From the editor: We asked several people who have been assisting nonprofits for quite some time with technology planning to share some of the most common questions they are asked.

I know we could be using technology better, but I don’t know how. What should we be doing?

Marc Osten:I usually respond by asking a set of questions to help me better understand the mission of the organization and the types of tasks that staff do on a daily basis. For virtually any nonprofit, however, here are my top ten things to put on the to-do list. Depending on the organization, the emphasis and approach in any one area may be different but these basics are important to act on.

• Standardize software across your organization.
• Install a networking system for all computers in your office(s) (LAN or Intranet).
• Maintain one database or several closely integrated databa