Microsoft Corp.

Thanks to Microsoft Citizenship Asia Pacific, I’ve presented a series of online fundraising and social-media trainings to more than 300 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) throughout Asia Pacific over the last three years. The experience has made me aware that access to information about trends in nonprofit technology, online fundraising and social media often does not reach small NGOs. Here are five online best practices to get small NGOs started: 1. Launch a new, mobile-optimized website. 2. Launch an e-newsletter. 3. Acccept donations online. 4. Study and mimic large NGOs. 5. Create a Facebook Page.

DonorVision uses the same Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 technology platform depended on by Fortune 500 companies all over the world to nurture customer satisfaction and loyalty. Serenic has leveraged that power to provide specific problem-solving features that only a nonprofit like you could require - and appreciate.  View advantages here.

John Gelety, director of video services for FundRaising Success parent company North American Publishing Co., shares some insights that can help nonprofits make the most of their video efforts.

Flesch-Kincaid is a small tool that can be a big help. Readability stats won't do your writing for you, but they can definitely make the writing you do stronger!

Megaphilanthropy last year remained below levels seen before 2007’s economic shock, according to a new Chronicle of Philanthropy study. The top 50 donors on The Chronicle's list committed a total of $7.4 billion to charity in 2012. The median gift was $49.6 million, down significantly from 2007’s high of $74.7 million. Most of the money went to big, elite institutions. Seventy-two percent of the dollars pledged supported higher education, arts and culture, hospitals, and private foundations.

Atlas of Giving announced total giving to nonprofits rose 6.7 precent in 2012, an increase of $23.32 billion over 2011. According to a report released today by The Atlas of Giving, giving to environmental causes grew by 11 percent in 2012, more than any other portion of the U.S. charitable economy.

America’s billionaires gave less in 2012 than in 2011, a new Chronicle of Philanthropy tally shows. The largest gifts announced by American philanthropists in 2012 totaled nearly $5.1 billion, but $3 billion of that was from Warren Buffett’s promise in August to give stock valued at $1 billion to each of three foundations run by his children.

Without Buffett’s pledges, the biggest gifts announced in 2012 would have totaled only $2 billion — far less than 2011’s $2.6 billion.

ResultsPlus, a constituent relationship management (CRM) and fundraising software provider, releases the 11th version of its fundraising software solution — ResultsPlus 11 — to assist nonprofit organizations and professionals manage donations and memberships, as well as track CRM and fundraising efforts.

The National Conference on Citizenship and Points of Light, experts on civic engagement, in partnership with Bloomberg LP, announced the results of The Civic 50. IBM, Citi and AT&T Inc. take top honors in the first comprehensive ranking of S&P 500 companies that best use their time, talent and resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.

Additional million-dollar donations for recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy from a broad spectrum of corporations were announced this week. As of midweek, the Coach Foundation had joined the ranks of seven-figure contributors to Sandy recovery efforts, pledging $2 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, while apparel company PVH Corp. announced a donation of $1 million, to be shared equally by the Red Cross, the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.