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June 2006
In this issue:
Surplus equipment and furniture for nonprofits
Position your nonprofit for better fundraising
Learn how to use technology more effectively at TechMix
Join your peers at the 2006 OANO Conference
Ryan Adcox Joins Project Connect Team
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Ryan Adcox is joining Project Connect on a part-time basis. Ryan is studying computer engineering at The University of Akron and has recently completed an internship with us. We were so impressed with his knowledge, willingness to learn, and customer service skills that we asked him to join our team. Ryan will be answering technical support calls and troubleshooting network, computer, and software problems. Please join me in welcoming Ryan to Info Line!!
There's More Life in that Tired Equipment!
Project
Connect is collaborating with the
Computers Again
to help nonprofits benefit from
less-than-cutting-edge computers!
-
If you have an older computer which is slow and crashes often, it may perform better after a complete clean-up. Computers Again will remove all files and and install a clean operating system for $75. Add Microsoft Office Professional for $20 from TechSoup (www.techsoup.org), and you have a functional computer.
-
If you need an older computer, Computers Again has an inventory of equipment which might meet your needs. Refurbished computers and monitors are available for $75.
-
Computers Again also accepts computers, laptops, and 17" (or larger) monitors for refurbishment and reuse. As a member of the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program, their process guarantees that your data will be removed from hard drives and parts not used are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. Computer equipment must meet these minimum requirements:
-
300 MHz CPU or higher
-
64 MB RAM, 128 MB RAM preferred
-
4 GB hard drive
-
8x CD-ROM drive or faster
-
For more information, visit www.computersagain.org or contact Ed Rowlance at 330-445-1101 or computersagain@goodwillcanton.org.
Summit County Offers Surplus Equipment to Nonprofits
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Summit
County now announces the surplus equipment
available for donation at
the
Summit County website. They encourage
you to check this on a weekly basis because
needed items go quickly. If you could use any equipment at the link
for Surplus Inventory for Non-Profits,
complete the application form and contact
the person listed. For more information,
contact the Department of Purchasing at
330-643-2557 or
slysenko@summitoh.net.
Charitable Dollars vs Marketing Dollars
June 13, 8-9:30 AM
Sheraton Suites, 1989 Front Street,
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 • Click here
for directions
A full breakfast buffet will be served
$13 members • $18 non-members •
MasterCard and Visa now accepted
Reservations Required • Deadline:
Thursday, June 8, Noon
The
nonprofit sector is brimming with
over-exposed and fickle donors. In order to
keep pace with these donors and donor
prospects, nonprofit organizations must
harness the single most powerful concept in
marketing: Positioning.
Positioning is the long-term strategy that, when effectively implemented, provides the backbone for strategic communications with prospective customers, donors and stakeholders—the lifeblood of any organization. That's why it is so powerful.
Lorraine Kessler will address the principles of positioning and explain ways you can implement it in your own organization, including:
-
Establishing the strategic direction and prescribing the messages, tone and voice of your organization;
-
Ensuring consistency and relevance in pursuit of your objectives; and
-
Most importantly, differentiating your organization in the mind of the donor.
As vice president for client services, and one of five principal owners, Lorraine is one of Innis Maggiore’s leading strategists and oversees the account process from initial input and analysis to program implementation. Prior to assuming her current position, Lorraine served the agency first as business development director and then as marketing communications director.
For more information, visit http://www.afpncoh.org/2006/06-06.htm.
TechMix Focuses on
Nonprofit Technology
July 13, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Columbus Mariot North
Join
the Ohio Community Computering Network (OCCN)
and the Ohio CDC Association for this
engaging full-day conference focusing on how
to make more effective use of technology in
nonprofits.
TechMix will be a great opportunity to share resources and ideas, meet peers and build relationships, and learn how other Ohio nonprofits are putting technology to work. Attendees may choose from a variety of tracks, based on comfort level and organizational interest. All track sessions will in some way stress importance of innovative use of technology in the nonprofit marketplace. The Conference will be a mixture of plenaries, panels, breakout sessions, and unstructured time: http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/Agenda.htm.
Visit http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/index.htm for more information.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2006
OANO Annual Conference:
Creating Connections to Strengthen Communities
October 5, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Hyatt Regency, Columbus
Join
more than 400 nonprofit leaders, funders and vendors
from around the state at OANO's 12 Annual Conference
on October 5, 2006. During the keynote luncheon, a
panel of funders will give their inside tips for the
best fundraising techniques. All attendees are
invited to a reception the night before where they
can network with others in the sector and also meet
one-on-one with consultants for advice.
To pre-register, and for more information, visit www.oano.org.
Excel in the Summertime!
Microsoft Excel will be offered Wednesdays starting
June 21, from 9am to noon. Excel 1 covers the basics -
getting to know the spreadsheet tools, navigating
around the workbook, and basic formulas. Excel 2
covers formulas, and Excel 3 covers advanced tools.
If you're interested in pivot tables and interactive
charts (and if you're not, you should be!!), Excel 4
is for you!! Complete descriptions of each course
are on our website,
http://www.infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.
-
Excel 1: Spreadsheet Basics
6/21/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon -
Excel 2: Formulas
6/28
Excel 3: Advanced Tools
7/5/06 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
Excel 4: Data Analysis Tools
7/12/06
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
FrontPage and Word Coming Soon!
Reserve your seat now
- call 330-315-1335 or e-mail
connect@infolineinc.org.
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!
Amy's
PC TIP:
Just got a technology grant? Thinking
of writing one? The key question is,
just what do you need from your new or
upgraded system to make an impact?
We all get frustrated when our computer
slows to a crawl, but depending on what you
currently are using, it may not take much to
get you up to speed, literally.
How do I know what I've got already?
Pentium II
233-450 MHz
Pentium III
450 MHz - 1 GHz
Pentium III Xeon
500 MHz - 1 GHz
Pentium 4
1.4 GHz - 3.4 GHz
If your RAM is listed in KB (kilobytes),
divide by 1024 to get the number of MB
(megabytes).
So
what do I need?
What you need depends
on what you intend to do with your computer. For basic users, using e-mail, the
internet, and
word processing, 256 MB should be sufficient. However, bear in mind the requirements of the
software you have installed. Microsoft Windows
XP (Home or Professional) needs at least 256 MB to
function well, preferably 512 MB for serious
multitasking. Programs like Photoshop and
FrontPage are memory hogs, and are not truly happy
until you are at 512 MB. Can you use them with
less? Sure, but be prepared to experience slow
response times, or have to close everything else to
get the speed you crave.
The basic rule is the more you
do, the more you need. If you're planning to
run Office Professional, several applications at the
same time, start with 512 MB and increase to taste.
Processor speeds should be at
minimum 500 MHz, for graphics-intensive applications
such as Photoshop, 750 MHz is a better baseline.
Thanks to the recent demand for high-speed gaming
machines, you can get a brand-new 1Ghz machine at a
reasonable price, which will run all your stuff
happily for some years to come.
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!
Get on the list for
Microsoft 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.
How Much is Enough? Memory and CPU recommendations
for today's systems
If you have a
My Computer icon on your
desktop, right click on it and select
Properties. (If you don't have it
there, click on [Start], then right click on
My Computer.) At the bottom, under
Computer, it will tell you how much memory
you have (RAM), and what sort of processor
you have. In some cases, you may see
something like
'x86 Family 6 Model 5 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel' - type this into your Google
toolbar, and you're likely to come up with a
host of sites that will list your processor
speed, in megahertz (MHz). A gigahertz
(GHz) is equal to 1000 MHz. If you see something
like 'Pentium II', refer to the chart below:
Are you getting the best deals
for your technology dollar?
Answers for sale!!
You and your staff have more important
things to do than fight with your
technology!
Instead of spending hours of frustration
trying to do it yourself, let us help
you!
Cost is $15 per
increment of 10
minutes.
As always, we are interested in hearing from you to
learn how we can best meet your technology and
connectivity needs. Give us a call at 330-315-1335
or e-mail us at
connect@infolineinc.org.
Don't
buy anything technology-related until you've visited
these three websites first!! They offer significant
discounts for nonprofits with Microsoft, Dell, CDW,
Adobe, and more! 
Project
Connect offers
Live Help for staff of all Ohio
nonprofits! If you are having problems
with a Microsoft Office or Adobe
product, simply go to
www.pclivehelp.org and
complete the form. Follow the
directions, and then we'll be able to
see your computer from our office. We
can then walk you through the problem. 
Enjoy!
Be sure to include your fax number!
Want to see previous newsletters? Go to www.infolineinc.org/connect/updates.htm
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