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New to BigTech: Box Online Collaboration Service

New to BigTech: Box Online Collaboration Service

BigTech is proud to announce our newest donor partner, Box.org. 

Box.org provides organizations with the Box file-sharing, content management, and collaboration service.

See the Box.org Donation Program for details about this offer. 

Is It Right for My Organization?

You can use Box's cloud-based storage and collaboration tools to replace traditional on-premises file servers and traditional file-sharing processes. It also provides tools that facilitate program management, funding development, and global collaboration.

If your organization works with sensitive data, Box also provides the administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to support your organization's compliance with HIPAA.

How Does It Work?

See these examples of what nonprofits can do with Box.

Create a folder structure that categorizes your daily fundraising responsibilities.

Use Box’s collaboration features like commenting and task management to manage the completion of a grant application. 

Manage geographically dispersed staff and beneficiaries by creating folder structures with content specific to regional offices 

Speed up collaboration by allowing users to review time-sensitive work in the cloud in real time from any device, instead of through traditional file-transfer applications and internal servers.

Embed your quarterly or annual reports stored in Box on an external website or intranet page.

Foundations can streamline funding development and partnerships by creating a grant submission and approval process with Box

Box integrates with other applications like Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft Office and Office 365, and more.

To learn more, read Box's summary of how nonprofits can use its services.

What's Available?

Eligible organizations can receive a donation of Box Starter Edition that includes 10 user licenses and 100 GB of storage space. These licenses are perpetual, meaning they never expire. You can upload and share files up to 2 GB in size with the Starter Edition.

See all the features included with Box Starter Edition on the pricing page.

Nonprofit Success Stories

These organizations are using Box to more effectively carry out their missions.

·         Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: This organization used Box to more effectively raise funds for blood cancer research. Its employees use Box to share digital asset libraries and collaborate with third-party vendors. When raising funds at events in the field, employees use Box on iPads to share videos, PDFs, and presentations with potential donors.

·         Grameen Foundation: This global microfinance nonprofit improved collaboration across four continents with Box. Before using Box, it had problems providing access to shared servers and its intranet to field offices in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It has integrated Box content with its Salesforce implementation.

·         Operation Hope: This financial literacy nonprofit uses Box as its primary content management system for all employees.  Before Box, it had problems with employees accessing content because its internal servers crashed frequently.

·         Teach for America, The International Rescue Committee, and Kiva all use Box for content management and collaboration. Learn more about their stories and watch a video detailing their work on the Box website.  

·         Team Rubicon, Habitat for Humanity Australia, and Beyond12 also use Box to achieve their diverse goals. Learn more about each of these organizations on the Box blog.

Check out how other organizations are using Box to create positive change by reading success stories on the Box.org website. 

Google for Nonprofits is now available!

Google for Nonprofits offers qualified organizations access to free versions of paid Google products and special features designed for nonprofits. These tools can help nonprofits find new donors and volunteers, work more efficiently, and get supporters to take action Read more

Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 13 Now Available

BigTech is proud to announce the newest version of Adobe's Elements bundle, containing both Photoshop Elements 13 and Premiere Elements 13.

Both programs are lighter editions of Photoshop, Adobe's popular photo-editing application, and Premiere Pro, its robust video-editing application.

Is It Right for My Organization?    

The Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements bundle is ideal for organizations that want to quickly enhance photos and create movies to communicate their stories and their mission. Adobe designed this bundle for users who are just getting started with photo and video editing and want a simple way to edit and share photos and videos on their computers or mobile devices.

What Can I Do with the Elements Bundle?

The bundle includes a searchable organizer for photos and videos; red-eye removal; adjustable colors, lighting, contrast, shadowing, and highlights; the ability to fix problems with shaky footage, color and lighting, and audio errors; social media integration; compatibility with DVD and Blu-ray discs; and more.

A full list of features is available from Adobe.

What's New in Version 13?

The latest version includes:

·         Photomerge Compose: You can pull something out of one photo, place it in another, and blend the color and lighting for a realistic-looking scene.

·         Composition crops: When you crop a photo, Photoshop Elements will suggest four different options for a more seamless composition.

·         Video Story: You can pick the type of story to tell, grab clips for each chapter, and Premiere Elements will trim the video, transition between the clips, and pick the music, all based on the mood you chose.

·         Guided Edits: This feature allows you to add motion inside your movie titles and punch up the drama with effects or blurs that draw eyes to one part of your scene.

What's Different?

The Elements applications are simpler alternatives to Photoshop and Premiere Pro that share many of the features of the larger products. Photoshop Elements does not include certain advanced Photoshop features such as the Channel Mixer, Color Balance, scripting, or CMYK coloring. Premiere Elements offers fewer templates, transitions, and effects than Premiere Pro.

Digital buzz in the mountains of Tehri

Last week, NKN team visited Tehri Garhwal in
Uttrakhand to visit the NKN centers which are operational in remote locations
of this district. Tehri, now known as New Tehri is a mountainous town in
Tehri Garhwal District. Since 1988, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC)
is working in the region for development of one of the highest dams in Asia and
for the resettlement & rehabilitation of local populations/communities.
During the construction of the Tehri Dam**, 125 villages were resettled from
their original places to several new places that came to be known as New Tehri.

Over a period of time, THDC realized that
rehabilitation alone does not mean fulfilling its mandate to work with the
people; and it goes beyond regular activity of resettlement &
rehabilitation. Keeping in line with the needs of communities and impactful
interventions, THDC has undertaken a huge initiative of bringing the change
among the affected population through its CSR division.

Simultaneously working on several issues such
as improved health care facilities, electricity facility, agricultural
practices support & livelihoods promotion, promoting disaster management
preparedness and running vocational training centers; THDC approached NASSCOM
Foundation to assist with their digital literacy and IT skills training centers
to run effectively & efficiently. They are running computer centers in
collaboration with other local NGOs which are rendering basic computer literacy
and digital learnings. In total, the team visited four centers situated at
remote mountainous locations. It took us four days to cover all the locations,
as the local commute in hills are always challenging. However, the distance
covered was absolutely worth it - to see the enthusiasm of students and how
much they have learned in a short period of time.

In an interaction’s with a student of the
center, Miss Priti Rana shared her life changing experience with us.

“I was a usual mountain girl; going to school
for studies. After school help my mother in household chores, getting demoted
over other male siblings. I always have been a good student. Though at times I
used to think what I am & what I want to become! However, I matriculated
with good grades & opted for science stream.

Last year, I joined the NKN center at
Ghansali with a vision to equip myself with computer learning’s as it is a
necessity of today’s age of information. After completing almost 5 months at
the center, I came across to the entire different world of which I was unaware
of. Despite the fact I have not crossed Tehri yet but now, I can communicate
through emails with my friends who moved out of Tehri and are living in other
parts of the country. I am well versed with MS Office, use Skype & Facebook
to connect with friends, take Google’s help in my routine studies. I feel
extremely empowered now. In future, I am focused to become a computer engineer
which has been only possible after joining the center as the stepping stone
else I would not think of it.”

With the help of our visit, we came to
understand that it will be great to start with existing context & hone the
talents of rural youth & students in a way that they should be prepared
enough to adapt & perform well in their higher studies & all future
endeavors.

About NKN:- The NASSCOM Knowledge Network
(NKN) is a network of 174+ community telecentres across 13 states of India, in
partnership with 30+ NGOs, providing access to information and services related
to education, health and livelihoods to marginalized communities. See more at: https://www.nasscomfoundation.org/get-engaged/nasscom-knowledge-network.html#sthash.rkxIydTH.dpuf 

For more information please visit - https://www.nasscomfoundation.org/get-engaged/nasscom-knowledge-network.html

 - Hammad Abedin

NASSCOM Foundation