If you weren't in the Bay Area on June 20, or wished you could've cloned yourself to attend multiple sessions at the same time, never fear. You can see presentations from anywhere, anytime online.

The Craigslist Foundation's annual Nonprofit Bootcamp was a fantastc one-day conference, chalk full of workshops on topics ranging from marketing advice (PPT 10.1MB) to advanced ideas about the future of technology (PPT 1.7MB) for nonprofits, which featured our very own co-CEO, Marnie Webb. Many of the slideshows presented at the event are already available to be viewed on their site. Downloadable podcasts will be available for most sessions soon (we'll update you when they become available but in the meantime, check out the podcasts from previous years!)

Aside from Marnie's presentation, TechSoup was there with bells on as a sponsor and exhibitor. I was there along with my colleagues Elliot Harmon, Ricci Powers, and Barbara Shaughnessy. We really enjoyed the opportunity to get to talk to throngs of people from established nonprofits around the country, start-up organizations, and future nonprofit hopefuls.

Last year at RSA — the annual industry-wide information security conference held here in San Francisco — we noted that Web 2.0 was one of the question marks in terms of security and how to support users and data.

This year cloud computing is on the hot topic track and in one session, "Are Clouds Secure? Security and Privacy implications of Cloud Computing," the presenters from RSA and Sun Microsystems argued that due to a variety of factors, large enterprises are ill-advised to, or at least shouldn't be, using public clouds for their infrastructure or applications. At the same time, they believe that although software-as-a-service (SaaS) is likely to be a step down in terms of security for large enterprises, it may be a step up for small and medium businesses.

I think that the same can be said for nonprofits as well. The pay-as-you-go pricing makes it more like an operating expenditure rather than a capital expenditure, which fits our sector well in many cases.

Public Citizen has just released a short, easy-to-read report called Writing with Libel in Mind: A Guide for Nonprofits and Bloggers. It's essential that organizations involved with advocacy or controversial issues be familiar with the basics of libel, but a guide like this could actually be useful for any nonprofit with a blog or newsletter.

Software buying and licensing can be a daunting subject for the uninitiated, but Zac Mutrux, a San Francisco-based technology consultant with years of experience advising nonprofits, did a great job simplifying this subject during our latest TechSoup Talks! webinar, 5 Mistakes to Avoid when Acquiring Software. Below is my paraphrase of his talk:

• Don't Pay Less than You Owe. During tough economic times, it's tempting to "borrow" software for a little while until you have the budget to pay for it. Don't. Microsoft and other vendors do audit organizations, and the price you'll pay in fines and bad PR outweighs the short-term benefits.
• Don't Pay More than You Have to. In other words, don't pay retail for software. Through TechSoup Stock, 501(c)(3) organizations and public libraries are eligible for donations from Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec, Intuit and 35 other software vendors. Zac also discusses several other software donation and discount programs, such as Microsoft Open License for Charities and Adobe Solutions for Nonprofits. You can often receive great deals through these programs when you don't qualify for a TechSoup donation, or you've reached your annual donation limit. Also, when you buy Microsoft products through TechSoup Stock, you receive Software Assurance, which gives you access to two year's worth of free upgrades (as well as access to training and other benefits). In other words, don't buy the next version of Office if you can upgrade for free through Software Assurance. For more information on how this applies to TechSoup donations, read the Microsoft Program FAQ.
• Plan Ahead When you Request Donations. Many donation programs only let you purchase once a year or once every six months. Look ahead. If you're bringing more computers into your system six months from now, it might make sense to buy some extra software licenses as part of your current donation request.
• Read more

GuideStar reports that in 2010, half a million U.S. nonprofits could lose their tax-exempt status. That's because a law passed in 2006 requires that every nonprofit file a Form 990. If you were previously exempt from filing a 990, you probably need to file the new Form 990-N.

Check out GuideStar's article for more details, and please take a moment to remind any friends you have in smaller nonprofits.