November 2003 TSC Update

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The TSC website, www.cftech.org, has been launched, making a wide range of resources available to the field as we build our technology infrastructure. In addition, a new document outlining Strategies, Business Needs and Outcomes of the Technology Initiative was created as a handout for the Fall Conference session. It is available on the CD-ROM given to participants or can be downloaded from the CFA website. The TSC hopes it is helpful in explaining the Tech Initiative to community foundation staff and board members.

Technology Steering Committee*
Technology Initiative and Funding Syndicate Update
November, 2003

At the Fall Conference the TSC announced a 'handshake deal' with MicroEdge/NPO to provide the following components of the Technology Initiative: API, a substantial CRM module, and integration with our selected seamless processing provider. This 'deal' is worth approximately $2 million and involves a total of approximately 12 months of development. API is slated to be available in the third quarter of 2004. Contract negotiations are in progress, with contract execution targeted for mid-December.

Funding Syndicate contributions have reached $4 million, from 41 foundations, as of the closing of the syndicate on September 30, 2003.

Seamless Processing
Chair: Kit Conroy, NY Community Trust

Negotiations with the vendor selected to provide the seamless processing solution of the Technology Initiative, are on hold and several additional due diligence steps are being undertaken. The TSC Executive and Seamless Processing Committees are examining the vendor's relationship to a recent investigation into mutual fund trading practices. They are also taking a close look at the implications of the recent resignation of the vendor's CEO. This situation and other issues related to interfaces with our field's legacy systems have pushed implementation of this component beyond the originally announced launch date of November 2003.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Chair: in transition

CRM business requirements have been completed on schedule. In October, Noah Wasmer resigned from the TSC and from his role as chair of the CRM subcommittee. Noah's part time work with East Bay CF and significant role in a private business make it impossible for him to devote so much time to the TSC. A new chair is being identified.

API and Development Standards
Co-chairs: Greg McMillen, The Central Indiana CF, Tracy Peck, The Arizona CF

This subcommittee completed the first draft of ideas on technology platform standards for all subcommittees. These initial ideas spurred an additional round of discussions with MicroEdge/NPO and have led them down some new creative paths in their plans for the future API. An in-depth technology discussion was hosted by Microsoft at an October meeting between TSC planners and Microsoft Consultants and MicroEdge/NPO in Silicon Valley. Discussions delved into several aspects of API architecture; details and timelines are in progress.

Research and Education
Chair: Bill Solomon, The Dallas Foundation

This subcommittee has collaborated with the Fiscal and Administrative Officers Group (FAOG) Technology Committee to create a resource center website (www.cftech.org) with a range of technology information targeting the field. CFTech was launched at the Fall Conference in Baltimore and uses the VisionMgr platform. It offers a full and constantly growing collection of useful information about things like remote access, e-mail, spam, firewalls, passwords, and more.

Accountability and Searchable Nonprofit Database
Chair: Teri A. Hansen, Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice

As scheduled, the Accountability and Searchable Nonprofit Database Subcommittee began its work in fall of 2003. The goals of this group are: 1) to identify resources and tools that are available to support community foundations' efforts to access and use accountability tools and; 2) to find ways to provide searchable nonprofit data to donors and disseminate information about resources and options broadly in the field. Next steps for this group will be to further research existing approaches, refine business needs and explore technology options and vendors.

Web Presence
Chair: Tom Hay, Pittsburgh Foundation

This subcommittee has agreed that two guidelines set out in the original Tech Initiative proposal provide clear focus for their work: 1) help community foundations maximize use of existing technology (and, it is hoped, outline minimum standards for a Website); 2) promote development and offering of shared Web content and shared Web functionality for the field.

The subcommittee completed a first draft of its business needs and agreed to do further research on five areas of future Web presence needs:

Data Integration
New Content Resources
New Content Delivery Options
Broader Information Delivery Through the Internet
New Web-based Functionality

The subcommittee will be taking ideas about these areas to a broader community foundation audience to measure the level of interest and accord with the charter of the Web Presence subcommittee.

Communications and Outreach

Following through on the TSC's commitment to provide consistent and open communications to the field during the Technology Initiative a comprehensive communications and outreach effort has taken place since April, 2003. Components include:

Monthly TSC Updates (electronic) shared broadly in the field by the COF and CFA in electronic newsletters and website updates

Four online discussions hosted on a variety of topics; 54 people representing 39 community foundations participated.

CEO briefings (held June 21, September 23 and November 25)

*The Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is co-sponsored by the Community Foundations Leadership Team of the Council on Foundations and Community Foundations of America. The Technology Initiative is a series of integrated and prioritized development activities to build community foundation technology readiness, capacity and infrastructure over the next three years.

These updates are part of a communications effort to keep colleagues in the field informed about the TSC's work. Information in these documents may be freely distributed by TSC members providing that: 1) precise language in the updates is used (for clarity and consistency); 2) the TSC attribution language (provided to the left) is included; and 3) readers are referred to source documents on the COF or CFA Web sites.