These are some links I wanted to share from October 28th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• BE a Government Consultant and Use Social Media: A Guide | Social Media Strategery – Here's an interesting post from Steve Radick about 10 ways to be a good government consultant using social media. "As “Government 2.0” becomes more and more popular, especially here in the Washington area, there seem to be an increasing number of people calling themselves social media or “Gov 2.0″ consultants."
• Robin Caldwell: Black Like Me? The Missing Faces in Technology and Innovation – Here is a well-written post on a very important topic from Robin Caldwell: "The beautiful thing about the Internet is that it is impervious to Affirmative Action, EEOC compliance and the Fair Housing Act. It could care less about who you love, where you live, and how many degrees you possess. The World Wide Web is the great equalizer that is not interested in race, gender or economic status. Anyone can be a landowner of this prime real estate just like the creators of Twitter whose property reportedly has a one billion dollar valuation. As we inch closer to Web 3.0, the question of ownership will be directly tied to who has access to the necessary tools to build on the "land." And if memory serves me correctly, the one who owns the land is the one who holds the power. So why is it that I see the same names and faces — none of which look like mine –positioned as thought leaders and innovators in Web 2.0?"
• Eight impressive recommendations on website governance and strategy | Social Media 4 Good – Check out this insightful post from Timo Luege about a report from the UN on web governance. "The United Nations Joint Inspection Body recently spoke to web professional in 40 UN agencies to identify what the most common problems are and how to fixed them. The result is an impressive document that can be used by many non-profit organizations, NGOs, International Organizations and even government ministries and agencies to address similar problems in their own organization. The ”Review of Management of Internet Websites in the United Nations System Organizations“ (31 pages) focuses on website governance and strategy – and I still have to meet a web manager who doesn’t feel this could be improved."
• The TwitterKids of Tanzania | The Epic Change Blog – A beautiful update from the Epic Change blog where Stacey and Avi are now in Tanzania working with the "school that Twitter built" last year from proceeds of Tweetsgiving, and where this year's donations will help bring technology. "Hujambo from Tanzania! I’m SO EXCITED to write you because I couldn’t wait to share: on Saturday, in the Moivaro village of Arusha, Tanzania, in the shadow of Mt. Meru, Shepherds Junior School was connected to the internet for the very first time. The students sent their first tweets from the TweetsGiving classroom built from your gratitude."
• Indigenous Mapping: Emerging Cultures on the Geoweb: Where 2.0 Conference 2009 – O’Reilly Conferences, May 19 – 21, 2009, San Jose, CA – Check out the video and presentation slides, too! "Indians in the Amazon rainforest are now using Google Earth to protect their lands from illegal logging, to plan for their future and to share their rich history and culture with the world. How will the Geoweb change and evolve as indigenous peoples begin to participate? What may we have to learn from tribes whose first contact with the modern world has been in our lifetime, and who are currently making the transition from the stone age to the Internet age?"

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on October 28th

These are some links I wanted to share from October 20th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• Social Media and Technology: What Nonprofits Need To Know « Nonprofit Communications: Duck Call Blog – I really love the highlights Farra shares from the “Social Media and Technology: What Nonprofits Need To Know" panel she attended yesterday as part of #baruchnp, at Baruch College in New York. The panel had some great minds, including Allison Fine, Andrew Rasiej, and Deanna Zandt. Check out her live tweet stream and the highlights from the conversation.
• It’s Time to Focus on Volunteers’ Results – Philanthropy.com – Evan Hochberg has a terrific post on Philanthropy.com starting an important conversation on what to do about all this focus on volunteering and service. "Government, nonprofit, and business leaders must together help to solve this problem by applying basic principles of supply and demand to volunteering and service. With the renewed national emphasis on volunteerism, we must remember who the customers are. The customers in this case are the communities where we live and work."
• Craig Newmark: A Nerd’s Take On The Future Of News Media – Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist.org, has a great post on Huffington Post – it's applicable to all those creating content, sharing news, and pushing information out via online platforms. "There are a lot of new technologies which already affect news consumption and future business models. As a nerd, I'm excited by the new tech, particularly mobile, including new display systems and pervasive connectivity. However, the tech is secondary, not nearly as important as repairing some current issues with trust and curation."
• 29 Nonprofit Bloggers to Follow on Twitter « Nonprofit Tech 2.0 – I'm so honored to be part of this list! If you are looking for others in the nonprofit technology field to connect with on Twitter or blogs, check it out! "Last week I asked the followers of @NonprofitOrgs to nominate their favorite nonprofit bloggers. The list below is the result of that “Tweet Out”. Some on the list are very known in the nonprofit sector, and others are completely under the radar and providing some very valuable resources to the nonprofit sector."
• Tech News: How Can Technology Help in Today’s Economy? – "In this online age when people have a multitude of profiles on the Internet, social networking stands out as being the tie that binds, both online and in real-life, professionally and personally. This article will survey social networking, and then show you how you can get the most benefit out of it for your nonprofit organization. Whether your goal is to raise money, increase awareness for your cause, find volunteers or find business contacts, you will have a better understanding of what all the talk is about and how to join the conversation."
• Generation Thumb – Connections – Steve McLaughlin at Blackbaud has started a great conversation here about the difference in fundraising with Boomers, Generation X and Millennials. I think the differences aren't just important to understand but are so big they can mean campaigns only connect with one group and not others. You can add to the conversation in the comments, too.

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on October 20th

These are some links I wanted to share from October 9th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• Psychology of Technology: Relationships 2.0: How Technology is Redefining How We Connect | Psychology Today – An interesting read – focusing on the need to incorporate offline interaction in relationships. How does your organization encourage your online supporters/friends/fans to take action offline, together, or to meet with your organization? This kind of behavior could be what solidifies the relationship as a long-term contribution (from both sides). "Of all the areas of life that computer and communications technology seems to be impacting the most is its influence on relationships. Mobile phones, texting, facebook, and Twitter are just a few of the ways in which relationships are being redefined, established, and maintained by technology. We have entered a new era of Relationships 2.0."
• Giving Anonymously – A non-profit organization facilitating generosity between people – "Giving Anonymously is a non-profit organization facilitating generosity between people. We are a volunteer organization; each of us donates our time without pay to keep Giving Anonymously running. Giving Anonymously began in 2005 with our website up and running in early 2007. We began with a few goals in mind: We wanted to relationally connect people through giving, to make it fun, and in the process protect relationships from feelings of obligation. Giving to others in need can be full of mixed motivations and our hope is to facilitate Pure giving."
• Report: Getting the message across: practical strategies to help charities change the way stakeholders see them – Free report from nfpSynergy: Getting the message across: practical strategies to help charities change the way stakeholders see them. "The general public hold all kinds of inaccurate stereotypes about the way charities work. Our featured report this time looks at how charities can combat those stereotypes, with practical ways to communicate a message of effectiveness to the public."
• New Fundraising Tool for Your Cause: Donor Choices – Causes Exchange Blog – Have you used Facebook's Causes application at your organization either as part of a campaign or general awareness/fund raising? Well, hear from the Causes blog about their new feature called Donor Choices: "Donor Choices allows your nonprofit to designate price points at which members of your cause can donate and modifies your donation page to display those options."
• Third sector infrastructure organisations Social Media Map – RSS Feed – TALK Project – TALK – This is SO cool! I love maps, and I love RSS – and here's a combination! TALK is mapping all of the 3rd sector infrastructure organizations currently using social media: "Where in the UK are third sector infrastructure organisations using Social Media? You tell us, we add to the map." And, you can subscribe to the RSS feed of submissions! Check it out.

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on October 9th

These are some links I wanted to share from September 19th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• There’s More to a Millennial than Updating Your Profile « – Here is a great response to a recent PRSA blog post that, in my opinion, took the premise that Millennial staffers are great as tools for social media but, gasp, heaven forbit they represent your organization! Millennials have a great level of experience and expertise with social media tools, yes, but they are also an integral part of your organization just like all the other staff. Join the active conversation in the comments, too!
• :: Vinspired Voicebox :: Our robot – I'm excited to see the Voicebox in action! Check out this video to find out how you can share your ideas about what you care most about directly with MPs – thanks to a robot. "This is a data visualisation project, curating young people’s views on issues that matter, visualising the findings, and then setting the data free for you to do the same."
• nonprofitmapping.org – I would love to see this go beyond the San Francisco Bay Area – but fascinating! I love maps and the stories they can help us tell. Check it out: "We're building the first up-to-date, interactive map of today's changing nonprofit landscape. If you're a member of the foundation or grant-making community, engaged in nonprofit work, or just interested in mapping and social change, please join us!"
• European charities ‘least affected by the recession’ – Third Sector – "European charities have been hit less hard by the global economic recession than not-for-profits in other continents, new research shows. The 2009 Global Fundraising Confidence Survey, carried out by training and consultancy firm the Management Centre, is based on the views of 126 fundraising directors and sector experts around the world."
• understanding the world today – Just came across this site that has data, research, and reports prepared by sociologists and others interested in social change with the goal to "Bring together knowledge of our social, political and economic world. Where we are, how we got here, and where we are going. A solid understanding of the world is the first step for improving living conditions of all people throughout the world."

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on September 19th

These are some links I wanted to share from September 15th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• Gumtree 1, dating company 0 | Under the Gumtree – Gumtree recently came out victorious over some scam/spammers misusing the site (Gumtree is similar to Craigslist or other online marketplaces). This post shows a great example of being transparent with your community, and taking advantage of bad situations to build trust, and reinforce the avenues for helping keep the site safe. This example can be applied to many situations, whether it's malicious comments on a blog, bad behavior in a forum, etc.
• Introducing Tactical Philanthropy Advisors | Tactical Philanthropy – If you don't read Tactical Philanthropy, the blog from Sean Stannard-Stockton, you should. And now, he's going to be applying and grounding many of the ideas he has shared on the blog and conversations that have emerged there in Tactical Philanthropy Advisors, to provide comprehensive, ongoing advisory services for clients with $1 million to $50 million or more in philanthropic assets.
• The Three Branches of We.Gov | techPresident – "There’s a very interesting confluence of conversations taking place at the moment on the topic of how technology is changing politics. One is on the idea of government 2.0, or government-as-a-platform. The second is on whether the net is better for campaigning than governing. And the third is on what happens when you open up the process with real-time transparency. Let me see if I can combine the threads."
• Ask our Giving Guru: Katya Andresen on the 6 most miserable mistakes of social marketing – "Giving Guru Katya Andresen serves as Chief Operating Officer of Network for Good and is a well-known speaker, author and blogger about nonprofit marketing, online outreach, fundraising and social media. She has trained thousands of causes in effective marketing and media relations, and her marketing materials for nonprofits have won national and international awards. Katya will be available to answer your questions about social media for nonprofits on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 1 EST. Submit your question in the comments of this post, or check out the many ways to ask our Giving Gurus."
• Social Media is Slowly Changing the Demographics of Political Engagement – "According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, online users with a higher income are still far more likely to participate in political activities online than those with lower incomes. At the same time, though, the Pew study also sees some hints that new forms of civic engagement through social media services could soon change this pattern."

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on September 15th

These are some links I wanted to share from September 9th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• Worldchanging: Bright Green: Worldchanging Interview: Jean Russell on Thrivability – Great interview with Jean Russell at Worldchanging! If you are interested in technology, sustainability, and collaboration, then Jean's for you: "Technology consultant, entrepreneur and thrivability theorist Jean Russell joined Jerry Michalski's August 3 Yi-Tan Conference Call for a conversation about thrivability as a conceptual replacement for sustainabilty. After that talk (which you can hear via the above link), I asked Jean to join me in a brief but enlightening Worldchanging interview."
• Non-profit’s Twitter Interview Questions | twitter-interviews | interviews TechnicaVita Social Media Advice – Does your organization use Twitter? Participate in this interview to share some of your experiences with others! John Carnell, from BullyingUK or @johncarnell on Twitter, is helping organizations share their twitter experiences with each other in this interview series. If you aren't using the micro-blogging tool at your organization, you can read some of the interviews with others who are to get some ideas!
• How a Small Nonprofit Used Social Media & Crowd-Sourcing to Win the 2009 Global Giving Challenge – frogloop Home~Care2’s blog for nonprofits – frogloop – "The goal was simple. Earn a permanent spot on the GlobalGiving website by raising at least $4000 online from 50 individual donors in three weeks. Win up to $6000 in additional bonuses for out-fundraising the 70 other participating organizations." Here's a case study from Jared Schwartz about how Critical Exposure used social media to fundraise and campaign.
• Volunteering Waning in Recession, Report Says – NYTimes.com – "As the recession took hold, most Americans cut back on volunteer work and other civic activities, according to a survey conducted for the National Conference on Citizenship."

  That finding undercuts anecdotal reports of volunteers’ flooding nonprofit groups as unemployment has increased and suggests the challenges faced by the Obama administration, Congress and foundations working to encourage greater volunteer service and civic participation.

  “They’re not saying they’ve stopped volunteering, but they are cutting back on the time spent on volunteering and civic engagement,” said David Smith, executive director of the National Conference on Citizenship, which conducted the survey as part of a study titled America’s Civic Health Index,

• How Social Media Help People Find Stolen Bikes – WSJ.com – Bear with me, but I think this has a lot of lessons for those looking at using social media for causes and nonprofit organizations. The biking community in Toronto and many other places around North America and the world is a dedicated community, plugged in to news and engagement for, with, and about biking. So, it makes sense that posting information about a "bad thing" that happened, first hand, and calling for help would result in honest and dedicated responses. How can your organization identify and join a dedicated community about your issues – and once part of that community, how do you respond to and create opportunities for response to make a difference?

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on September 9th

These are some links I wanted to share from August 24th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• The Science Behind Social Change Might Be Better » The Buzz Bin – Alexandra “SocialButterfly” Rampy has a guest post on the Livingston Buss blog discussing the science behind social change. It has some terrific questions to think about including: What behavior are we wanting to change? What problem can we help solve? Where do we want to go? What’s our long-term plan?
• Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media: What are the most effective ways Nonprofits/Foundations can use Twitter #hashtags? – Beth has a terrific post up for anyone who is confused by all the references to "hashtags" on Twitter or wants to learn more about using them effectively. Check out the great examples/case studies!
• Google Doubles Its Cartographers As Maps Continues To Go Wiki-Style – "As an online free mapping service, Google Maps is a great product. But it’s lacking in certain parts of the world. And rather than pay people to go get information about those places, Google has smartly been using a service called Map Maker, which lets locals and people knowledgeable about the area edit it themselves. And this week, Google has added a couple important areas to the list: Mexico and Eastern Europe."
• 5 Questions Nonprofits Should Ask Before Sending an Email – Connections – The Blackbaud Blog has a great post today outlining 5 questions to ask before you send out an email to your members. My favorite is "how much" – be aware of how many messages you are sending (both too little and too much)!
• Corporate Social Media Policy: Top 10 Guidelines « PR-Squared – "How can corporate employees’ participation in Social Media be dealt with and managed in a way that liberates them — without putting the company at risk?" Here's a free PDF with the Top 10 Guidelines for a social media policy.

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on August 24th

These are some links I wanted to share from August 10th. Find me on Delicious for more!

• Introducing the National Talent Bank – The National Talent Bank is an idea proposed by the Council on Social Action. A discussion paper is now available online to stimulate dialogue and engagement (and a call for partners) to build the Talent Bank together. Check out the news to learn more and download/read the discussion paper to join in!
• The Death of the Digital Divide–Or a New One? | Fission Strategy | Fast Company – Based on recent studies about Internet and communication technology use or adoption, the Digital Divide doesn't seem to necessarily be disappearing. How have you made sure to evaluate where or what kinds of tools or platforms your community uses before you choose what to do with your social media strategy?
• Investors & Researchers in Philanthropy | Tactical Philanthropy – A great post from Sean on the TactPhil blog: "I would argue that philanthropic institutions are currently geared towards thinking of themselves as impact researchers instead of performance investors. As I’ve tried to make clear, the goal is the same. Both disciplines are needed. A high performance organization that implements ineffective, poorly researched programs will fail to achieve impact. A poorly performing organization that tries to implement proven programs will fail to deliver them with fidelity and/or fail to grow. But what would happen if funders thought of themselves primarily as performance investors and relied on a mix of internal, external and independent researchers to prove program effectiveness?"
• FutureGov Network – Carrie Bishop's at the Google Local Government event in London today and tweeting and blogging from inside. Here's a post with Google's top tips for making a good website – originally intended for audiences like Amazon.com but you can do some minor word replacement or other alternations to make the nonprofit or government perspective more clear.
• 5 Fun and Fabulous Twitter Tools for Nonprofit Organizations and Activists (Nonprofits 2.0 – Change.org) – Heather Mansfield has a new post on the Change.org blog: "The number of third-party Twitter Apps has exploded over the last year. Twtbase currently lists over 500 of them, and I have highlighted five of my favorites for nonprofit organizations and activists…"

… Continue readingGreat reads from around the web on August 10th