What is an "Online Organization"? Simply put, it is one that has fully integrated online communication (primarily email and the Web) into the way they work and communicate with their membership, colleagues, or the public or the media. Online Organizations use these tools to build and nurture relationships with people in ways that mail, phone and fax don't easily allow.

We invite you to read on, and ask yourself a few questions. How many of these characteristics does your organization have? What will it take to get there? What is preventing the conservation group you know best from becoming an "Online Organization"?

1) Reliable basic technology infrastructure for everyone in the organization

Online Organizations treat computers as essential communications tools, and make sure that everyone in the organization has the most appropriate technology tools for their jobs. Online Organizations have up-to-date, reliable workstations for each staff member, and these workstations are connected into a local area network (LAN). They have shared Internet access for their offices -- broadband if at all possible. Online Organizations have individual email addresses for each staff member.

2) Technical support and training

Online Organizations identify and invest in the human elements that make technology work: support and training. While few organizations need or can afford full-time system administrators, all Online Organizations spend money on routine technical support. Online Organizations invest in technology training for their staff. Online Organizations recoginze that great tools are only valuable if they are well-maintained and if folks know how to use them effectively.

3) Virus protection and routine data backup procedures

Some of the most important assets of conservation organizations are now electronic-- the documents and databases that power our work. In the same way that people lock their doors to protect their physical property, Online Organizations protect their electronic information from catastrophic problems that can be caused by equipment failure, disaster, break-ins, software errors, human errors and viruses by developing and implementing solid data security measures including backups, regularly updated virus protection and appropriate firewall/intrustion protection measures.

4) Technology as a component of organizational planning and budgeting

Online Organizations treat technology as an essential element of their program work, and fully integrate technology planning into the organization's operating and strategic plans. At a minimum, this means that the annual budget includes line items for necessary equipment purchases and staff training, and a 12-18 month blueprint for infrastructure improvements. Ideally, it also means that the use of online communication flows throughout the programmatic work of the organization, with an "online strategy" articulated for each major initiative the organization plans to pursue. Online organizations budget appropriately for the "total cost" of technology, including hardware, software, support, training and replacement.

5) Email addresses for important people, and an organizational strategy for using email

Online Organizations recognize the power of email, and seek out opportunities to use email and email lists when they communicate routinely with the people most important to their work (their membership, colleagues, or the media). To be able to use email in this way, an organization must *actively* solicit the email addresses of its key constituents at all opportunities, and uses email as an essential element of its one-to-one and mass communication strategies. Online Organizations typically have an email newsletter, an email activist list, and one or more email discussion lists for key working groups.

6) An organizational website

A website that effectively represents the mission, goals and activities of an organization, and provides visitors with useful, credible information and opportunities to act. A website not only allows a conservation group to effectively provide on-demand access to information, but can also be effectively integrated with all other communication media to create a powerful outreach and activation tool. Donors, colleagues and the media now expect credible conservation groups to have websites with issue and organizational information.

7) An organizational database

Online Organizations store all of their important information about their important people and relationships in a single organizational database that is accessible to everyone in the organization who needs it. Depending on the size of the organization, this may take many different forms.