Re: [sponsorship] Fwd: [FSF] Time for nonprofits to leave proprietary fundraising software systems behind

["jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We can use tuxfamily for free hosting, we can also host it on xhema.flossk.org

On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 11:25 AM, Dritan Kiçi <dritankici@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Lets build a project then. it may serve also as testing ground for our
> capabilities and team work. We need it installed on a testing site so
> everybody can see the process. It can be used also as training project.
>
> On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 10:54 AM, jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> That would be a great project, yes. we could even use it!
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 10:52 AM, Dritan Kiçi <dritankici@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>> > Should we localize this?
>> >
>> > On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 10:01 PM, jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > <jamesmikedupont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> >> From: Peter Brown <info@xxxxxxx>
>> >> Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 9:29 PM
>> >> Subject: [FSF] Time for nonprofits to leave proprietary fundraising
>> >> software systems behind
>> >> To: info-press@xxxxxxx, info-fsf@xxxxxxx
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Time for nonprofits to leave proprietary fundraising software systems
>> >> behind
>> >>
>> >> (News item at: http://www.fsf.org/news/nonprofit-fundraising-civicrm)
>> >>
>> >> BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 -- The Free
>> >> Software Foundation (FSF) today announced that CiviCRM has earned its
>> >> recommendation as a fully featured donor and contact management system
>> >> for nonprofits. The FSF had highlighted the need for a free software
>> >> solution in this area as part of its High Priority Projects campaign
>> >> (http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects/). With this
>> >> announcement, the FSF will also be adopting CiviCRM for its own use,
>> >> and
>> >> actively encouraging other nonprofit organizations to do the same.
>> >>
>> >> (CiviCRM http://civicrm.org/)
>> >>
>> >> Nonprofits have historically relied heavily on proprietary or
>> >> web-hosted
>> >> "software as a service" fundraising software such as Blackbaud's
>> >> Raiser's Edge or eTapestry. The nonprofit organizations using them are
>> >> locked in, have little control over the functionality of the software,
>> >> and are dependent on the whims of a single company. Nonprofits also
>> >> face
>> >> costly migration if they wish to switch to a different proprietary
>> >> system, never achieving independence. These factors mean that tools
>> >> intended to enhance organizations' effectiveness have actually ended up
>> >> restricting their ability to accomplish their social missions.
>> >>
>> >> CiviCRM, however, shares its software code so all organizations can see
>> >> how it works, have the option of commissioning anyone to make
>> >> customizations to it, and can host it on their own trusted servers.
>> >> Since the code and the data format are freely available, using the
>> >> system does not mean being locked into it. Because it runs on the free
>> >> GNU/Linux operating system, it eliminates the need for another frequent
>> >> nonprofit proprietary software dependency -- Microsoft Windows.
>> >>
>> >> "The features now offered by CiviCRM will satisfy nonprofits seeking to
>> >> organize their relationships with donors, supporters, and the media. In
>> >> addition to storing contact information, it handles online fundraising,
>> >> event registration, membership management, and personalized paper and
>> >> electronic mailings. Best of all, it's free software distributed under
>> >> the GNU Affero General Public License, which means nonprofits can host
>> >> it themselves and retain the freedom they need to advance their
>> >> missions
>> >> unfettered," said John Sullivan, FSF's operations manager.
>> >>
>> >> Free software ideals encouraging sharing and modification have been
>> >> central to CiviCRM's growth. Developer Dave Greenberg explained, "The
>> >> CiviCRM project was started by a group of developers and project
>> >> managers who had been working together on a proprietary donation
>> >> processing application. As folks who were passionate about increasing
>> >> the impact and effectiveness of the nonprofits, we came to realize that
>> >> there was a need for a CRM application designed from the ground up to
>> >> meet the needs of civic sector organizations. From the beginning it was
>> >> clear that this should be free software -- community driven and
>> >> community owned. On a personal level I find the engagement with our
>> >> community of users to be intellectually stimulating and rewarding.
>> >> Seeing folks with expertise in a particular area step up and contribute
>> >> their time and ideas to help improve the product is quite exciting."
>> >>
>> >> In making the switch, the FSF joins other organizations like Amnesty
>> >> International, Creative Commons, and the Wikimedia Foundation, who have
>> >> also been using CiviCRM.
>> >>
>> >> Executive director Peter Brown described the FSF's use of the software
>> >> and intent to publicize it: "I look forward to encouraging other
>> >> nonprofit organizations to escape their current proprietary or
>> >> 'software
>> >> as a service' systems and give CiviCRM a try. As a nonprofit, the FSF
>> >> manages over 40,000 contacts and 15,000 donation transactions per year,
>> >> a book publishing operation, online store, and several advocacy
>> >> campaign
>> >> websites with associated mailing lists -- all with free software. A
>> >> general purpose donor and contact management system will be the final
>> >> piece of the puzzle for charitable organizations looking to operate
>> >> using only free software. We plan to publish a guide offering our
>> >> experiences as a resource for other nonprofits concerned with the
>> >> social
>> >> implications of their technology."
>> >>
>> >> Nathan Yergler, chief technology officer at Creative Commons, offered
>> >> further praise for the software: "CiviCRM is a critical part of
>> >> Creative
>> >> Commons' infrastructure. We've seen the application mature and steadily
>> >> improve with new features and performance improvements coming in every
>> >> release. CiviCRM's developer community is accessible and responsive,
>> >> going beyond the normal call of duty to help when needed. I would
>> >> happily recommend CiviCRM to organizations like Creative Commons
>> >> looking
>> >> for a CRM solution."
>> >>
>> >> CiviCRM core team member Piotr Szotkowski noted that despite the
>> >> project's maturity, there is still rewarding work to be done: "We could
>> >> definitely use more helping hands. Being able to work on CiviCRM gives
>> >> a
>> >> lot of non-direct benefits, like the very warm and fuzzy feelings of
>> >> great satisfaction and fulfillment: knowing that one’s code was used to
>> >> help the Katrina hurricane victims, that it helps organizations like
>> >> Amnesty International or Front Line fight for human rights defenders,
>> >> or
>> >> that it helps organizations like the Wikimedia Foundation better
>> >> organize their great work on Wikipedia and all their other projects."
>> >>
>> >> Further information about downloading, using, and contributing to
>> >> CiviCRM can be found at http://civicrm.org. An ongoing discussion of
>> >> comparisons between free software database options is on the FSF's
>> >> LibrePlanet wiki at
>> >> http://groups.fsf.org/wiki/Donor_Transaction_and_Contact_System.
>> >>
>> >> For a description of the dangers in relying on "software as a service,"
>> >> see "Who does that server really serve?".
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> About the Free Software Foundation
>> >>
>> >> The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to
>> >> promoting
>> >> computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
>> >> computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
>> >> in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its
>> >> GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF
>> >> also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
>> >> freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org
>> >> and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux.
>> >> Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at
>> >> http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> About Free Software and Open Source
>> >>
>> >> The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some,
>> >> especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open
>> >> source," which cites only practical goals such as making software
>> >> powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids
>> >> discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at
>> >> the deepest level. For more explanation, see
>> >> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.
>> >>
>> >> Media Contacts
>> >>
>> >> John Sullivan
>> >> Operations Manager
>> >> Free Software Foundation
>> >> +1 (617) 542 5942
>> >> campaigns@xxxxxxx
>> >>
>> >> ###
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> info-fsf mailing list
>> >> info-fsf@xxxxxxx
>> >> Unsubscribe: http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-fsf
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
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