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June 2006
In this issue:
Surplus equipment and furniture for nonprofits
Position your nonprofit for better fundraising
Learn how to use technology more effectively at TechMix
Join your peers at the 2006 OANO Conference
Ryan Adcox Joins Project Connect Team
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Ryan Adcox is joining Project Connect on a part-time basis. Ryan is studying computer engineering at The University of Akron and has recently completed an internship with us. We were so impressed with his knowledge, willingness to learn, and customer service skills that we asked him to join our team. Ryan will be answering technical support calls and troubleshooting network, computer, and software problems. Please join me in welcoming Ryan to Info Line!!
There's More Life in that Tired Equipment!
Project Connect is collaborating with Computers Again to help nonprofits benefit from less-than-cutting-edge computers!
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If you have an older computer which is slow and crashes often, it may perform better after a complete clean-up. Computers Again will remove all files and and install a clean operating system for $75. Add Microsoft Office Professional for $20 from TechSoup (www.techsoup.org), and you have a functional computer.
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If you need an older computer, Computers Again has an inventory of equipment which might meet your needs. Refurbished computers and monitors are available for $75.
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Computers Again also accepts computers, laptops, and 17" (or larger) monitors for refurbishment and reuse. As a member of the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program, their process guarantees that your data will be removed from hard drives and parts not used are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. Computer equipment must meet these minimum requirements:
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300 MHz CPU or higher
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64 MB RAM, 128 MB RAM preferred
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4 GB hard drive
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8x CD-ROM drive or faster
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For more information, visit www.computersagain.org or contact Ed Rowlance at 330-265-8788 or .
Summit County Offers Surplus Equipment to Nonprofits
Summit County now announces the surplus equipment available for donation at the Summit County website. They encourage you to check this on a weekly basis because needed items go quickly. If you could use any equipment at the link for Surplus Inventory for Non-Profits, complete the application form and contact the person listed. For more information, contact the Department of Purchasing at 330-643-2557 or .
Charitable Dollars vs Marketing Dollars
June 13, 8-9:30 AM
Sheraton Suites, 1989 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 • Click here for directions
A full breakfast buffet will be served
$13 members • $18 non-members • MasterCard and Visa now accepted
Reservations Required • Deadline: Thursday, June 8, Noon
The nonprofit sector is brimming with over-exposed and fickle donors. In order to keep pace with these donors and donor prospects, nonprofit organizations must harness the single most powerful concept in marketing: Positioning.
Positioning is the long-term strategy that, when effectively implemented, provides the backbone for strategic communications with prospective customers, donors and stakeholders—the lifeblood of any organization. That's why it is so powerful.
Lorraine Kessler will address the principles of positioning and explain ways you can implement it in your own organization, including:
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Establishing the strategic direction and prescribing the messages, tone and voice of your organization;
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Ensuring consistency and relevance in pursuit of your objectives; and
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Most importantly, differentiating your organization in the mind of the donor.
As vice president for client services, and one of five principal owners, Lorraine is one of Innis Maggiore’s leading strategists and oversees the account process from initial input and analysis to program implementation. Prior to assuming her current position, Lorraine served the agency first as business development director and then as marketing communications director.
For more information, visit http://www.afpncoh.org/2006/06-06.htm.
TechMix Focuses on Nonprofit Technology
July 13, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Columbus Mariot North
Join the Ohio Community Computering Network (OCCN) and the Ohio CDC Association for this engaging full-day conference focusing on how to make more effective use of technology in nonprofits.
TechMix will be a great opportunity to share resources and ideas, meet peers and build relationships, and learn how other Ohio nonprofits are putting technology to work. Attendees may choose from a variety of tracks, based on comfort level and organizational interest. All track sessions will in some way stress importance of innovative use of technology in the nonprofit marketplace. The Conference will be a mixture of plenaries, panels, breakout sessions, and unstructured time: http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/Agenda.htm.
Visit http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/index.htm for more information.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2006 OANO Annual Conference:
Creating Connections to Strengthen Communities
October 5, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Hyatt Regency, Columbus
Join more than 400 nonprofit leaders, funders and vendors from around the state at OANO's 12 Annual Conference on October 5, 2006. During the keynote luncheon, a panel of funders will give their inside tips for the best fundraising techniques. All attendees are invited to a reception the night before where they can network with others in the sector and also meet one-on-one with consultants for advice.
To pre-register, and for more information, visit www.oano.org.
Excel in the Summertime!
Microsoft Excel will be offered Wednesdays starting June 21, from 9am to noon. Excel 1 covers the basics - getting to know the spreadsheet tools, navigating around the workbook, and basic formulas. Excel 2 covers formulas, and Excel 3 covers advanced tools. If you're interested in pivot tables and interactive charts (and if you're not, you should be!!), Excel 4 is for you!! Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, https://infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.
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Excel 1: Spreadsheet Basics
6/21/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon -
Excel 2: Formulas
6/28/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon -
Excel 3: Advanced Tools
7/5/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon -
Excel 4: Data Analysis Tools
7/12/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
FrontPage and Word Coming Soon!
Get on the list for Microsoft Word and FrontPage! FrontPage is offered in three sessions, or sign up for the whole Web Developers' Series and get PhotoShop for the Web to create your own graphics and touch up those photos for Internet use. Word is offered in five sessions, from beginning documents to advanced desktop publishing. Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, https://infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.
Reserve your seat now - call 330-315-1335 or e-mail .
Don't forget - we also offer custom sessions. Just get a minimum of 8 people together, and we'll do a special session just for you. You don't all need to be from the same organization, so tell your friends!
Amy's PC TIP:
How Much is Enough? Memory and CPU recommendations for today's systems
Just got a technology grant? Thinking of writing one? The key question is, just what do you need from your new or upgraded system to make an impact?
We all get frustrated when our computer slows to a crawl, but depending on what you currently are using, it may not take much to get you up to speed, literally.
How do I know what I've got already?
If you have a My Computer icon on your desktop, right click on it and select Properties. (If you don't have it there, click on [Start], then right click on My Computer.) At the bottom, under Computer, it will tell you how much memory you have (RAM), and what sort of processor you have. In some cases, you may see something like 'x86 Family 6 Model 5 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel' - type this into your Google toolbar, and you're likely to come up with a host of sites that will list your processor speed, in megahertz (MHz). A gigahertz (GHz) is equal to 1000 MHz. If you see something like 'Pentium II', refer to the chart below:
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Pentium II |
233-450 MHz |
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Pentium III |
450 MHz - 1 GHz |
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Pentium III Xeon |
500 MHz - 1 GHz |
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Pentium 4 |
1.4 GHz - 3.4 GHz |
If your RAM is listed in KB (kilobytes), divide by 1024 to get the number of MB (megabytes).
So what do I need?
What you need depends on what you intend to do with your computer. For basic users, using e-mail, the internet, and word processing, 256 MB should be sufficient. However, bear in mind the requirements of the software you have installed. Microsoft Windows XP (Home or Professional) needs at least 256 MB to function well, preferably 512 MB for serious multitasking. Programs like Photoshop and FrontPage are memory hogs, and are not truly happy until you are at 512 MB. Can you use them with less? Sure, but be prepared to experience slow response times, or have to close everything else to get the speed you crave.
The basic rule is the more you do, the more you need. If you're planning to run Office Professional, several applications at the same time, start with 512 MB and increase to taste.
Processor speeds should be at minimum 500 MHz, for graphics-intensive applications such as Photoshop, 750 MHz is a better baseline. Thanks to the recent demand for high-speed gaming machines, you can get a brand-new 1Ghz machine at a reasonable price, which will run all your stuff happily for some years to come.
Project Connect now offers classes "on demand": just call or e-mail to have your name added to the list, and as soon as we have enough folks registered, we'll schedule the class. This way, we can run whatever classes you need, when you need them!
Are you getting the best deals for your technology dollar?
Don't buy anything technology-related until you've visited these three websites first!! They offer significant discounts for nonprofits with Microsoft, Dell, CDW, Adobe, and more!
Answers for sale!!
You and your staff have more important things to do than fight with your technology! Instead of spending hours of frustration trying to do it yourself, let us help you!
Project Connect offers Live Help for staff of all Ohio nonprofits! If you are having problems with a Microsoft Office or Adobe product, simply go to www.pclivehelp.org and complete the form. Follow the directions, and then we'll be able to see your computer from our office. We can then walk you through the problem.
Cost is $15 per increment of 10 minutes.
As always, we are interested in hearing from you to learn how we can best meet your technology and connectivity needs. Give us a call at 330-315-1335 or e-mail us at .
Enjoy!
Be sure to include your fax number!
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