NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup.org - ProjectsInProgress

WiserEarth.org, N2Y2

elliotmar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:33:02 -0400

In this videoblog,Peggy Duvette and Melinda Kramer see a much more effective, progressive movement when the wide array of organizations can work on the web like the spokes of a giant, multicolored umbrella.

David Geilhufe, CivicSpace, N2Y2

elliotmar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:29:54 -0400

In this videoblog, Geilhufe symbolizes the new social change powers of the web in a story about two granpas.

TakingItGlobal, N2Y2

elliotmar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:09:42 -0400

In this videoblog, Jennifer Corriero and Kirsten Jordan display their infectious enthusiasm for the way youth are using the Web to effect change and cite a powerful example regarding AIDS.

Sean Tanner, Maplight, N2Y2

elliotmar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:01:32 -0400

In this videoblog, Tanner describes how the Maplight.org site will empower voters and put the heat on politicians.

Videoblog: N2Y2, Richard Wallman, Freecycle

elliotmar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:41:03 -0400

In this videoblog, Wallman of Freecycle.org describes how people use the web to keep "stuff" useful and out of the landfills. What started as a single local Yahoo group has mushroomed into a mountainous enterprise.

Videoblog: N2Y2, Anand Pillai, Innovatorz

elliotmar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:24:57 -0400

In this videoblog, Pillai tells the story of an individual who makes a difference with his dedication and the web.

Videoblog: N2Y2, Kim Lowery, Kabissa 2.0

elliotmar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:07:46 -0400

In this videoblog, Lowery tells a story exemplifying the power of Web 2.0 for social action.

The latest mash-up: Technobabes + meta feeds

Deborah Elizabeth Finn — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 05:07:47 -0400

Now that I've had a taste of a meta feed for nonprofit technology, I feel compelled to create a meta feed of my own.

So of course it has to be a Technobabe meta feed. You can now go to Feed Jumbler to satisfy your craving for blog articles written by women in the field of nonprofit technology. The official address of the RSS feed is

Not for the faint of heart: Selecting a fiscal sponsorship accounting application

Deborah Elizabeth Finn — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 06:02:35 -0400

Any number of nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations in the U.S. serve as fiscal sponsors (sometimes known as "fiscal agents") to unincorporated mission-based projects or associations. For example, a 501(c)3 dedicated to saving the whales, might offer to serve as the fiscal sponsor of a project designed to save the sea otters, because their missions are congruent, and it's less trouble than setting up a separate entity. But they're really in the business of saving the whales, not providing services to other nonprofit organizations.

However, a relatively small number of nonprofit mangement support organizations undertake fiscal sponsorship on a large scale, providing not only a legal umbrella but all sorts of back office services to unincorporated projects. A well-known example is the Tides Center in San Francisco.

As I've previously mentioned in my blog, one of my clients that also does this is Third Sector New England. As of this writing, TSNE has 26 fiscal sponsorship clients, and an entire team of accountants, HR specialists, and others who dedicate themselves to the needs of these projects. It's intricate work, and they are very, very good at it.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to find accounting and finance applications that are up to this sophicated task. The transactions involve multiple donors, grantmakers, vendors, and contractors - on behalf of 26 different projects, each of which having records that must be segregated as if they were completely freestanding organizations. The security issues are enormous, and added to that are the challenges of integrating an accounting application with workflow management, digital signatures, and document management.

These days, I spend a lot of time researching applications that will meet TSNE's fiscal sponsorship accounting needs. This is not a task for the faint of heart, because the specifications are numerous, the solutions are shockingly expensive, and the potential for spending a lot of time, energy, and money without actually improving capacity is very high.

Here are some of the applications that I have been checking out:

The Dream of an Open Source Web-Based Database

Deborah Elizabeth Finn — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 22:12:21 -0400

I have a delightful client who dreams of an entirely open source web-based version of the Organizers Database. (The current version, which has many avid fans, is open source, but runs on a Microsoft Access platform, which is proprietary software.)