8 reactions to NTC 2008

Last week, a whopping 10 Beaconfire employees headed down to New Orleans to learn about how nonprofits are using and can use online technology, and also to connect with others doing work like ours. Here are some of our reactions to the conference:

1. “This year’s NTC had an energy and edge more than any other. The conference reflected the reality that space is changing fast…innovations are popping everywhere and integration isn’t just something to talk about, it’s getting down. It felt very familiar, like 1999 all over but this time smarter, more focused and intentional.” – Michael Cervino
2. “Always a rewarding experience. An interesting spread of perspectives from the most basic to the most advanced.” – Eric Eckl
3. “The major vendors such as Convio and Kintera are making real headway on open APIs since last year’s NTC. And, new products coming on the market seem to know that having an API is an important element of their marketing collateral, even if the API is not really written or just partially written, just waiting for a partner or opportunity to really flesh it out. While the goal of making it easy to connect different systems and exchange data is still far away, it’s encouraging news. On the downside, it’s also clear that the progress on the API front has not helped to answer the fundamental question for nonprofits who experience the pain of siloed data but need to make the case before making the leap: what will it cost me and what are the benefits of integrating my organization’s data? If I invest in a data integration project now, what is the ROI in organizational efficiency and effectiveness? There is much interest in how organizations can better use their data — for example, interpret their web site statistics using Google Analytics or present their data using dashboards and rich media. This year’s NTC confirmed for me that this issue is still relevant and in need of answers.” – Jennifer Stuart Bagnell
4. “Bigger and better than ever. Sessions were solid and many of the speakers were experts in their field. Nice to see more large organizations. I’m continually amazed at the diversity of the nonprofit sector in terms of subjects, size, and maturity of online programs, however they all share a passion you don’t find in other sectors. Great fun.” – Jeff Herron
5. “On the tech side – less buzzwords and more substance. Vendors have begun delivering on their promises of opening up their systems and new start-up products know they can’t compete unless they offer extensive APIs and data exchange components. Unfortunately, non-profits are still struggling to figure out how it applies to them. Next year, look for more real-world examples of how organizations are benefitting from the freedom of owning their data.” – Alan Gallauresi
6. “NPO’s are experimenting more effectively with social networks and how they can be leveraged to further their goals. However, results often are still more qualitative than quantitative, with strategies for success and effective campaign execution still being worked out.  Many NPO’s are continuing to leverage the ever-growing, free, and powerful Google tools on the Web (Search, Google Analytics, Google Checkout, Google Sites, etc.) and within the organization (Google Apps, Gmail, Google Calendar, etc.).  More players are ramping up constituent based software that allows for modules to be plugged in and provide integrated features for donations, advocacy, email marketing, fundraising and CRM.” – Mark Leta
7. “In our world of email and IM, it was a great opportunity to connect and put names with faces!” – Kristin Niemi-Gillig
8. “With the rapid advancement of online technology, nonprofit marketing and communications strategies are (or should be) reverting back to basic principles of human communications. With more and more constituent and donor touch points from blogs to mobile advocacy to social networking, successful efforts will be those that are the most simple, tangible, authentic, high quality, and those that empower their supporters by giving them an unfiltered voice to connect and relate to a community. These are some of the concepts we’ll help nonprofits think through.” – Ali Cherry