Project (pro-jekt) noun: A task that has a limited time frame to delivery and too little time or money to guarantee delivery.

Web projects are chronically under-resourced: too little time, too few people, too little cash, too many requirements-- sometimes all of the above. You don't have enough resources but you still need to cross the finish line with one or more projects. How can you extend your resources? Let me put on my David Letterman wig and count Top Ten ways to extend your IT resources:

1. Open Source: Open Source software (OSS) is not neccessarily free, but much of it is. There are plenty of places to scour for OSS applications and code: www.sourceforge.net, Codewalkers, HotScripts. Some (read much) of OSS is not business ready: OSS is often coded by people with all of the personality and inter-human relationships of salamanders.

Nonprofit Technology Roundtable Resources

"Navigating Technology Costs: Affording Technology Projects as Nonprofits and Service Providers"

Let’s continue the conversation!
Contribute your thoughts, resources, and learnings on this topic going forward:
http://www.consultantcommons.org/node/380

The attached template is a comprehensive (35 page) Technology Plan.

At CompuMentor, we try to encourage our clients to budget for technology as they would for other costs. This worksheet was specifically designed for a Community Technology Center (a couple of years ago!), but it works for just about any small organization that isn't too technically sophisticated.

This worksheet is for a project budget. Ideally a project like this would then be incorporated into the annual budgeting process to allow for upkeep and replacement over time.

These notes were taken at an informal Emerging Technologies discussion held at CompuMentor on July 5, 2005.  The aim of the discussion was to examine ways in which new technologies impact (positively or negatively) nonprofit organizations. The notes are also attached.

What's Out There Now?

Explicit Nonprofit Standards

NPower

Technology plans are great, but how are you going to pay for all the new equipment, training, and staffing costs your plan requires? There are no silver bullets when it comes to fundraising, especially during tough economic times. Here are ten tips to help you find the funds you need to implement and sustain your critical technology strategy.

1. Build strong relationships with funders.

2. Incorporate technology into your annual strategic plan.

3. Focus on your mission and your program, not technology for technology's sake.

4. Budget technology expenses as shared costs, not overhead.

We try to encourage our clients to budget for technology as they would for other costs. This worksheet was specifically designed for a Community Technology Center (a couple of years ago!), but it works for just about any small organization that isn't too sophisticated..

This worksheet is for a project budget. Ideally a project like this would then be incorporated into the annual budgeting process to allow for upkeep and replacement over time.