So, you’re one of the cool kids. You own a smartphone such as an Android device or Apple iPhone. You’re in good company. A study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project (May 2011) reveals that 42 percent of cell phone users now own a smartphone. Incidentally, 83 percent of American adults now own some type of cell phone.
Perhaps you own one of the 28.73 million iPads that have been sold worldwide. Or, maybe you own another tablet device.
If you own a smartphone or tablet computer, you’re no doubt familiar with Apps, those little pieces of software that allow us to check email, pick a restaurant, search the Internet, or kill pigs by tossing Angry Birds at them, etc. There are over 425,000 Apps for the iPhone and over 480,000 Apps for Android phones. I’m not even counting the Apps for tablet devices. So, do we really need another App?
Well, I happen to believe there’s room for at least one more App. This one is just for those working for or volunteering with nonprofit organizations. The App is the Nonprofit Manager’s FAQ from the good people at Jossey-Bass/Wiley publishing. While an App like Angry Birds might help you pass the time, the Nonprofit Manager’s FAQ will help you pass your time more productively by answering your questions, helping you improve results, allowing you to preview outstanding books for nonprofits, and making buying those books from your favorite online retailer as easy as possible.
As the publisher describes it:
[In the Nonprofit Manager’s FAQ] App, you’ll find answers to your most critical nonprofit management questions and challenges. Painstakingly culled from new and bestselling Jossey-Bass/Wiley books and resources written by leading minds and organizations in the field, this App brings together tips and guidance on how to work more effectively in the nonprofit field. Designed for busy professionals, this App offers brief insights on every aspect of nonprofit work including Boards, Management, Marketing, Finance, Fundraising and Legal. New content will be added on a regular basis so download this trusted resource today! Features include: The ability to search and browse all content, pick and save your favorite answers and content, share your discovery via Facebook, Twitter and email, and adjust the text size. You can also discover the sources of the content as well links to websites for the authors and organizations behind it.”
Once you download the free App, you’ll be able to immediately go to an opening screen that gives you the following category options:
- Boards
- Management
- Marketing
- Finance
- Fundraising
- Legal
By clicking on any given category, you’ll be taken to a menu of subcategories. For example, click on “Fundraising” and you’ll be taken to a menu with the following options:
- General
- Strategy
- Donors
- Grants
Click on any of these subcategories, and you’ll be taken to a list of questions. For example, click on the question “What are a fundraiser’s basic ethical responsibilities?” You’ll be taken to a meaningful excerpt from The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management by Stanley Weinstein. You’ll also be given links to learn more about the book and links providing you with a variety of options for buying a digital or print version of the book should you have an interest in doing so.
Alternatively, you can search the App using, you guessed it, the search bar. For example, plug-in the term “planned giving,” and you’ll be taken instantly to a list of relevant FAQ questions. For example, if you are interested in the question “What are the steps to creating a planned giving program?,” just click on the question. In this example, you’ll be taken to an excerpt from my book Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing, which is on the official CFRE Resource Reading List and for which I won the AFP-Skystone Partners Prize. In addition to the answer to the question, you’ll also be able to link to more information about the book including ways to purchase it. Hint. Hint. 
I think this App is a terrific resource for nonprofit professionals and voluntee
rs which is why I’m sharing it with you. But, I’d like to know what you think of it. So, I invite you to download the App and play with it. Then, please let me know what you think of the functionality of the App and, most importantly, the content. If there’s something you’d like to see in the App that’s not there, let me know that, too. I’ll be sure to share your feedback with the folks at Jossey-Bass/Wiley in addition to posting it here.
I have one final thought I need to impart. While Wiley is my publisher, I have received no compensation for this post. I have not been involved in the development of the App. I have not even provided Wiley with any advance notice of this post. I’ve simply discovered the App, and I have loaded the free App on my Droid Incredible 2. I liked it, and simply wanted to share this new tool with you. And, I wanted to solicit your honest feedback.
That’s what Michael Rosen Says… What do you say?
