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UPDATE: Shared Files are now located under Resources > Shared Files

Once upon a time on the old site (of which we do not speak) we had a section called "Shared Files". This was an area where members could submit their own documents to the site such as Policy and Procedure manuals, Receipt templates, Acknowledgment letters and so on. The section was very popular and has not as yet been replaced on the new Blackbus.org. The reason for this is that I have not yet found the right tool for the job. Since it looks like I'll never be able to decide I want to hear from you what you would want from this tool.

Some popular features of the old one were:

• users can upload their own files
• multiple categories instead of one big folder
• ability to provide descriptions of the files
• file type and size limitations were configurable.

Please add your comments to this post and let us know what would be important to you in a new Shared Files section.

In May of 2006 I decided to try a bit of a social experiment. Having become unimpressed with the official Blackbaud forums I wanted to see what would happen if I started my own, separate from the company. Within a day over 300 people had signed up. Within a couple of months we were over 1000. By this summer we will hit the 4000 member mark.

It became clear very quickly that those of us who use and love Blackbaud products needed a space of our own to speak frankly with each other. We needed resources beyond what Blackbaud had to offer to allow us to get more out of the software we were using and help our respective NPO's be more successful in changing the world. In my humble opinion we have done that, and continue to do so every time a forum post is made, and article is read or an idea submitted.

Running this website is something I do because I love it. It has developed an extraordinarily passionate community over the last 4 years and for that I am grateful. The participation of you as a member make this place great and we would be nothing without your participation. The help and participation of our semi-volunteer Admin team keep the wheels rolling smoothly.

As we celebrate our 4th birthday we are launching our first real fundraising drive ever. While we have always accepted donations we will now be developing and instituting a real, formal campaign for the site for the remainder of 2010. Your participation is welcome in a number of ways:

• Donate: giving is the easiest way to be involved. All money given to the site goes back into adding new features, moderating content and providing you a better experience as a member.
• Join the Admin team: We are always looking for passionate members who have a bit of extra time help develop some of the initiatives we are building for the site. If you are interested in helping out please have a look at what we've got going on here.
• Spread the word: Do you have colleagues who use Blackbaud software but are not members? Let them know about us!

Our goal by the end of 2010 is $5000 in donations from members. These resources will allow the Blackbus Admin Team to complete the redesign and upgrades on the site we've been planning for months. All this to serve you better and help you change the world.

{discuss forum:2}

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Just like something out of a superhero movie, the best minds of the nonprofit sector have joined forces in a new book called Internet Management for Nonprofits.

We'll be giving away 3 copies of the book to 3 lucky members who enter the drawing. Enter now!

Book editors Ted Hart, Steve MacLaughlin, Jim Greenfield, and Phillip Geier brought in 27 expert authors to help share their strategies, tools, and trade secrets about making the Internet work for nonprofits. The A Team includes:

• Beth Kanter, "The ROI of Social Media"
• Michael Sola and Tim Kobosko, "Path to Managing Your Organization Using Online Tools"
• Dottie Schindlinger and Leanne Bergey, "E-Governance Is Good Governance"
• Russell Artzt, John Murcott, and Mark Fasciano, "Social Collaboration & Productivity"
• Roger M. Craver and Ryann Miller, "Insight Tools for Surviving and Thriving"
• Steve MacLaughlin, "Demystifying Online Metrics"
• Adrienne D. Capps, "Managing Fundraising and Building Communities Online"
• Walter P. Pidgeon Jr., "Nonprofit Leader's Volunteer Recruitment & Retention Strategies"
• Danielle Brigida and Jonathon D. Colman, "How Successful Are Your Social Media Efforts?"
• Marcelo Iniarra Iraegui and Alfredo Botti, "Social 'Trysumers'"
• Philip King, "Social Networks: Getting Your Organization Working For Them!"
• Lawrence C. Henze, "Prospect Modeling, Prospect Research: Using Data Mining to Fundraise Smarter"
• Andrew Mosawi and Anita Yuen, "No Borders: Leveraging the Internet to Fundraise Internationally"
• Allan Pressel, "Effective Web Design"
• Michael Johnston and Matthew Barr, "Multichannel Fundraising"
• Catherine Pagliaro, "12 Steps to Protect Your Orgs & Donors from Fraud & Identity Theft"
• Ben Rigby, "Mobile Technology"
• Frédéric Fournier, "Transforming Activists into Donors"

Internet Management for Nonprofits offers practical, easy-to-follow tips on the ROI of social media, managing your organization using online tools, improving board leadership through online technology, staying on top of developing technology, understanding hits, clicks, and errors, the key to social networking success, and fundraising internationally.

The book has been selected to be a part of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Fund Development Series. Internet Management for Nonprofits is now on bookshelves, at Internet retailers, and on some electronic devices.

Internet Management for Nonprofits: Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series)

Read More!