Some gifts are destined to be put in the closet and never to be used. Other gifts meet or exceed the excitement that they offer on first opening the box.
On a personal level it can be annoying when you have a tool that under-delivers on it’s potential, but in business it’s deadly. Especially in the world of non-profit leadership, you can’t afford to spend precious dollars on technology and tools that doesn’t deliver.
With that in mind, here are a few simple tools that I’ve tried out this year which have great potential to help non-profits do their task, and perhaps save resources:
1. Kindle. My team graciously pitched in a bought me a Kindle for Christmas last year in 2009. They’ve only gotten more affordable and better designed, with some lines costing $139. It’s now possible for many non-profits to begin using Kindles to use in their classrooms, to encourage reading and to use as a library. Already you can sync several Kindles on one account and be able to have the ability to have everyone reading the same books. With the dictionary function, the ability for early readers to look up difficult or unknown words makes reading the classics more accessible. The Rescue Mission has been experimenting with Kindles for a year and all the feedback I get on them is great. It ignites a desire to read and is a good value.
2. Ipad. You knew I was going here, so don’t acted surprised. Already I can anticipate your question, isn’t this a duplication of the KINDLE? Absolutely not. For one thing, you really can’t read long form on an IPAD. This past weekend I read a book for 5 hours straight, it was wonderful, on a Kindle. Which I could never do on a Ipad. Fortunately for Apple, that’s about the only downside of the pad as it’s useful in so many ways. Again, it has multiple potential uses for non-profits. Here at the Rescue Mission we’re tinkering with it as a portable device that can be used for signing in clients and for doing case-management on the move while still being able to connect to the main database. In addition it’s a great tool for sharing video content in a classroom setting and this function will only get better as upgrades make it easier to sych wirelessly to any projector. As cheap or cheaper than most laptops, this is a good trade-off for those who are not heavy into data or word processing.
3. Skype. This isn’t new to 2010, but some of it’s services are finally coming into their own so I’ve added it to the list. This service should be on every non-profits computer. Allowing for free video conferencing and group video conferencing, you can now have meetings online and still see the look of bewilderment in the eyes of your staff.
4. Square. This tool allows you to turn any iphone, ipad or other mobile device into a card scanner directly depositing donations into your charities account. Check it out here. I can think of dozens of uses for small or large charities to making giving and interacting with donors easier, but I won’t spoil your fun in discovering them for yourself.
What technology/Tools have I missed on my list for 2010? Add a few and let me know what you think of my list.
David Curry
