Service Provider A rush is on to provide software over the Web for all sorts of uses. Steve Albertson of TechFoundation offered some tips for groups considering the shift. The question is not just whether the product is a good one, but whether the organization you're signing up with will be around, and what your exit strategy would be if it isn't. You have to consider what kind of Web access you have, whether you need broadband, and what you'll do if it's down. The training issue is a huge thing, especially with small A.S.P.'s popping up, for which the only training may be an online course.
Nonprofits tend to pay even less attention to training than to infrastructure.
Find people on the board or who are not on staff who can conduct a decent evaluation of their needs and the technology available. It may be that moving into this area does not offer sufficient benefit, or that the software offerings are not there yet. These sites are not part of The New York Times on the Web, and The Times has no control over their content or availability. Others at the forefront include organizations like Techsoup.org and Technology Works for Good, which focus on helping nonprofit groups get computers, network connections and training. There are umbrella sites, like Helping. org, a creation of the AOL Foundation, that offer software tools, advice, links and resources.