Kiosks Dispense Legal Assistance
Going before a judge without a lawyer and filling out the necessary paperwork for the court can be complicated, but a charity in Santa Ana, Calif., has turned to technology to help make self-representation less intimidating. The Legal Aid Society of Orange County has created the Interactive…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
North Carolina Puts Grants List Online
The Office of the State Auditor in North Carolina has added to its Web site a database of nonprofit organizations that receive funds from the state and the amount of money they receive. Visitors to the site can search the information for the 2004 fiscal year by city, county, the name of the…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
A Disaster Movie About Global Warming Prompts Flurry of Nonprofit Promotions
In the span of five days, an abrupt freeze causes New York City to be covered in a sheet of ice while Los Angeles is razed by tornadoes. As those disasters unfold in The Day After Tomorrow, a 20th Century Fox movie that opens in theaters on Memorial Day weekend, environmental groups will be trying…
By Leah Kerkman
Contributor
Bits: Indiana Website Lists Charities Using Professional Solicitors
The Indiana attorney general’s office is now able to share through its Web site financial information from charities that use professional solicitors to raise money in the state. The information is being collected as part of a new state law that requires fund-raising companies to file annual…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Software Guide Helps Charities Customize
The Nonprofit Open Source Initiative has released a new guide, “Choosing and Using Open Source Software: A Primer for Nonprofits,” to help charity managers and technology-assistance providers use open-source software effectively. Open-source software gives users access to the “source code” of an…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Web Site Offers Civil-Rights Recollections
As a teenager in segregated Petersburg, Va., Priscilla Robinson took part in sit-ins at restaurants that would not serve black people and protested at businesses that would not hire black employees. She was determined to fight for change, but always anxious. “Apprehension was my constant…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Charities Seek Help Protecting Donor Privacy
Epsilon, a for-profit marketing company in Wakefield, Mass., that serves many nonprofit groups has added the position of chief privacy officer to help clients ensure they are complying with new laws, such as the federal do-not-call registry and the anti-spam law. The new privacy official, Steven…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
United Ways Are Spreading Quickly Around the Globe
United Way International has come a long way since the dark days of 1992. That year, it nearly succumbed after ALSO SEE:A New Era for Nation’s United WaysWhere United Way’s Leader Isn’t the BossGiving to United Ways Drops for a Second Consecutive Year losing much of its support in the scandal…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Bits: Web Marketing Association Accepting Entries for Nonprofit WebAwards
The Community Technology Centers’ Network plans to hold its annual conference in Seattle June 11-13. For more information: Go to http://www.ctcnet.org. The Nonprofit Risk Management Center has scheduled an online seminar on how to prevent fraud in nonprofit organizations for June 9 and an online…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Gay and Lesbian Groups Get Technology Help
A Los Angeles foundation is working to improve access to technology among gays and lesbians. The David Bohnett Foundation has announced that it plans to spend more than $350,000 this year to provide new technology equipment to gay and lesbian community centers the foundation has previously…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Gates Foundation Warns of Bogus E-Mails
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Seattle, is warning nonprofit groups about e-mail scams that use the foundation’s name -- and the lure of big grants -- to try to swindle charities. The e-mail that prompted the foundation to issue the alert asked the charity that received it to put up money…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Bits: Heifer International Wins Award for Internet Fundraising
By Nicole Wallace The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, in San Francisco, a national organization for individuals, charities, and businesses that provide technology assistance to nonprofit groups, plans to hold a regional technology conference in San Diego on May 13. For more information: Go…
$1-Million Awarded to Technology Programs
By Nicole Wallace The Community Technology Centers’ Network, in Washington, has awarded almost $1-million to 50 nonprofit organizations that teach technology skills to disadvantaged youths, homeless people, and people with disabilities. The organization’s Connections for Tomorrow program -- a…
Internet Engages Youths in Citizenship Activities
By Nicole Wallace Young people use the Internet to register to vote, find volunteer opportunities, express their views on current events, and push for social change, according to a new report. “Youth as E-Citizens: Engaging the Digital Generation” -- published by the Center for Social Media at…
Web Site Offers New Evaluation Tools
By Nicole Wallace Innovation Network, a nonprofit organization in Washington that helps charities assess the impact of their work, has expanded the evaluation tools that it offers online. Visitors to the site can now gauge their organizations’ efforts in eight areas, such as planning, fund raising,…
Internet Search Company Plans Foundation
Google, the operator of the popular search engine, has announced plans to create a Google Foundation. The foundation is expected to expand on the charitable programs currently run by the company, including efforts to encourage employee volunteerism and to match employee donations. Google has also…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor