Finding Tech Resources

Deciding on software & equipment is important, but ensuring that your organization has the proper human resources available to plan & maintain is equally vital.

Tech Co-ops

There are co-operatives which help others to use information technology better. You can find some of them on http://find.coop/sectors/57-tech-support or on the directories of various Cooperative Alliances, Federations, and Networks. Some of them have donation programmes which accept other co-ops, but most will prefer projects which will become sustainable at some point.

Meetup.com

Lists a huge number of interest based meetups. Meetup focus ranges from general topical interest to specific software or specialization. While it's possible you may find resources at meetups, they can also be valuable starting points for identifying less visible gatherings & associations.

Open Source Projects

Many open source projects have developed their own communities. Some only exist online, while others organize events ranging from social to educational. Attending, hosting, or sponsoring events, and even contributing work to a project are all ways to become involved, and establish ties within these communities.

• Online communities:
  • Wordpress forums
  • Drupal community site, Co-op specific group

• Conferences & meetings:
  • DrupalCon - Global Drupal conference, Drupal events around the world
  • PHPcon - PHP Conference
  • WordCamp - Wordpress Conference

Technology use in non-tech oriented fields

Technology is being used in many non-technical fields. Art, education, library sciences, research, non-profit management - all of these fields have participants with significant technology expertise. Any group that has a mailing-list or bulletin board is a potential location to broadcast your message. Ask first!

Technology initiatives

• Mozilla Service Week - This was a one-time event, but making sure that you're aware of similar events is important.
• Google "Summer of Code" - "Google Summer of Code is a global program that offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source software projects. We have worked with several open source, free software, and technology-related groups to identify and fund several projects over a three month period." Possible source for participation, if you are creating or improving open-source software.

Idealist.org

A "global clearinghouse of nonprofit and volunteering resources", offering a directory of volunteer opportunities and other resources."

Colleges

Colleges may offer resources in several ways.

• Students may participate with an eye towards improving their resumes.
• Students may participate in exchange for credits.
• Faculty may offer advisory assistance.