Nonprofit Organizations on Google Wave
I was fortunate enough to get two Google Wave invites last week (thanks to @nonprofitdaily and @donortools). It’s a good thing because I messed up the first invite and attached it to my personal Gmail account. When in fact, I wanted to attach it to a newly created “NonprofitOrgs” account, as in nonprofitorgs@gmail.com.
Now, I am still figuring out how Google Wave works. It’s not immediately intuitive and the complete tool set is not yet live, but it definitely looks to have some potential for nonprofits. That said, I wanted to let nonprofits know that I think it would be a good idea to grab a Gmail account that matches your nonprofit’s Web site and social media URLs (if it is still available), because seemingly your Gmail account becomes your Google Wave persona, if you will.
For example, I Tweet @nonprofitorgs. So, I grabbed nonprofitorgs@gmail.com which then on Google Wave becomes nonprofitorgs@googlewave.com. You then add contacts and participants to your Waves by searching for their googlewave.com address. Your nonprofit’s googlewave.com address is also attached to a profile with your logo and a blurb about your organization.
First step for nonprofits on Google Wave:
1) If you are already on Google Wave, you can add me to your contacts by searching for nonprofitorgs@googlewave.com. Just like on Twitter, I’ll be functioning as a portal to nonprofits on Google Wave.
2) If you are not on Google Wave, it will be available to the masses worldwide early next year. In the meantime, grab your organization’s username at Gmail.
3) If you are nonprofit that has been using a Gmail account for a long time with an extensive contact list, it may turn out that you’ll want to use that account for your primary presence on Google Wave. I don’t think we will know that for sure until Google Wave goes live to the masses. But it wouldn’t hurt to grab a Gmail username that matches your Web site just in case. It also may turn out that staff with lots of Gmail contacts will participate on the Wave a “collaborators” and as themselves. Still, it doesn’t hurt to grab your Gmail username if it is still available.
As I dig deeper into Google Wave, I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, muchos kudos to @bullyinguk for seemingly being the first nonprofit on Google Wave (at least that I could find). You can add them to your contacts via bullyingukonline@googlewave.com. Know of any others? If so, please post their googlewave.com address below. Thanks!
Nonprofit Tech 2.0 Blog :: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits 
Just added you! 🙂
If folks are looking for public waves to follow, here’s a search to try:
with:public tag:nonprofit
Type it into the search bar above the inbox.
FYI, we are using Wave to develop a ‘real time’ case study for our upcoming Wild Apricot Facebook contest. Strictly speaking we’re not a nonprofit ourselves but most of our customers are, so nptechies may be interested in following along. If you’d like to be added, ping me on Wave at jay.moonah@googlewave.com
Google Wave is going to be awesome please add me on my gmail address that I supplied so I can get onto Google wave
Thanks for the tip! We now have the gmail account and I’ll wait for the invitation to Google Wave.
Even with the limited functionality available in the beta version, Google Wave offers nonprofits greater collaboration and engagement opportunities than existing email applications. I can’t wait for the official launch!
I have a Google Wave account, and the training for staff required to use this not-very-intuitive system is daunting. I know they’re working on it, but I like to think I’m savvy, and this is not user friendly enough yet.
Hey Guys, just wanted to let you know how great the benefits for project mana gement with Google Wave are. We are a german non-profit working on our auction house launch in a few weeks… just to give you a little insight how to use google wave for your projcts.. right now we are in the final stages of programming the auction house. The programming company is in India, so my project co-ordinator has a wave account, our system admin is located in another german city as well with a wave account, me (as head of the foundation) plus my social media guy and our tech advisor are also located in Germany with wave accounts and we have waves such as “server”, “programming”, “auctions”, “social media”, “strategy” and the communication works great!! Love google wave to death for the possibiliy of co-operation in a team around the world!
my wave name is
helenamathey@googlewave.com
regards
Helena
Thank you! for ur post
Recently I visit a nice article ablout google wave here: http://freshnewz.co.cc/
I’m also using google wave for site development, our programmers are using wave and its been great so far to set up projects and work through issues/ideas on the fly!
I work for the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and am the Director of the YourPBC.org project, so its very helpful.
my google wave name is sladesundar@googlewave.com
Thanks for the tip! I’m getting a username at Gmail right now. Looking forward to the Google Wave invite.
Thank you for very useful information on Nonprofit Organizations on Google Wave
Prof Iftikhar Durrani
Director Technology Transfer and HRD
Academia- Industry Linkage Forum ( AILF)
at
1. IDEA ( Regd NGO)Peshawar,Pakistan
2. University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore and ACRE Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
3. Arab Circle, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Useful advice thanks – uk wildlife conservation group Sussex Wildlife Trust are now on Google Wave sussexwildlifetrust@googlewave.com
You shouldn’t need to get a GMail account. However, you will need a Google account. The non-profit I work with has a Google account but not a GMail account. It is not on Wave, but I don’t see the need at this point. I do church communications consulting on my personal time and have a Wave account for that work.
I can understand the desire to claim the name of your organizations on each platform. Even if you do not use various social media, it would be good to go around to each and claim your identity. That way no one else could use your identity.
Here’s the link for folks that want to go that route:
https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
But a Gmail account automatically creates a Google account for you. My hunch is that it’s good to have them connected and consistent, but when not possible you can follow Andrew’s tip. Thanks.
Yeah, thing about creating a Google Account w/o Gmail is that they ask to verify via SMS message. If you don’t want to go that route, just create a Gmail account. You don’t have to actually use gmail if you don’t want to.
I agree, using Wave isn’t intuitive yet, but I guess that’s why they have the loooooong video & the shorter snippets. Nobody I know has watched any of the videos yet, though. I started a Wave for folks to share the tricks they figure out, & links to resources about how creative use of Wave, etc. Turns out one of my contacts is using it like crazy at his company & they LOVE it!
OutTheBoat@googlewave.com
Here’s mine. I’ve just started learning it. I’m with Marc that it’s not intiutive or user friendly yet. However, my event and meeting professional friends are loving it.
jefflhurt@googlewave.com
What is the difference between Google Apps and Google Wave? With Google Apps we get all of our emails with our @ddso.org address and can share documents and calandars.
Thx
Opened an account in hopes of using google wave to promote http://www.ForgottenVoices.org, but I’m still trying to understand how this tool can directly benefit a nonprofit organization better than whats already out there.
Any specific thoughts?
I am a local non-profit in New Orleans. I have no idea what Google Wave will do for us, but am excited about the possibilities. This article is really the only useful one I have seen on Google Wave so far. I will continue searching!
louisianaspca@googlewave.com
Also, we do not have a gmail account, but do have a google account. I did not have to respond via sms text. I set it up through You Tube.