As I gear up for my presentation at Chicago COUNTs (COnference Uniting Nonprofits and Technology) this Sunday, September 12th, my blog posts leading up to the event will be focused on helping nonprofits leverage the web. Enjoy and, if you're in the Chicagoland area, come on by on 9/12!

In my journey to bring you great online nonprofit software resources, I have come across a number of sites which list solutions that can be used to manage your nonprofit online. In today's post, I want to share those sites with you.

A word of caution before you dive in however: these lists are pretty "raw". What I mean to say is that they can be:

1. Unfocused and thus contain irrelevant links; and
2. Organized poorly.

They can also contain:

1. Old and broken links; and
2. Links to solutions which are not online solutions as was my goal.

This is not to say that these lists are not useful; that is far from the truth! They all contain links to good solutions and thus cannot be ignored outright.

The key to using these lists is taking the time to sift through the links to discover solutions which seem to meet your organization's requirements. This is what I do for my software list posts (for example, two posts ago when I gave you a list of, "Online Volunteer Scheduling Software for Nonprofits") using the process detailed in my free guide, "6-Step Online Software Evaluation and Selection Process".

One last point before we get on with the links: there are many online solutions available which are not aimed at the nonprofit market. That does not mean that these tools would not be the perfect fit; it just means that you sometimes need to broaden your search for tools. To get a list of my favorite online solutions list sites, download my free guide, "6-Step Online Software Evaluation and Selection Process" and read over step 2.

With that long-winded introduction finally complete, I give you a list of nonprofit software lists online!

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As I gear up for my presentation at Chicago COUNTs (COnference Uniting Nonprofits and Technology) on September 12th, my blog posts leading up to the event will be focused on helping nonprofits leverage the web. Enjoy and, if you're in the Chicagoland area, come on by on 9/12!

Three of the hardest details when selecting the right software for your nonprofit organization are:

1. Figuring out what mix of software your organization requires to function and excel at its mission;
2. Discovering and creating a list of which solutions are available; and
3. Evaluating and selecting the software on your list which will meet your organization's needs.

Luckily, there are resources online to help with each of these steps.

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As I gear up for my presentation at Chicago COUNTs (COnference Uniting Nonprofits and Technology) on September 12th, my blog posts leading up to the event will be focused on helping nonprofits leverage the web. Enjoy and, if you're in the Chicagoland area, come on by on 9/12!

From signing up new recruits to juggling schedules to managing reminders and notices, coordinating volunteers can be one of the most detail-oriented tasks at any nonprofit. Over the years many tools have been used to manage this task but none fits the bill as well as volunteer scheduling software online.

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When I met Dennis on The Third Tribe (affiliate link) forums, I was impressed by his drive to help people pursue their passions through their careers. This post talks about a subject near and dear to my heart: taking action. One of the things I like best about leveraging the web is how fast you can move once you have decide to get started. Enjoy and don't forget, if you have a favorite tool which you'd like to talk about right here, write up a post and send it in!

What separates those who are successful from those who fall by the wayside? Is it that they know more? No. Is it that they went to a better school? Absolutely not. Is it that they have a better support system around them? No way!

The truth is as blunt as it is simple. Those who get things done implement. They take action and they get things done. Quickly.

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Alright, it's confession time.

In all my dealings with you guys, my readers, I urge, cajole, whine and basically just stop short of berating you to use software online to get things done.

I truly believe in software online; in its power to save time and money and how it enables you to implement new processes. I've written a 70-plus page ebook on the subject. I have researched endlessly to find the best tools online and I've created courses to teach folks how to use those tools.

So what happened last week when I needed to create a video slideshow with music for a family event?

I spent money on an offline solution.

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As comfortable as you may be with the Web, the fact remains that getting work done online is a lot different than just surfing around. Why? Because:

1. The Web is a very distracting place which can easily eat up a ton of your valuable time and;
2. Finding and selecting the best resources (sites, tools, software and information) is a pretty overwhelming task!

So to help you get started with getting work done online, here are 3 tips to point you in the right direction:

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I met Dawn on The Third Tribe (affiliate link) forums. When I read that she was looking for a new time-tracking tool, I asked her to record her journey and final results so we could bring it to you guys; she was kind enough to do so in excellent detail. Enjoy and don't forget, if you have a favorite tool which you'd like to talk about right here, write up a post and send it in!

Online Time Tracking: The Cornerstone of Better Business

In summary, time invested in reviewing and selecting online time management software is the best management decision I have made in this infancy stage of my business. This post covers how I got to this epiphany, a few notes on resources, my ultimate selection and thoughts for an even better future.

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Let me be up front with you: I know that this post can be seen a thinly disguised marketing ploy to tell you about my new course, "Earn More by Finding Freelance Writing Jobs Online".

Yes, it can be seen that way (and I DO want you to buy my course so I can keep writing here and creating more courses for you), but what I really want to do is talk about the "course behind the course"; the core reason why I create courses like "Earn More by Finding Freelance Writing Jobs Online" and write this blog.

Like I said to a friend the other day, "When is a course about finding freelance writing jobs online really about learning the value of the Web? When it's a Leverage the Web course!"

It's all about Leveraging the Web.

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I have a confession to make: even though I am a "Digital Nomad" who works and connects online, I'm still very attached to my wonderful home office.

Unlike Starbucks, Panera Bread, airports and other digital nomad gathering spots, my home office has everything a Web worker needs:

• Plenty of Ethernet jacks
• Coffee
• Wireless for visitors
• Diet Coke
• A Chumby
• A huge white board for visual thinking

It's the last which is the root of my problems.

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I have used software listings, links to online software, tools and sites, in many of my blog posts. At the same time, I have railed against simple listings that provide no context and do not help readers choose the solution that best fits their needs.

Yes it's true: I both love and hate software listings.

On the love side, software listings are my meat and drink. I can spend hours on a software listing page (and have) clicking on site link after site link, exploring the world of online software, tools and sites and bringing back the discoveries to share with you here on my blog.

On the hate side, software listings are black holes, sucking me into a maelstrom of confusion, overwhelm and time-wasting which leads to no forward movement or accomplishment.

These two views of software listings are, as love and hate relationships tend to be, black-and-white. The need therefore, is to find a middle ground that:

• Provides the valuable discoveries that software listings offer;
• Minimizes the confusion and overwhelm as much as possible; and
• Allows the explorer to place their discoveries within the context of their own unique requirements and needs.

That solution is an online software evaluation and selection process.

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