Our Blog of News, Tips & Insights
Welcome to The Commons, 501 Commons' blog, where we share:
- How-to's, tips, and tricks from nonprofit tech, finance, HR, and other areas
- News and updates about upcoming events, programs, and services
- Thought-provoking pieces around topics, such as skills-based volunteerism, nonprofit management, and more
- Stories from clients about the impact of 501 Commons' programs and services
Plus, we invite your comments! Add your thoughts to these posts, so our blog truly becomes "The Commons."
Need Affordable Meeting or Event Space?
If you are looking for spaces for board meetings, program gatherings, fundraisers and other important events, consider Pacific Tower. 501 Commons and FareStart are offering four spaces for nonprofits to rent for daytime, evening and weekend events.
Secure your .NGO Domain Now
Nonprofits are now able to register their website addresses with the domain .ngo. Your organization can protect its brand, become added to the OnGood directory and join the cause of changing how nonprofits engage with constituents on the web.
FREE Consulting from 501 Commons - NEW Discounts Available
There are two ways to save big on consulting services for your nonprofit. If your annual budget is less than $1 million and your service area is within the Puget Sound region, you may be qualified for 8-10 hours of free consulting! You might be qualified for more if you are an education-focused nonprofit.
Techtacular Was Spectacular!
Thank you to one and all who attended our 5th annual Techtacular celebration of the power of technology to transform nonprofits. It was a fun and inspiring evening of networking for nonprofits, technology executives ... and a few robots.
The 2015 Washington State Nonprofit Conference is May 13
Join more than 600 nonprofit and community leaders on Wednesday, May 13 at the 2015 Washington State Nonprofit Conference at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Hear from keynote speaker Heather McLeod Grant, participate in 18 workshops across four tracks, try out new ideas at a nonprofit "sandbox" with 501 Commons staff and other nonprofit experts, and network with professionals across the social sector.
Denise Louie Education Center: The Power of a Unified Team
The Denise Louie Education Center, which provides high-quality multicultural early learning and family support services to Seattle kids, wanted their leadership team to be operating on the same page. As a result, 501 Commons' Human Resources provided a series of supervisor trainings to ensure everyone is working together as a unified team.
WA FIRST Robotics: Kids These Days and Their Technology!
When WA FIRST Robotics needed a technology makeover, they enlisted the help of Microsoft and 501 Commons' Technology Services to become more efficient in collaborating, data tracking and reporting. Their dedication to inspiring kids to pursue STEM careers is why we're featuring them at this year's Techtacular.
The Campaign for Capacity
Prominent voices within philanthropy are arguing that funders need to stop directing the specific uses of their funds and provide general operating grants. Despite studies that show this to be the most effective type of funding, the percentage of general operating grants has been stagnant for the last 10 years. The result is that nonprofits are underfunding core administrative functions and infrastructure.
STEMpunk: Techtacular 2015
Join us Wednesday April 29th in the panoramic conference center at Pacific Tower. Techtacular is a fun no-ask networking event attending by leaders from the technology and nonprofit sectors. The theme of this year’s Techtacular is STEMpunk, a splendid mixture of the Steampunk genre with STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as we profile First Robotics, which received a technology makeover thanks to Microsoft and 501 Commons.
What You Need to Know about Salesforce’s Spring ’15 Release
The Spring '15 Release is now available in all Salesforce accounts and this release comes with some great additions to the Salesforce experience. Some of the highlights includes being able to subscribe to reports, receive alerts of duplications, a new feature called "Lightning Process Builder," better mobile support for dashboards, Chatter posts being bundles, syncing Salesforce files to your desktop, and more.