It is September now and sadly, the vacation season is over. The kids are back at school and things are getting busier each day – more emails, more phone calls, and A LOT more traffic. For me, this is always a time to take stock of where things are and what I want to get done by the end of the year.

Of course, one thing that I am taking a look at is where we stand with technology. We are beginning our budget cycle and I am looking at what investments we might need to make.

The good news for you is that NPower has a great tool for taking a look at where you are with your technology, especially if you are a smaller nonprofit with limited tech resources.

Continue reading.

NPower DC is coordinating volunteers from IT departments of several local corporations to provide pro bono Stable & Secure Scans for nonprofits, on October 17th.

Tech savvy volunteers will conduct a 12 Point Review of your organization's technology using a method developed by the NPower Network. Areas where your organization can make effective improvements or changes will be identified.

A Stable and Secure Scan is a particularly powerful tool for small to medium sized nonprofits with limited tech resources. Space is limited, so don’t wait to take advantage of this opportunity!

Interested organizations must complete this brief online request form.

This fall we are delighted to partner with the Center for Nonprofit Advancement to offer two technology workshops. Check them out!

Choosing Fundraising Software and Other Data Management Options
Wednesday, September 16, 9:30 - 11:30am
Off the shelf, Customized, SaaS, In the Cloud—there are numerous options for nonprofits looking to effectively manage their fundraising data.

Developing a Technology Plan That Moves Your Organization Forward
Wednesday, December 2, 1:30 - 3:30pm
Is your organization’s technology driving you crazy? Join us to create a technology plan that supports your organization’s mission, goals and strategies.

Learn more and register today.

Thanks to a generous donation from Microsoft, eligible nonprofits can choose the server solution that's right for your needs now. Large, multi-site nonprofits may require a more sophisticated system than smaller organizations. The following are the Microsoft server products available through TechSoup. Learn which one is right for you with this helpful new guide.

Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008. This enterprise-level solution is designed especially for organizations with up to 300 users. It runs on four servers and is manageable from a single administrative console.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is a popular solution to help boost productivity by enabling your network server to handle a variety of key roles: file server, print server, domain controller, web server, and more.

Microsoft Small Business Server 2008. As its name suggests, Small Business Server is designed for small organizations. It supports a maximum of 75 users and would be appropriate for organizations that will not exceed this number of users.

Click here for the Microsoft Donation Program Eligibility Guidelines.

Join our region's technology leaders for an evening reception in support of NPower Greater DC Region on Thursday, November 12, 6:00 - 8:00p.m., at the Waterview Conference Center, Corporate Executive Board building in Arlington, VA.

A highlight of the celebration will be the presentation of the 2009 Technology Innovation Awards, recognizing local nonprofits for their innovative use of technology.

Please consider sponsoring the celebration! Your support enables us to subsidize our rates so that they are affordable to our region's nonprofits. For details on becoming a sponsor, download this Sponsorship Form.

Click here to learn more about "A Celebration of Technology."