CHICAGO –  Chicago’s technology and business communities will swing into action to support nonprofit technology leadership at the IT Resource Center’s TechFest 2006 fundraiser this Friday, March 10th. Approximately 450 leaders from Chicago’s IT, business, and nonprofit communities will attend the event at the Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

Art Norman of NBC Channel 5 will be the Master of Ceremonies, and guests will dance to the music of the Jeff Stitely Orchestra.  A raffle is also scheduled, with exciting prizes to be announced.  Among the advance supporters are Accenture, the Association of Information Technology Professionals, Conseco Insurance, CCC Information Services, Inc., CDW, McGuireWoods LLP, Microsoft Corporation, Navisys Inc., Wheels, Inc., and Wm. Wrigley Company.

The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the new Technology Leadership Award by Accenture.  The panel of judges includes some of Chicago’s top IT leaders:  Cathy Brune, CIO, Allstate Insurance Company; Bill Farrow, CIO, Chicago Board of Trade; Janet Froetscher, President & CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago; Dan Hill, CIO, Exelon Corporation; and Frank Modruson, CIO, Accenture.

Sixty nonprofits applied for the award.  The two winners will be announced at TechFest 2006.  The finalists are the Chicago Humanities Festival, the Chicago Zoological Society, I-GO Car Sharing, Illinois Legal Aid Online, and Nor-Wood Life Care NFP.

In 2005, the Chicago Humanities Festival upgraded the technology behind its ticket office and website to enhance communication and interaction with core constituents, and increase ticket sales, donor contributions, volunteer involvement, and constituency interest in the Festival. New software and hardware equipped the ticket office to better serve patrons, while the CHF Fall Festival web site saw major structural and aesthetic improvements. 

The Chicago Zoological Society’s Every Student is a Scientist program is a groundbreaking partnership between the Chicago Zoological Society and Chicago Public Schools that uses science-based curriculum units paired with web tablet computers to improve student accessibility and learning gains.  The new technology-enhanced program addresses the needs of students with disabilities—specifically, visual, hearing, and
physical impairments—allowing them to participate in learning adventures alongside classmates who are not disabled, while at the same time building technology skills for everyone involved.

I-GO Car Sharing is a neighborhood-based transportation service that allows people to use a car when needed, without the expense and responsibilities of car ownership. I-GO internally developed and implemented a web-based Fleet Management Database and Reporting (FMD) system and a web-based and database driven On-call Incident Log and Reporting (OIL) system utilizing ASP.NET with VB.NET and SQL Server.  I-GO also developed an On-Call Incident and Trip Ticket Log to aid on-call staff and volunteers in reporting incidents that occurred during their on-call shifts with members and vehicles.

Illinois Legal Aid Online developed www.IllinoisLegalAid.org as a self-help resource for the hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged Illinois families and individuals with legal problems who cannot afford a lawyer and whom existing legal aid services are unable to help.  The website is the premier legal aid resource in the state, and has been recognized as a national standard:  it is comprehensive, cost-effective, and never closed for business.

Nor-Wood Life Care NFP, a residential facility for older adults, completely replaced its outdated, problem-plagued telephone and data systems with a state-of-the-art wireless network.  The switch had a wide range of positive impacts:  dramatic cost savings, simplification of operations, improved services for critical care staff, increased availability of medical data, and provision of internet access for residents.  The new system was carefully designed not only to make the fullest use of current technology, but also to adapt to future changes in both needs and technology.

About the IT Resource Center:

The IT Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that provides expert, affordable technology training and consulting to Chicago-area charities. The Center helps hundreds of nonprofits implement technology in order to perform their vital work in Chicago’s communities more effectively.  The IT Resource Center is also the home of a range of special programs meeting nonprofits’ particular needs, including CompuMentor/Chicago, which matches skilled volunteers with nonprofits needing specialized technology assistance; NPO.net, an online information service for the philanthropic sector that includes Chicago’s premiere nonprofit job posting site; and the Community Technology Center Accelerator, which addresses the Digital Divide by providing assistance to community technology centers (CTCs) throughout the Chicago region – twenty-one partner CTCs serve hundreds of children, teens, people with disabilities, job seekers, seniors, and other disadvantaged individuals with computer and internet access and targeted training. 

For more information contact:
Jane Haldiman
(312)372-4872 x134                                                                                                             jhaldiman@itresourcecenter.org 
www.itresourcecenter.org

Submitted by: Illinois Legal Aid Online | More news from this organization
Posted: 03/02/2006