The Confluence Gallery and Art Center has flourished since 1988 as a hub of the arts community in Twisp, Washington. The nonprofit gallery holds seven group and individual exhibits each year, showcasing the work of local and regional artists from North Central Washington. Special exhibitions draw from farther afield, highlighting noteworthy artists from the Pacific Northwest.

As participants in NPower’s statewide training and technology support program funded through the Greater Everett Community Foundation in 2008 and 2009, Confluence Gallery completed a Stable and Secure Assessment which pointed to a severe need to upgrade aging hardware. NPower consultants assisted Gallery staff in selecting a new desktop system, provided funds to cover the purchase (thank you GECF!), and procured software donations (Microsoft Windows and Office — thank you Microsoft!) to support key accounting and grant writing functions. In an “extreme makeover” story, Executive Director Sybil Macapia says Confluence Gallery is now in a much stronger position to support the administrative needs of the organization, and recently procured a much-needed grant that she links directly to the availability of that single new computer system.

Congratulations, Confluence staff! And thank you to the Greater Everett Community Foundation, Microsoft and our other supporters who make miracles like this one possible for nonprofits in Washington state.

Join Microsoft (and NPower alumnus Lindsay Bealko) on Wednesday, January 27th for a free webinar on getting the most from Windows 7:

Event Title: Meet Windows 7: Your Nonprofit PC, Simplified

Event Time: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:00 AM PST

Event Description: Windows 7 is designed to make PCs faster, more secure, and more reliable. Unlike its predecessors, it is leaner and less busy. It simplifies tasks and makes the things you do everyday easier, leaving you with more time to focus on what really matters: Your mission.
In this brief but information-packed webinar, you’ll hear from Microsoft Community Affairs about what matters to nonprofits in Windows 7. We’ll review how eligible nonprofits can request a donation of Windows 7 Upgrade software and highlight some of the new features that nonprofits especially like. The webinar is not technical and is open to all nonprofit staff, regardless of what operating system they are currently running.
Whether you’re already using Windows 7 or just curious to learn more, this FREE webinar will definitely help you get better acquainted with Microsoft’s latest operating system.

Register now!

Happy New Year!  Hope that 2010 is off to a good start for everybody.

Before all the decorations are packed away and the last of the eggnog has been drunk, here are December’s most viewed posts from the NPowering: Nonprofit Technology blog:

• The Hierarchical Nature of Data: Discussion on how to take advantage of data hierarchy when using accounts and campaigns in Salesforce.
• Snow Day: Here are Suggestions for readying yourself for a work from home day due to inclement weather.
• Choosing a Future of Rejuvenation: Takeaways from Paul Light’s presentation at October’s Nonprofit Governance Conference in Tacoma.
• The Path to End of Year Fundraising Success: Resources and advice for improving the message and strategy of your end-of-year appeal.
• Windows 7 Evaluation & Upgrade Resources: Online nonprofit resources for evaluating and planning a Windows 7 upgrade for your organization, including guides from TechSoup, TechFlash, and Lifehacker.

P.S. Remember to check us out on Facebook.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving leftovers, it’s time for the monthly review of the top posts from the NPowering: Nonprofit Technology blog (based on page views):

• Choosing a Future of Rejuvenation: Takeaways from Paul Light’s presentation at October’s Nonprofit Governance Conference in Tacoma.
• The Path to End of Year Fundraising Success: Resources and advice for improving the message and strategy of your end-of-year appeal.
• Windows 7: Discussion on evaluating and planning for the upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.
• 7 Ways to Change the World Video Contest: Announcement of Microsoft’s Windows 7 video contest.  The contest has ended, but you can read more about the winners in this updated blog post.
• Windows 7 Evaluation & Upgrade Resources: Online nonprofit resources for evaluating and planning a Windows 7 upgrade for your organization.  Includes guides from TechSoup, TechFlash, and Lifehacker.

Happy Holidays!

The top seven have been announced in the Windows 7 Ways to Change the World contest.  Congratulations to the winning agencies, including two with local connections:  Mid Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group and Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, Bremerton Branch.  To read more about these organizations and view their videos, check out Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential blog.

P.S. You can also find NPower Seattle’s entry, Who Changes the World?, posted on the NPower Seattle Media Network.

Fresh from the video editing room, NPower Seattle’s entry in Microsoft’s 7 Ways to Change the World contest is now available for public consumption.  Check us out in the Idea Gallery: http://www.7waystochangetheworld.com/gallery.aspx.

And after that, for those old enough to remember (or young enough to be curious about) the title reference, take a stroll down memory lane with The Buggles:

Before putting the close on October, we thought it would be fun to revisit the top five NPowering: Nonprofit Technology blog posts (based on page views) from last month:

• Doing More with Less: Suggestions for some smart investments that may help your nonprofit raise capital or provide you with resources that go beyond a large check.
• Group Calendars and Salesforce: Discussion on reasons to use a group calendar and the group calendaring available to organizations using Salesforce.
• Windows 7: Discussion on evaluating and planning for the upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.
• The Path to End of Year Fundraising Success: Resources and advice for improving the message and strategy of your end-of-year appeal.
• Create Cool Text in Illustrator: Tutorial from Layers Magazine for creating fun, eye-catching text with Adobe Illustrator.  (This one is a blast from the past.)

Following up on last week’s Windows 7 release, below are some online resources for evaluating and planning an upgrade for your organization.

As always, our friends at TechSoup have a wealth of information available, including upgrade guidance, migration checklist, and product donation.  Their Windows 7 homepage is a great starting point, but here are a couple of things to call to your attention:

• Special Extra Donation: Microsoft is allowing qualified nonprofits to place an extra donation request for Windows 7 or Vista.  (Much better than double secret probation.)
• Software Compatibility: A consolidated summary of Windows 7 compatibility statements from the companies that provide desktop software donations through TechSoup.

As referenced in my earlier Windows 7 post, Microsoft has helpful tools for upgrade evaluation and preparation:

• Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor: A downloadable program that will scan your PC for potential issues with your hardware and software and provide recommendations on how to proceed.
• Windows 7 Compatibility Center: A collection of compatibility information for popular devices and software titles to help you easily identify what will or won’t work with Windows 7.
• Windows 7 Features: Explore Windows 7’s new features and functionality through online videos.

In addition, TechFlash and Lifehacker have both assembled very comprehensive Windows 7 guides:

• TechFlash Windows 7 Resource Guide: Includes a plethora of links to reviews and other resources.
• Lifehacker’s Complete Guide to Windows 7: Includes an extensive review of new features and mouse/keyboard shortcuts.

Hope you find this information useful.  If you have come across other helpful Windows 7 resources, please share them with the rest of community.

Happy weekend!

Have you heard about the “7 Ways to Change the World” video contest that Microsoft is sponsoring as part of the Windows 7 release?  Share your idea for how Windows could help your community by submitting a two-minute video by November 11.  Seven winners will each get a new Windows 7 PC and $7,000 to donate to a local community organization.  Details on how to post your video and more on the contest can be found at http://www.7waystochangetheworld.com.

Yesterday Microsoft released Windows 7, the latest version of their flagship operating system.  While this has taken place without all of the fanfare associated with its predecessor, Window Vista, you have probably been hearing and reading about this for some time now.  Now that is has arrived, you may be wondering whether or when you should take the plunge.

The early reviews and word of mouth have been positive, which is encouraging.  However, most are not advocating an “update immediately” philosophy.  In fact, a common theme is that there is not a critical reason to upgrade or replace a Windows Vista or XP computer if you are happy with its performance and capabilities.  Given the limited budgets and resources of most nonprofits, we concur with that assessment.

Our recommendation to customers is to “walk (slowly), don’t run” to upgrade.  Let the early adopters find the glitches and work out the kinks.  A guideline we like to use is the availability of the first Service Pack, as this will include the initial round of fixes and improvements designed to make the product more stable and reliable.  This walk slowly approach seems to be echoed by the business sector.  According to a report from Information Technology Intelligence Corp., 19% of the companies surveyed plan to upgrade within the first three months, while 41% plan to hold for a while, including 11% waiting for the initial Service Pack.  The remaining 40% do not currently have a definitive migration timeline.

As you examine the circumstance within your agency, make sure to take into account your existing environment – computers, software, and staff.  If you are looking to upgrade your existing computers, keep in mind that the performance and user experience will be affected by the age and specifications of the equipment.  Also, check to make sure that the software applications and peripheral devices used by your agency are compatible with Windows 7.  If you find that a critical program is not certified or tested for Windows 7, contact the manufacturer to see what the issues are and their timeline for addressing.

As with any new operating system or application, there will be a learning curve involved.  For Windows 7, the changes will be more dramatic if you are coming from Windows XP (or earlier), instead of Windows Vista.  Depending on your staff’s appetite for change and self-discovery, you might consider investing in training upfront to acquaint everybody with the new operating system and effectively use its features and functionality.  To help manage your internal support demands, it is always helpful to standardize on a common version.  So if possible, upgrade everybody in your office when you are ready to make that investment.

Let us know what your organization is planning for Windows 7.  And if you are one those early adopters, share that experience with us.