March 13, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
This week Google unveiled a new telephone program, which allows people to route calls to different telephones to one number and offers cheap domestic and international calling.
While tech geeks and others debate what Google Voice will mean for global communications, Allan Benamer, a former information-technology manager for charities, writes that the free service means some nonprofit groups need to examine their mission.
Mr. Benamer, who is executive director of Social Markets, writes on his Nonprofit Tech Blog that charities that offer phone and voice-mail services to homeless people and other clients in distress are practically obsolete because of Google Voice.
He suggests they change their approach as a result.
“I’ve often thought it would be a good idea for homeless clients to also have a one-stop shop where they can could scan in documents such as wedding, birth, and naturalization certificates as well as any other government documents so that any nonprofit they’re working with could print them out. Think of it as a electronic folder that makes it easier for clients to keep track of the work they’re doing with nonprofits,” he writes.
To be sure, the nonprofit groups in question offer benefits with the telephone service. For example, Community Voice Mail, which provides free voice mail in 46 cities, recently teamed up with three federal agencies to distribute information about the recent salmonella outbreak and recall of products containing peanuts.
What do you think? How will Google Voice and similar services affect nonprofit groups? Click on the comment button below to share your views.
