For Nonprofits

A lot of strange dialog and decision-making goes on behind closed doors – even if the rooms are not so smoky any more. This can certainly be true in nonprofit organizations. When what happens behind closed doors leaks out to your organization, it often takes the form of rumor and stories circulated via the grapevine.

By what method can nonprofits provide accurate information to their communities on a timely basis, thereby counteracting the flow of false information? How can truth see the light of day?

We suggest that living websites and e-newsletters provide tools for creating a culture of truth-telling. Put it out there in writing for everyone to see. Help your organization and its community get used to information in the open. Provide responses to shady stories circulating around you.

It may take awhile to develop these tools and have them adopted as part of a more open culture, but what other choice to you have? Sending your own message out through your own grapevine is a losing battle.

The Computer Spirit is working on two ways to support nonprofits in developing capacity and sustainability through effective communication.

The first involves providing opportunities and resources for nonprofit organizations to develop and own their own living websites and e-newsletters.

The second involves providing hands-on, just-in-time technical, design, personal, and organizational support to nonprofit staff and volunteers to improve their electronic and hard-copy communication with their volunteers, donors, and clients.

We’re currently partnering with the Sedona Community Center to host and promote workshops and the computer lab. Our idea is that any work that spills over from these free experiences is something that will fall to The Computer Spirit or other local web designers and software trainers.

We like to collaborate with nonprofits in helping them open up new and better ways to reach out and build their community of volunteers, clients, and donors. Our first several experiences with local nonprofits – both involving websites and e-newsletters – have been fun and rewarding. We feel we’re making a difference and we’re certainly meeting many terrific people.

We usually suggest a meeting over coffee with representatives of your organization to find out what you’re up to and learn about how you communicate with your community. We’re happy to pull together a suggested action plan for you to take back to your organization, and delighted to speak with your staff or board whenever that may be appropriate.

Although we’re capable of doing all the work ourselves, we prefer to help you take on whatever functions you’re comfortable with because this leaves you with a stronger organization and greater control over your communication tools. You save money too.

Along the way we’ll help you develop funding and train your volunteers if warranted. We like to fit into the process of creating your communication tools in ways that best suit you.

In any case, we feel we’ll all benefit from getting to know one another and talking over the possibilities. We encourage you to call us to set up that coffee meeting!

Like a lot of us, I have been working with nonprofits since I was a youngster mowing the church lawn and singing in the choir. In college, I was active on university boards and committees and in student government. As a young father, I loved coaching kids and helping other parents support various swim teams. I served on the church board and some of its committees and was active in Marriage Encounter.

While still in college, I worked with a consortium of Arizona Native American tribal organizations and later become tribal planner for one of them. I also worked in the barrio in a neighborhood self-help housing program, and in a retirement community managing programs and operations for a recreation association.

Here’s a partial list of my more recent work with nonprofits:

• Developing a way to meet released inmates at the jail and help them through their first five days after release.
• Guiding a nonprofit organization in creating a staff-volunteer team to redevelop and manage an active website.
• Helping publish two e-newsletters to support service organizations reach out to their communities.
• Helping develop a team of volunteer letter-writers to link prisoners and community members.
• Guided development of a volunteer team to create a self-sustaining sacred community garden.
• Helped a new volunteer grant-writing team acquire a corporate grant for an animal rescue center.
• Led a regional volunteer center team in meeting Board directive to help local nonprofits increase their organizational capacity, including developing training program, exploring use of software to manage grant cycles, and coaching the board regarding fund-raising calls.
• Forged a partnership between a regional volunteer center and a large school district to improve volunteer programs at schools.
• Served as an examiner for statewide Quality Award Program.
• Led 100 volunteers in a National Volunteer Day project to refurbish an elementary school butterfly garden.
• Served on the grant review committee of a regional arts council.