What is Net Neutrality? By now, you may have heard of net neutrality in the news, but I think there are still many people out there who don't really understand what it is or why it is important. (I quizzed some of my own friends and family members before deciding to write this post and came up with blank looks in many instances.) Very simply, net neutrality are rules that were put into place by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that keep the Internet a free and equitable place to hang … [Read more...] about Net Neutrality: What it is, why it’s important & what you can do to preserve it
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What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice
Why the tech heck am I writing this post? Last week, I gave a breakout session at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management's 2017 Capacity Builders Conference. My co-presenter, Keith Timko (Executive Director/CEO of the Support Center) and I presented "What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice." Designed for nonprofit consultants and capacity builders, the tools we discussed can also be useful for small business owners and start-ups. We promised to share all the … [Read more...] about What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice
Cybersecurity Info for Nonprofits (for Cybersecurity Awareness Month)
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is nearly over, but it's so important to practice good online security throughout the year. This is especially true for nonprofit organizations, many of which are serving the most vulnerable members of our society who cannot afford disruptions in those services. Rather than re-invent the wheel by writing a post full of tips, I've compiled a list of good resources for nonprofits to learn more about what to about cybersecurity: 8 Tips for Better Nonprofit Cyber … [Read more...] about Cybersecurity Info for Nonprofits (for Cybersecurity Awareness Month)
5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Technology Consultant
A sizable part of a my job at the Bayer Center was providing technology consulting services for nonprofits. However, once in a while we did an in-house project where we needed to hire an outside consultant to do some technical work, and sometimes I got to project manage it. At one point, we hired a Salesforce implementer and I got to thinking about the traits that are the highest on my list when hiring a consultant (and that I try to emulate when I do consulting): Technical chops. This is a … [Read more...] about 5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Technology Consultant
The Evolution of Online Privacy (Video by PBS)
I'm currently taking a class at RMU called Digital Evidence Analysis. It's been fascinating subject matter so far. This week, we were assigned to view a video about the history of online privacy. In the messy and scary wake of the recent Equifax hacking, sharing the video in a post this week seems very relevant. (On a semi-related note, please consider carefully if you are thinking of signing up for Equifax's offer of a year's free credit monitoring for affected customers. I checked into it and … [Read more...] about The Evolution of Online Privacy (Video by PBS)