GroundWork group is now delivering an integrated eCommerce solution to our Member nonprofit organizations.  Enabling organizations to integrate their website, event registration, credit card processing and data collection with a secure, web-based database, these capabilities were cultivated through our extensive work with the new nonprofit organization Pelotonia. 

Pelotonia is a grassroots bicycle ride sponsored by NetJets and is focused on raising dollars for cancer research at OSU’s Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.  Pelotonia models their effort on the successful 29-year-old Pan Mass Challenge in the Boston area.  The inaugural Pelotonia ride is August 28-30, 2009.  Pelotonia approached GroundWork group in October 2008, seeking assistance to build the technology infrastructure to support their effort of registering thousands of riders, teams and volunteers and raising and tracking millions of dollars in contributions.  Since that time, GroundWork group has collaborated with Pelotonia and MGX Labs to build and host this integrated eCommerce capability that gives site users easy, secure access to registration and credit card payment processing and gives Pelotonia a diverse, integrated database from which they can easily manage their information and generate timely and accurate reports.  Pelotonia is also leveraging GroundWork group’s IT In A Box Managed Services for their technology infrastructure to round out their fully-integrated operational platform.  Please visit their website at www.pelotonia.org to see more.

The GroundWork group community collaborative nonprofit membership model is about to enter its fifth year.  GroundWork group began in July of 2005 with a few dozen Member Agencies of United Way of Central Ohio and has now grown to over 150 Member nonprofit organizations, some of which are outside the State of Ohio.  Our web-based technology solutions have enabled us to grow beyond our original Central Ohio boundaries.  The original membership model has also changed, enabling organizations more flexibility in the way they use their membership, and we have adapted our payment options to be more accommodating to the economic challenges faced by our Members today.

Many more GroundWork group Member organizations are consistently using our technology, education and information management services, switching their membership fee payment into monthly or quarterly billing cycles rather than an annual payment.  For GroundWork group’s fiscal year 2010, beginning July 1, 2009, we will extend these flexible membership payment options to all Members, so organizations will have the option to pay their fees annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly.  Many organizations have indicated they still prefer the annual approach, while others have stated they would rather incorporate their membership into their monthly or quarterly fees for their other services, such as fees related to IT In A Box Managed Services, tech support, web hosting or content management.

GroundWork group remains committed to developing and delivering premier technology related services, educational offerings and integrated database solutions to our nonprofit Member organizations in the most cost effective way possible.  During fiscal year 2009, GroundWork group expanded our Member Services to include: website development, web hosting, IT In A Box Managed Services, Vulnerability Assessment, Merger & Acquisitions Technology Services and website/database integration.  We leverage community resources and forge cost-effective partnerships so that every dollar invested into GroundWork group gives back more than five dollars of value to the nonprofit community.

If you use Microsoft products, you are aware of the many updated version releases, patches and security updates that Microsoft puts out regularly.  Trying to keep up with all of those releases can be cumbersome at best, but they are usually worth the time and energy to get installed.  However, did you know that Microsoft has what they call a Product LifeCycle Policy?  Back in 2002, Microsoft announced this new policy to provide a consistent and predictable way for users to understand when specific versions of products either will no longer be available through retail purchase or will no longer have technical support available.  The intent of this policy is to provide advance notification that could help with planning and decisions around technology.

There are two phases (periods) of the product lifecycle: mainstream and extended support.  The first period, mainstream, typically ends five years after the product is released.  The extended support typically ends 10 years after the product is released.  For example, for Microsoft Windows 2000 professional edition for pc’s, the first primary support period ended on 6/30/2005, but the extended support period will end next year, on 7/12/2010.  For Microsoft Office Professional, the mainstream support has actually ended – on 4/30/2009.  There are five years remaining – until 4/8/2014 – for the extended support period.

If you are making budget decisions for updating software and licensing, you might want to use this as a guide:

An explanation of Microsoft’s current Product LifeCycle Policy can be found at:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx

For a more specific understanding of dates for a specific product, check out:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselect

Business Productivity Classes – Microsoft Office
Platform Labs, 1275 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, 43212

Monday, June 8
Microsoft Excel 2007 Level 1, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Microsoft Word 2007 Level 1, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Microsoft Excel 2007 Level 1, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Does using Excel give you butterflies?  Not anymore.  Our beginner Excel 2007 course is a simple, hands-on approach to learning all the Excel basics.  Learn how to manipulate worksheets; work with data; create simple formulas; format worksheets; use relative, absolute, mixed and 3D references; sort data effectively; create basic charts; and, save and print Excel workbooks. Instructor: Cyndee McCaskey, GroundWork group Education Member, Microsoft Office Specialist Certified.

Microsoft Word 2007 Level 1, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Most of us are self-taught and only use 1/10 of the capability.  In this course, learn the most common, efficient ways to make Word work for you.  Learn how to set up Word; work with text; create, remove and modify bulleted/numbered text; use headers and footers effectively; create and format tables; convert tables; use readability statistics; insert graphics; and, use special features of Word 2007. Instructor: Cyndee McCaskey, GroundWork group Education Member, Microsoft Office Specialist Certified.

Cost for each session: $30 for Full Members; $40 for Associate Members; $50 for Non-Members.
Please RSVP by Friday, June 5 to Brenda Grosse: bgrosse@groundworkgroup.org or 614-884-7780, ext. 101.

Nonprofit IT Forum – Topics: Wireless Networking and Social Networking
Tuesday, June 9 – Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Jewish Family Services, 1070 College Ave., Columbus, 43209

Wireless Networking

• Basic Setup – Mark Stahl will share his WLAN as an example for everyone to view and talk through.
• Various measures available for securing a wireless network (SSID broadcast, encryption, authentication, MAC filters, group policy…) and the pros and cons of using each.

Social Networking – If there is time, we will continue the conversation from last month’s meeting on the issues surrounding Social Networking and share any updates from those who attended.  What have you done around Social Networking?  Have any issues come up around implementation and policies?  Other issues?

Lunch will be provided courtesy of the Tony R. Wells Foundation.
Please RSVP by Monday, June 8 to Brenda Grosse: bgrosse@groundworkgroup.org or 614-884-7780, ext. 101.

SAVE THE DATE! GroundWork group fourth Annual Conference, Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Fawcett Center on The Ohio State University campus.  More details to follow.