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The increasing migration of not-for-profit operations to a digital environment has created a new set of challenges for organisations. How can operations stay organised and effective through changing staff and volunteers? How can organisations best keep track of all their online initiatives, the constituents they serve, and the interactions of their supporters? How can they nurture new contacts into stakeholders? How can organisations ensure that their time, money, and resources are being leveraged effectively? The answer, luckily, is fairly simple — by implementing a platform known as a customer relationship management system or CRM.Posted on 28/04/2022 by -
In April 2022, Microsoft took a major step in the direction of its cloud-first model for not-for-profits, an effort to align Microsoft philanthropy efforts with the security and operational capabilities of cloud computing. Most donated, on-premises licenses were moved into discounted offers. It's the latest reason not-for-profits are much better off moving to the cloud and leveraging its significant advantages.Posted on 28/04/2022 by -
Employers delivering “child-related work” are required by law to check that the members of their workforce hold a valid Working With Children Check – and they are required to maintain those checks on an ongoing basis.Posted on 25/03/2022 by
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We’re thrilled to share with you the first group of talented, insightful speakers that will be joining us for the 2022 Connecting Up Conference in Melbourne this May. From keynotes and masterclasses covering IT strategy, cyber security and digital marketing, through to plenary speakers ready to inspire on topics including leadership and capacity building, our exciting line-up includes: Tim Costello AO, Chair of Community Council for Australia, delivering Friday's opening keynote. Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS Australian Council of Social Service, delivering Thursday's opening keynote. Melissa Osborne, Head of National Security at Amazon Web Services, delivering a keynote on cyber security.Posted on 16/02/2022 by -
Microsoft on-premises products being removed from the donation programPosted on 14/02/2022 by -
In 2021, the pandemic continued to upheave not-for-profits worldwide. Executive directors had to rapidly accelerate their digital infrastructure and communications to survive. Email marketing leads the way as a tool to engage key stakeholders, funders, and communities. It was an arduous learning period for not-for-profit marketers across the globe. For the not-for-profits that adapted, they saw an increase in membership and fundraising directly due to the power of email marketing. 2022 will be the year of not-for-profit digital transformation led by the integration of new email marketing strategies, tools, and technology into the marketing mix. In this post, we outline six 2022 email marketing trends that will transform not-for-profits forever.Posted on 18/01/2022 by
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Every charity/not-for-profit procures goods and services, from the smallest new charity to those with multi-million dollar turnovers. No matter how large or small a charity is, the basic procurement processes are the same. The process entails identifying the requirements and suppliers, negotiating and awarding contracts, managing contracts and suppliers and monitoring the savings produced and benefits delivered. Compared to a small start-up charity, larger charities understandably have more complex procurement processes, which will take longer to complete. When sourcing, for example, there will be a larger budget, more stakeholders and decision-makers involved. In order to ensure consistency, transparency, and control over the whole procurement process, most charities will have their own procurement processes with guidelines for employees to follow to ensure they get the best value from their suppliers.Posted on 13/01/2022 by -
Registrations are now open for the Connecting Up Conference 2022, which will be held from 11-13 May 2022 at the world-class Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.Posted on 05/01/2022 by -
As we kick off the new year, we wanted to highlight some of the great new offerings that Connecting Up has recently made available to our not-for-profit community. Whether you're looking to identify areas for digital growth, try out a new email marketing tool, or upgrade your organisation's hardware, check out these great new offers from Connecting Up.Posted on 20/12/2021 by
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We have a new blog post with updated information on the upcoming Microsoft changes. Click here to read it. Over the last few months, you may have heard about various changes within Connecting Up's Microsoft program. These changes can be confusing since many of them require you to have detailed knowledge about administrative systems, licensing, and deployment. We feel it's our job to help you make the decisions that are best for your organisation. In what follows, we'll walk you through the key elements of these changes so that you can best prepare your organisation for what's ahead.Posted on 08/12/2021 by -
All Australian organisations have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of people in their care. By keeping a constant watch on employee or volunteer accreditation status, Oho is playing a key role in strengthening the protection of children and vulnerable people in Australian communities. Their platform was founded on the knowledge that there are stringent requirements on companies and workers who are responsible for the welfare of vulnerable people. Many organisations are not aware of the scope of obligations enshrined in Australian law and regulated by state and federal government agencies. To help you assess your organisation’s compliance, Oho have compiled a handy checklist of questions.Posted on 28/10/2021 by -
We have a new blog post with updated information on the upcoming Microsoft changes. Click here to read it. Microsoft has announced changes to the Microsoft not-for-profit program as of 4 April 2022. These changes will impact the current Microsoft Software Donation Program through Connecting Up and are worth your close review. What is changing?Posted on 14/10/2021 by
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Email remains a primary driver of communications at most organisations, but the way we work has changed dramatically. We read and send emails from home, the grocery store, and the cafe using whatever device is most convenient in the moment: phone, laptop, tablet. Sometimes we don't have a dedicated office, or dedicated IT teams. Working from multiple locations using multiple devices means that security on those devices and their doorways into your systems needs to be super locked down and manageable centrally. Remember that time your staff member lost their laptop and you had to suddenly figure out if it was going to create a major security risk for your organisation? That is exactly why Connecting Up strongly recommends not-for-profits move their email and other critical systems to the cloud, and Office 365 is the most popular cloud software available through Connecting Up.Posted on 06/10/2021 by -
Microsoft plans changes to the Microsoft not-for-profit program on April 4, 2022. Some of these changes will impact the current Microsoft Software Donation Program through Connecting Up and are worth your close review as you set plans for your not-for-profit or library.Posted on 01/10/2021 by -
As a not-for-profit, your organisation might not always have the budget for a graphic designer. However, it's surprisingly easy to learn a few basic functions in Adobe Creative Cloud that will allow you to create images like a pro.Posted on 28/09/2021 by
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Cyberattacks against small and midsize organisations increased from 11 percent to 15 percent in 2020. Not-for-profits are no exception to this alarming trend, which results in lost productivity, damaged reputations, and serious financial implications.Posted on 23/09/2021 by -
Constant Contact offers accessible, easy-to-use email marketing software, designed to help businesses get tangible results from their campaigns. Many not-for-profits operate with small teams and limited resources and do not have access to marketing experts or coders. Connecting Up's partnership with Constant Contact gives not-for-profits a great opportunity to add a professional edge to their email marketing and website, at a cost that fits their budget. Improving email marketing can make a huge difference for small not-for-profits that rely on community, word of mouth, and donations from individuals. Keep reading to find out how Constant Contact could help your not-for-profit streamline its marketing campaigns and gain more support.Posted on 01/09/2021 by -
This is a guest case study from our partner Bonjoro. It first appeared on the Bonjoro website. We live in a world of information overload, where our attention is constantly being seized by promotions, sales pitches, and newsletters. Inboxes have been embedded with smart technology, filtering mass emails into folders called "promotions", and telephone recognition software is making it harder for conventional fundraising phone banks to get through.Posted on 25/08/2021 by
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The Infoxchange team is going Dry this July to help raise funds and awareness for our partners and community at Ovarian Cancer Australia. That means we’ll be joining hundreds of thousands of Australians to take part in what has become a national movement - a month where we put away the booze and commit ourselves to a greater cause. For many, Dry July is the perfect opportunity to give our bodies a rest, focus on our health, and even save a bit of money. The best part? All proceeds raised through Dry July will support Australians living with cancer. Where it all began In 2008, three friends, Brett, Kenny and Phil, wanted to take a break from alcohol, so they decided to go sober for July, coining it their 'Dry July'. They also wanted to raise money for a cause close to their hearts, so they asked friends and family to sponsor them.Posted on 21/07/2021 by -
Note: This post compares features between Acrobat Pro 2020 and Acrobat Pro DC. Adobe ended support for Adobe Acrobat XI Pro in 2017.Posted on 15/07/2021 by -
In November 2020, Kaspersky released a free anti-stalkerware tool called TinyCheck. The initial goal of TinyCheck was to help NFP organisations support victims of domestic violence and protect their privacy, but Kaspersky quickly realised it could be of use to anyone. TinyCheck monitors your smartphone data and identifies potential anomalies indicating your phone may be compromised by stalkerware. What is stalkerware? Stalkerware enables someone to secretly spy on another person’s private life via their smartphone and is often used to facilitate violence against an intimate partner. The abuser can remotely monitor the whole device including web searches, geolocation, text messages, photos, and much more.Posted on 07/07/2021 by
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From Sixdegrees in 1997 to TikTok in 2016, social media has become an everyday tool many of us use to instantly connect, often with friends and family, but also with complete strangers. It’s become a huge source of news, shopping, cat memes and general entertainment. For not-for-profits, social media has opened new ways of gaining support for our causes. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram have become part of our core toolkit - 90% of respondents from our 2020 Technology in the Not-for-Profit Sector Report said they use at least one social media platform. Here are just a few of the ways not-for-profit organisations are using social media in 2021. Gathering supportersPosted on 29/06/2021 by -
For many not-for-profit organisations, keeping updated with the latest technology can be challenging. Fortunately, Leading technology providers donate and discount their products through Connecting Up. This means your NFP can leverage world-class technology without the retail price tag. To make things a little easier, we’ve added below our top 10 technology solutions for NFPs with budgets on the smaller side. 1. Microsoft Office Standard Not-for-profit cost is a one-time payment of $53 per licensePosted on 29/06/2021 by -
The last 12 months have seen technology become more crucial to the not-for-profit sector than ever before. As many organisations pivoted to entirely online operations due to COVID-19, many were forced to re-evaluate their status quo and adopt new ways of doing things across the board. At Connecting Up, we equip changemakers with transformative technology solutions and skills they need to further their mission, and we have been front and centre helping not-for-profits transform their operations and learn new systems during the pandemic. Whether your organisation is looking for affordable technology or new ways to leverage tech, there are many reasons to check out what Connecting can offer. Here are four of the big reasons to join Connecting Up if you are not yet a member — and it's free to sign up.Posted on 02/06/2021 by
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Next week is National Volunteer Week and Connecting Up will be taking the opportunity to celebrate our amazing volunteers, who make so much of what we do possible. Connecting Up volunteers are the backbone of SAcommunity, which provides South Australia with a free online directory of thousands of South Australian community services providers.Posted on 11/05/2021 by -
Innovations in COVID-19 responses, domestic violence awareness campaigns and an online marketplace for donated goods are amongst the winners who were last night awarded for their contributions to making a positive impact through technology.Posted on 06/05/2021 by -
You may have heard about the NSW Government’s Social Sector Transformation Fund – a $50million stimulus measure for small and medium-sized charities and not-for-profits working in health and social services. The fund is to help these organisations undertake projects to improve their use of technology and modernise their operations. The fund is NOW open for grant applications, and we would like to assist you with completing a grant request by providing some guidance on potential areas of investment that may be of interest to your organisation. You will need to supply details of a potential digital transformation project and the budget involved during the application process. We’ve put together a list of projects you can embark on with Infoxchange and Connecting Up and the budget estimates you’ll need to supply when applying for the grant.Posted on 13/04/2021 by
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Some of the very best in technology innovation and excellence across the not-for-profit and private sectors will be recognised at this year’s Connecting Up Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards. The Awards will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Thursday 6 May 2020. In a year that delivered some of the biggest challenges for not-for-profits including COVID-19 and the 2019-20 bushfire season, many organisations and individuals have adopted new technologies to allow staff to work from home, access information, stay connected, collaborate as a team, and fulfil their missions. These annual awards offer the not-for-profit sector an opportunity to recognise their fellow colleagues for these achievements. Award categories include: Technology Volunteer of the Year (individual) Not-For-Profit Technology Lifetime Service Award (individual)Posted on 01/04/2021 by -
The Australian not-for-profit sector’s biggest technology conference is back this year, with the Connecting Up Evolve Conference and Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition centre 5th – 7th May. This year, we have put together an all-star line-up of speakers, consisting of some of the most respected thought leaders in Australia. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience across the not-for-profit and technology sectors. Our new hybrid format this year gives you the option to attend in person or virtually.Posted on 25/03/2021 by -
This is a guest post from our partner Bonjoro. You can read the original post here. Every October, Sam’s Fans, a charity dedicated to helping ill children with music and art therapy, hosts a big fundraising event called Threads of Hope.Posted on 08/01/2021 by