has a look at the use of Twitter by voluntary organisations, mainly for marketing and fundraising.

Meanwhile Co-operatives in the Spotlight highlights how The Plunkett Foundation, which promotes and supports co-operative and social enterprises in rural communities is promoting itself through Facebook, a blog and Twitter. http://inthespotlight.uk.coop/2009/05/plunketts-getting-message-out.html.

A list of example web sites from small and medium voluntary organisations in the UK that have been made with open source content management systems Drupal, Joomla or WordPress has been compiled via the UKRiders list.

AskCharity blog has a few notes from the eCampaigning Forum held recently in Oxford, in particular on the variety of ways that organisations now communicate with their supporters and the levels of sophistication involved. http://www.askcharity.org.uk/blog/2009/04/ecampaigning_more_than_emails.php.

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has launched an electronic application system, e-Bulk, for clients who make more than 3,000 checks a year. It can be used to send multiple applications and to get the results electronically in many cases, and faster.

Girlguiding UK was the first one to use it. News release at http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/electronic-apps-faster-CRB.

Surfing the net at work for pleasure actually increases our concentration levels and helps make a more productive workforce, according to new University of Melbourne research.

Based on a study of 300 workers, they say “People who do surf the Internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office - are more productive by about 9% than those who don’t.” News item at http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/5750/

(Source: Nonprofit Online News and others)

A recent article from web usability guru Jakob Nielsen is ‘Donation Usability: Increasing Online Giving to Non-Profits and Charities’.

The user research in question looks at a range of American non-profit web sites, identifying significant deficiencies in provide the info people need to make donation decisions. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/nonprofit-donations.html.

The Fundraising Healthcheck online diagnostic tool to help organisations understand the impact of the recession on their fundraising portfolio is now open to all, not just members of the Institute of Fundraising, http://www.fundraisinghealthcheck.org.

Reports give a prognosis for each area of your fundraising, based on past experience and current trends, and practical advice and guidance on how to survive and thrive during the economic downturn. A video explaining its creation and use is on UK Fundraising.

Two new items of interest on the American nonprofit software review site Idealware:

- using RSS (news feeds) to separate the useful data from all the rest in the huge volume of information available online, http://www.idealware.org/articles/rss_tools.php

- an in-depth look ‘Comparing Open Source Content Management Systems: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Plone’ comes in at 60 pages and 4MB pdf download (registration required). These are the most popular such systems in the sector, and this will be of use to any organisation looking at going down this route to manage their web site pages. http://www.idealware.org/comparing_os_cms/.