EBIZ-2100 Assignment 3
E-Biz Uses In The Non-Profit Sector

 

The Vision:

The measure of our nation's progress in narrowing its fundamental disparities will have little to do with how many computers and Internet connections we install. It will have everything to do with how well we can enable those who are less fortunate to elevate their own lives and the lives of their children.

Technology can spark community change so powerful that it will shatter the status quo. Such a change will require much more than access to new tools; it will require a rigorous new focus on outcomes along with smart, large-scale investments to help communities achieve those outcomes.

We can help communities apply technology to speed delivery of vital human services, attract new resources, facilitate neighborhood planning and community organizing, and build learning networks through which people with similar interests can share their diverse experiences. (From Access to Outcomes: Digital Divide Report and Dialogue, Morino Institute, Copyright 2001)

The Reality:

The nonprofit community is not propelled forward by competition for profits, but by loftier, more altruistic goals. It is true (in theory anyway) that nonprofit organizations must compete for limited slices of the pie when it comes to charitable contributions and volunteers. Nevertheless, there exists a more cooperative and sharing culture among nonprofits than in the business world. How does ebiz fit into the picture?
  • Nonprofits have their own nonprofit technology consultants. Nonprofit Tech, www.nonprofit-tech.org is a 501(c)(3) technology association that provides human-centric, mission-focused, technology-based services to the nonprofit community.
 
  • Response and Resources. The horrifying tragedies that recently surged over New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville PA, have demonstrated how valuable a tool Internet can be for service organizations. People wanted to respond in any meaningful way they could, by giving blood, time, and money. They were able to turn to the Internet to find out where they could make their donations. As the saga unfolded over days and weeks, and scam artists came on the scene, people could also use the Internet to check out the legitimacy of any group soliciting money for the cause. The size of the response to the tragedy was unprecedented, and the systems in place were not completely ready to handle it all. The positive news is, with expanded ebiz applications, the deficiencies can be overcome.
 
  • EAdvocacy for Nonprofits: The Law of Lobbying and Election Related Activity on the Net. A fundamental change is happening in the way nonprofit organizations engage in grass roots activism, driven by the growth of the InternetÖeAdvocacy for Nonprofits is a comprehensive effort by the Alliance for Justice to both encourage and guide nonprofit use in internet communication.(Alnisa Allgood, www.allianceforjustice.org/eadvocacy ©2000)
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