Mission:
 SmarterOrg is a social-mission based private company that works to advance learning in the nonprofit sector by developing and providing cost-effective, high-impact online learning programs. The organization partners with nonprofits and other philanthropic entities to develop, administer, and evaluate its e-learning systems.

Purpose of Site:
 SmarterOrg offers more than 200 interactive online courses covering the topics of nonprofit management, technology planning, Web development, and computer applications. In addition to online courses, SmarterOrg provides cost-effective systems for nonprofits and funders to develop, administer, and assess online training programs.

Background:
 Bill Tucker and Buck Owen started SmarterOrg in 1999 as a Stanford Business School independent research project. Their effort grew into the first company to provide e-learning systems, strategies, and courses exclusively for nonprofits and foundations. SmarterOrg teamed up in 2001 with DigitalThink, a provider of e-learning courses for companies such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Charles Schwab & Company, and KMPG, to develop e-learning courses for nonprofits using DigitalThink's XML and Java-based platform. The partnership's first course was launched last summer.

Home Page:
 The navigation bar at the top of SmarterOrg's home page — available from every page throughout the site — provides users links to the Home, Services, E-Learning, Newsletter, About Us, and Contact pages of the site. The right side of the page includes links to new courses such as Project Management and Coaching for Success. The blue block of links on the left hand corner of the page lead to a Course Locker (a personalized area of the site for current students), Course Catalog, Course Demos, and Reviews & Awards. The middle of the SmarterOrg home page is devoted to information about the organization and how to register for courses.

Outstanding Feature:
 The online courses offered by SmarterOrg are the Web site's main attraction. They are user friendly for those new to the Internet and specifically designed to be accessible for dial-up Internet connections at speeds as slow as 28.8k. Also, tutors are always available to answer any questions by e-mail. Most of the courses range in price from about $15 to $450 for six months of access; significant discounts are available to nonprofits that purchase multiple courses.

 Each time a student logs in to a course, he or she is automatically taken to the most recent lesson page viewed. The syllabus, which is accessible throughout the course from the toolbar located on the left side of the screen, allows students to jump to any page in the course. The interactive nature of the e-learning system allows students to use simulations, visual representations, hands-on exercises, and case studies. SmarterOrg's tutors grade and comment on course exercises, and students can access a tutor by e-mail simply by clicking on the "tutor" button on the toolbar. SmarterOrg's tracking system records a student's progress, and a complete performance record can be viewed by clicking on the "scores" button on the toolbar.

Honorable Mention:
 Each course includes a resources section with downloadable versions of course projects, spreadsheets, case studies, and other resources. Users can print the resource materials for future use. The resources section also includes links to other Web sites, books, and articles to supplement the course materials.

 Each course also has a discussion forum that allows users to participate in threaded discussions related to course-specific topics. Users can access the discussion area from a button on the toolbar and then post their questions and comments for other students.