Inside Tucson Business: Community Foundation supports nonprofit tech training

Community Foundation supports nonprofit tech training

By Philip S. Moore, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Friday, May 26, 2006

In moves supported by the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, two companies are coming to Tucson to offer local nonprofit organizations a better understanding of technology and how it can help them better serve the community.

In the first of two separate announcements, NPower Arizona, a nonprofit information technology support organization, announced plans to begin offering support for Southern Arizona nonprofit groups. In partnership with the Community Foundation, the Phoenix-based affiliate of NPower National Network will begin offering workshops and providing information technology support for local organization.

“We’ve been planning this move since before we opened in Phoenix,” said Andy Parnell, director of outreach for NPower. Calling the organization a nonprofit serving nonprofits, he said, “We work to bring the best practices, nationally, to the local level.”

Initially, the organization will be presenting free monthly Tech Tuesday seminars at the Community Foundation offices, at 2250 E. Broadway Blvd. The first, on May 30, will examine methods for making data disaster-proof. The second monthly seminar, on June 20, will offer four ways to set up online fund-raising, and the third meeting, July 18, will cover defensive measures against spyware, virus and spam.

NPower is also offering Southern Arizona technology support through Senior Network Engineer Pierre Kaluzny, who is now based in Tucson. “He’s already there, offering member support where it’s needed,” Parnell said.

While the organization provides free software as part of membership, though NPower’s founding partnership with Microsoft, and offers advanced consulting on database development, Parnell said the immediate need in Tucson is still infrastructure. “We’re making sure the foundation is laid in networking, data backup and firewalls. Once that’s done, we’ll move to the next phase, where nonprofits can learn to become more efficient through technology.”

Although most nonprofits are consumed with accomplishing their core mission, he said, “We want to put them in a position where they can start planning, rather than using information technology as a Band-Aid fix when something goes wrong. We want to get them to the point where they can see what technology can do for them.”

Also addressing nonprofit organization needs will be Cox Communications, which joined with the Community Foundation to announce the launch of a three-session series of free 90-minute mini-seminars on online marketing and communications, taught by Internet marketing consultants Amanda Vega and Allan Sabo.

The seminars, also at the foundation offices, will be June 29 on Internet basics and website marketing tactics, July 13 on blogging and effective Internet marketing tactics, and July 27 on podcasting and tips for production and marketing with audio.

Community Foundation support for the technology seminars is part of an ongoing effort to improve Tucson area nonprofits and their effectiveness in meeting local needs, said Chief Executive Office Steve Alley. “At a basic level we believe that to make quality grants, we need to have quality organizations.”

He said, “Therefore, we do whatever we can to help each nonprofit to succeed.” Technology is an important aspect of that because it’s a key to growth, Alley said. “By taking advantage of economies of scale to find the best and most efficient use for non-profit resources, “we work to develop what’s best in nonprofit information technology infrastructure.”

Along with technology, he said continuing education is important, and that leads to the Community Foundation’s support for encouraging nonprofit networks. With a $66,000 grant from Arizona State University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Alley said the foundation has formed an advisory board to devise strategies for supporting collaboration and accountability through groups such as the Southern Arizona Alliance of Nonprofits.

“We want to support them because that’s where learning happens,” Alley said. “By supporting networks, they’re able to provide support for the kinds of things that help nonprofits to grow, and that strengthens all of us as organizations.”

Further information on nonprofit programs is available from the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona at (520) 770-0800 or online at www.cfsoaz.org. Further information on NPower Arizona membership and technology support service is also available at www.npoweraz.org.

E-mail comments for publication to editor@azbiz.com. Contact Philip S. Moore at pmoore@azbiz.com or at (520) 295-4238.

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