Nonprofit Tech for Good

AUGUST 11, 2010

While there are many great nonprofit bloggers , nonprofits that are utilizing social media and mobile technology should also be reading the five blogs listed below. Although they are primarily written for the private sector, their writers seemingly have direct communication with companies like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. and often provide some of the best inside information about crucial updates and The Next Big Thing: About Foursquare :: www.aboutfoursquare.com. @ aboutfoursquare. faceb

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Business Tech Social Media Mobile 221

Amy Sample Ward

AUGUST 11, 2010

Two weeks ago I shared a couple reflections that I had on a recent #4change chat about community building – the major output from that chat and the follow up blog post was the call I heard for a regular opportunity to talk about community building. So, I said that I’d take the step to host a monthly chat if people were interested in joining; and you said YES!

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Community Build Case Study Phase 174

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 10, 2010

Thanks to incredible work on the part of socially responsible publishers, our volunteers and the Bookshare team, we've been adding books at at incredible rate: more than 10,000 books in the last month. As a result, I recently received the following complaint letter from one of our long-term members, Chancey Fleet: Jim, I would like to register a complaint!

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Library eBook Global National 156

NetWits

AUGUST 9, 2010

Many of us have seen the movie Field of Dreams. It’s a great (well not sure you can really call any movie with Kevin Costner great, but bear with me) movie about an Iowa farmer who hears a voice saying, “If you build it, he will come,” and decides to build a baseball field. He builds the baseball field to later find the ghosts of the players banned from the 1919 World Series playing baseball on his field.

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Speaker: Andrew Olsen, CFRE - EVP, Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker | Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD - SVP, Talent Solutions at DickersonBakker

Across the nonprofit sector, organizations invest heavily in donor retention efforts, yet the struggle of cultivating lasting relationships remains. While attracting new donors is crucial, the lack of repeat donors poses significant financial risks. Through a comprehensive analysis of industry data, experts argue that there is a direct correlation between donor burnout, donor retention, and the talent retention crisis.

Donor

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 9, 2010

Facebook is rolling out a new feature called Facebook Questions – similar to what’s offered by LinkedIn, Yahoo Questions, and other Q&A sites. Ask questions, answer them, and rate (or be rated) for best answers. What does this mean for nonprofits? A new way to reach potential supporters, and to spread the word about your cause! ( read more ). Tags: Non-profit technology nptech Marketing Social networking Facebook Non-profit Communications social media.

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Amy Sample Ward

AUGUST 10, 2010

As readers of this blog know, I often mention the idea of “movement building.&# There is enormous opportunity and potential for creating real, lasting impact in our world by operating in a movement-oriented way with our programs, events, campaigns, and calls to action. Collaboration and partnerships can easily come together and be successful under and umbrella that puts the work of all those involved toward the movement, instead of the one-time effort or project.

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Wiki Global Share Case Study 156

Get Fully Funded

AUGUST 8, 2010

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all. It’s simply fundraising using the internet as a tool. To make it really easy, I’ve got 7 simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts. 1.

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Online Fundraising Newsletter Social Media 82

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 12, 2010

Yet another Twitter tool? Yes, and there’s room for one, too. While CoTweet, Hootsuite, Seesmic and Tweetdeck are all great for managing your Twitter account (or multiple accounts) and scheduled tweets, where Eric Kim’s Twylah shines is as a content discovery tool and social media monitor.( read more ). Tags: Non-profit technology nptech Twitter application social media.

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Twitter Social Media Application Nptech 108

Amy Sample Ward

AUGUST 12, 2010

My latest post for the Stanford Social Innovation Review is now up – you can check it out and join the conversation there ; or read the repost below! —— Last year I used the metaphor of “ gardening vs landscaping &# to outline some of the key attributes I believe make for successful community building, on or offline. The basic idea: The Gardener creates an ecosystem open to change, available to new groups, and full of fresh opportunities to emerge naturally.

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Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

AUGUST 12, 2010

The Red Cross is hosting the Emergency Social Data Summit today Thursday, August 12, 2010 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (ET). This is a hybrid event which means you don’t have to be in Washington, DC to participate. You can participate remotely. There are two ways: 1) First is via U-Stream, which will be hosted on the NextGenWeb site ( [link] ).

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Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio

The average nonprofit uses five or more different software platforms to create their donor’s journey, making the experience clunky and disjointed. If you want to design a magical online giving experience for donors, making their journey as seamless as possible is key. In this webinar with expert Tim Sarrantonio, you’ll learn the fundamental steps to create an immersive and personalized online giving experience for your donors.

Donor

NTEN

AUGUST 10, 2010

In just a few weeks, I'm heading to Colorado to chat with a group of nonprofits about using social media in their work -- but not in Denver. I'm going to Western Colorado, where everything is smaller. In chatting with my hosts at the Colorado Nonprofit Association, they made it clear that the nonprofits I would be talking with work on a different scale, and I would need to address how nonprofits that work in small towns and rural spaces can use social media.

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North Carolina Social Network Place San Francisco 80

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 12, 2010

Are you looking for a way to help your website visitors easily find relevant related information online? The folks over at ReadWriteWeb have just added a great new search feature to their site, courtesy of Apture.com. When you highlight any word, phrase, or even a part of a word on any page on the website, a small “speech bubble” appears with the word “search”; click on that, and you’re given a small window with articles, videos, and images that are directly related to the highlighted term.

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Amy Sample Ward

AUGUST 11, 2010

I come across so many great conversations, ideas, and resources all over the web every day. Here are some of the most interesting things I’ve found recently (as of August 11th). You can join the conversations in the comments, or click through to the original posts to find what others are saying. To follow more of the things I find online, you can follow @amysampleward on Twitter (which is just a blog and resource feed), or find me on Delicious (for all kinds of bookmarks).

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Web Bookmarking Case Study Map 114

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

AUGUST 11, 2010

Flickr Photo by Sugarpond. Note from Beth: Last month I had the pleasure of presenting on a panel at Association of California Orchestras with Marc van Bree , an arts and social media blogger I met in 2007. After Marc finished reading the Networked Nonprofit , he was curious about crowdfunding and free agents, chapters in our book. This was also about the same time as the flood in Nashville.

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Nashville Twitter Blogger Contest 97

Advertiser: Digital Ocean

Effectively managing cloud technology is getting more complex. From cybersecurity concerns, vendor lock-in, cost increases, or lack of transparency on costs, it can quickly get out of control. Knowing what you can control and finding a platform that’s built with nonprofits in mind is key.

Nonprofit

Get Fully Funded

AUGUST 8, 2010

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all. It’s simply fundraising using the internet as a tool. To make it really easy, I’ve got 7 simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts. 1.

Online 72

Online Fundraising Newsletter Social Media 72

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 10, 2010

GreatNonprofits.org’s 2010 Science and Technology Campaign, in partnership with Guidestar, NTEN, TechSoup Global, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, Association for Women in Science, Inveneo, and Tonic, seeks top-rated nonprofits who are making a difference in the fields of science and technology. Does this sound like your nonprofit? ( read more ).

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Contest Technology Profit Sound 101

Amy Sample Ward

AUGUST 9, 2010

As I recently announced , I’m collaborating with Matt Chevy on a redesign of this website to freshen up the design, make presentations, resources and case studies all easier to find, and surface the rich conversations taking place in the comments. Last week was focused on feedback from readers and wow: I got a lot of really thoughtful, valuable comments!

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Reflection Case Study RSS Comment 108

Care2

AUGUST 13, 2010

How does your nonprofit typically engage with your supporters? Is your ongoing online communications mainly comprised of action alerts to sign petitions or donation appeals pleading for money? If you answered yes, then your nonprofit is missing out on major opportunities on engaging and developing deeper relationships with your supporters. Here are ten engagement strategies to add to the mix of your online communications starting Monday morning.

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Support Social Network Poll Contest 72

Advertiser: Syncrony

Looking for cost reductions for your nonprofit? Why not consider modernizing with a digital board management system that's designed to work with remote meetings, with immediate cost reductions if you still distribute paper packets to members? Get going in less than an hour on a fully hosted cloud solution built on the latest technology that runs on any device - from desktops to tablets and smartphones - without any installation.

Nonprofit

Tech Soup

AUGUST 11, 2010

Join us for a free webinar hosted by TechSoup Account Management Specialists to learn how faith-based organizations can take advantage of product donation programs through TechSoup. On August 19 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time (2 p.m. Eastern) Damon Horn and Bruce Ackley will lead an online seminar that will assist your organization with TechSoup registration, qualification, and inform you about eligibility for donations.

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NTEN

AUGUST 11, 2010

Flickr: kool_skatkat Last month, NTEN's Executive Director, Holly Ross, posted a provocative article on our blog: " Rebranding the Accidental Techie." In it, she admits that she loves the term "accidental techie" but that if we want to empower more nonprofit professionals to be the "tech leaders" that NTEN and others believe will help their organizations carry out their missions more effectively, then perhaps we need to ban the "accidental" label and embra

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Case Study NTEN Studies Leadership 65

Get Fully Funded

AUGUST 11, 2010

I’m a big believer in continuing education. I encourage my students to take advantage of learning opportunities, and like a good coach, I practice what I preach. Last week, I went to a 3-hour seminar with a group of my friends. And it stretched my thinking. Actually, I’m still processing some of the material nearly a week later. Four of us piled into the car and drove from Knoxville to Atlanta.

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Learning Atlanta Education Student 58

Have Fun - Do Good

AUGUST 11, 2010

Hello Have Fun, Do Gooders! I was in NYC for the 2010 BlogHer Conference, and on a little vacation, so I'm a couple days late posting this month's August/September 2010 Big Vision Worksheet (illustrated by my hubs ). You can download the PDF from Dropbox here. If you have any trouble accessing it, let me know. We'll be talking about how to use the worksheet during the August 17th teleclass, How to Start a Big Vision Circle to Support Your Creative Dream at 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET.

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Fun Blogher PDF Free 51

Advertiser: DonorDock

Are your donors your biggest fans, or are you lacking donor loyalty? The truth is, your donors have expectations of what their relationship with your organization should look like. This ebook will help you learn how to live up to those expectations!

Donor

Tech Soup

AUGUST 10, 2010

Adina Levin has an absorbing post this week on the limits of Facebook for community organizing: In Facebook, if you don't know someone already, you might come across them in conversations in the discussion thread started by a friend, or the page of an institution that you "like." But you then have no good way of finding more about them, and gradually making their acquaintance, since many public profiles are quite sparse, and stream that really gives you a picture of the person is often locked do

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Facebook Community Build Social Network 63

NTEN

AUGUST 12, 2010

When last we tuned in to the soap opera that IS the net neutrality debate, the fate of our Internet had been left in the hands of FCC Chairman Genachowski, who had architected a process he hoped would lead to some action. Things weren't moving quickly, but they were moving, and down a definable path. (Thanks to the nearly 500 NTEN community members who signed the nonprofit petition!).

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Proposal Google New York Policy 58

Get Fully Funded

AUGUST 11, 2010

I’m a big believer in continuing education. I encourage my students to take advantage of learning opportunities, and like a good coach, I practice what I preach. Last week, I went to a 3-hour seminar with a group of my friends. And it stretched my thinking. Actually, I’m still processing some of the material nearly a week later. Four of us piled into the car and drove from Knoxville to Atlanta.

Learning 58

Learning Atlanta Education Student 58

Care2

AUGUST 9, 2010

Issue campaigns have a lot in common with startups, especially when it comes to marketing. For example, a non-profit will often come up with a campaign idea, invest significant resources in building the relevant tools, and then market it to the public. Sometimes the campaign is successful and even goes "viral", but too often it doesn't. This is very similar to startups that invest millions in developing a cool idea only to have it fail.

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Audience Campaign Marketing Alternative 56

Advertisement

Organizations like yours are increasingly realizing that technology adoption is only as good as the technology you choose. Statistics from a 2014 NTEN study show that seriously investing resources in training for your staff corresponds to higher adoption and ultimately technology effectiveness. In this report, we’ll give you a high-level overview of how to get your organization in shape for technology adoption and best practices for facilitating this critical process.

Nonprofit

Tech Soup

AUGUST 12, 2010

By following these tips, you should get more hours out of each charge of your laptop battery and save electricity to boot: Close unused applications or software programs. The information to run the programs is stored in memory, which requires energy to keep active. If you're not using it, close it! Turn down the brightness of your monitor. (This may also help preserve your eyesight!).

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NTEN

AUGUST 13, 2010

Flickr: mi.chael If you've engaged any news source this week, you've probably heard about Steven Slater. Slater is the (previously employed) JetBlue flight attendant who, upon allegedly being assaulted by a passenger, effectively quit his job with a tirade of expletives over the PA system before grabbing a beer and making a grand exit out the emergency chute (luggage in hand) at JFK airport.

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Open Leadership Social Media Laptop 52

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 8, 2010

Last month, I got a chance to talk with Nell Taylor, founder of the Chicago Underground Library. I was fascinated by the project’s innovative approach to collecting, sharing, and connecting people through locally-produced media. Nell will be responding to comments on this blog and can also be reached here. A typical Chicago Underground Library (CUL) volunteer meeting starts something like this: New volunteers arrive for orientation at 6:30pm, some a little late because they got lost in the 100-y

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Care2

AUGUST 7, 2010

Nonprofit Website Best Practices. Nonprofits are always looking for better ways to improve their website, make their content more engaging and ultimately convert web visitors into supporters. Jocelyn Harmon of Care2 wrote a great blog post outlining nonprofit website best practices. Her tips include: Rule #1: Include LOTS of "white space" on your site.

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Disaster Trend Websites Philanthropy 54

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