barn

The Larson Report isn't endorsing this software package for nonprofits, but if you are working in a nonprofit, you might find something helpful here:

The Base Box for Nonprofits

Tactical Tech and Women'sNet are pleased to announce the Web launch of the latest edition of NGO-in-a-box, the BaseBox.

The BaseBox is a collection of tools for the day to day running of small to medium sized NGOs. Produced by Tactical Tech in association with Women'sNet, the BaseBox aims to make it easier to set up base, find the right software and learn how to use it.

Targeted primarily at activist and advocacy organizations in developing countries the Box contains a set of peer-reviewed Free and Open Source Software tools, with associated guides and tutorials. The edition can be accessed online but it's primary form is as a physical box set of CDs, providing immediate access to all the software tools without the need to download them. The physical box will become available in the coming weeks.

The BaseBox aims to assist organizations make good choices about what technology to employ by collating concrete recommendations of tried and tested software along with documentation on how to use them. The contents of the toolkit were selected by an editorial team made up of leading international practitioners working in technology support for non-profits, social justice organizing and the development and deployment of Free and Open Source Software. The team, consisting of people from South Africa, the Philippines, Bulgaria, India, Australia and the US, worked together to test and select the best software in the following categories:

* Office suites and word processing
* Finance and fundraising
* Project management and collaboration
* Volunteer and staff management
* Web browsers and e-mail
* Instant messaging and telephony
* Surveys
* Antivirus

(See also News.)

Penelope Trunk, "Grassroots volunteering draws younger people," BostonWorks.com, May 29, 2005

National Center for Charitable Statistics

Nonprofit Quarterly

Community gardens: American Community Gardening Association

Resources for Homeless Vets

White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives

The Institute for Regional Development, Bridgewater State College

Grassroots.org: Free Web site hosting

Grants.gov

NonprofitManagement.org: Great overview of what it takes to become a nonprofit and stay in operation

Nonprofit Career Network

David Bornstein, How to Change the World, Social Entrepreneurs and How to Change the World, Oxford University Press, 2003. From an editorial review of this book on Amazon.com: "What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are, writes David Bornstein, the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up -- and remake the world for the better." (continued)

The Boston Foundation, Adapting to Change, Unleashing the Power of Nonprofits

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Sector Report

Civic Ventures

The Nonprofit Center Research Fund

Flynn Research, Measuring Contributions to Society

Massachusetts Cultural Council

What's a Blog, and Why Should Nonprofits Care?

barn raising: communal building of a barn. The building of a wooden barn by a team of people, traditionally a small rural community, often presented as a symbol of bygone community fellowship. (Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition, Microsoft, 2003.)