Why This Web Site?

 
The original spirit of the Internet was to freely give information, as well as to take it. It was a system built with the primary intention of collaboration, communication and accessibility -- not exclusivity and profits.

With that original spirit in mind, and to promote my expertise and services, I began creating and posting free tip sheets to various newsgroups in January 1996 to help mission-based organizations (nonprofits, NGOs, public sector organizations, civil society organizations, etc.) reap program-enhancing, money-saving benefits from technology. By the end of that year, the information was hosted on its own web site, and over the years, these free resources have expanded to include information regarding communications/outreach and volunteerism.

I can't give away all of my time, expertise and materials for free, ofcourse; I've got bills to pay and mouths to feed and loved ones to shelter, just like everyone, and the maintenance and hosting of this web site, simple as it is, does come out of my own pocket. But this web site, with all of its many free resources will, I hope, provide enough information to those nonprofit organizations that cannot afford to hire a new staff person or consultant to explore, to innovate, to expand and to improve.

Why "Coyote" Communications? Because I am quite partial to canines, and I think the coyote is unique among them, with qualities I greatly admire. Coyotes are amazingly adaptable to ever-changing surroundings - efforts to control or exterminate the coyote and the massive garbage-production of modern humans have produced an animal that is even more alert, opportunistic, and able to survive, even flourish. They are uniquely American creatures, incredibly misunderstood animals, much smaller than most people think, and often blamed for destruction not of their making. Coyotes are surprisingly, sometimes shockingly, intelligent, have the reputation of being "tricksters," work well in groups, love to play, and have boundless love for their families. At night, to hear the high quavering cry or the short, high-pitched yips of coyotes is the most beautiful song you can hear.

Some mission-based organizations may find the tech-related information on my site too basic; good for you, then, if you have become so advanced. I remember back in the 1990s when I would ask a room full of nonprofit representatives had email addresses, and not even one third of the room would raise their hands (advanced organizations should definitely check out TechSoup, which specializes in providing tech-related resources for mission-based organizations). But organizations in the developing world, as well as non-tech staff at mission-based organizations in even the USA, still need basic information, and I'm happy to do what I can to provide such (and be sure to check out my Stages of Maturity in Nonprofit Organizations Using Online Services).

My web materials are not limited to my own thoughts and experiences -- many other people are quoted in these pages (with credit), and I link to other Web sites to provide even more resources.

These pages are formatted so that you can print them out and reference them offline. They are also formatted so that they can be viewed on "low end" machines and software -- many people and organizations are not using the latest and greatest software, and I don't want to turn away anyone (let alone potential customers)!

Special thanks to the participants of various Internet discussion groups that talk about not-for-profit and public sector agency issues. It's the collective wisdom shared in such groups that makes the Internet such a great place to be.

 
To know about updates to this site, visit the Jayne Blog. The blog provides a way for readers to post comments as well. The RSS feed address for the Jayne Blog:
http://blogs.forumer.com/rss.php?u=jcravens
Or, if you use MyYahoo as your RSS reader, just click on this icon:

 
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