idealist.org

Two powerful resources supporting nonprofit work around the globe are now combined in one organization.

Since the early 1990s, the Nonprofit FAQ has provided information and insight for people who work for and care about nonprofit organizations. Since the early 1990s, too, Idealist.Org has enabled nonprofit organizations around the world to present their programs, seek volunteers, announce job vacancies, and reach out to new audiences. Now these two powerful online resources are joined together as services of Action Without Borders.

Nothing Changes. Everything Changes!

All the links to the content of the Nonprofit FAQ continue to function as before. The content, built up over years of tracking the questions people ask and the information they need about nonprofits, is more readily available than ever. Combining the Nonprofit FAQ with Idealist.Org means powerful new navigation tools will be available to visitors. Users of one part of the service will be invited to explore features of the other more conveniently.

I have been the editing the Nonprofit FAQ since its earliest days and continue as its editor in this comfortable new organizational home.

When the FAQ first started, it was a nothing more than a group of text files in a folder in my personal ISP account. When it merged with the Internet Nonprofit Center, founded by Cliff Landesmann, there were dramatic improvements in its appearance and the content expanded greatly. We were pleased to be able to move to servers provided pro bono by Michael Gilbert and The Gilbert Center.

Now that the FAQ is combined with Idealist.Org, we will get ongoing software support from Action Without Borders engineers while I (and other contributors) gain connections with the writers and editors who maintain other content on the Idealist.Org website. Beyond that, the FAQ will benefit from the insights of staff at AWB who work with activists, encourage careers in public service, and build connections to give meaning to the organization’s slogan – Where the Nonprofit World Meets.

(The core content of the FAQ is available now. But full transition will actually take some time. Some content may be inaccessible for a while. We apologize if something that would be useful to you is not immediately available.)

After the dust settles, I’ll follow this introductory message with a renewed series of FAQ Bulletins, noting and commenting on significant developments affecting nonprofits around the world. I welcome reactions to this commentary, suggestions for topics that should be addressed, and pointers to resources that should be added to the FAQ.

Putnam Barber
Editor, The Nonprofit FAQ
A service of Action Without Borders
(Originally posted June 6, 2005)



Posted by Putnam on February 9, 2006
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