Overview of Projects
OC's Grassroots Use of Technology Conference
This event brings together hundreds of nonprofits and tech professionals to share techniques and strategies for using technology to strengthen grassroots organizing.
Past conferences resulted in the writing of the Organizers' Database (ODB), drawing in early "netroots" organizers, connecting with media folk and expanding our networks. In June 2007, was cosponsored by with the Grassroots Radio Coalition at UMass Lowell and was attended by almost 400 people!
This year, our tenth anniversary conference is being organized in partnership with a wide range of organizations including the Boston Neighborhood Network, the John O'Bryant African American Institute at Northeastern University, the National Writers Union, and Massachusetts Global Action. Visit the conference website.
OC developed a fast, easy-to-use database software program -- Organizers Database (ODB) -- to make data management a breeze for grassroots groups. First released in March 2002, OC came out with version 1.0 of ODB in February of 2006. The software is open source and is currently available on Windows. Over 700 people are now members of the ODB community web site, at http://organizersdb.org, allowing users to learn from each other. OC also provides fee-based support for ODB.
Organizational Divide Initiative (ODI):
Since 2004, OC has provided training to nonprofit and community organizations in Eastern Massachusetts on databases, basic computer maintenance, Internet communications strategy, and technology planning. Sponsored by the Boston Foundation and Haymarket Peoples Fund, the ODI project initially focused on the Roxbury/Lower South End area of Boston. The ODI project uses a collaborative training model, and emphasizes competence in the use of low-cost and open source tools. The resources developed by ODI are shared with hundreds of other nonprofits around the country.
OC's focus on the Divide continues in partnership with the Boston Action Tank. Since Spring 2008, the Action Tank has been developing and organizing workshops that connect long-term media reform efforts with the immediate needs of grassroots organizations. OC has supplemented these workshops with a close focus on the Web 2.0/social networking strategies of small non-profits via a series of workshops on the topic.