Nonprofit organizations and social change activists will spend less time struggling and searching for software solutions, and more time applying appropriate tools to magnify their mission and impact.

A digital divide exists for nonprofit organizations wanting to effectively use software to support their programs and operations. Plenty of excellent information exists, but it’s distributed on a range of web sites, mailing lists, and online groups that make answers, especially comprehensive ones, hard to find. Even when organizations know the URLs, they have to check a number of sources and also browse voluminous Google listings to research a specific software need or a technology area. And those not familiar with the organizations that provide this type of information find themselves lost in a sea of information about software, without any way to find the best starting places or to separate credible from not-so-credible sources. There needs to be a better model for empowering nonprofits to effectively find and use software rather than search for answers.

The Nonprofit Software Knowledge Mashup will provide a well-maintained central source of the available nonprofit software knowledge resources, pulled together through a combination of smart aggregation and knowledgeable moderation. It will link to content from websites and blogs, as well as relevant conversations from a range of mailing lists and discussion forums. The mashup will serve as scaffolding to tie together the amazing but disparate resources located at various points across the net.

The platform will provide more than aggregated information, however. It will allow individuals and organizations to create their own “channels” which map the best resources in a particular area. A nonprofit organization focused on GIS tools might use the platform to link to the best available articles, case studies, best practices, software tools, and consultants that will help a nonprofit get started in the area.

The ability to easily find the answers to software questions will help close the organizational digital divide experienced by so many nonprofit organizations, and will bolster the ability of small and medium sized organizations to use software effectively while focusing more time on mission and impact.