GroundWork group needs your help to conduct our research that will assess how technology impacts the daily operations at nonprofit organizations.  The research will culminate in a full report to the Central Ohio community that will:

1. Educate Central Ohio about the nonprofit sector
2. Clarify the technical needs of nonprofits
3. Assist community funders in targeting need areas
4. Help GroundWork group develop the most helpful technology services

How can you help?

Nonprofits, if you have not already done so, please conduct our online survey.  It will take about 15 minutes to complete.  (If you have already completed the survey – THANK YOU!!) The input of as many nonprofits as possible is critical for us to accurately review how nonprofits are using technology to support their daily operations.  In addition to providing valuable assistance to our research, your nonprofit will receive a copy of the results of your specific survey. This is the first step of a technology assessment process that you can continue with GroundWork group if you so choose.

Community and Corporate Funders, mark your calendars for May 19, 2010, the second convening of the Community of Funders.  At this meeting, we will look at the raw data, identify trends, brainstorm solutions and begin to build the Report to the Community.

Our full report will identify technology usage trends among nonprofits, by sector: human services, education, healthcare, arts & culture, youth, social issues/advocacy, community, housing, foundations, environment and science & technology.  GroundWork group will work directly with local funders to analyze the results and publish our detailed report.  In addition to the state of current IT capacity among nonprofits and the in-depth impact analysis, the report will present Actionable Items on how the funding community, service providers and nonprofits can work together to further align technology resources to have the greatest positive effect on nonprofit business processes.  Look for the Report to the Community in the spring.

Your nonprofit can increase contributions instantly with GroundWork group’s Donate Online Now offering.  We can build an extension for your existing website that will allow your organization to cost-effectively accept and process credit card donations 24 hours a day – 7 days a week.

The GWg Donate Online Now offering is tightly integrated with our web-based Constituent Relationship Management System.  Donations are processed through your own secure payment gateway; receipts are deposited directly into your bank account, and the activity is immediately posted as contributions in your database. Instantly, donors are sent a printable receipt for their charitable contribution. The system sends a customized email from a contact at your organization, personally thanking the donor, and administrative contacts at your organization receive a detailed email notification.

We help you obtain a merchant services account and an Authorize.Net payment gateway account set up through our reliable vendor, which offers below-market pricing on the account set-up fees, transaction fees and pass-through fees to nonprofit GWg members. GWg charges a one-time fee to set up the various web pages and to integrate the donation data with your GWg CRM database. GWg does not charge any additional pass-through fees and receives no portion of your valuable online donations.

Click here to see a live example of the GWg Donate Online Now offering and consider making a contribution to GroundWork group.

Jewish Family Services has been a mainstay in Columbus, providing a multitude of services in the Columbus area since 1908.  The JFS mission is to help individuals and families facing life’s challenges.  Jewish Family Services started working with GroundWork group at the beginning as Mark Stahl, JFS Information Systems Manager, was involved with the initial round of technology assessments that led to the formation of GWg.

JFS is nationally accredited by CARF and fulfills its mission through job search support, business/training services, senior services, clinical counseling, community outreach programs, parenting programs, family violence prevention and services for individuals and families in the Columbus Jewish community struggling with a variety of needs.  JFS plans to change lives by achieving their goals in 2010:

• Preparing 500 children to be ready for kindergarten
• Helping over 300 people obtain employment
• Supporting 150 families in crisis
• Helping 100 seniors maintain independence
• Ensuring that over 250 Holocaust Survivors live with dignity

JFS is not only a member of GroundWork group but also the gracious permanent host for our monthly Nonprofit IT Forum. JFS Information Systems Manager Mark Stahl serves on GWg’s Education Committee, and JFS has taken advantage of many of GWg’s offerings.  JFS has received donated equipment through GWg and regularly relies on GWg’s IT staff as back up to their own staff.  Many on the JFS staff have attended GWg’s Lunch & Learns, online training classes and Business Productivity Classes.  To assist with their technology strategy, JFS now has an IT professional on their Board of Directors through GWg’s Board Matching & Development Program.

Nonprofit IT Forum – Simple Security: What a Budgetary Challenged IT Manager Can Do
(This is the topic originally scheduled for the February Forum, which was cancelled due to weather.)
Tuesday, March 9 – Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Jewish Family Services, 1070 College Ave., Columbus, 43209

Anyone who is currently accredited or certified, or is pursuing accreditation or certification, by any of the accrediting bodies (CARF, JCAHO, COA ... ) should come to this session.  Anyone wishing to learn more about HIPAA requirements should come to this session.  Anyone whose job would be jeopardized should data be lost or stolen, should come to this session.

No cost to attend.  Pizza and salad lunch provided courtesy of the Tony R. Wells Foundation. 
Please RSVP by Friday, March 5, to Brenda Grosse, bgrosse@groundworkgroup.org or 614-884-7780, ext. 101.

A Board Members Guide – Inaugural Session of this new Education Offering
Thursday, March 18 – Noon to 4 p.m.
Instructor: John J. Hrusovsky, GWg CEO
1550 Old Henderson Rd, Columbus, 43220, 1st Floor Conference Room, parking in rear of building

This technology-focused volunteer development course is directed toward:

• Nonprofit board members who need a refresher on technology strategy
• Nonprofit board members who want to be even more helpful to the organization they serve
• Corporations that have executives on nonprofit boards
• IT professionals who would like to sit on a nonprofit board and assist them with their strategic use of technology

Key Take-Aways:

• Gain a better understanding of how to apply technology to nonprofit business
• Understand how nonprofits can learn from for-profit technology strategy
• Gain a better understanding of the nonprofit landscape
• Understand corporate social responsibility related to technology capacity building
• Identify GroundWork group tools to help nonprofits with technology strategy
• Become a more effective board member and volunteer

Cost per person: $50, includes lunch. Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 16 to Brenda Grosse, bgrosse@groundworkgroup.org or 614-884-7780, ext. 101.

Business Productivity Classes – Microsoft Office “Day of Excel 2007”
Monday, March 29 – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Lunch on your own from 11:30 to 12:30
Instructor: Cyndee McCaskey
Platform Lab, 1275 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, 43212

Welcome to an exciting day. Have you just scratched the surface of Excel 2007? Are you a beginner who needs to understand worksheet basics?  Are you tired of working harder, not smarter?   Then this “Day of Excel 2007” is the perfect course for you.  Spend the morning learning the foundational skills needed to utilize Excel effectively.  Learn setting up a worksheet(s), formatting data, wrapping text in a cell, formatting worksheets, entering line breaks, basic functions, creating formulas from scratch, and creating basic charts.  After lunch, kick into high gear as you learn how to apply list series, numeric series, hiding and displaying, using the insert function wizard, correcting formula errors, utilizing the watch window, filtering, chart modification and formatting, absolute, relative and 3D cell referencing.  Join this relaxing, user-friendly, integrated course that will raise skills to a new level and take the fear out of making Excel 2007 work for you.

Cost per person for the whole day: $50 Full Member; $60 Associate Member; $70 Non-Member/Corporate.  Please RSVP by Friday, March 26 to Brenda Grosse, bgrosse@groundworkgroup.org or 614-884-7780, ext. 101.