How We Found GoLightly

NTEN began to look into social networking software, when GoLightly sponsored our Nonprofit Technology Conference in 2005. Being a technology association, we had an ample choice of software vendors, and were looking for software to foster a more cohesive member community. GoLightly's social networking platform caught our attention because of the aesthetics and ease of use.

Why We Chose GoLightly

Right off the bat, we had a great experience with GoLightly's customer support. They cared about us, and our experience with the software. We're a small staff, so we don't have time to answer technical support questions. We spend very little time helping people use the platform, which means that we can spend more time helping them connect with one another.

The flexibility is important because it means that we can let our community members decide which tools they need to use. Members can create their own discussion groups, and set permissions for who can join and view the group, as well as check into to how the messages are moderated.

How We Are Using It

Our members use our community tools in a number of ways:

Local Meetups: We are a national organization, and many of our members want a way to connect face-to-face with their peers on a regular basis, so we created geography based groups. Participants use the list to help each other find local resources, as well as organize regular meetups.

Immediate Advice: Participants are able to get immediate advice for pressing problems. When crises strikes - from a malfunctioning mail server to a security patch defect - our members know they can turn to the groups to get the answers and support they need.

Sharing News: We're a community, and like any community, we share successes stories. Our groups share news to give their members a robust knowledge base.

Benefits Gained

Our entire membership base grew 70% after implementing this user-friendly platform

The software allowed the staff to see what topics and discussions mattered to our members so that we can create more suitable programs and content. And members love that GoLightly is more like a social networking tool than a discussion list.

The process of setting up and implementing GoLightly's software was so successful that members now feel that their contributions are valuable, and they are part of a larger movement.

About NTEN
GoLightly Customer since 2006

NTEN is a professional community of over 15,000 members that helps nonprofits use technology more effectively. We’re an international membership association that hosts conferences, online resources, networking groups, and an online directory of technology service providers.

"The benefits we gain from our online community are mostly intangible, but are still very critical in sustaining our growth as an organization. GolLightly's platform helps build better relationships between our members.  The sense of connection members feel helps keep them connected to the NTEN staff. Our association knows that there is considerable value in having members receive answers to their most pressing questions answered immediately."

"NTEN operates a large number of email discussion lists on a wide variety of nonprofit technology topics. This can get pretty cumbersome, and our discussion lists were limited in how they were serving our membership. GoLightly helped us untangle the chaotic problems with email discussions"

"Our membership consists of consultants and nonprofits, who were already using similiar online tools, liked GoLightly's features and services."