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| Technology helps organizing groups spend less time doing administrative work and helps them increase their ability to have one-on-one interactions and build relationships. Technology planning allows a group to focus on its immediate and long term goals especially when it keeps in mind the question: "how will the use of technologies help us meet or enhance campaign/project goals." Databases help keep track of membership and can be a central place to store information about relationships that the organization needs to keep track of and access readily.  | Community Voices Heard uses a database to keep track of information collected while conducting outreach Word-Processors and desktop-publishing software help get the word out by allowing easy creation of flyers to spread the word about actions, newsletters to keep folks up to date and reports to back-up current campaigns. |  | GRO - Grassroots Organizing uses technology training to build the skills of leadership Technology training opportunities builds the skills of the members to become more engaged in the organizing work. | The web is a valuable research tool to get information to support the organization's work around issues and lobbying efforts and also information on funding sources, quidelines and applications. An organizational web-site can provide documents to the public and provide education from the organization's members' perspective. It can also provide press and other media with information about your issues. Email allows for quick and cost effective communication with allies, members and other activists, even when they are geographically distant. Email helps the organizations involved with the National Welfare Engine stay in contact with each other and make their face-to-face meetings more productive Computer networks help contribute to collaboration and sharing of documents within an organization and makes backups of data easier. (If back-ups are done on media that are stored off-site an organization's most crucial information can be safe against a number of disasters, including fire.) Mobile Devices such as laptops and cell phones can allow organizers to have "traveling offices" and also give them access to important and changing information while they're out in the field. Laptops can also be great for working with members on testimony, etc in convenient locations, such as their homes. |  | Special thanks to Brenda Carerra of New Project, Nevada for suggesting the creation of this tech tip. Also thanks to the members of the LINC Project Advisory Groups for their help in compiling this list. download printable version of this tech tip |
