Updated: 05/02/2008

Information Technology

Multi-MAU calendaring system:
We are currently researching communication between MAU calendaring systems using Google Calendar as a sort of Rosetta Stone. We are finding that Google Calendar syncs with the Meeting Maker server via Outlook, but changes to a Meeting Maker calendar in the desktop program may not pass on to Outlook and an in turn Google. We know that Google calendar syncs perfectly with the UAA Exchange server via Outlook, and we will research Palm’s compatibility with Goolge in time as well. Jeff Oliver also is checking into Doodle for meeting time proposal software.

Finance

Online Giving:
The Financial Development and Operations office is working with Foundation accounting to process a request for a Merchant ID with Bank of America, which FDO has said is the first step in establishing secure on-line giving for each MAU. We are currently waiting for the Merchant ID.

Recurring Giving:
Doug Creek and Marc Poirier have found that to automatically create batches we would need to purchase an API application from RE that would allow us to write programs that interface with RE The benefits of buying the API are that we could customize an automated procedure to meet exact specifications laid out by gift processors and we could create other programs in the future to do tasks besides just automating batches. We are now going to determine additional possible benefits of the API and present a cost/benefits summary in our recommendation.