Many thanks to Belia Rodriguez from GeorgeJon for her insights!

 
FREE stuff on the internet from Google: (just to name a few)

• Docs – share docs if you aren’t on a server to with people not connected to a server (your board)
• Analytics – are you tracking visits to your website or blog?
• Feedburner – join my email list for websites and blogs etc. Capture information.
• Facebook– create a fan page, causes page, invite donors and volunteers – multiply your message!
• Use their applications to your advantage
• Twitter– talk about your mission and work in 140 character or less – but do it a lot!

Almost free or low cost:

• Survey Monkey – almost free but ask people for their opinion – they like it!
• My Emma and Constant Contact are bulk email services that include newsletters, surveys and list management

Does your organization have a Windows Server? Did you know Windows SharePoint Services is a component of the Windows Server 2003 that allows your team to create web sites for information sharing and document collaboration? It also connects to team services and Microsoft Office System. It is a platform for IT resources like portals, team workspaces, e-mail, presence awareness, and web-based conferencing. You can locate and distribute information quickly. And it’s already part of the server you may be using!

Discuss: Having a Blackberry/Smartphone – good or bad? Lots of conversation about the “Crackberry”.  Bottom line if it makes you more efficient in your communication is that a bad thing?  Are you out of the office more than in?  Perhaps a faster response time will help you, your team and organization.  Today we are moving pretty fast, if a Blackberry/Smartphone helps you keep pace and work smarter, it might be something to consider.

Sidenote:Email Etiquette: If you have one, do you and your team a favor, no texting, emails or voice mail before or after work hours.  Log onto Outlook and delay deliver your thoughts via email. Who wants to arrive at the office with an email inbox full of messages from midnight to 6am? Really? Working smarter?

Donorbase in place, current, using the CRM? – Keeping current with donors, volunteers, alumni is the difference between good and great.  Is your donorbase current to include mailing address and email? The next step in communication is texting…do you have their mobile phone number?  If the donorbase has a CRM feature, USE IT! Remind yourself to make contact. You paid for it, use it.  Make the timeor hire a temp to be sure all the bad addresses are updated. Run your list through National Change of Address (NCOA), now required for third class bulk mailing anyway.

What are you using to communicate your message, work efficiently and effectively? Please share this information and your ideas.