It's the first day of my first Nonprofit Technology Conference (put on by NTEN) experience. I must say, I like the vibe. Sure, it's a wee disorganized, and there's plenty of salesmanship going on, but there's also an overarching sense of camaraderie and purpose to what it's all about. 

Here are three things I'm mulling over as I've had a few minutes to start soaking it all in. Mull with me.

1. CRM is a crowded field, and might always be

I've had my eyes and ears attune to what's available to nonprofits in terms of how they can organize their contacts, collect donations, create and manage events, and spur volunteerism. Most folks call such systems "Constituent Relationship Management" systems, or CRM. 

One thing I've seen, especially in the "Science Fair" (read: Vendor Exhibit Hall) held yesterday, is a number of companies offering a unified way of handling all of those needs. We've talked extensively here at HiDef about CiviCRM, but yesterday I spoke with WinWinapps, Convio, Blackbaud, Antharia, ifPeople, Kavi, nFocus Software, Salesforce.com Foundation, TechBridge, VisionLink, and Z2 Systems, just to name a few. All of these solutions are trying to provide a solution for that nagging question: "Is there one place I can go to have tools that engage and organize all the people that interact with my organization?"

And, because the ways that nonprofits engage and organize folks is manifold and ever-growing, it will always be hard for the software that meets the need to keep up. That's why I think there will always be many players in the nonprofit CRM field. In one way this helps us at HiDef ensure there are many options for our clients; in another, it makes it difficult to make wise decisions based on real needs rather than feature sets. That's why my team is here, to help folks sift through those waters and build the right vessel.

2. Social Media is the New Black

The number of sessions talking about social media outweighs the rest 2 to 1. Over half the nonprofits I've talked to are resolute on starting their campaigns on Facebook and Twitter full boar, but have been hampered by lack of understanding as to why they feel thus compelled. NTC seems to be just the place they need to be!

We've spoken a few times about Social Media and marketing topics here on our blog, especially as it relates to an organization's overall strategy. Go ahead, snoop around to see what we have to offer.

3. Story is King

As the democratization and maturation of tools and platforms takes place, I see organizations needing to make fewer technical decisions and more strategic decisions. Many economists have already spoken of the creative economy that is now upon us in the U.S.--one where people show their value by not what they can lift or how fast they can type, but rather by how they can think and solve.  In the same way, as tools are accessible and usable by more and more nonprofits, the way that each will stand out is not in "getting on the social networking bandwagon," but doing so with a compelling story.

As I said in a tweet, an organization's story is the very foundation of its online strategy in the new relational web, and that strategy "should inform every area of your web presence, from social media to donation experience to events."

For me it does all come back around to story, that simple essence of what characterizes you as an organization. Your organization's personality and passion, along with how you got to where you are, form a composite picture that should be your starting point across all of your web initiatives. We're designers and developers here at HiDef, but we recognize that what we do is simply allow you tell, and allow your users to participate in, your dynamic and ever-changing story, through your web site, your social networking presences, your web applications, your mobile applications, and your print materials.

I've had fun here at NTC so far. Here's to learning more about the role technology plays in furthering great causes!