By Cathy Stevens

Eugene, Ore.

The Oregon-based McKenzie River Gathering Foundation was looking for a way to help its pool of small, rural, "grassroots" grantees benefit from new technology.

So the foundation began talking with NetCorps, a nonprofit in Eugene with the mission of delivering tech assistance to other small nonprofits, while also teaching college interns about the independent sector.

After one and a half years of talking and planning, the two groups have teamed up to create Project Connect, a one-year program that began July 1 to build the organizational capacity of 12 of the foundation's grantees through tech assistance and training.

Here's how Project Connect will work: The foundation has brought NetCorps on board to assess the technology needs of 24 organizations that received foundation grants in the past five years.

Those grantees that were awarded the assessment must be "committed to building their capacity to communicate and manage information," says Kathleen Pequeño, program associate for the foundation.

"Priority will be given to groups that promote power-sharing within their organization, and who will use this project to empower a diverse community or individuals," she says.

Each assessment will be conducted by NetCorps' staff, which includes a lead technology consultant, one intern and two other team members.

The assessment will involve research, detailed questionnaires, interviews, inventories and discussions on where the organization is headed, says Nancy Arbogast, project coordinator for NetCorps.

The needs assessment team then will write a report with recommendations for the nonprofit.

Based on NetCorps' recommendations, the 24 organizations will submit grant proposals to the foundation, which will award its "Technology & Training Award" to 12 applicants.

NetCorps will provide those 12 with tech assistance and training in the following months, as new hardware and software is put in place. After installation and training, NetCorps will be on call for follow-up support.

McKenzie River Gathering Foundation will announced the first round of recipients on Dec. 10, 1999 and their technology plans will be implemented on Jan. 10, 2000. The second and final round of recipients will be announced on Feb. 1, 2000. Their plans will be implemented in March and April 2000.

Susan Remmers, the foundation's executive director, says most of their grantees lack the technology they need to communicate and advocate for their causes. As the field of communications has been "radically redefined," they have been left behind.

Remmers says that the foundation has received a lot of support for the project. People realize that technology is redefining wealth, she says, and nonprofits will need newer technology to secure the donor support they need.

"People have been very open to it. It's creating a light-bulb."

Cathy Stevens can be reached at
Cathy.Stevens@furman.edu