You are here
Choosing and Using Open Source Software: A Primer for Nonprofits
Error message
- Deprecated function: Methods with the same name as their class will not be constructors in a future version of PHP; nodequeue_queue has a deprecated constructor in include_once() (line 1445 of /usr/local/share/drupal-7.102/includes/bootstrap.inc).
- Deprecated function: Methods with the same name as their class will not be constructors in a future version of PHP; views_display has a deprecated constructor in include_once() (line 3566 of /usr/local/share/drupal-7.102/includes/bootstrap.inc).
- Deprecated function: Methods with the same name as their class will not be constructors in a future version of PHP; views_many_to_one_helper has a deprecated constructor in require_once() (line 113 of /home/members/nosi/sites/nosi.net/web/drupal7/sites/all/modules/ctools/ctools.module).
The open source community model for software development and support represents a huge potential opportunity for nonprofit organizations. The promise of open source is to allow the nonprofit sector to:
- Share technical expertise across organizations
- Leverage limited software development resources
- Avoid lock-in to proprietary technology platforms, and
- Minimize licensing costs as well as total cost of ownership.
However, non-profits have been slow to explore the opportunities afforded by open source. Many are not even aware of the open source approach as an option. This is due to a combination of factors:
- The technical nature of the benefits involved makes them difficult to communicate and understand
- The open source community tends to be a closed loop, designed to serve the needs of its members, who are mostly very technically savvy. Open source development efforts tend to neglect software ease of use, tutorials and documentation, and support for less technical users.
- Most open source applications do not incorporate features and functionality that address non-profit's unique operational needs
The Nonprofit Open Source Initiative (NOSI) was begun in June 2001 to bridge this gap between the nonprofit and open source communities. For more information on our current efforts, follow the links to the right or click here to get involved.
|
