The document discusses reasons for nonprofits to use open source software including cost savings, customizability, avoiding upgrades and viruses. It lists popular open source programs like LibreOffice, WordPress, Drupal, Linux, GIMP and provides tips on learning to use them through online tutorials and screencasts. Popular sites to learn about open source are also mentioned.

1. Open Source Software
for Nonprofit Organizations
Phil Shapiro, Public Geek
Takoma Park Maryland Library
pshapiro@his.com
@philshapiro
August 21, 2012

2. Reasons for Using Open Source
Software
➲ Saves money
➲ Customizable
➲ Avoids costly upgrades and lock-in
➲ Consistent with nonprofit ethic of doing
more with less
➲ Runs better on older hardware
➲ Viruses almost non-existent on Linux
➲ Open source communities invite
participation in many different ways

3. Most Popular Open Source
Software Programs
➲ LibreOffice/OpenOffice
➲ Wordpress
➲ Drupal
➲ Linux
➲ GIMP – (Photoshop equivalent)
➲ Inkscape (Adobe Illustrator equivalent)
➲ Blender (3D modeling and animation)
➲ OpenShot (video editor)
➲ LightWorks (video editor)

4. Other Popular Open
Source Software Programs
➲ TuxPaint
➲ TuxType
➲ Audacity (sound recorder/editor)
➲ FileZilla (FTP program)
➲ Apache (the world's most popular web
server)

5. How to Learn to Use Open Source
Software
➲ Thousands of screencasts on YouTube.
Search for the name of the open source
program and the words “tutorial” or
“screencast” or “how to” or “lesson”
➲ Also, search Google. For example, search
for: Inkscape screencasts
➲ Freely usable, public domain SVG graphics
created with Inkscape can be found at
openclipart.org
➲ http://showmedo.com/

6. Create Your Own Screencasts
for Free
➲ Using Camstudio Open Source (Windows)
➲ (see article “CamStudio Tips for Teachers”
in PCWorld magazine
➲ GTK RecordMyDesktop (Linux)
➲ http://screencast-o-matic.com/ (Mac and
Windows)
➲ Use a USB microphone for clearest
sounding audio in your screencasts

7. Where to Learn about
Open Source Software
➲ Opensource.com
➲ Lxer.com
➲ Linux.com
➲ Ubuntu.com
➲ Search Twitter for: #opensource
➲ And the web sites of your favorite open
source programs

8. Exciting Recent Developments
in Open Source
➲ Red Hat Fedora 17 – with automatic
multistation support (allows several
keyboards, mice, monitors to share a single
computer – even on a Pentium IV
computer)
➲ LightWorks open source video editor (a
professional video editor – was used to
create many movies in the movie theaters,
including The King's Speech)

9. How to Advocate for Open
Source Software
➲ Find open source buddies and ask them to
show you things they love in the open
source programs they use
➲ Ask your local public libraries to start
teaching open source software trainings
➲ Tweet and retweet open source solutions
➲ Write blog posts for opensource.com
➲ Attendees meeting just like this one – and
offer to present when given a chance