Archive for the ‘Software’ Category
Cyber Security Chicago Wrap-Up: Rotem Katsir of Votiro
(Special thanks to Cyber Security Chicago for providing a complimentary pass and Rotem Katsir of Votiro for her time and insight. Please be sure to check out our first installment on Kevin Mitnick here.)
Chicago-area nonprofits, social enterprise, and other mission-driven businesses have a special stake in cybersecurity. After all, mission-driven organizations deal with sensitive donor and financial information. However, many organizations may lack resources to ensure complete security. So why is it especially important for smaller organizations to make sure that their data and digital information is secure.
“Hackers don’t care,” Rotem Katsir of Votiro told me. Hackers don’t discriminate when it comes to targets. If they are looking for financial information, nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations are especially vulnerable given their lack of resources, including proper security information. 
Ms. Katsir works for Votiro, a company founded by security experts that develops and licenses unique security software solutions that help protect organizations from external cyber attacks. Most of Votiro’s work focuses on “taking the human factor out”. Their core technology sanitizes files by breaking down the content of each file to its basic components and reconstructing a clean and safe new file. This can prevent any malicious attack from coming into an organization.
One key issue for nonprofits and mission-driven businesses is their lack of a complex security team, making these organizations easier to attack. In the past year, 95% of all hacker efforts came from spear phishing and 98% came from malicious malware/ransomware attacks. Most businesses have the resources and strategies for handling offline attacks, but how can nonprofits and other mission-driven businesses protect themselves?
As Rotem Katsir explains, smaller organizations can protect themselves by behaving like other organizations and taking a “back to basics” approach. Despite lacking resources, there are smaller strategies that nonprofits, mission-driven, and other small businesses can implement to keep their data secure and avoid attacks:
- Practice greater awareness when opening e-mails (especially with attachments).
- Use free web-based tools like VirusTotal to investigate any links before clicking on them.
- Make sure your organization is using the latest software (Equifax’s breach, for example, occurred because they didn’t install the latest patch.)
- Check all credentials when receiving a questionable e-mail;
- Develop a security policy, even if it means relying on one person who knows your organization’s system
- With cloud-based vendors, ask about security processes (like 2-factor authentication) and how the provider will be handling your information.
Photo Courtesy Cyber Security Chicago
One of the highlights of my conversation with Rotem Kasir was learning about General Data Protection Regulation, an initiative of the European Union to ensure consistency of data protection across borders. With the emergence of a more interconnected, global economy, it becomes imperative that data protection standards are equal across all borders. Although many businesses and organizations can adopt higher-end systems, organizations of all sizes (including nonprofits and other mission-driven businesses) can take a “back to basics” approach.
Data security and protection rules are changing, and many organizations are struggling to adapt. For nonprofits, social enterprise, and other mission-driven businesses, the first step is not adopting a system…but rethinking how they operate. Caution is the best first step towards making sure their systems – and data – are safe and secure.
For many nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations, concepts like “big data, “cloud computing” and “artificial intelligence” seem daunting…but what are their real-world implications? And why should nonprofits, social enterprise, and other like-minded organizations care? Tomorrow’s Cyber Security Chicago profile will give you the answer. And it might surprise you.
Questions? Comments? Please leave them below or join the conversation via our Facebook page. (Please note that all comments are moderated). If you wish to contact me privately, information can be found via this blog’s About page.)
And as always, thanks for reading!
App Camp for Girls: Follow Up
(Special thanks to App Camp for Girls for the invitation)
When I wrote my initial post about App Camp for Girls, I was hoping to not just draw attention…but also drive attendance. When they invited me to attend their pitch event on July 28th at 8th Light, I was even more curious. After all, what did the end results for teaching girls how to code look like? Impressive, as the gallery at the end of this post shows.
But now, the fine details: three different teams of girls were selected to “pitch” to a panel of local judges which included:
- Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision Lab, Advisory Board Member to 1871 and Starter League, and member of Chicago NEXT;
- Ellen Shapiro, Lead Mobile Developer for SpotHero;
- Lakshmi Shenoy, Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at 1871; and
- Anna Valencia, Chicago Office of the City Clerk.
All of the apps were quiz apps…but with a nice, fun approach. Teams were asked to provide background on the apps, as well as their marketing plan, how they would finance their apps, and identifying their target market for the app. (In short, App Camp for Girls helped these teams learn and practice skills for “real world” applications. Teams and their apps included
- Ducks That Code, who created an app called Dino Survival, which helps people who find themselves trapped in Jurassic Park;
- Blue Lemurs From France, who created a quiz that lets you determine your Spirit Animal (and which indicates that my personal spirit animal is a hippo); and
- Lettuce4Pie who created an emergency preparedness app called Raining Duck-Tastrophe, which assesses a person’s ability to cope should there be a torrent of ducks raining from the sky.
Although it sounds like I’m making light of this, I would like to emphasize that App Camp for Girls’ mission is to engage middle school students in learning how to code. Having tested these apps myself (mobile devices were provided to the audience), I found them very well done, with a great attention to detail….and fun. Many industries are working towards gender diversity in the workplace and the Chicago tech scene is welcoming App Camp for Girls as a critical partner.
In short, I was glad to take part – even in a small way – in helping App Camp for Girls establish a presence in Chicago. They’re a great resource for the Chicago area, and hopefully, we’ll see them again next year.
Have any other suggestions for great tech resources? Know organizations that could use exposure? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below, reach out to me privately via e-mail, or join the conversation on our Facebook page.
And as always, thanks for reading!
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Meet Your Neighbor: ChariPick
(Special thanks to Stephen Lee of Charipick for sharing his time and insights, and special thanks to Derek Serafin of Motion PR for the introduction)
Matching nonprofit supporters and potential donors/volunteers can be a challenge for any organization. For smaller and medium-sized nonprofits, it can be especially challenging given the size of the organization, challenges in allocating resources and staff, andother concerns. However, a Chicago-area startup named Charipick has risen to meet that challenge…and is the focus this month’sMeet Your Neighbor.
Charipick was started with great intentions: Stephen Lee wanted to focus on “giving back” to the community. With his professional background in hedge fund management, M & A strategic planning, and business development, Stephen wanted to find an appropriate nonprofit – preferably a smaller organization – that would allow him to make an impact by sharing his skills and talents. However, the search for an appropriate nonprofit was a great challenge which needed simplification. Engaging with nonprofit boards was also a challenge – although most recommendations came through word-of-mouth, the process was still needlessly complicated. But Stephen realized what was needed most: a discovery and donation tool that would lead users to curated and trusted non-profits. With their target market increasingly engaging via mobile devices, Stephen and Charipick rose to the challenge.
Charipick (a Chicago-area startup) provides a mobile app for both Android and iOS that allows users to engage in a habit of giving. Users are presented with three different nonprofits in a variety of areas, and have to select one profit for a donation. (Users are asked to donate $1 per day per nonprofit, and every single dollar is incremental for nonprofits). All of the charities featured on Charipick are selected and curated based on three key criteria:
- Relevance – Charities (with IRS 501c3 status) are selected due to relevance and interest to Charipick’s target audience (25 – 35 year olds);
- Size – Most charities featured in the app have a budget of less than $10 million (and that will decrease over time);
- Financial Stability – Charipick selections have demonstrated some financial stability and transparency, and meet very stringent criteria.
One of the more interesting aspects about the app is that much of the way it was designed was based on research into human behavior. It turns out that, according to science, giving is much more pleasurable than receiving, sparking similar neural responses and feelings that mimic those around food and sex. Even with a minimal donation of $1/day, users are introduced to the idea that giving can be beneficial, and that feeling is continually reinforced. In fact, Charipick’s app also allows for greater personal engagement around nonprofits – users can research nonprofits of interest, learning more about their cases. If a Charipick user finds a nonprofit where they would like to volunteer, all they need to do is press a button and provide information – an e-mail is sent to the nonprofit, providing greater volunteer engagement and allowing nonprofits to build their resources with minimal effort.
In short, Charipick is providing a way for users to “graduate” from the app, moving into greater support of a nonprofit….but that’s not the only outcome Charipick seeks. As a startup, Charipick has actively built outcomes and impact into the way it interacts with nonprofits. For smaller to midsize nonprofits, registration is a relatively simple 15 second application. If the organization is relevant for Charipick users, it moves onto phase 2, focusing on thinking through how to quantify their impact, from “what does a dollar donation do?” to an overall perception of their mission. Even when individuals donate, Charipick has been proactive in providing documentation – users are provided a month-end e-mail report for tax purposes. Charipick has simplified the process for both nonprofit and supporter alike.
(For those concerned about financial control, Charipick has also built in some safeguards. Although they facilitate the donation process, Charipick transactions are handled through a third party credit card processor which transfers money directly to nonprofits. Charipick is also not a crowdfunding tool – while most crowdfunding tools encourage users to market the crowdfunding project, Charipick flips it around and markets itself as a way for users to find nonprofits.).
Chicago’s startup scene – and social entrepreneurship scene – can take pride in Charipick, which is a well-needed mobile app that connects supporters and nonprofits. Find out more about them via their web site, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Have any recommendations for great organizations to highlight? Any thoughts or comments? Please leave them below or join us in conversation via Facebook. You can receive updates via e-mail (instructions below), or contact me personally via the About page.
And as always, thanks for reading!
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The Art of Learning About Nonprofit Software
Recently, a colleague of mine had asked my assistance in identifying software vendors for nonprofits….and although I was able to help him somewhat (with further follow-up to come). it started me thinking about a central question….just how and where do nonprofits decide to purchase software?
For me, it was easy – I had always worked with computers as a hobby, so a casual Google search and/or reaching out to like minded people wasn’t that much of a challenge. But for other nonprofit workers, it can be a bit of a challenge. Sure, there are the usual suspects –Raiser’s Edge, CivicCRM, Salesforce, and various others – and some major companies like Microsoft offer incentives for nonprofits – but it can be a very daunting task.
Most of the time, learning about new software comes through networking – learning about nonprofit software vendors seems vast. Much of it consists of learning about who’s talking about nonprofit
tech. Bloggers like Beth Kanter often focus on taking a more tech-minded approach to non-profits, but in Chicago, we have a variety of opportunities to meet with others and learn more about software.
(It also helps that G2Crowd, a local startup, is working towards becoming a “Yelp for business software”. Recently, I had been invited to participate and leave reviews, and the site is very impressive. In fact, it’s more like Glassdoor
than Yelp – it takes a considered approach towards reviews, and most of them are thoughtful, considerate, and easy to understand).
But for most of us, learning about software and tech tools is a key step towards digital excellence, using digital tools (both hardware and software) to drive community development. In that regard, there are two
upcoming events that you might want to consider attending in the next few weeks:
- Greater Southwest Development Corporation and Blue Ocean Logic are co-sponsoring a series of “Tech Thursday” trainings on Thursday mornings throughout September at Daley College. For a list of
available sessions and to RSVP, please visit the Tech Thursday site. - Smart Chicago is starting a “Chicago School of Data” to help nonprofits and other like-minded organizations better utilize the data they collect. There is an online survey for people who are interested, and there will be a free two-day conference on September 19 – 20 at Willis Tower. For RSVP details, please visit their Eventbrite page (and seats are limited)
- Finally, Chicago Net Tuesday is holding a session on nonprofit digital storytelling at Overflow Coffee House on September 30th. For more information and to RSVP, please visit their Meetup page.
Learning about software might not be easy, but there is an art to knowing where to find the information. In the next few weeks, there will be ample opportunity to connect and learn about all kinds of online tools, as well as develop online skills and foster connections. I know I’ll be making these events in the future….and I hope to see you there.
Any other resources you can think of? Any organizations in the Chicago area that are striving to educate nonprofits on tech matters? Please feel free to mention them in the comments below. You can also subscribe to regular blog updates via our Facebook page, and you can always subscribe via e-mail. If you want to contact me directly, you’re more than welcome to do so via this blog’s About page.
As always, thanks for reading!
And as always, thanks for reading!
Non-Profit Government Shutdown Survival Guide
With the government shutdown underway, many non-profits may be confused about how to proceed. With the debt ceiling deadline looming on October 17th, many organizations find themselves proceeding with great caution. However, this is also an opportunity for Chicago area non-profits, social ventures, and other social change agents to consider taking a slightly different approach.
So in that spirit, here are a few basic things to consider to make this crisis somewhat more bearable:
- Know Exactly How Your Clients Will Be Affected – Various publications ranging from Non-Profit Quarterly to and Mother Jones magazine outline the direct impact of the shutdown. (You can also find information at http://www.usa.gov/shutdown.shtml). This knowledge will be helpful when making critical decisions for how non-profit programs are implemented, allowing non-profits and social change organizations to be much more client-focused in their approach.
- Consider An Open Source Approach to Software – and Collaboration – Many non-profits choose open source equivalents to commercial software to save money and open up services. (One good example is the Chicago Public Library making LibreOffice available to patrons). But open sourcing development and collaboration – allowing other organizations to take models, build on them, and create “forks” can enhance sustainability. (In addition, exploring potential partnerships with other non-profits, smaller organizations, and L3Cs/Benefit corporations can also be beneficial). Going open source can be a challenge, but thankfully, there are resources to assist in making the transition such as the NOSI primer (which is currently being revised)
- If You Receive Federal Grants, Please Double-check – As this Philanthrophy.com article rightly points out, although some federal programs have integrated some contingencies, performing due diligence is not just a smart idea – it can provide for adequate planning and preparation to avoid later frustration and heartache.
- Make Long-Range Plans and Rethink Your Strategies – Our only previous government shutdown seventeen years ago lasted about three weeks – there is no way to determine how long this current shutdown will last. As you inventory your non-profit’s current situation, attempt to see potential opportunities for partnership, services, funding and other resources. This is not a time to live in the age of the silo, nor is it the time to be a “gatekeeper” – adopting an open source approach will mean the difference between providing services and shutting doors. However…
- You Can Make An Impact And Maintain Professional Standards – Many non-profit workers take the view that non-profits are not a business, and they do not require as much in terms of maintaining professional standards around hiring, bookkeeping, and other day-to-day activities. (In simpler terms, it’s much harder for a mission-driven organization to make an impact on the community if the electricity is turned off). As this article from Nonprofit HR points out, staying on top of current trends in non-profit administration is always critical, and being able to adjust to sudden changes in situation is a hallmark of an efficient organization. Although seemingly trivial, this is one area that non-profits and other social change organizations must stay vigilant.
Regardless of where we lie on the political spectrum, those of us whose careers have centered around social change and social impact will be affected by this shutdown. The impact may potentially be incalculable, but nonetheless, there is an opportunity for Chicago area non-profits, social change organizations, mission-driven businesses, and others who share our beliefs to move slowly, but surely, towards the 21st century. Perhaps the twin ideas of “peer progressivism” and “digital excellence” can be more than just buzzwords in the metropolitan Chicago area….perhaps they can be great examples for the rest of the country to follow….
Any other ideas about how non-profits/social change organizations can survive the government shutdown? Anything that I have omitted? Any other thoughts to explore? Please feel free to share them below. In addition, you’re always welcome to contact me privately via Linked In (just mention One Cause At A Time in your note) or via private e-mail. And as always, thanks for reading!
Building Better Government One App At A Time
One of the many ways in which tech can impact our communities is when citizens and software coders collaborate on apps that improve government effectiveness and/or allow greater access to public data. Recently, I received notice about a really great opportunity for people to get engaged.
Code For America is a relatively new non-profit with a radical idea – that regular citizens, web coders, and others can collaborate on projects that make government more efficient, transparent, and which really create a more engaged citizenry. With an upcoming election, no matter what your political shading, this is a great opportunity to serve your community, and work on projects that could improve state and city government.
Their current initiative, the Race for Reuse, is focusing primarily on deploying (or redeploying) particular apps in a particular community. Admittedly, I haven’t been as aware of Code for America’s efforts as I would like (short answer – family health issues have prevented me), but quite honestly, this sounds like a great opportunity, and one which I think many readers might find exciting.
This is also one of the great ways in which we can use technology to improve our neighborhoods – for many of us, knowing how to get involved without necessarily doing the “usual” activities can be a challenge. It’s also an opportunity for becoming more familiar with tech and web-based tools, especially for those who may not consider themselves “hackers”.
In short, this is a really great initiative, and which really deserves greater support and awareness.
Have questions or comments? Please leave them down below, and you’re more than welcome to reach out to me via Linked In (just mention Chicago Now) and my web site.
As always, thanks for reading!
Making At-Risk Motherhood Easier Via Mobile
A colleague once asked me why I attended corporate networking events rather than just stick with networking in the non-profit/social good field. From my perspective, “social good” is an all-encompassing idea, and I believe that any opportunity to engage the larger community can result in learning about something wonderful.
I was fortunate enough to volunteer at last week’s MobiU2012 conference, which was organized by Heartland Mobile Council. One of the afternoon presentations I attended was by Corey Bieber of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, who spoke openly about a mobile application they created for expectant mothers.
Arising from the realization that taking a preventative approach for their members’ health can have a positive impact on their bottom line (and help build trust), Blue Cross/Blue Shield looked at a variety of information about who an app could help. Expectant, potential ask-risk mothers were chosen because they not only had a definite start and end point, but also had a finite period in which they were dealing with their health concerns. A smartphone app was developed in order to assist and connect mothers with specific information and guidance provided via Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
There were several insights presented, and the presentation will be posted at the Heartland Mobile site. What follows are a series of bullet points taken from the #MobiU2012 Twitter hashtag:
- Expectant fathers who take an active role in helping often bring a significant reduction in risk, and tend to use app features such as timing contractions.
- Twenty-four (24) percent of mothers involved in Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s program used the mobile app, as opposed to one (1) percent accessing the same information via the member portal (or home page)
- This particular smartphone app streamlined processes, taking a 45 minute phone interview and converting it into a 22 point procedure.
- First-time mothers will acquire a large amount of information and cross-validate, building trust in a provider. This is a process that is necessary in order to properly outreach to them.
Now you’re probably wondering….how does this impact the social good? Simply put: although it’s easy to focus on non-profits and more community-based organizations as ideal audiences for promoting the social good, “community” includes everyone….and the private sector can provide some really good examples of how socially beneficial thinking can benefit both the greater community and the bottom line.
Please feel free to leave comments and questions down below – in addition, you’re more than welcome to connect with me via Linked In (just mention Chicago Now in your referral note), or drop me a line via my web site. As always, thanks for reading!
One Cause At a Time - Archive 
Living The Linux Laptop Lifestyle
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As a freelance writer and social media consultant, I rely on my Windows 10 laptop (a ten-year-old Hewlett Packard Elitebook) for my work. However, the replacement charger blew out…two weeks after the original HP-branded charger blew out, and my laptop battery drained. That meant only one thing…getting my Linux laptop out of storage while I ordered another replacement charger.
My Linux laptop was purchased shortly after my 40th birthday: a decommissioned Panasonic Toughbook CF-29 with an SBC logo. I had always been an advocate of open source software, and considered myself to be living an “open source lifestyle.” After all, it was the integration of two sides of my personality: a rugged, military class laptop integrating community-driven software. It was powered (then) by Xubuntu (following some experimentation with Ubuntu), and towards the end…well, the Toughbook only had 512 KB RAM and was only upgradeable to 1.5 gigabytes. With such limited resources, could my old Linux laptop keep me going until I received a new charger?
The answer, with some considerations, is yes.
Thankfully, I had ordered a new 1 GB RAM stick for my Toughbook…but Xubuntu would not be the right Linux distribution (or “distro”); my Linux laptop would require something more flexible with such limited RAM and processing power. After doing a little research (one of the advantages of open source software is that communities have formed specifically around implementing software), I found some Linux distros that work on older computers. After test driving some distros on my mother’s computer, I decided that Linux Lite would best serve my laptop needs.
Another great advantage of open source software: you can run it off of a flash drive before installing it. And I have to admit that I loved Linux Lite’s out-of-the-box feel, so much so that I reconsidered installing my number two selection: LXLE, which is designed for underpowered older machines. According to a label on the bottom of my Toughbook, this pre-Linux laptop was decommissioned in 2005, making it well over ten years old. And so I replaced the RAM, installed Linux Lite, and after a short period, I was back to living a Linux laptop lifestyle while waiting for my charger.
In short, it took a week…but I realized that I had missed working with a Linux laptop.
Part of it is the unique look of the Toughbook, especially with its carrying handle. Walking around through various neighborhoods whether the Walker or Beverly branches of the Chicago Public Library or LaCatrina Cafe for the Chicago Doctor Who Meetup, I received plenty of flattering comments about my Linux laptop. (Thanks to some add-on software, I was able to use the laptop for a Meetup screening). One of my old high school classmates revealed via Facebook that he had used Linux to extend the life of his kids’ laptops. Although web browsing was a bit slower than usual, finding alternative browsers helped ease the strain on my Linux laptop.
Mostly, what I missed was the sense of freedom that I had with my Linux laptop. I have a great sense of liberation knowing that I will not get updates for the software unless I specifically request them. (Unlike Windows’ forced updates which
slow down online access). When I had issues or wanted to add or remove software, there was a great sense of discovery. Plus, my Linux laptop became extremely customizable in terms of fonts (which I had to download), wallpapers, and organizing my files. (Linux Lite takes up 10 GB of a 40 GB hard drive, while Windows takes up 60 out of 140 GB). Even working with open source equivalent software became fun…if a bit of a challenge (I love discovering features in VLC Media Player, but could do without the slight learning curves of LibreOffice and GIMP Graphics editor).
In time, the new charger arrived, and my Windows laptop is now working. (In fact, choosing a higher wattage charger has eliminated many of the issues I was having previously). However, when it comes to heading out and above and “fun” computing…my Linux laptop has become my computing “friend with benefits.” I’m not sure I’ll ever be serious about integrating Linux full time…but I have to admit, it provides some great opportunities for learning…and exploring.
And if Windows 10 is too much for my HP laptop, will I go full-on Linux with that laptop? What do you think?
Have questions or comments? Please feel free to leave them below or join the conversation on our Facebook page. If you need to contact me privately, use this e-mail form.
And as always, thanks for reading!
Written by gordondym
February 20, 2018 at 4:14 pm
Posted in Commentary, Community, Neighborhoods, Software
Tagged with community, neighborhoods, open source, technology