Your organization’s fees for telephone and internet access can really add up so you need to take a fresh look at them from time to time. I was reminded of this recently when we reviewed our expenses in preparation for our annual budget process. If you’re like us, maybe you have lines you don’t need or your tech provider has lowered their rates. Our small effort had a nice payoff – we cut our bill by $135 per month and nearly $1,600 per year. And, with a little research, we found a less expensive conference calling service for our Board of Directors’ monthly phone conference. We cut our costs by more than half – from 12¢ to 5¢ a minute. Again, that’s a nice payoff for a small amount of work. I recommend you do the same.

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We're delighted to announce the four finalists for the 2009 NPower Greater DC Region Technology Innovation Awards (TIA), presented by Accenture. The finalists with an annual budget of less than $2 million are Horton's Kids and National Association of Free Clinics. Finalists with an annual budget of more than $2 million are Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County and the United Nations Foundation: Technology Partnership with the Vodafone Foundation.

The judging panel will meet again in late October. The four finalists will present their technology innovations and answer questions from the panel. The winners will be announced at "A Celebration of Technology," awards reception on Thursday, November 12, at the Waterview Conference Center, Corporate Executive Board building in Arlington, VA from 6 - 8 pm.

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."

We are delighted to work with some of our region’s best and most influential nonprofits. Here are two Tech Impact stories that examine the important work we are doing with our clients.

This case study examines how NPower made Peace X Peace, an already tech-savvy organization, even stronger.

This Tech Impact story shows how NPower improved morale at Threshold Services and enabled staff to spend more time with clients.

Click here to find all of our Tech Impact stories!

In 2008, NPower's President, Julie Chapman, was one of the winners of The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation Exponent Award. This award, given to the "Best and Brightest," celebrates visionary nonprofit leadership and includes a $100,000 cash award for the recipient's organization.

This year, we are thrilled to say that NPower DC has worked with three of the prestigious Award winners. The Community of Hope, Legal Aid Society, and Young Playwright’s Theater are all NPower ON! clients. Congratulations to these terrific organizations and their leaders. We are indeed in good company!

Click here to meet all the winners of the 2009 Meyer Foundation Exponent Award

Is your organization’s technology driving you crazy? Then join us at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement on Wednesday, December 2, 1:30 - 3:30pm for Developing a Technology Plan That Moves Your Organization Forward.

We'll help you to create a technology plan that supports your organization’s mission, goals and strategies.

Learn more and register today.

If you have a computer that is less than five years old, chances are that it can be put to good use by someone else. Click here to find some guidelines you can use when passing along your machines.

Find additional tools and tips for greening your nonprofit through TechSoup's GreenTech Initiative, where social benefit organizations can share and learn more about technology choices that can help to reduce our overall impact on the environment.

The Technology Day of Service has been rescheduled for Friday, December 4.

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

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.