I have been spending quite a bit of time on the TechSoup Forums. It is a vibrant community with many folks asking and answering questions related to Non Profit Technology and how it can be integrated and embraced in pursuit of an organization's mission.

I think a lot about how, even for groups with little intersection with tech, NPT can be woven into the fabric of nonprofits ranging from use of email, to forums, to building listserv, and in a Web presence.

Community is key to the success of all nonprofits.

1. The community that the nonprofit serves
2. The community that funds the nonprofit

The communities need to be cared and nutured. If they are not looked after, then the community shrivels up and goes away. This doesn't necessarily mean that the community needs to grow, but it does need to be maintained.

Community web sites based on Drupal of Joomla can help in this mission. They are easy to maintain and can provide a high level of interaction between users--your community. They can be built on shoe-string budgets but can look very slick.

When you think about working with your community, look at what technologies can be relevant within your goals. Techsoup has done a great job in fostering community throught the online forums they host. It strongly supports the mission they adopted many years ago.

Check the site out and think about what lessons can be learned through the TechSoup model. While you're at it, read and answer some questions or pose a question yourself.

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