Capturing community and program information to induce and support grassroots entrepreneurship

The authors report on the development and testing of an interactive software aimed at enhancing the quality of decisions made by nonprofit community based organizations (CBOs). Preliminary findings shed some light on the extent to which computer assisted management and communication technologies may contribute to the accomplishments of CBOs, the effectiveness of their programs, their ability to inform policy, and their chances of obtaining financial support. Also, the early findings suggest that it is possible to bring about positive change in communities by empowering grassroots entrepreneurs and the organizations they lead with the appropriate technologies.