Vote and Comment for ALL these Awesome Nonprofit Panels at SXSW!

The SXSW Interactive Festival (scheduled March 12-16, 2010 in Austin, Texas) is a mega huge social media industry event.  The final program is done through a combination of an open submission and community voting process.   The panel picker process just opened - so you can vote yes or no for the panels you think are worthy of being on the program or not until September 4th.

The nonprofit presence at SXSW has been growing steadily over the past couple of years.  In 2008, I was on one of the few nonprofit panels on the agenda.  It was organized by Ed Schipul.  At the end of that panel, we all hoped there would be a larger nonprofit presence on the agenda for this 2009.    And yes, indeed, in 2009 there were many more panel proposals about or by folks who work with nonprofits and voting.   Last year, many more nonprofit panels made it onto the agenda and there was even a nonprofit lounge hosted by BeaconFire.  

So, let's get out the nonprofit vote for panels at SXSW!

Last year, there was an event called "Social Media for Social Good" organized by Jeff Pulver that prompted quite a rich discussion on whether social media for fundraising and marketing can effect real on the ground change.  There's quite a buzz right now about whether or not "Slacktivism" doing activism online, all the time - can effect change.  (There's even a panel proposal for Slacktivism)

These ideas inspired the SXSW panel proposal I submitted:

Crowdsourcing for Innovative Social Change
Social media builds buzz and raises money, but what about real, on-the-ground change? The Social Change Challenge will crowdsource innovative ideas from nonprofits to change the world. We'll share big ideas for using social media for nonprofit program delivery and some good tips for crowdsourcing for social change.

The panelists include Holly Ross, NTEN;  David Neff, American Cancer Society;  Kari Dunn Saratovsky; Case Foundation; Amy Sample Ward, Netsquared; and Joe Solomon.   And like last year's ROI Poetry Slam, our session will be interactive, thought-provoking, and dare I say, fun!  In addition, there's be lots of learning shared freely.

Jordan Viator invited me to be a panelist on this panel and I agreed because David Neff is a fellow panelist and I bet Jordan will make him wear an apron!   Also rockstar, Carie Lewis, from the Human Society is participating. 

The Real House Wives of Social Media
You've heard the buzz around how nonprofit organizations and corporations are using social media for social good. Now hear from the "real housewives of social media" who are driving successful online campaigns, as well as others who are helping lead the social media revolution.

So, yes, please vote for these panels, but  .....  There were over 2200 panel ideas submitted and they only have space for 300.   I just scanned the list to SXSW in search of nonprofit oriented panels (in addition the two I submitted) and found a number of them for your consideration.  Please try to vote for as many nonprofit panels as possible.

(And, if you submitted a nonprofit panel - and I managed to miss it while scanning 2200 in ten minutes - please add the link and description in a comment.  I'll do another Get Out The Nonprofit Vote at SXSW Post and include. I will also be tweeting this post.)

Advanced Brand Monitoring: Let the Haters Hate: This panel will get into the whys and hows to monitor your brand in a social world. you'll hear case studies of social media disasters and how they could have been prevented, as well as how brands have dealt with potential PR nightmares. Twitterstorm, anyone?  Carie Lewis.

Service 2.0: Evaluating Next-Gen Volunteer Opportunity Platforms: Forget about the high school community service club:  The next generation of volunteering platforms is here -- from Google's All for Good to the President's Serve.gov. But can they also combat apathy? We'll speak with experts about recent efforts to revolutionize the service space and see what gaps remain.  Submitted by Michael Silberman.

Change: Examining Competitions For Social Change:  Organizations, foundations, even individuals are creating social innovation competitions, hoping to drive social change projects and solutions into the global marketplace. What are these new competitions about—are they working? How do we—innovators, entrepreneurs—know what's going to make real-world impact and where do we start? Let's discuss: join us! Submitted by Amy Sample Ward.

Community Funded Reporting: The news industry is dying but in its wake are new business models to support investigative journalism. One of these is "community funded reporting" which is being pioneered by Spot.us but is happening around the country by various individuals. What is it? How does it work? What are its pitfalls? Where does it surpass the traditional advertising model? This will be a conversation that explores the changing media landscape and how the web can rise to the challenge of supporting our communities and their information needs. Submitted by Dave Cohn.

Evolution, Creation and Extinction (of the organization) Organizations, political campaigns, newspapers. While they're scrambling to figure out "new media" alternate entities spring up around them that exist only online. Is one better than the other? Are older groups evolving quickly enough? Is it better to start from scratch? Will new "online" groups drive their predecessors to extinction?  Submitted by Ted Fickes

Networking Good: How to Win Money and Mobilize People!  Social networks are transforming how people support causes, how ideas are shared and how nonprofits raise money. Today’s online communities go beyond posting photos or finding dates—they are building social capital, increasing awareness and raising millions of charitable dollars. Learn from innovators how to leverage the web for good!  Submitted by Michael Smith.

Can Double Clicking Save the World? Sl’ack-Ti-vism. Noun. Taking action for social change without lifting a finger. As the latest technology allows people to “engage” from their computers/phones rather than getting their hands dirty IRL, will this impact the future of volunteerism? A panel of experts will debate the pros & cons of couch potato activism. Submitted by Jacob Colker.

Digital Protests This session will explore the role that social media plays in protests, through the lens of recent events like Iran and the American health care debate. The panel will cover the various tools (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook) that are being used to elevate protests, examine the benefits and drawbacks of the internet's involvement and whether social media makes protests more or less efficient, and discuss the issue of authenticity in information dissemination.  Submitted by Ramya Raghavan.

The Socially Conscious Geek: Makin' Money While Doin' Good:  Can you make a living as a geek without sacrificing your ideals? Definitely. These pros have carved out a niche working with mission-driven, ethical clients in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors – and want to show you how to bring your values to work while keeping a roof over your head.  Submitted by Leif Utne.

Non-Profits and Social Media: Not the Usual Suspects:  A panel of 5 nonprofit leaders, social media monsters, and how they leverage their social networks, to advance their respective organizations missions, collaborate with one another and use social media for social good.  Submitted by David Neff.

Handheld Awesome Detectors: Sustainable Apps  Making more sustainable choices is getting easier with help ubiquitous information, thanks to passionate geeks. Check in with the game changers beautifully hacking tech to fight climate change. Learn direct what it takes to change behavior at the plug, grocery, sushi bar, and tractor. Submitted by Rachel Weidinger.

Connecting Communities for the Common Good: Owning Online Organizing When community transcends “place,” how do you create dynamic online spaces for activists to connect and take action? How do you use the latest technologies to build active networks and roadmaps for action? How do you balance online action with offline engagement? Come to this session and find out!  Submitted Kari Dunn Saratovsky.

LIVESTRONG: The Lance Armstrong Foundation Takes Advocacy Digital : LIVESTRONG has taken the fight against cancer digital, connecting people and communities to drive social change. Using new media tools, we’re recruiting people around the world to build a grassroots movement to help raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma many cancer survivors face. Come hear how we’re changing the world.  Submitted by Doug Ulman.

Doing More With Less: How Not-for-Profits Leverage Technology for Change:  They've won Webby Awards. The sites attract millions. And the user-adoption numbers are ridiculously high. How is it that not for profits are managing to use communications technologies to rock social change--when they've got pennies to spend? Ami Dar and Nancy Lublin, two social change leaders, present best practices and spot current trends.   Submitted by Nancy Lublin.

Museum APIs: What Are They Good For?  In Museums, context can be hard to come by. We have basic metadata but the richness of object records is so varied that it ultimately limits use of collections information. Cultural institutions are increasingly developing APIs and linked-data repositories. Who are these for? And what can we build with them? Submitted by Piotr Adamczyk. 

Cultivating the Web: Netroots Action for Grassroots Food: The “organic” nature of social media creates fertile ground for activists, but how can online advocacy move beyond e-actions and Facebook Fan pages, translating to local, on-the-ground actions? This panel will explore various innovative and creative uses of social media and online technology to support the local food movement. Submitted by Leslie Hatfield

Social Change for Zero Dollars a Day Using Social Networks: Join SM4SC's co-founders, Gradon Tripp, Meg Fowler and Matthew Knell as they talk through their experiences raising money for needy charities with no fixed budget. Topics covered include pro-social brand development, the real value of social capital and networks and harnessing social media for good. Submitted by Gradon Tripp.

Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit? Donations 2.0: Connecting donors directly to the beneficiaries of contributions is a game-changing fundraising strategy. Will traditional nonprofits need to adopt new technologies and fundraising models as donors demand greater accountability for their funds? This vibrant, moderated discussion will include representatives from Kiva, OptINnow, and 2 national advocacy organizations.  By Skylar Woodward.

Generation Y and the Future of Nonprofit Communications  Generation Y engages more frequently and deeply with nonprofits than any previous generation. Bleeding edge technology has allowed for nonprofits to reach millions of people with nonexistent budgets. This panel will go over success stories from nonprofit organizations and professionals. Learn the secrets of social media, interactive technology, and grassroots support.  Submitted by Sarah Davies.

Yoga For Social Networkers: Striking The Right Pose: There are hundreds of social networks, but only one you. Instead of overextending yourself, you need to bring focus on the important things and let go of the rest. Learn how to center your social media practice and balance your online activities. Bring your yoga mat!  Submitted by Amadie Hart.

Networked Love, Bonding, Intimacy: Our Interactive Culture Clouds  Visual mapping of relationship circles: exploring tools for appropriate social technology in conference cultures where work and pleasure meet. Intimate boundaries, mixing business and love and the essentials of compassion in network culture will be explored through interactive visualization Q&A. Fluid dynamics and connections discussed.  submitted by Evonne Heyning

How to Make Your Users Love You We love the energy in the room as people get hands-on experience with boosting community participation, instead of listening to talking heads. Alexandra Samuel (She's put together a fabulous list of panels by women at SXSW)

Open Leadership: The Upside of Giving Up Control: A social or digital strategy often fails because the culture doesn't support it. The rise of participation puts pressure on an organization's traditional way of doing business. A new way of leadership and managing is needed, called "Open Leadership". New technologies make open leadership not only possible, but a necessity.  Submitted by Charlene Li.

So please go vote!  If you submitted a nonprofit panel for SXSW and I missed it, please share the link and title in the description.  I'll do another round up in the next week or so.

Thank you!

Comments

[Beth Kanter]

One more to add

Who are you? Identity trends on the Social Web
"On the Internet Nobody Knows You're a Dog" Is this famous New Yorker cartoon still true? Twitter is doing verified accounts. Facebook claims everyone using their "real name" gives strong social validation 'proof'. Equifax is validating age with information cards (digital tokens). We will explore the current trends and its implications for the future.
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4190

[Matt Koltermann]

Wow, thanks for all the legwork and voting recommendations, Beth! Lots of great stuff to look forward to at next year's SXSW Interactive.

[Eve Simon]

Two more to add if you don't mind?

Data, Data, Everywhere: Drowning in a Sea of Analytics
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3016

"A Web site gives a nonprofit access to data that makes old school direct marketers salivate. But many organizations find themselves getting bogged down in producing graphs every month, obsessing over drops in pageviews, throwing their hands up on the air, and deciding they don’t have enough resources to maintain this kind of analytics analysis. Stop obsessing about the small stuff, and start learning about creating a goal-oriented, actionable analytics plan that can help your Web site thrive."

It's Not All About You: Respecting Your Users
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3738

"Google practices it with AdWords. Facebook learned it the hard way. The truth is, your site isn't there for you or your board; it's there for your users. All the clever marketing tricks in the world won't win their loyalty if you don't give them a little respect."

[Sorel Denholtz]

Awesome round-up. Thanks!

Here is a case study about a specific non-profit:
Dinosaur to Digital: A Museum Convergence Success Story
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3623

And another...
Tools for Good: Design Meets Technology in Service
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4539

[Pat Aufderheide]

And I'd love to have people take at least a look at panels I'm involved with, which are for the film program, but which deal with cutting-edge digital issues:

There's Gold in Those Archives: Long-long-tail filmmaking (http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas

/view/2561?return=%2Fideas%2Findex%2F5%2Fpresenter%3AAufderheide)

Remix Goes Mainstream: Making Mashups Pay (http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/2684?return=%2Fideas%2Findex%2F5%2Fpresenter%3AAufderheide)

Thanks so much!

[Karen Bantuveris, VolunteerSpot]

So looking forward to a NPO roar at SXSW!

Please add this panel:

Doing Good Online: Mobilizing Community Action
http://ow.ly/knaw

Join us as we explore trends and tools in mobilizing and facilitating community engagement and community service. There is more national support for service than ever before and interactive companies are stepping up to the plate to get more people plugged in and giving back online AND in the real world.

Hosted by Karen Bantuveris, CEO VolunteerSpot

[Karen Bantuveris, VolunteerSpot]

Whoops - here's the correct link for:

Doing Good online, mobilizing community action.

Turns out the link I added may not be good - here's a better one: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4906?return=%2Fideas%2Findex%2F4%2Fq%3Avolunteerspot

Thanks, Beth!

~ K

[Lauren]

Hi Beth - Just wanted to thank you so much for including our panel (I'm on the "Socially Conscious Geek" panel with Leif Utne and Noah Scalin). I'm really excited about how many nonprofit-related panels are up for consideration this year… feels like a very rich selection, though it makes it hard to choose!

[Beth Kanter]

Here's one more
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4656

[Molly]

We've also got two great panels up for vote that will focus on buidling mobile applications and Web sites for nonprofits. We're excited to be able to empower people to use these tools to benefit some really great organizations.

"Design and Development Powers for the Social Good": http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4640?return=%2Fideas%2Findex%2Finteractive%2Fq%3At3

Mobile Platform Battle Royale: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4562?return=%2Fideas%2Findex%2Finteractive%2Fq%3At3

[Ted Fickes]

Hey there... a few days late seems to be typical for me these days but just wanted to toss another one out here...

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3878

...which is titled in dramatic SXSW fashion... "Evolution, Creation and Extinction (of the organization)"

The basic idea being what can/should newer and older organizations learn from one another to succeed in a changing media/community environment? Are older organizations, which built media and communications programs around print and other traditional outlets, evolving well enough/fast enough and what does it mean if they're not? And so on.

Some other folks involved with this panel include...

Michael Silberman, EchoDitto
Andrew Aviza, Care2
Danielle Brigida, National Wildlife Federation

Dang, there are a ton of great panel ideas out there.

- Ted

[dissertation writing]

Fantastic post and wonderful blog, I really like this type of interesting articles keep it up.

Nice work

[Jeff De Cagna]

Hey Beth:

You missed my SxSWi panel proposal "The iPhone Volunteer: Can Mobile Devices Save Society," and here is the description:

Mobile is the next great platform for engaging volunteers, and the timing of its arrival is excellent, given the “wicked problems” we face. The enhanced capabilities of today’s mobile devices and the power of inventive applications are creating a new generation of “iPhone volunteers” who may well change the world!

In addition to myself, the panel will involve these confirmed participants:

Jacob Colker, CEO
The Extraordinaries

Premal Shah, President
Kiva.org

Katrin Verclas, Co-Founder and Editor
MobileActive.org
2009 TED Fellow

The panel can be found at http://www.bit.ly/iHY1T. I would appreciate it if you would help me spread the word about it. Thanks!

Jeff De Cagna, FRSA, Chief Strategist and Founder
Principled Innovation LLC

[Shannon K. Aronin]

Great list Beth! Thanks for pulling together. This is a big help in voting!

[Amanda Koster]

Citizen journalism and the little NGO that could.

Amanda Koster, SalaamGarage.

See what happens when citizen journalists (you) team up with International NGOs (non-government organizations), create and share media projects with their online and offline communities. We will present projects created by travelers from our India and Vietnam trips, what they did with their content and what happened next.

http://twurl.nl/pqarpy -