Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / Jan. 1, 1994, edition 1 / Page 3
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January 1994 Connections Philanthropy Journal of North Carolma * 3 Expanding the electronic web Changes in the works for nonprofit computer network The News & Observer will offer access to the Internet for mem bers of NCexChange. By Todd Cohen A f orth Carolina’s computer l\l network for nonprofits will / V undergo some changes under a deal being worked out between The News S Observer in Raleigh and NCexChange, which coordinates the network. The changes will give NCexChange members access to information provided through NandO.net, The News & Observer’s new computer information service. NCexChange, an affiliate of Legal Services/North Carolina Client and Community Development Center, has about 160 members and is part of HandsNet, a national nonprofit com puter network with about 2,800 mem bers. HandsNet, itself a nonprofit, focuses on anti-poverty and human service issues, and costs subscribers $400 to $600 a year, based on how much they use the network. The tees cover HandsNet’s cost of managing the national network, as well as the cost to Connect, a for- profit company, of running the hard ware and software for the system. That tee gives a subscriber access both to NCexChange and its North Carolina computer forums, and to HandsNet and its forums, which focus on national policy, pro grams, research and trends. NCexChange promotes the North Carolina network and provides tech nical training and support to its members. It also manages, on HandsNet, a computer forum tor Tar Heel nonprofits that includes sepa rate sub-forums on rural develop ment, housing, health, the environ ment, community economic develop ment, sustainable agriculture and small farms, poverty, and nonprofit resources. NandO.net provides access to a variety of information services, which now will include NCexChai^. NandO.net also provides access to the Internet, a free ^obal network of computer networks. NandO.net Look for EXCHANGE, page 22 Community cooperation Wake hospitals team up for iimer-city schools Traditiorially fierce competitors, Wake County’s three hospitals have formed a foundation to pro vide services in the community. The foundation’s first project is to provide nurses in inner-city schools. By Todd Cohen S chool children in six schools in predominantly black Southeast Raleigh are get ting nursing and other health ser vices that weren’t previously avail able, thanks to a new foundation formed by the county’s three hospi tals and its health department. While improving health care for inner-city kids is its first undertak ing, the Hospital Alliance for Community Health represents an advance among the public Wake Medical Center, the nonprofit Rex Hospital and the for-profit Raleigh Community Hospital toward collabo rating with one another. Formed last summer, the Alliance is funded with $350,000 from the three hospitals, with each contribut ing an amount based on its number of beds. 'The hospitals have agreed to fund the initial project for at least three years. 'The money is paying for full-time nurses at Enloe High School and Ligon Middle School and half-time nurses at Bugg, Conn, Hunter and Poe elementary schools. The Alliance also has opened a clinic next to Ligon that will serve kids in those six schools and in Southeast Ralei^ generally. The program is designed to iden tify youngsters who may be sick or have other problems, and to get their families involved in solving those problems. The goal is to keep stu dents healthier and to prevent the types of related problems that stem from poor health, including poor school performance and hi^ dropout rates. “If we can help families and kids be healthier, we can in fact improve both school attendance and school performance,” says Crystal Helm, Ligon’s principal. Karen May, Ligon’s new nurse, says that the number of students going home sick this year has fallen dramatically - to 116 in September and October, compared with 256 for the same two months last year. May says she’s able to identify a variety of problems that otherwise might go undetected because chil dren lack access to health care. 'Those Include anxiety about school, lack of nutrition, high blood pressure and asthma. By making health care more accessible to children, says Leah Devlin, Wake’s health director and A new program funded by three Wake County hospitals will place nurses such as Karen May, here with Ligon Middle School student Chanice Harris, in six public schools in Raleigh's inner-city. Photo by John Fletcher Jr. president of the board of directors of the Hospital Alliance, the Alliance can help address many of the prob lems that affect their lives and their ability to learn. She says the Alliance hopes to seek funding from other sources to expand the school health project and also to address other community problems. Wake Med, Rex and Raleigh Community Hospital have collaborat ed before; For the past five years, the hospitals and county have funded a program to coordinate care outside the hospitals tor patients with AIDS. Generally, though, the hospitals have competed fiercely with one another. Indeed, Jack Willis, presi dent of Rex, says the partners in the Hospital Alliance are a “strange mix.” But hospital officials see the AUiance as a way to reach beyond their walls and provide services in the community, and as a step to working more closely with one anoth er. “We decided collectively that it was in the best interset of the com- mimity, as opposed to selfish compe tition,” says Ray Champ, president of Wake Medical Center. “I think that the sense of the group is that they are open to other kinds of projects.” Willis agrees. “I think this is just a forerunner, under health care reform, of what you’re going to see.” Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina A PuBUCATioN Of The News and Observer Foundation 215 S. McDoweh St. Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 829-8988 VOL. 1 No. 5 SUBSCRIPTION PRICES 1 year 2 years 3 years $57 $104 $143 Multiple-copy discounts o\ra|}Qr\lA * Call (919) 829-4763 for rates. FOR SUBSCRffTION INFORMATION, CALL (919) 829-4763 OR (919) 829-4807. Getting help Paid consultants an option for nonprofits While free assistance and equip ment are available for nonprof its looking to use computers in their operations, North Carolina consultants specializing in non profits also offer their services. They cost money, but the investment may pay off in the long run. By Kay McFadden “T" 0 pay or not to pay? Several / months ago, this column I lamented the fact that North Carolina apparently has no freebie services to help nonprofits set up and use computer systems. Unlike California, where well- organized technical support organi zations abound, the Tar Heel state lags in assistance geared to the spe cific needs of charitable groups. TTiis seemed surprising, considering the presence of two big high-tech cen ters - in Research Triangle Park and Charlotte. Well, our lamentations provoked some a sharp response from for-prof it folks who specialize in computer consulting to nonprofits. They pointed out that in the search for free services, nonprofits risk being pennywise and pound-fool ish — and information is too critical to cheap out on, as one consultant so aptly expressed. As it turns out, the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits is in agreement. Program Director Trisha Lester has assembled a list of paid consultants who aid nonprofits in purchasing, installing and operating computer systems. We’ve Included that list at the end of this column. “Our consultant database is made up of either first-hand recommenda tions from nonprofits who’ve used TECHNOLOGY them and liked them, or those whose work we’ve experienced directly,” says Lester. “Obviously, the list is not exhaus tive.” She adds that it’s up to a nonprof it to handle fee negotiations with a paid consultant; no guidelines are posted. But Lester does emphasize that the Center for Nonprofit always gives the names of three consultants. “We encourage everyone to shop around,” she says. One final note from Lester: All of the consultants on the Ust work with a variety of hardware and software products, so nonprofits know they aren’t getting one particular manu- factimer’s products shoved at them. In addition to paid consultants specializing in nonprofits, another category of assistance emerged on our radar screen: Groups that pro vide free technical assistance to any business setting up a computer sys tem. Such groups typically help small businesses — a category that shares much in common with nonprofits when it comes to ti^t budgets and operating needs. 'The Small Business & Technology Development Center is headquar tered in Raleigh and has 15 offices throu^out the state. Essentially an extension service for small business es, SBTDC is supported by the University of North Carolina and by the federal Small Business Administration. “We oftentimes get asked by smaller organizations how they can utilize technology in their work place,” says Scott Dau^erty, execu tive director of the SBTDC. “Nonprofits are just like small busi nesses in that they are looking at Look for TECHNOLOGY, page 22
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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