We recently talked to Unified Non-Profits of New Orleans about technology tools that can help local non-profits. The group consists of various non-profits from around the city who met together once a month for workshops and training on a variety of topics. For the April meeting, we showed them numerous tech tools from receiving online donations to open source software that could be beneficial to their organization. We'll list these tools below and if you know of anymore, please feel free to share them in our comments area:

Web Tools

TechSoup: Calling themselves "The Technology Place For Non-Profits", TechSoup provides a ton of resources from acquiring computers, to low price software, to donated IT support.

Google For Non-Profits: Google has an area called Google For Non-Profits where non-profits can learn how to use Google tools to promote their organization.

Volunteer Match: Volunteer Match does just what it says. It matches organizations/non-profits with people who are passionate about creating social change. Non-profits can search for volunteers within their area or across the country.

Software

OpenOffice: As an alternative to the Microsoft Office Suite, OpenOffice is a open source suite that can be used for word processing, creating presentations, and spreadsheets.

Organizers Database: Another open source application that allows nonprofits to manage their volunteer and donors contacts. This software can hold several hundred thousand entries, has customizable fields, and can be networked on different computers.

PostBooks: PostBooks is an open source ERP, accounting, and CRM package that can be utilized by nonprofits

Newsletters

MailChimp: MailChimp lets you have up to 500 subscribers and send 3,000 e-mails a month for free.

CitizenSpeak: A free e-mail advocacy service geared specially toward non-profits who want to send newsletters and monitor their campaigns.

Google Groups: In case you want to steer clear of newsletters and use mailing list, Google Groups or Yahoo Groups can help you do so.

Social Media

Care2: A social networking website tailored for non-profits and the people that want to help non-profits.

TechSoup Facebook Center: For non-profits that want to learn how to use Facebook, TechSoup has created a Facebook Center teaching you how to setup and use Facebook pages.

CoTweet: If your non-profit uses Twitter, CoTweet can be used to manage your Twitter account with multiple users.

Online Fundraising/Donations

Click & Pledge: Click & Pledge helps non-profits with online fundraising and manage donor relations.

Fundable: Similar to KickStarter, Fundable collects money and disperses it only when your goal is reached.

FirstGiving: FirstGiving allows you to setup a donor page to track your pledges, share it with friends, and allow testimonials.

Blogging/Websites

Posterous: Pretty much the most simplest way to blog, Posterous allows you to e-mail your blog posts to its service.

WordPress.com: WordPress is a powerful website/blogging/CMS platform but WordPress.com makes it easy enough to setup a website, upload your own themes and custom it for a professional look all from the web.

Local Resources

CACRC: The Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council is based out of Baton Rouge and recycles computer equipment, has low cost IT support, and also redistributes computers needed by non-profits.

LANO Training: The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations has training throughout the month, some of it tech training, across New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport.