Flickr Photo: annesliceI came a cross a great article in onPhilanthropy about "accidental techies" in the nonprofit sector. I haven't heard the term in awhile, actually, and was beginning to think that this category of nonprofit staffer had evolved -- as technology has evolved -- beyond the original scope of the term.

When I heard the term, I imagined Sally DoGood, a Program or Administrative Assistant at a local nonprofit who helped her organization move management of their donors' and constituents' information from index cards and file cabinets to spreadsheets on the computer. Sally also updated her organization's web page by using installed software like Dreamweaver. And when the printer's toner needed replacing (or just shaking) or if a paper jam disrupted the office workflow, Sally would be the one to assess and fix the situationcorrectly.

Flickr Photo: Jeremey BrooksIf you asked me for the sound bite version of my social media advice for nonprofits, it would be this: Lose control.

From where I sit, it seems clear that social media amplifies the ability of our stakeholders to do what they've always done: talk about us and our causes. We can't stop them.

But we can embrace it and figure out how to ride the coming tide.

Last Thursday, I participated in a session at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Leadership Program. Even though I was participating remotely -- they could see video of me through Ustream.tv and we had two way audio through ReadyTalk -- I really felt like I was in the room, and had the chance to do something I don't do nearly well enough -- listen.

The amazing Nicole Garst laid the groundwork for managing technology in your organization, especially all this newfangled social media stuff. By the time I entered, the participants had spent an entire lunch session discussing social media. They were ready to vent.

I heard a lot of interesting things from the room:

Flickr Photo: matuko_aminiRaise your hand if getting funding for your tech projects takes longer than implementing the projects themselves.

Halfway through the year, most organizations are starting to think about budgets for the next year. The lobbying, pleading, persuading, and cajoling begin early, as every one of your departments vie for a piece of the budget pie.

How do you get yours?

Flickr Photo: dominocatWhere were you in 2001?

It was just a few short years ago, but those of us who have worked in nonprofit technology since then probably all feel the same way: it was eons ago. In 2001, I was running around the country working with women's organizations on some really high-tech stuff -- like convincing their fundraising staff to move donor data into a database, off of three by five cards.

We've come a long way as a sector since then. More nonprofits are embracing technology than ever before. We do less evangelizing and more teaching. So I was surprised when a board member suggested that I should re-read a paper Andrew Blau wrote in 2001 for the Surdna Foundation. What could a paper about technology investments written in 2001 mean to any of us in 2008?

Flickr Photo: Johan KoolwaaijYesterday, we kicked off our Member Office Hours. If the rest of the office hours go as well as the first one, we're in for a lot of great conversation.

Jeff Forster from the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management expertly led the first chat in the topic of Leadership. I think all participants would agree that it was as much fun to chat with and learn from each other as it was to get Jeff's insight. All around, a great conversation.

One of our biggest takeaways, getting your tech-nervous ED to try something new, may boil down to the oldest tactic of all: peer pressure. Here's an excerpt from that chat:

Flickr Photo: Johan KoolwaaijLot of us are missing a true luxury in our work - the ability to turn to our office mate and get a quick answer to our technology questions. NTEN thinks that's a shame, so we've set up a new program exclusively for NTEN members to help you do it, virtually. That's the idea behind Office Hours - to give you a place to ask the questions that will help you succeed at your job and create more social change.

Office Hours will begin on June 2 and we already have a good crew of volunteer experts who have committed an hour/week so that you have the opportunity to get advice in an online chat room setting.

How do you participate?

The blog post Holly wrote recently on the leadership gap in Nonprofit IT departments has been gaining traction -- along with quite a few comments. It seems she's touched a nerve, and that's a good thing. As she says, "More nonprofit EDs need to understand technology's strategic importance."

Nonprofit technology leadership is one of the issues we care about the most here at NTEN. For the sector to work as efficiently as possible, Executive Directors and other nonprofit leaders need to feel comfortable making technology decisions without formal technology training. Equally as important, IT Staff need leadership skills to bring technology out of the back office and into the strategies of their nonprofit organizations.

We're doing what we can to address the issue with our Technology Leadership Series of webinars.

John Kenyon, Nonprofit Technology Consultant, opens up to the NTEN community once again to train another round of NpTech Leaders in the NTEN Technology Leadership Series. John does an excellent job of teaching in plain English: you will leave the series as a technology leader, an important role in today's fast changing nonprofits.

Here are some words from past series participants:

He is DEFINITELY the best presenter for any webinar I've taken...numerous slides...not pretentious...good discussion time and facilitation

John's been great - this could be hard stuff to "teach" since it's not the most exciting topic - AND it's online... He's doing great.

At the end of the series, you’ll be able to:

• Understand and contribute to technology conversations
• Make smart technology decisions for your organization
• Increase your organization’s efficiency
• Identify and evaluate creative ideas for using technology to meet your mission

> Register Now for the Series!

Flickr Photo: inkswampThe NTEN Tech for Good Guide is on its way, and we want it to be written by you. We're inviting NTEN members to submit chapter proposals for our latest venture -- a book about technology leadership.

But hurry: The deadline for chapter proposals is January 24th!

Technology is changing the way the world does business. Nonprofits need not only to keep up with but lead in their creative uses of technology to accomplish their missions and make the world a better place.

Nonprofit leaders need to know how IT can help extend the reach and scope of their organizations. Few senior leaders have a background in technology, however, and often feel intimidated by the subject.

The NTEN Tech for Good Guide, a book to be published by Wiley & Sons in early 2009, will address this need. It will demystify the use of technology in nonprofit organizations, providing its audience with clear, accessible advice, strategies, and case studies in simple, non-technical language.

To learn more about what we're looking for and how to submit a proposal, visit:

http://nten.org/techguide

Don't miss your chance to become a technology leader in 2008. Learn how to put tools to work for your organization instead of the other way around.