Staffing Information Technology is frequently a challenge for nonprofit organizations. Financial resources are typically limited, and hiring managers often feel overwhelmed and under-educated when it comes to IT. Determining where IT should fit into the organization, how many IT staff people are needed, and what those people should be spending their time doing can be difficult decisions.

In order to shed some light on these questions, NTEN and the Nonprofit Times teamed up to create the Nonprofit IT Staffing Survey. The results of this survey will be presented in two parts. The first report, "Nonprofit IT Staffing: Staffing Levels, Recruiting, Retention, and Outsourcing" focuses on the nature of IT staff and departments in nonprofits.

> Download the report for free!

Additional findings of the Nonprofit IT Staffing Report include:

• On average, nonprofits employ one IT staff member for every 26 employees.
• IT staff spend their time in much the same way, regardless of organization size or level of technology adoption. For the second year, the largest percentage of staff time, roughly 40%, is spent on desktop and application support.
• The average tenure for IT staff at nonprofits is 4.3 years. Tenures were longer for larger organizations and organizations that felt they had greater technology adoption.
• For the second year small nonprofits self identify lower on the technology adoption spectrum than larger organizations. Almost 50% of small organizations feel behind the curve.
  

> Download the report for free!

An additional report will cover Salaries & Budgets and IT Management & Planning in the near future.

Staffing the information technology (IT) function is frequently a challenge for nonprofit organizations. Financial resources are typically limited, and hiring managers often feel overwhelmed and under-educated when it comes to IT. Determining how much time and money to invest in information technology can be difficult decisions.

In order to shed some light on these questions, NTEN and the Nonprofit Times teamed up to create the Nonprofit IT Staffing Survey.

This second and final report covers "Budgets, Salaries, Training, and Planning".

> Download the report for free!

How can you assess the features that a software package offers to provide access to your data? In this report, Paul Hagen and Laura Quinn provide an evaluation framework that will help weigh the advantages and trade-offs of the data integration features across different applications.

This Idealware report was written in partnership with NTEN, and with generous sponorship by Beaconfire and Jacobson Consulting Applications.

> Download the Report

Choosing a CRM can be frustrating and overwhelming. With so many choices and so little time to research all the options, many of us rely heavily on the recommendations of our peers to cut through the noise and provide some insight.

This is why NTEN is proud to present the results of our first CRM Satisfaction Survey.

> Download the Full Report

We've surveyed hundreds of your peers in order to provide you with a wide array of opinions about CRM systems, and the characteristics of the vendors providing those products. Over six hundred people indicated their willingness to recommend the systems they currently use.

Once you have identified two or three systems that meet your organization's needs, this report can help you to make your final decision as to which system is right for your organization.

The report is available free to NTEN Members, $50 for non-members.

> Download the full report

We conduct an annual Community Survey to find out more about who makes up the NTEN community and to get feedback about how we can best serve this nonprofit technology community’s needs.

The NTEN Community is made up of supporting members and participants in NTEN programs, events, or email lists, totaling just under 10,000 nonprofit and technology professionals. This survey was conducted in July 2007.

We received survey responses from 808 individuals, a little over half of whom were NTEN members. This report presents the demographic make up of the nonprofit technology community, including data about organization types, staff sizes, budget sizes, and job roles.

Key Findings:

> Communications and Marketing represent both the fastest growing constituencies in the community in terms of job roles and the biggest organizational challenges in terms of project area.

> NTEN membership reflects the general nonprofit technology community, but does not reflect the makeup of the general nonprofit sector.

Download the full report.

NTEN and MobileActive.org have released the third MobileActive Guide profiling strategies and civil society organizations using mobile phones to fundraise for their cause. The guide features case studies from around the world, strategies for using mobile phones in fundraising, and a how-to section for organizations considering using mobile phones to generate support for their work.

Download Strategy Guide #3.

The results of our technology service provider survey - the first phase of research in the TechImpact Project - are in! In late 2006 we surveyed tech providers across the country - the first step in the TechImpact research project to help us understand what technology assistance means for nonprofit capacity.

We wanted to understand:

• Who is providing technology assistance to nonprofit organizations? Who do they serve?
• What services do providers offer? What approaches do they use to deliver technology assistance?
• Where are technology providers located? Where are they delivering services?
• When do providers employ evaluation strategies to understand the effect of their work?
• How do providers implement strategies to foster key outcomes for organizations, and how do they successfully achieve those outcomes (e.g., improved efficiency and effectiveness)?
• How do providers measure the success of their projects?

A joint project of NTEN, Green Media Toolshed, and MobileActive and funded by the Surdna Foundation.

Mobile phones have become a powerful emerging tool for participation in civil society. This five part series looks ways nonprofits have used mobile phones in their campaigns and the effective strategies deployed, and shares lessons learned.

MobileActive Guide #2 Released

NTEN and MobileActive.org are announcing the second MobileActive Guide, profiling strategies and civil society organizations using mobile phones in their work to make the world a better place. The second MobileActive Guide focuses on using mobile phones in issue advocacy. The guide features case studies from around the world, strategies for using mobile phones in advocacy work, and a how-to section for advocacy organizations considering using mobile phones to advance their causes.

Download the MobileActive Guide #2

Look for other guides in the Mobile Active Strategy Guide series that will focus on fundraising, using mobile phones in the Global South, and a step-by-step how-to guide for setting up a campaign in the United States.

The second part of the No Strings Attached report provides a description of several nonprofit programs that are already effectively using municipal wireless to improve their work and expand their services.

Download the case studies.

Municipal wireless programs are springing up in towns and cities across the country. Free and low cost Internet access is great for the community, and it means new leadership opportunities for nonprofits and new ways to serve their constituents.

This report discusses the many ways nonprofits can shape municipal wireless programs and maximize the community’s benefit to increased Internet access. You’ll find

• A guide to nonprofit involvement in municipal wireless projects, from planning to maintenance
• Case studies of four cities’ municipal wireless projects
• A story of one nonprofit’s digital inclusion efforts
• Lessons learned from nonprofits involved in muni wireless projects

Download the report.