With podcasting you can set up your own talk show with almost no budget and with minimal effort. You can start a real mission empowering public dialog for your non-profit with a podcast much easier than a blog.

 RSVP HERE >

- Recent breakthroughs in technological and organizational change that make it easy to conduct fun, positive, and natural interviews.

- Make a real live podcast from scratch - from your website to iTunes, to asking for, conducting, editing, and publishing a new podcast episode.

- Producing podcasts - What kind of gear to get - Podcasting tool sites.

- How to find advertisers

About the presenters: Lesley Lotto has worked in the Entertainment industry for more than 20 years including experience in the music, film, TV and radio broadcasting industries. Her podcast, "Notes From The Northwest", had been in the top 20 of the Most Popular in News and Politics for that site and received as many as 10,000 hits per month.

Harold Shinsato is a programmer for SAP and is on the board for the Stevensville Playhouse where he publishes a podcast.

Thinking about how to take the next step in engaging your supporters online? Over 1000 organization are now using Salsa with a reach of 20 million individuals. Though we are headquartered in DC, you have easy access to understand how DemocracyInAction's online communication tools work (called Salsa) since I live in Missoula.

I'm offering a free 3 hour Salsa workshop at the library this Thursday for exiting and prospective members. Here, you'll get a closer look at how your group can tap into Salsa's powerful communication suite. You'll learn how Salsa can dramatically improve your organization's online organizing, communication and fundraising strategy. 

Thursday, May 7 - Public Library, 3-5pm (board room)

We'll cover the following features:

    * Setting up sophisticated email messages with custom content for your supporters
    * Running effective online advocacy campaigns using our new Actions tools
    * Increasing your online donation performance with Personal Fundraising Pages
    * A sneak preview of our new events tools
    * How to get advice from the best online organizers in the world in Salsa Commons

RSVP HERE >

Hope to see you there!

                               WORKSHOP: Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission

                                                 Tuesday, April 7th. 9am - 2:30pm
                                                      Missoula Children's Theater

                                                                 Register Here

Does your organization view technology as a critical partner in achieving your organization's mission? Informational technology (IT) alignment should mesh with the goals, strategies and processes used in your organizations planning. Benefits of IT alignment include the ability to reach more supporters, serve more clients, save staff time and resources.

Today, there are few aspects of non profit organizations that are not effected by technology. From financial management to program delivery to fundraising. Technology is now a game changer when combined effectively with mission. It can determine your efficiency, effectiveness and how well you achieve your mission.

As a non profit leader, you need to have a framework and process in place to incorporate technology into your overall opererations (stratetic planning, budgeting, etc). This workshop will map out a process of how to evaluate what stage of IT alignment your organization is in, and how to move forward. If your organization is ready to take the next step in optimizing technology to help achieve your mission, this workshop is a must.

Workshop Objectives
- Understand why technology and mission must intersect
- Offer a step-by-step process for connecting technology with your mission
- Provide a framework for thinking about how to integrate technology with your strategic plan

Workshop Take Away's
- Understand what IT alignment means, examine it's benefits, explore different stages and hear case studies
- Create an IT alignment roadmap for your organization
- Assess the stages of IT maturity with various functions of your organization
- Provide clarity of how your organization can make gradual progress in stages of IT alignment
- Explore how technology can help with your organization's daily workflow
- Tip on building buy in within your organization

$100 per person. Please register by April 1.

Workshop presenters:

LaNette Diaz, Creative Ventures
LaNette owns Creative Ventures, a consulting business that helps non-profits innovate fundraising techniques, create strong boards, build and implement strategic plans, and plan annual events. LaNette has worked with non-profits for over 10 years and brings considerable knowledge of organizational strategy and planning. LaNette is also a board member of the Missoula Community Food Coop where she strives to help member-owners plan for and sustain a true cooperative model.

Jeanette Russell, DemocracyInAction
Jeanette is the Western Director DemocracyInAction, a non profit based in Washington DC that provides online communication tools to over 500 progressive organizations. In this capacity, she provides strategic support to non profits and gives regular workshops about online communications throughout the West. She has been a leader in the nonprofit field for 15 years and brings extensive knowledge of online communications, fundraising and advocacy organizing. Jeanette also started a chapter of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) that offers technology workshops to Missoula non profits and businesses.

A big thanks to NTEN! The ideas and title of this workshop was inspired by a book that will be released in April from NTEN.

Thursday, Feb 19. Noon - 1:30pm
Missoula Children's Theater (upstairs, new addition)
Light lunch provided

Stop trying to take on 21st-century challenges with 20th-century web development techniques! This workshop will show you how a web Content Management System (CMS) can help streamline your web workflow, enable non-technical staff to update your site, make event calendars easy, and more.

 RSVP here: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/103/t/6724/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=47560

Workshop presenters:

Andy Laken: Andy Laken is a web developer and IT consultant with a passion for using technology to empower positive change. With over 12 years web development experience, since 2004 Andy has focused on the technology needs of nonprofits and issue advocacy groups. Currently Andy is an independent consultant specializing in the Drupal content management framework.

Chuck Irestone: Owner of Irestone Web Design, Chuck has been designing websites for over 6 years. He has worked with businesses and non-profit organizations. Chuck is cofounder of the Sustainable Business Council and has been on the board ever since. Chuck maintains websites for the Trail Head, Sustainable Business Council, and the Buffalo Field Campaign.

Technology solutions can solve many organizational problems for non-profits, from coordinating staff and volunteers, to keeping your constituencies and donors engaged and active in promoting the mission.  But what good are technology solutions if people won't use them?

Barriers to Adoption - Thursday, Sept 18 @ 5:30
501 Lounge (Iron Horse)
We'll informally discuss some of the barriers to technology that organizations or buisesses is face over beers. RSVP here>

Understanding Phases of Adoptions Workshop
Thursday, October 23. 12:30 - 2pm. RSVP here >

Workshop Description: Improving adoption for new technologies is the same as the adoption of any new products or idea.  A dictatorship or authoritarian organization might force adoption on grudging employees (or citizens), but if you're not the dictator, or if you are running a democracy or volunteer outfit, the adoption process must be nourished more organically.  Researchers E.M. Rogers and Jeffrey Moore called this process the innovation-decision process, and they popularized the names of the phases, such as the "Early Adopter" phase.

Harold Shinsato will lead this this workshop and explain successful strategies for each phase of the adoption process. This workshp will help you understand the innovation-decision process and how to employ successful strategies, called "patterns", to help your non-profit get your staff, volunteers, and constituencies to take advantage of all the new social technologies that will help you achieve the organizational mission.

Harold Shinsato has had success promoting the adoption of new software development technologies, methodologies, and ideas at Xerox, Business Objects, Inxight, and SAP. 

Sponsored by Missoula's own FirstCall: a montana technology resource company

Check out this quick video about what the ladies at Adventure Cycling are saying about the Msla 501 Tech Club

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LC2pxwslGQ

Wanna take your organization to the next level through the effective use of online collaboration and planning? Join Missoula non-profits and techies as we explore the following:

• What staff/members really think about your projects, staff policies, etc. (RiseUp + GrupThink)
• Wikis + Document Collaboration and Sharing
• Internal planning + Event and project coordination (gcal, basecamp)
• How to trim a 5 minute interaction into 5 seconds (IM)
• Overcoming organizational resistance to all of the above

Wednesday, August 20th. 12:30-2:00pm. Missoula Childrens Theater & Performing Arts Center
RSVP here >

Pizza provided (Biga). $10 suggested donation

John Bacino (Forward Montana) and Jeanette Russell (DemocracyInAction) will preview a few choice tools that most non-profits would benefit from. And yes, we need new speakers (Bueller... Bueller). Bring your laptop.

Wanna help shape our upcoming 501 Tech Club workshop? Join the conversation by adding your workshop suggestions (and vote) by using Grupthink's groovy social networking tool. Join the conversation here > 

Join us for our first social event of the Missoula 501 Tech Lounge on Thursday, July 17th @ 5:30

Talk Tech + Meet tech professionals + Drink + Talk about Social Networking

 We will also hear from our sponsor GrupThink.

RSVP here > 

Join the Missoula 501 Tech Club

The Missoula 501 Tech Club is a monthly gathering of people working on or interested in nonprofit technology in Missoula, Montana. Our meetings are opportunities for anyone interested in helping nonprofits use technology to get together and talk shop in a fun, informal setting, and our name refers to the fact that most of us work primarily with and for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

Subscribe to the list 

To receive announcements about our monthly meetings and to join other Missoula members, please register at http://groups.nten.org/profile.htm?mode=getagreement and then join this group or use the "Join Now" link in the right hand menu.

When and where do we meet?

We will meet monthly with a rotating format of brown bag lunches (at Children's Theater) and social hours (at 501 Lounge, Iron Horse).

Our first meeting will be on Thursday, June 19 from noon to 1:30 and will explore how to create an effective online newsletter and communications. RSVP here