This blog is for volunteers, webmasters and administrators of associations, clubs, charities, communities and other groups. We discuss issues and trends in modern web technologies that help your organization achieve more with less. This blog is sponsored by Wild Apricot membership software: a set of tools for membership administration, event registration, website management, online fundraising - with friendly and knowledgeable tech support. See for yourself how affordable and easy it is to use: - Take a tour!

Browse by Tags

• Best practices
• Blogging
• E-mail marketing
• Fundraising
• General non-profit interest
• Non-profit technology
• SEO
• Web 2.0
• Wild Apricot

• 31 October 2007

  How to Start and Grow your Nonprofit Blog: An Interview with Michael Sola 

  Michael Sola is the Director of Information Technology of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. For the past 6 months, Michael Sola has been blogging as part of the organization's larger communications strategy. We caught up with Michael to talk about how the CBF Tech blog can help a small organization build community and visibility with new web tools. 1. What inspired you to start a blog for CBF? We were Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 2 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0, Best practices, Blogging

• 10 October 2007

  A 30 Day Guide to Search Engine Optimization (Part 4 of 4) 

  This post has been contributed by Lance Trebesch and Taylor Robinson from TicketPrinting.com Week 4: Objective: Your objectives in the fourth and final week include emailing potential link partners, negotiating link agreements, and continuing your education of SEO and nonprofit resources online. Let’s Get Started: 1. Link Recruitment Email- Unless you have a personal friend within the site you are trying to contact, the first step you should take is to email requests for links. To do this you will Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 2 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0, Best practices, SEO

• 27 September 2007

  A 30 Day Guide to Search Engine Optimization (Part 3 of 4) 

  This post has been contributed by Lance Trebesch and Taylor Robinson from TicketPrinting.com Week 3: Objective: Your week three objective is to plan and develop a sound link recruitment campaign. What you need to know: Links- A link is a connection between one webpage to another. Search engines value links because if many links are pointing to the same website, then the website is deemed to be important and is given a higher pagerank (range 1-10) or level of importance. Having inbound links from Read More... Posted Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 1 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0, Best practices, SEO

• 11 September 2007

  A 30 Day Guide to Search Engine Optimization (Part 2 of 4)  

  This post has been contributed by Lance Trebesch and Taylor Robinson from TicketPrinting.com Week 2: Objective: Your week two objectives are to implement a sitemap and create and maintain a successful blog. What you need to know: Sitemap- Having a sitemap that connects the entire website will eliminate the need for having multiple links on the homepage and will make the pages more crawlable by search engine spiders. A sitemaps purpose is to provide a central link hub for the website, allowing search Read More... Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 0 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0, Best practices, SEO

• 23 August 2007

  Communication is key to an effective web presence - an interview with Jim Milsom 

  Jim Milsom, Unit Owner Riverplace One Hundred About Riverplace One Hundred Riverplace One Hundred is a Condominium Association, made up of 117 unit owners. About 60% of the owners actually live in other states and their Florida condo is a part time residence in the winter. So staying in touch with residents throughout the year is not trivial. 1. What prompted Riverplace One Hundred to create a web site? In a word: Communication. Many unit owners are not on the property year round and many can not Read More... Posted Thursday, August 23, 2007 5:30 PM by Creative Apricot | 0 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0

• 20 July 2007

  Using online tools to build alumni relations- La Habra High School Alumni Association Mini-Case Study  

  In this Mini-Case Study, we interview Priscilla Christian and highlight La Habra High School Alumni Association as a very special project. Priscilla Christian, Vice Chairwoman and Webmaster La Habra High School Alumni Association Priscilla serves as Vice Chairwoman and Webmaster. Over the last 20 years she has transitioned from traditional printing to digital illustration and onward to Web development. She now serves the LHHS Alumni Association using a blend of these skills to grow their membership, Read More... Posted Friday, July 20, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 2 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, Wild Apricot, Fundraising, nptech, Marketing, Web 2.0, Best practices, E-mail marketing

• 29 January 2007

  Designing Your Non-profit Web site 

  Everything is subjective when it comes to the things that look pleasing to the eye. Everyone has a favourite colour, a favourite font, or a favourite aesthetic. However, when it comes to designing your Web site, there are a few hard rules that will make your association come off looking professional, serious and ready to meet the needs of your users. Be upfront in your messaging Many Web sites to this day tend to speak about an organization and not to the end user, leaving it up to the harried person Read More... Posted Monday, January 29, 2007 9:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 4 Comments Filed under: Associations, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Best practices

• 16 January 2007

  Developing Effective Content for the Web 

  Your content – and how you present it – is a vital piece of the puzzle in selling yourself on the Web. You may have a very nice looking and sleek site, but if the writing on it isn’t concise, easy-to-read and relevant, visitors might only take a look at it once and never come back. Here are a few ideas to attract visitors, and keep them returning to your Web site on a regular basis: Tell your story and know your niche Let your visitors know clearly what you represent: put up your mission statement, Read More... Posted Tuesday, January 16, 2007 7:00 AM by Creative Apricot | 3 Comments Filed under: Associations, Non-profit technology, General non-profit interest, nptech, Marketing, Best practices