Check here each month for links to articles and other helpful resources:
– New book by Seth Godin
– Area Code / Zip Code Finder web site
– Special Issue – Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
– Charity Open License Overview from Microsoft
– Yahoo! e-mail addresses – important announcements
– Tomorrow’s Donor Archives
Check out Seth Godin’s new book…Survival is Not Enough
“Most of us view change as a threat, and survival as the goal. Yet we work too hard to consider just getting by as our primary goal. In Survival Is Not Enough, bestselling author Seth Godin provides a groundbreaking new way to organize companies [or non-profit organizations] to thrive during times of change.” http://www.zoometry.com
Area Code/Zip Code finder
Frequent area code and zip code changes may make it difficult to keep up with your database. Try this web site for help with updating area codes and zip codes. http://www.areacodeszipcodes.com/
International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Volume 6, Number 4, November 2001
Special Issue on the Application of Data and New Technologies
The most recent issue of the International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing is about “creative” thinking as it applies to data and new technologies. The issue is not about the latest release of a piece of software, or some IT virility test about how quick a process is. It is about practitioners within the sector who are challenging received wisdoms and creating value for the organizations they are working for.
In the first section, on systems we can see evidence of this creative approach. Mark Duffill shows where conventional IT wisdom needs to be discarded to satisfy a core understanding for any organization – the value of their donors over time. Peter Flory examines the application of commercial packages and sees advantages and crossovers for the sector by widening our thinking. Scott Logie’s article discusses the application of a new database engine for World Vision for the purpose of improved data analysis.
In the second section on data analysis, Tim Drye’s article examines the application of an approach originating in medical analysis to transactional files to uncover the probability of donors lapsing. Jennifer Key demonstrates custom response modeling to improve the response levels from donor groups, and statistical approaches to deal with typical response data.
In the final section, there are a number of articles looking at the use of the Internet and emerging technologies. The subject has captured the limelight in the non-voluntary sector, as it has in recent years in every other area from online banking to virtual shopping malls. Joe Saxton explores the development of this media and looks ahead to the potential for how the new technology will create new fundraising opportunities. Merritt Olsen looks at the thinking required to set up an e-fundraising approach with examples from the USA.
This issue should be a source of encouragement to the sector; there are real opportunities emerging with new media, cost-effective tools and the general lower of IT costs. More importantly there are practitioners and thinkers within the sector to exploit these opportunities.
Nigel Magson
IT Editor & Managing Director of Talking Numbers Data based solutions Ltd.
http://www.henrystewart.com/journals/nvsm/
Charity Open License Overview from the Microsoft web site:
“The Microsoft® Charity Open License program allows non-profit organizations to purchase multiple software licenses (instead of multiple software packages), at reduced prices. To qualify for Charity Open License, an organization must qualify as a charitable organization.
Under the terms of the program, a charitable organization is defined as any entity described in Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), except for (i) private foundations (as defined in Section 509 of the Code), (ii) any hospital, health care system or research laboratory, and (iii) any entity who is eligible to participate in the Microsoft Academic Open License program as an “eligible education customer” as that term is defined in the Microsoft Academic Open License Agreement in effect at the time your order was placed.”
For more information, click on this link: http://microsoft.com/licensing/programs/open/opencharity.asp
Important Announcement about Yahoo e-mail addresses!
Effective April 24, 2002, Yahoo! Mail will no longer offer POP3 Access or Auto Mail Forwarding at no extra charge to Yahoo! Delivers subscribers. If you will be changing your e-mail address as a result, please contact us so that you can continue to receive Tomorrow’s Donor.
Also…avoid getting unwanted e-mail from Yahoo!:
If you are registered as a Yahoo! user and wish to restrict how they use your account information (i.e. if you don’t want unsolicited commercial promotions, etc.) you need to go to http://subscribe.yahoo.com/showaccount by June 15, 2002 to change your account preferences.
