The first topic of discussion for our meeting was how to attract more members to the group.  We decided to make some changes in order to hopefully grow this group:

1. In order to make the location more accessible to more agencies, the group will meet on the same day of the month and same time, BUT will move to the Eat’n Park Coraopolis/Moon Twp.  (This is on University Blvd. just as you get off Route 60.)  It is important to note this change because we will begin meeting at this location starting with the December ’08 meeting.  Here’s the link to a Google map of this Eat’n Park location: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Eat+’n+Park,+9515+University+Blvd,+Coraopolis,+PA+15108&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16
2. The name of the group will be changed to Bagels & Bytes – West.  (I will update the blog title, etc., after next month’s meeting.)
3. Judy Allison from Laughlin Children’s Center will serve group leader if I cannot be there.  (Thanks, Judy!!)
4. We will introduce the concept of having a starter topic for each month’s meeting.  I will bring a set of index cards with some topics/ideas (and some blank cards for new ones) so we can choose the topic for the February meeting.

Moving right along…here are some resources and links from discussion topics that arose during the meeting:

• Kaspersky Anti-virus – http://www.kaspersky.com/ - supposed to be very good AV software.
• NewEgg.com - http://www.newegg.com/ - good place for purchasing tech stuff.
• Emailreg.org – http://www.emailreg.org/index.cgi - keeps your emails/domain from being blacklisted.
• PCconnection.com - http://www.pcconnection.com/ipa/home – good place for purchasing tech stuff.
• GovConnection.com – https://www.govconnection.com/ipa/home - the part of PCconnection that prices specifically for government agencies and nonprofits (no, you can’t tell by the name).

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, December 10 - Eat’n Park Coraopolis/Moon Twp.  (See link near beginning of post for Google Map to new location.)  The time of the meeting will remain the same, 8 am – 9:30 am.  Feel free to email me between meetings (leonard@rmu.edu) with any questions, needs, concerns, etc., and feel free to use this blog space to talk to the group-at-large between meetings (scroll to the bottom of each post and click # of “Comments” to post a comment.)

• Web Site Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - a great resource for those wanting to work on making their organization’s web sites more accessibile to users with disabilities – http://www.w3.org/WAI/.  They also have a long list of tools for evaluating a web site’s current level of accessibility on this page: http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/complete.
• The New IRS Form 990 - Idealist.org has a fairly comprehensive article with lots of resource links on this and related topics – http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/57-95/62-42.
• Hard drives and Interfaces - Here’s an informative article about the different types of hard drive interfaces –  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_drive#Access_and_interfaces.
• Converting Video (DVD to MPG, etc.) -
  • Video Edit Magic: http://www.download.com/Video-Edit-Magic/3000-13631_4-10145900.html
  • Pinnacle Studios: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Home/
• Internet-based hard drive backup – Carbonite for $49/year – http://www.carbonite.com

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, November 12 - same time, same place. In the meantime, feel free to email me between meetings (leonard@rmu.edu) with any questions, needs, concerns, etc., and feel free to use this blog space to talk to the group-at-large between meetings (scroll to the bottom of each post and click # of “Comments” to post a comment.)

Once again we met (on Wednesday, April 9) at the Eat N Park across from the Walmart Plaza in Monaca.  We discussed a variety of topics, tech and some non-tech.  Here’s a list of resources and info from the meeting:

• Compucom – company that does transfer and archiving of paper records to DVD or microfilm – www.compucom.com
• Canon makes good high-speed, double-sided document scanners – http://www.usa.canon.com/opd/controller?act=OPDCategoryIndexAct&fcategoryid=2204
• Donorpro – online fundraising software – www.donorpro.com
• Network for Good – online donations/giving system provider – www.networkforgood.com
• TechSoup – nonprofit tech portal featuring an online community, Learning Center, and TechSoup Stock (discounted software and hardware program) – www.techsoup.org
• JustGive.org – online donations/giving system provider – www.justgive.org
• Consistent Computer Bargains – for discounted hardware – http://www.ccbnonprofits.com/
• Computer Recycling – Goodwill in Lawrenceville (will pickup equipment and wipe data drives for an additional fee) – http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_521080.html and http://www.goodwillpitt.org/contactUs.jsp 
• Other local electronics recycling option – http://www.brightontwp.org/pdf/Beaver%20County%20Recycling%20Center.pdf
• Book on how to do nonprofit mergers, step-by-step “The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook Part I: The Leader’s Guide to Considering, Negotiating, and Executing a Merger” by David LaPiana – http://www.lapiana.org/research/workbook.html 
• Domus Systems – affordable housing data tracking – http://www.domussystems.com/ 
• National Center for Charitable Statistics – searchable online database and other info regarding nonprofit in the U.S. – http://nccs.urban.org/ 
• Filing your IRS Form 990 online – http://efile.form990.org/ 
• New Form 990 Help – Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s webinar “The New 990: Friend or Foe?” http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/training/webinars/webinars-descrp.shtml (2nd item down the page) 

Whew!  We covered a lot of ground this month!  Hope to see everyone in May…our meeting will be Wednesday, May 14…same time, same place.  See you then!

(In the meantime, feel free to email me between meetings (leonard@rmu.edu) with any questions, needs, concerns, etc., and feel free to use this blog space to talk to the group-at-large between meetings (scroll to the bottom of each post and click # of “Comments” to post a comment.)

We had our first meeting on Wednesday, March 12, at the Eat N Park across from the Walmart Plaza in Monaca.  As we got to know each other, we touched a wide range of topics including server backups, dial-up internet alternatives (and what to do if you can’t get DSL or cable), the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network and its upcoming conference (www.nten.org), TechSoup (www.techsoup.org), and Gifts-in-Kind International (www.giftsinkind.org).

One of our attendees asked about companies/sites who feature online backup services.  Here’s a short list:

• Iron Mountain – http://www.ironmountain.com/index.asp
• IBackup – http://www.ibackup.com/
• CRC Data Protection – http://www.crcdataprotection.com/
• eVault – http://www.evault.com

Our next meeting will be at the same location (Eat N Park, Monaca) on Wednesday, April 9 starting at 8 am.  Just remember…our meetings will always be the second Wednesday of each month from 8-9:30 am.

In the meantime, please feel free to email me between meetings (leonard@rmu.edu) with any questions, needs, concerns, etc.  And…feel free to use this blog space to talk to the group-at-large between meetings (scroll to the bottom of each post and click # of “Comments” to post a comment.

See you in April!