Haven’t We Had This Conversation Before?

One of the biggest lessons I re-learn everywhere I go – in the city or in the world – is that for all the talk about differences, we are often very similar. Whether in my workshops in Romania or in Saudi (or in NYC), I’m often asking myself, “haven’t we had this conversation before?” As social entrepreneurs, innovators, and nonprofit leaders, many of the questions about social media that are always first to be asked have nothing to do with location but about strategy and success. Though, what is interesting to me, is that the question “how can I use this tool?” is usually embedded in the assumption that the answer is based on geographic location and even the specifics of the organization. Remember, these tools are just that: tools. A hammer isn’t fundamentally different in Saudi as it is in Wyoming. But the kind of building we’re interested in or the interests of the users may change. Social media platforms (tools!) should be considered for their functionality and options as part of your overall communications, engagement, and fundraising strategies but not as areas of investment all of their own.

Single Acces Point, to Facebook

Whenever I’m presenting to a group in another country, I spend time investigating any social media data I can find that is specific to that country, especially as it relates to mobile phones, access, and usage per capita. Saudi, again similarly to Romania, has a high percentage of citizens using mobile phones (especially as primary Internet access point) and with Facebook accounts. The power to connect to friends and family beyond our physical location is compelling enough for people to create accounts even when Internet access isn’t always readily available. This is probably not news, but after the first point above, it is a reminder to not make assumptions about who in your community uses which platforms and the kind of information or engagement they may want to have there. Looking only at data about Internet access in the home, one might think that people in your community aren’t online at all, or don’t want to receive email or updates on social media, when this very well may not be the case. It might sound silly or too simple, but I always encourage organizations – no matter their size – to actually ask their supporters which tools they use, and listen to the answers.

Limitations Often Encourage Innovation

During my time at KAUST I was able to meet with various student groups as well as university staff to learn more about their projects, initiatives, and ideas. Just as I experienced in Romania, preconceived ideas about the limitations innovators and entrepreneurs must be under in countries with far less infrastructure and the assumed lack of products and ideas that must exist are squashed immediately. When given no boundaries, it is often much harder to create something useful and new. But given limitations of any kind, people are driven to new ideas and solutions. I was also excited to see incredible openness to feedback and collaboration! Something I often see less of in the US than I think those outside this country think exists.

I’d love to hear your stories and experiences from working outside the US, especially in the Middle East!

(Photo: KAUST and The Beacon, taken by me.)

We will be talking about social media and nonprofits, from using Twitter to fundraising. Join us by listening live and sharing your comments, questions, and feedback. I’d love to hear from you!

Listen live or archive:

• On Friday at 1pm: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern
• Archive: Subscribe on iTunes and listen anytime, anyplace on the device of your choice
• Follow along on Twitter using #NonprofitRadio

Join the 100th Episode of Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio

Tony is turning the 100th show over to the community: You choose the questions! And we’re giving away cool stuff to those who listen live and archive.

What do you want to ask me? I told Tony that I’ll take on all social media questions for listeners’ charities. What’s your question? We’re up to it!

We want your questions in advance. Comment on this blog post or on Tony’s, use the LinkedIn group or Facebook page or Twitter.

The whole show is devoted to using social media and social networks to help you reach your supporters and draw them close to your work.

The regular contributors will also be on hand talking about social media! Scott Koegler on technology; Maria Semple on prospect research; and Gene Takagi & Emily Chan on legal. All these areas relate to your social networks and the social media properties and our team will share their ideas, as they do every month.

We’ll also give out prizes to live and archive listeners. I’ve donated a bunch of NTEN books and swag, and Tony’ll give away his book and free consulting hours, in Planned Giving and Charity Registration.

Check us out live on July 13th at 1 o’clock eastern. Or subscribe on iTunes to catch the archive.

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The first week of April was like an annual family reunion for the nonprofit technology community as the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) converged on San Francisco. The annual conference from NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network brought together 1,800 nonprofit professionals, technologists, and service providers for three days of sessions, panels, and workshops covering the gamut of topics related to technology and social impact. With more than 150 sessions and twice as many speakers, plus all of the additional social events, there were countless conversations and ideas buzzing through the airwaves and Twittersphere. Three topics rose to the top with the most interest.

Email isn’t dying, it’s evolving!

A blog post with the proclamation, “Email is dead!” comes around every year or so, reigniting some debate and sparking long comment threads on blogs (and, always ironically, email list servs). But at this year’s NTC, the conversations about email were much less about its impending departure and more about exploring its evolution. Email is still a major component of organizational communication and a channel used by nonprofit supporters and donors; it is critical that it grows and develops to match the changing ways we use it and share messages.

Segmentation (dividing up your list to target specific groups of people with different messages) and tracking aren’t new, but the tools are becoming more sophisticated—and so are we. Lara Franklin of TechSoup Global and Upwell’s Rachel Weidinger started with a presentation about the basics—how organizations can begin segmenting and using email marketing clients to track and manage messages and campaigns. The session by Jeff Shuck of Event 360 took the conversation to the next level, honing in on how to successfully use member data in your communications. Cameron Lefevre of M+R Strategic Services and Lindsey Twombly of the Human Rights Campaign discussed how to optimize email messages for mobile phones in their session, since more and more, we are using email while we’re in line for groceries and otherwise away from our desks.

Drawing is the new Elevator Pitch

Take a minute and go look at your organization’s website, printed materials, and other promotional items that you use to tell people—as quickly and effectively as possible—just what it is that your organization does. Do you see a lot of text? If so, you aren’t alone. At this year’s NTC, the role of “the picture” emerged as a force to reckon with. Dan Roam suggested in his keynote that creating pictures and images that effectively explain our work could be important to gaining more funding. He asked attendees to draw their ideas in lieu of taking traditional notes in later sessions, and we saw people move from thinking in text to thinking in graphics in just 48 hours.

Attendees were also talking about infographics this year. Beth Kanter, a thought leader on technology for nonprofits, presented a great session on data visualization and shared some low-cost tools for organizations to use. The conference also had graphic faciliators, who captured conversations and takeaways visually. (You can see them on the Rally blog.)

Socializing isn’t just for Facebook

I had a few conversations with NTC regulars who remarked that the social media frenzy seemed to have finally calmed. They were happy that it didn’t center stage at the conference and that sessions covered other tools and strategies more equally. But there actually wasn’t less conversation or excitement about social media; it has just been around long enough now that gets folded into other conversations, such as social fundraising.

Marketing experts Katya Andresen, Mark Rovner, and Alia McKee, came at the topic of social fundraising with a scientific lens during their session, exploring human behavior and options that nonprofits have for effectively communicating and fundraising. Blackbaud’s Steve MacLaughlin shared data and trends in online fundraising, as well as how to integrate both social media and mobile into fundraising efforts. Similarly, Common Knowledge’s Jeff Patrick tackled highlights from recent research for online fundraising and social network use by nonprofits. Coming straight at the topic, Cheryl Black of Convio and Margaux Mennesson of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance talked about specific tools and strategies for social fundraising.

In addition, two reports were released during the conference: the 2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report and the 2012 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study. You can download them now for free.

Fellow attendees: What other popular topics or interesting conversations would you add to the list? For those who didn’t attend, what are some of the nonprofit technology topics, tools, or case studies on your mind lately?

FLOW: Field Level Operations Watch

FLOW is an on-site technology that broadcasts data instantaneously to the Water for People website/FLOW map providing important information about the operating status of WFP projects.

“Combining Android cell phone technology and Google Earth software, FLOW lets field workers, volunteers, our partners and others record data from tens of thousands of water points around the world. That information is then displayed on our online global map to signal whether a project is up and running, broken, or on the verge of disrepair and needs quick action.”

Accountability

Many organizations are working to find ways to show donors and supporters how their participation is transforming beneficiaries directly and as quickly as possible. With Water for People’s FLOW system, when they say a project is working, they can prove it to you! Just pick an area of the world and see for yourself!

I love to see projects that are focused on measuring and evaluating data about their work and progress. I love even more to see projects that make that data public so that everyone in the local community, in the organization, and around the world can measure and learn at the same time. I’m really excited to see what corollary projects or data sets can be incorporated into the FLOW system and map, too!

Sustainability

Two years ago, in Water for People’s strategic plan, they committed to at least ten years of post-project monitoring for every site to ensure that projects were successful and sustainable. “We will hold ourselves accountable for—and encourage our supporters and donors to hold us accountable for—making smart investments and data-driven decisions so that we can make a long-lasting impact.” I’m really encouraged about the potential to make life-saving and life-changing impact around the world when I see this kind of commitment from an organization, not just a philanthropic organization. Recognizing that as the direct service providers or project teams, we have the same level of responsibility to ensure our work actually works as we do to address issues in the first place is a major step in the right direction towards real change.

Read More

1. Check out the FLOW map: http://watermapmonitordev.appspot.com

2. Check out this great post from Water for People’s Senior Manager of Programmatic Data, Keri Kugler, on how they use FLOW to maintain accountability and allow communities to monitor their own water and sanitation published in National Geographic.

3. Visit the UN Water site for more information and resources about World Water Day, or see if there are events happening near you.

SXSW Recap and Highlights

Throughout the conference, I posted notes from sessions and other highlights from the hallways – and you can get all of the posts from the Nonprofit Times!

Hot Button Issues at SXSW: Kony and Homeless Hotspots
We’ve all experienced videos, blogs, photos, or topics “going viral” online before our eyes – the number of views increases, our Facebook timeline fills with reposts of the story, or a hashtag rises up the trending charts. At SXSW, there…

Crowdfunding Social Ventures at SXSW
Start Some Good, a platform for social good groups – whether nonprofit organizations or not – to raise funds and build community, highlighted eight diverse projects working for social impact at an evening event hosted by Center61 at SXSW. Each…

Personal and Professional Identity: Social Media Policies for Nonprofits
I was joined today for a panel at SXSW to discuss the blurry or blurring lines of personal and professional identify online. With me on the panel was Debra Askanase, Jess Main, and Vanessa Rhinesmith. This topic was especially relevant…

Tendenci Released as Open Source by Schipul
Schipul, a web marketing agency based in Houston, Texas, announced yesterday during the 2012 South by Southwest Interactive festival that Tendenci, a content management system (CMS) will be released as an open source solution. Tendenci was developed by Schipul especially…

Tech Talk at SXSW
South by Southwest Interactive is a major hotspot for new tools to launch, applications and platforms to find early adopters, and those looking for ideas or suggestions to get recommendations from others already exploring the newest, shiny toys. I’ve been…

Stand with Planned Parenthood: Lessons from Crisis Response Campaigns
Just over one year ago, on February 18, 2011, Planned Parenthood Federation of America launched the largest integrated campaign in its history. The threat to defund Planned Parenthood was bundled in a larger packaged proposal of funding cuts to be…

Social Philanthropy: Raising Money on YouTube and Twitter
Money is always a hot topic of conversation at SXSW from new start-ups looking for venture funds to nonprofits looking for philanthropic support, all for innovative ways of changing and shaping our communities and the world. One panel, moderated by…

Ambient Location and the Future of the Interface: SXSW Keynote with real implications for Nonprofits 
“We are all cyborgs. The minute you look at a screen, you are in a symbiotic relationship with technology.” This is how Amber Case opened her 2012 South by Southwest Interactive keynote talk on Sunday, March 13th. Case, and her…

New Empire Builders Podcasts

Throughout SXSW, Brian Reich, ShiftCast host and information strategist, pulled together small groups of people for interesting conversations broadcast live and recorded as podcasts. I had the pleasure to participate in one of these recorded sessions, along with Uwe Hook, co-founder and CEO of Bates Hook, and Kevin Lloyd, founder and CEO of Momentum OS, Inc. We talked about the differences and the opportunities for convergence between big brands, start-ups, and nonprofits.

Listen to our Daily Roundtable conversation or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can also check out all of the recorded sessions from SXSW on the New Empire Builders’ website.

Connect with NTEN

Sarah and I, in typical NTEN fashion, will be sure to bring some NTEN swag and are hoping to connect with as many of you as possible! The Beacon Lounge will be our home-base, and here are some of the fun things they have planned to make it your home-base, too:

Daily Events in the Lounge include:

• Breakfast from 9-11: Get your morning buzz on with coffee and food sponsored by The Colorado Health Foundation
• Lunch from 12-2: Refuel your stomach and mind with lunch brought to you by Convio.  Fork over your lunch money to a local Austin organization and Convio will match your donation!
• Happy Hour from 3-6: Get your afternoon buzz on with snacks, beer, and live music to benefit Sweet Relief Musicians Fundsponsored by Salsa

Daily Musings in the Lounge include:

• Photo Gallery from PhotoPhilanthropy – browse art that drives action for social change
• Sketchnotes by Mike Rhode
• Play Hard, Do Good T-Shirts from Goodthreads with art by Mike Rhode – snag yours with a donation to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

In addition, they’ll have special events on a daily basis including a book reading from “Story Wars” by Jonah Sachs and meet-ups from the good folks at Salsa, the Colorado Health Foundation, PhotoPhilanthropy, Convio, Legacy, and us (NTEN).

Check out the detailed schedule of events and follow @thebeaconsxsw for updates.

NTEN Meetup in the Beacon Lounge

Mark your calendars for Monday, March 12th, at 11 am for the NTEN meetup in the Lounge. We will share more details before SXSW, but for now we will give you a hint: anyone who loves Twitter so much they’ve thought of writing a sonet, or so wowed by Google+ they want to write an ode may be at an advantage! And, yes, there will be prizes.

NTEN Community Series: Austin

If you’re going to be in Austin for SXSW or are a local nonprofit organization, we hope you’ll also participate in the first of our Community Series events for 2012, taking place in Austin on March 9th. Get the full details and reserve your spot today!

The internet is not new. The last few years, though, have been dramatically impacted by the real-time web. The real-time web is a paradigm based on pushing information to users as soon as it’s available, instead of requiring that they or their software check a source periodically for updates. Social media is one of the most tangible examples of the real time web. 

We want to share while we are doing and have people respond immediately. Why be in just one place when we can be in many? That might look like sharing a picture from a concert, while you are still at the concert. It could be checking in with people on a location-based social network. And so on. This focus on collective participation and 24/7 connectivity has impacted more than just our social lives.

In 2009, for example, two trapped girls in Australia chose to post to facebook for help rather than dialing emergency numbers directly. A similar example is that of an Atlanta city councilman who chose to post a message to Twitter asking for a medic to respond to an unconscious woman on the street rather than to dial 911 when his mobile phone battery was very low.

The real-time web has also revolutionized the way we support local communities in disaster. Ushahidi, an open source project originally deployed in Kenya to report post-election violence has since been downloaded and deployed for many other events and disasters, including Haiti, Chile, and Japan. Philanthropy has been able to move into the real time web, too.

Another great example is Epic Change. Their Tweetsgiving campaigns were fundraisers benefiting Mama Lucy’s school in Tanzania and connected the students to their supporters through Twitter. Donors could communicate with the students, and they thanked participants directly – building lasting relationships. Their To Mama With Love campaign also leveraged the power of our social ties online through “heartspaces” people could create with embeded video and photos, and then share with social media, donate, etc.

Impacts to Society

What does all this really mean for us now? I see three pillars of our real-time society emerging:

1.People believe in the internet. They don’t necessarily think they need an organization in order to make an impact. So, for an organization to really win over supporters, they need to do a lot more today than they ever have to earn their trust. Part of believing in the internet means that you know you can (or believe you should be able to) find out historical, operational, and financial information on the organizations or people you might support.

2.People believe in their contributions. Even if it is just $10, they really believe that it is enough. Maybe it isn’t even money, but feedback or advice, maybe an introduction or volunteer time. People want to be recognized for contributing anywhere along the spectrum.

3.People believe you should listen to them. Whether that “you” is the government, business, public services, other community members, or even philanthropists. The internet is an endless stage and platform, and when we are up there speaking, we expect you are all listening.

Impacts to Philanthropy

For any investors or philanthropists, I’ve probably just reinforced any fear you had about the internet with those three points. But what does all this mean for philanthropy?

1.We can’t only invest in new. There have to be other criteria for defining and evaluating innovation. You may laugh, but I’ve reviewed grantmakers and government funds where that was actually the only criteria, other than going through the process of filling out the application form. For many start ups and even nonprofit groups doing something truly innovative, they totally blow it the first time around. A mulligan fund for projects that completely fail, but pay attention to what went wrong and how to do it right this time around could be the difference between many more failed attempts over years and jumping to a solution today.

2.We can’t only invest in a product. Instead, we should put the problems first and invest in a project. For many developers, including many of the projects we funded through NetSquared Challenges, the ultimate tool or application that was created was vastly different than the one they originally thought of or thought would work. But we invested in the project of trying things out and iterating towards a solution.

3.We can’t focus just on money. Especially as philanthropists, whether it is you or your organization, you have so much to offer beyond money. For many project teams I’ve worked with, having an endorsement actually took them further than having a chunk of change. Maybe it’s an introduction or a recommendation, or just a place to sit and work and have meetings.

What do you have to share? What does your real-time philanthropy or social impact look like?

[Image credit: Philanthropy and Social Media whitepaper]

As a community organizer and network weaver myself, I am incredibly excited by the #OccupyWallStreet movement that started in New York just over three months ago now (on September 17th) in response to a failing federal economy and political process that impact local, national, and international markets. In less than a month, over 1,700 other cities started Occupy events – both in solidarity to the thousands protesting around the clock in New York’s financial district, and with a loud voice that these issues are not unique to the US. The “leaderless” organizing of the Occupy Wall Street movement has helped avoid strategic arrests or censorship but has also prompted a powerful use of social technologies.

Online Homebase

Over the past few years, the use of social technologies during disaster response has become a central component to news and information delivery. One key element is the use of an online homebase. We are now seeing this put to great use with #OWS. There are many free online website and content creation tools available. Creating a space where you can collect and aggregate the news, content, and updates of your movement is important for people to better understand, follow, and join you. It doesn’t have to be fancy (remember: less is more) – it just needs to pull all the pieces together for your community.

Brought to you Live

The power of “now” is what makes something go from news, to breaking news. Thankfully for members of #OWS, there are various tools to livestream events, just from your mobile phone. The livestream – whether it’s video, audio, or just text – can be embedded in your online homebase and shared across social networks. The updates and first-hand accounts bring attention to a movement and generate more participation.

Personalize It

The most successful fundraising campaigns, advocacy efforts, and even personal experiences center on one person, one animal, one story, especially when trying to support a huge, faceless issue. #OWS has made the economy and political process a personal issue, inviting people around the US and the world to put their story on paper and share a photo of themselves with the story online. This level of personal connection inspires sharing and participation by those on the ground, and those following remotely.

How To: Use Tech to Organize Today

1. Build your online homebase with a wiki, a website (like WordPress.com or Google Sites), or a blog (like Tumblr or Posterous).

2. Keep people connected to live video (like Livestream or Vimeo), regular audio updates (like CinchCast or Audioboo), or live feeds of text from a Twitter hashtag or an open chat like CoverItLive.

3. Invite everyone to join the movement by sharing pictures, stories, and signs to spread your message (try Flickr or Tumblr).