[Kingkracker]

I just got this email and it was refreshing to see Blackberry mentioned as the workhorse it is!


The premier fundraising magazine for fundraiser coordinators FundraiserInsight.org
Fundraiser Insight Magazine
Hey there ****! It's October 3, 2011 and that means it is time for another edition of the Fundraiser Insight Magazine. Check out this month's issue and as always, we love hearing your feedback!

Four BlackBerry Apps That Can Help Your Organization
2011-09-07 08:00:00-04

If your organization isn't already using smartphones, what are you waiting for? They might cost a bit more than traditional cell phone service, but they're becoming indispensable tools for planning and organizing. Effective organizations use them to their fullest. That means using them to coordinate events and tasks with all workers. It can also mean promoting the organization through social channels. Whatever your organization's goals, a smartphone can help further them.

The BlackBerry has come under fire in recent years, because it doesn't stack up to the iPhone and Android handsets as state of the art smartphones. But that means little to fundraising endeavors. What matters is simple communication and easy planning. The BlackBerry still performs those functions better than other platforms. Here are four applications that can get your organization rolling.

PowWow

Recently Research In Motion, the company that makes the BlackBerry, rolled out a new social initiative using its BlackBerry Messenger platform. BBM, for those not in the know, is an instant messaging platform exclusive to BlackBerry users. It is one reason that many people keep their BlackBerrys even though it seems as though the whole world has an iPhone. Those who stuck around now get a treat. Many applications integrate with BBM, which makes communication within an organization that much easier.

With PowWow you can create events and then update people in real time. You can invite not only your BBM contacts, but any contact. You can add contacts to the event, which will make central planning a bit easier. It can also help you keep track of anticipated attendance for the event. If you're ever planning something big, you'll need an app such as PowWow to help keep everything together. That it integrates with your BBM -- assuming your co-workers also have BBM -- makes the app that much more useful. You can get PowWow for $1.99.

GroupMe

While PowWow will help with planning an event, GroupMe comes in handy when you're planning an outing. One of the hardest things to do when traveling with a group is to keep everyone coordinated. By necessity not everyone will be at the same place at the same time. But for those times when you need everyone's attention, smartphones can come in handy. An app such as GroupMe can be the glue that holds your group together.

The main function is an in-app chat function. That allows anyone in the group to broadcast a message to everyone. Not sure where the next meeting place is? Just ask. Or, if you're the preemptive type, you can post the location to everyone beforehand, so there are no questions later. You can also share photos, showing other group members what they're missing. Each group gets a free phone number, too, which serves as a conference call. Just dial it to hook up with everyone else. Best of all, all of the GroupMe messages are integrated with your Blackberry messages, so it's difficult to miss one. You can download GroupMe for free.

Facebook

Who doesn't know Facebook these days? It has become as ubiquitous a platform as the internet has ever seen. All smartphone platforms, then, have their own Facebook apps. The BlackBerry is no different. In fact, they had a Facebook app all the way back in 2007, when it was conceivable that someone out there hadn't heard of it. Since then the app has gone through many upgrades, and is currently in line with the best mobile Facebook apps on the market.

How can Facebook for BlackBerry help you? For starters, it can help you manage your organization's page, even while you're on the go. See a picture that you want to broadcast? Snap it and upload it right from the app. Want to make a new wall posting? You can do that, too. While communication within your organization takes the highest level priority, communication with the public still counts for a lot. There might be no better way to execute this communication than through Facebook. You can get Facebook for BlackBerry for free.

FileScout

Sometimes mere communication with your staff isn't enough. There are instances where you'll have to send them materials on which they can act. When you're out of the office, though, that can become an issue. How can you get someone a spreadsheet, a document, or any other file from your mobile phone? The first step is to make sure that you back up all of your important documents onto your BlackBerry. The second is to get FileScout.

For years FileScout has been the most powerful file management system on the BlackBerry. It allows you to view all of your files in the same manner you would on your desktop PC. That makes it considerably more intuitive than the normal ways of browsing your BlackBerry. It also allows you to resize images, take screenshots, open media files, and more. That is, it takes file management to a whole new level. It too now contains BBM integration, so you can send any file from FileScout to a BBM contact. Wendy needs last month's budget report? If you backed it up on your BlackBerry, she'll have it in no time, no matter where you're currently located. You can get FileScout for $4.99.

This post originated at FundraiserInsight.org - the premier online magazine for fundraising.

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