New Technology Group Sets Future Agenda

By NICOLE WALLACE

A new membership group, the Non-Profit Technology Enterprise Network, has announced its plans for bringing together non-profit organizations and consultants who provide technology assistance to charities.

The organization, also known as N-TEN, was formed last fall and grew out of the National Strategy for Non-Profit Technology (The Chronicle, May 6, 1999), an 18-month review of the technology challenges facing the non-profit world that was conducted by a network of 24 charity leaders, grant makers, and consultants.

“The ultimate goal of N-TEN is to help accelerate the adoption of technology by non-profits in a very strategic way. N-TEN is going to do that by strengthening the work of people who help non-profits use technology,” explains Joan Fanning, the executive director of NPower, a charity in Seattle, who is serving as a project manager during N-TEN’s start-up phase.

N-TEN, which will be located in San Francisco, hopes to hire an executive director by the end of October. If that search stays on schedule, the organization plans to start its activities next year.

In the first half of 2001, N-TEN plans to promote discussion about non-profit data standards (The Chronicle, August 10) and develop a beta version of a Web site that will allow its members to share tools and information.

Next year the organization also plans to hold a national conference and publish the first issue of its peer-reviewed journal.

For more information: Go to http://www.nten.org.