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If you are a TechSoup By the Cup subscriber and work for a 501(c)3 organization or library, enter our monthly drawing for an hour of tech time by phone with a TechSoup employee, during which you can find resources to help your organization improve its technology infrastructure.

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Up to two people on a call; offer is non-transferable.

Know a nonprofit that has done an exceptional job of developing open source solutions for its constituents? Then be sure to nominate them for the 2008 Mellon Awards for Technology Collaboration (MATC Awards)

NTEN has released the results of its survey on nonprofit IT expenditures. The survey looked at IT salaries by title and organization size, overall IT salary expenses, capital investments, discretionary IT budgets, and investments in IT training.  It also discusses non-monetary investments in technology planning and evaluation.  The report is available for free here.

This follows an earlier NTEN report on nonprofit IT staffing levels, recruiting, retention, and outsourcing.

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Tactical Technology Collective has published a new guide called Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design. It describes how advocacy groups can use "pictures, symbols, colors, and words to communicate ideas, illustrate information, or express relationships visually." 

The gude's goal is to help you bring "form and structure to information. (This) is not the same as graphic design, nor is it only about making something aesthetically pleasing. (It) is about making your data clear, compelling, and convincing." The guide includes examples, tips, resources, and free software tools.

IT-Online reports on Gartner's recent IT predictions for 2008. Each year, Gartner reviews over 100 technology predictions and identifies ten key developments that are important for IT professionals and nonprofits alike to keep in mind when it comes to planning their technology needs in the years ahead. While the report focuses on the technology industry in general, these trends are worth considering in order for nonprofits to best position themselves to serve their constituents in the near and long-term future.

Among some of the key trends in the report were concerns for environmental standards and regulation:

The NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) is coming up  in New Orleans March 19-21. We'd love to hear from folks in the TechSoup community that will be attending. A number of us from TechSoup will be there, including Susan Tenby, TechSoup's Senior Community Manager, as well as many folks involved with our NetSquared project.

While this probably won't come as a shock to many nonprofits struggling to afford and implement technology basics, NPower Indiana has released a study of local nonprofits that found that 85 percent were working with outdated computers or operating systems, and that many lacked even basic technology equipment and standards:

Nonprofits interested in social networking and technology fundamentals will want to look into two new Webinars from NTEN:

Friends for a Cause: Campaigns in Social Networks

January 16, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PST; $25 for NTEN members, $50 for non-members

'Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. And along with those resolutions to floss regularly and get more exercise, it's a good time to set forth some technology intentions for the new year.

Nonprofit Idealware, known for its Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software for nonprofits, has several upcoming online seminars.