Project Connect Update

The Microsoft Access series will be starting in mid March. The first session will focus on identifying what needs to be included in a nonprofit-related database and how to structure it so that the database will be easy to use and easy to retrieve useful information. Over the next 3 sessions, we build our databases, using forms, queries and reports to aid data entry and data extraction. Access 5 covers troubleshooting and database maintenance. We recommend you sign up for the entire series, as each class builds directly on the previous one. Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, http://www.infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.

If you have always wanted to learn more about the database you're currently using, or think that creating one will improve how you handle information, please sign up! Send an email to arock@infolineinc.org and let us know you're interested. Classes are $60/session for non-members, $40/session for members. Find out more about the benefits of Project Connect membership at http://www.infolineinc.org/connect/membership.htm.

Pre-Qualify Your Organization for Donations from the Summit County Government

The Ohio General Assembly has given local governments flexibility in making donations to nonprofit organizations. The Summit County Government Purchasing office is requesting that local nonprofits with 501(a) or 501(c)(3) status submit their paperwork in advance so that the donation process can be simplified.

The paperwork is simple: on your letterhead, identify (1) the contact person for donations; (2) complete street address (and mailing address if different); (3) phone number and fax; (4) website address (if any); and (5) email of contact person. Send this and a copy of your IRS Determination letter to:

NONPROFIT STATUS REPORT
ATTN: David McCann
Summit County Government Purchasing
175 South Main Street 7th Floor Room 720
Akron, Ohio 44308

This does not guarantee that you will receive any donation ... it will just speed the process if you receive a donation in 2006.

If you have any questions, please contact Dave McCann at dmccann@summitoh.net.

Who Owns Your Domain Name? .... It might not be you!

One of our nonprofit clients wants us to begin hosting their website ... and we've come across a significant problem. A volunteer registered the domain name and developed the website for them. And then the volunteer left. Now the agency wants to transfer the website, but they are unable to because the volunteer registered the domain under his own name, not the name of the agency. That means that the volunteer owns that domain name. The volunteer has complete control of the location and content of the website. But they can't find the volunteer! What a mess!

Please go to www.networksolutions.com and click the button in the left-hand bottom corner. Enter your domain name in the search box and Enter. It will then tell you who is the registered owner of the domain name. It will also tell you when the domain name will need to be renewed.

If your agency is not the registrant, contact the owner and ask them to transfer the domain ownership to your agency. One of your staff members should be listed as the administrative contact. Also ask for the user name and password for the account so that you will be able to make changes in the future. This will give you the assurance that if something happens to your relationship with the owner, your agency will maintain control of the website.

Retirement Plan for Older Computers

It's hard to part with older computers. You don't want to toss them because they could be useful for someone else. On the other hand, you don't have the space for cumbersome paperweights.

You take your computers, scanners, printers, monitors and software to Summit County's Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Center facility during its regular hours of operation. Through the RET3 Job Corp (www.ret3.org), computers are either dismantled and recycled or upgraded and distributed to schools and other non-profit organizations. For more information, visit their website at http://www.saswma.org/resident_recycle.htm#computer.

Here's a couple of handy tips for working with PDFs that save time and improve workflow.

Bookmarks and Pages: Jump quickly around the document using the Bookmarks tab, or the Pages tab (along the far left side of the screen). Click a tab, the pane will expand, then click where you want to go in the document. Bookmarks must be set up by the person creating the PDF, but the Pages index creates automatically.

Finding text: So they didn't add bookmarks to the PDF to help you navigate? Cruise quickly to the section you need with the Find tool. Click the binoculars and the Search pane will open to the right. type in the word(s) you're looking for, and hit Search. Acrobat will jump you to the first instance it finds in the document, and compile a list of other locations. Click it in the list, and jump to that place in the document!

Rotating pages: Sometimes scanned pages are in your PDF sideways, or it's a brochure with one sideways panel or whatever. Don't wrench your neck trying to read it - use the rotate button to flip the pages the way you want them.

Selecting text: Don't have Acrobat professional or one of those fancy PDF converters? Not to worry, you can still extract information from that PDF file you've been sent. Use the Select Text tool and highlight what you want. Copy it (Ctrl+C) and paste it (Ctrl+V) into your Word document, Excel spreadsheet, e-mail message, etc.

Selecting graphics: Use the Snapshot tool to copy graphics, text as an image, or an entire page with text and graphics. Click the Snapshot button, then click and drag a box around what you want to copy. The screen will flash, and the area will automatically be copied to your Office Clipboard. Just switch to your Word document and paste!

Note: Copyrighted information should not be extracted and used without permission from the copyright holder.

Project Connect now offers classes "on demand": just call or e-mail to have your name added to the list, and as soon as we have enough folks registered, we'll schedule the class. This way, we can run whatever classes you need, when you need them!

Microsoft PowerPoint will be offered Fridays, March 3 and 10, from 9am-noon. The first class is will get you on the way to better looking presentations. The second class shows you how to jazz things up a little. Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, http://www.infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.

Get on the list for MS Word and FrontPage! FrontPage is offered in three sessions, or sign up for the whole Web Developers' Series and get PhotoShop for the Web to create your own graphics and touch up those photos for Internet use. Word is offered in five sessions, from beginning documents to advanced desktop publishing. Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, http://www.infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.

Don't forget - we also offer custom sessions. Just get a minimum of 8 people together, and we'll do a special session just for you. You don't all need to be from the same organization, so tell your friends!