Penguin Day took place in Washington, DC, right after the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC). As at every Penguin Day, we explored the potential and the role of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in nonprofit organizations, in sessions designed to answer questions and curiosities!
Penguin Day DC took place Saturday, April 7th at Josephine Butler Parks Center.
You can see the Penguin Day DC Agenda.
Penguin Day DC was organized by Aspiration, PICnet and NOSI.
What in the world is a Penguin Day?
Are you passionate or curious about the reality, the potential and the role of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in nonprofit organizations? Do you want to learn about latest free and open web publishing tools and technologies? Would you like to meet other like-minded and passionate participants, including developers, activists, and nonprofit "techies"?
Penguin Day DC will bring together nonprofit technology staff with free and open source software (FOSS) developers for a day of learning and conversation.
We'll explore and explain open source for nonprofits, frankly address the challenges of developing open source tools for nonprofits, and celebrate strengths and successes of open source in the nonprofit sector. Leading open source innovators in the nonprofit sector will share their stories and knowledge, and focus on answering your questions!
If you are curious about open source software for your nonprofit organization, Penguin Days are for you!
Who is organizing Penguin Day in DC?
Penguin Day DC is made possible with the help of Aspiration, PICnet and NOSI, local partners and YOU!
What will I take away from Penguin Day?
Penguin Day features a packed agenda of interactive workshops, round tables, and "SpeedGeeks." Topics include:
- Introduction to Free and Open Source Software for Nonprofits
- Local resources and who’s-who in the Free/Open Source community
- Helping techies and non-techies communicate
- Overview of Free and Open Source desktop applications
- e-Advocacy platforms
- Making sense of Free and Open Source Content Management Systems
- Healthy and Sustainable Free and Open Source Communities
- How Users Can Influence FOSS Development
- Business Models for FOSS developers and providers
- Content Management System (CMS) Crash Courses -- Plone, Joomla, and Drupal
- Creative Commons and Open Content
- SpeedGeeking (a lively tour of projects and tools)
What Are Others Saying About Penguin Days?
"I had a wonderful time at Penguin Day. It was one of the best IT related conferences I've been to. I'm definitely in a position to help my current and future non-profits with MUCH needed tools. I thank y'all on their behalf. Keep up the good work and positive energy." - Steve Garrison, SolarBoy.org
"Penguin Day was great - I had an excellent day - made new friends, put a lot of faces to email addresses, had a whole load of fun - and got introduced to some new applications and distributions! Thanks again to everyone who organised the day, ran sessions etc - it made my 4,500 mile trip worthwhile!" - Ian, from London, UK
"Penguin Days are a fantastic opportunity to get together with a wide variety of people and understand more about the issues that surround open source. Unlike a lot of conference/gatherings, the emphasis in these is on meeting people and making connections that you carry out of them room. And that works." - Marnie from San Francisco
"Now on to Penguin Day… Wow. For my part I was impressed by the international scope of the audience, folks from Great Britain, Canada, Kenya, Turkey, Ghana, Chicago and all points in between. The energy was great and the range of topics on the agenda meant there was something for everyone….suffice it to say Penguin Day set the mark against which all other events will be measured in my mind." - John from Chicago
Background
Since 2004, Penguin Days have been held in Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon; London, England; Toronto, Canada, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Texas and Seattle.
Hundreds of nonprofit staff, programmers, and activists have attended Penguin Days. Penguin Days feature humorous "SpeedGeeking" sessions (playfully modeled after speed-dating) to bring programmers and organizations together to learn more about each other and free and open source software.
The Penguin is the symbol adopted in the early days of Linux as the mascot of this growing software movement.
About Aspiration: Aspiration, connects nonprofit organizations with software solutions that help them better carry out their work. We want nonprofit organizations to obtain and use the best software to maximize their effectiveness and impact so that they, in turn, can change the world. We identify what is available and what is missing in NGO software arena, and foster relationships, delivery systems, and sustainability strategies between NGOs around the world.
About PICnet: PICnet, empowers the missions of non-profits through the use of unique open source software solutions. PICnet moves beyond the nuts and bolts of technology, rising to find new and effective ways to assist organizations in meeting their goals.
About NOSI: NOSI was formed with three goals: to facilitate and encourage the use of free and open source software in the nonprofit sector, to bring nonprofit organizations together with free and open source developers and projects in ways that both can benefit, and to promote the understanding of the ways in which the fundamental values of each are similar.