With the Nonprofit Technology Conference just a week away, it’s a great time to start thinking about which of the breakout sessions you’ll be attending. No matter what you are trying to do, there’s a session to help. If you need to design a disaster-proof back up system or figure out how to use the next generation of web tools, there are breakout sessions to get you started and finish the job.

One of the hardest and most important responsibilities IT staff have is to make the case that your organization should invest in technology. If your powers of persuasion in this area could use a little help, attend The ROI Question: Demonstrating the Value of Technology to Your Organization. You’ll learn what Return on Investment means, how to calculate it, and the best ways to make your case to upper management.

Give your online fundraising a boost by attending Building Better Online Fundraising Campaigns: Practical Tactics for Raising More Money via Email. This results-oriented session will walk you through a few case studies and teach you the nitty-gritty of raising money through email. From creating compelling messages and subject lines, right through thanking donors and tracking campaign success, this session takes you through the whole process of email fundraising.

Disaster Preparedness Today will help you map out a disaster plan, give you some samples to use as guidelines, and get you thinking about how to build buy-in from your staff and leadership.

If you’re interested in Web 2.0 applications but not quite sure how to start using them, attend Nonprofit Communications 2.0 – Seven Steps to Transform Your Organization. You’ll find out what Web 2.0 is good for, how to incorporate it into your work and strategic planning, and why you should rethink your communications strategy to include these tools.

These are just a few examples of the tips, tools, and skills you can learn at the NTC. For more, check out the complete list of breakout sessions.

Another great part of the NTC is connecting with other people involved nonprofit technology. Throughout the conference, you can meet face-to-face with the folks you’ve met online through NTEN’s affinity groups - see the listing of Affinity Group meetings.

For the hardcore techies, let your inner geek come out and play at one of our GeekOut sessions on Thursday or Friday. GeekOut session topics include Salesforce Modules for Nonprofits, The Mashup of Your Dreams, and Open Source CMS Modules for Nonprofits. Check out the IT Staff and Consultants track for a full list of GeekOut sessions.

If you’re not signed up for the conference yet, there’s still time to register! If you are registered, see who you’ll meet at the conference and sign up for the NTC Affinity Group to start networking now. And to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action, sign up for sms alerts by texting NTC to 75528.

See you soon!