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).

• Social Versus Entrepreneur – “Grammatically, the word social modifies entrepreneur, indicating a social entrepreneur is one whose entrepreneurial activity is social in nature. I think about the word social as referring to social welfare, be it poverty alleviation, environmental protection, or any type of intervention that benefits humanity in what has traditionally been thought of as a charitable way. With so many new ventures founded every day, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for me to decipher what the social purposes of some initiatives are. This is a significant problem for the social enterprise movement.”
• Submit your Case Study to the Global Digital Activism Data Set! – “The goal of the Global Digital Activism Data Set (GDADS) project is to turn qualitative case studies of digital activism around the world into a non-proprietary quantitative machine-readable data set in spreadsheet form that will facilitate the work of scholars in this new field.” Learn more and submit your case study today!
• http://manage-volunteers.org/ – “As far as we know, it is the first such comprehensive listing of options for causes, nonprofits, and NGOs who need tools to manage volunteers. Organizations that rely on volunteering can compare and contrast the wide variety of volunteer management software available, and more quickly identify the software that is right for them. Software developers may also gain better recognition and hopefully more customers by having their software listed on the database. Our goal with this site is to help nonprofits and other volunteer organizations grow and thrive by giving them easy access to the resources they need to better manage their time and volunteers.  Our goal with this site is to help nonprofits and other volunteer organizations grow and thrive by giving them easy access to the resources they need to better manage their time and volunteers.” Check it out and provide your feedback!
• The 2010 Social Networking Map / Flowtown (@flowtown) – I love maps and I work in social media; so I always love the maps of social media! Here is an updated version of XKCD’s Map of Online Communities; with updated numbers and networks.
• Four social media lessons from the New York Times | Creativity_Unbound – “If you look at the Times from another perspective – that of partnerships, social media behavior, and content – the company’s actually a shining example of how to hold onto core values and evolve at the same time. Here are four things it’s done that serve as examples for any traditional company, including advertising agencies.”

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).

• More Startups. More Jobs. – Here's a great conversation starting piece by Eric Ries: "Advanced countries are competing to attract the world’s best entrepreneurs — the US should too. Entrepreneurship is one of the most significant contributors to a nation’s prosperity. In an increasingly globalized economy, many of the advanced nations in the world are racing to attract the brightest entrepreneurial minds, regardless of their country of origin. The startups created by these highly skilled immigrants will generate most of the jobs and wealth in these countries in the future. This is a race we cannot afford to ignore."
• 2009 In Social Media: A Cartoon Review – Rob Cottingham, from Social Signal, created a very fun video that recaps all the major contributions of social media to the world in 2009 – think you were on top of it all? Well, check out Rob's video and see what you missed!
• Highlights from My Conversation with Tori Tuncan, Founder of Lend4Health – Zane Safrit – "Tori Tuncan, founder of Lend4Health, joined the show recently. Lend4Health is a non-profit organization that facilitates community-funded, interest-free micro-loans as a creative funding option for individuals and groups seeking optimal health. Currently, Lend4Health is facilitating loans for the "biomedical" treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum and related disorders. Tori shared the story of her journey to date with Lend4Health, helping children and their families who experience autism spectrum and related disorders." You can listen to the audio recording of the interview or read the transcript.
• How Digitized Content Democratizes Knowledge – PC World – "If you follow the trend lines for book and magazine availability, pricing and the costs of distribution and digital storage, we'll soon find ourselves living in a world where literally millions of titles are available to just about everyone, just about all the time. How will that change human culture?" This very interesting post from PC World explores implications of the changing digital landscape – it's a great read!
• Chief Reputation Officer: Whose Job Is It, Anyway? – Forbes.com – "n the 20th century, PR and marketing were separate but unequal career paths, and CMO was the highest-ranking and most-respected title to which one in those jobs could aspire. The standard career paths in these areas were relatively linear: As a lead communicator, you went to j-school, did a turn in journalism or an agency and then apprenticed under a "gray hair" boss until he retired. This is compared with the typical path of a chief marketing officer, who got his or her M.B.A. in marketing, hired agencies that made him or her look good, learned how to manage big budgets and award-winning creative and then got in the running for the corner office. Today that is changing because of the increasing importance of reputation management."

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).

• Global Entrepreneurship Week – This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week! Find out how you can take part from wherever you are around the world! "Global Entrepreneurship Week takes place from 16 – 22 November 2009. It’s a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality."
• http://idealist.org/ICA/root/en/Static/TheVision/default – Idealist has shared a vision and a call to action: Imagine, Connect, Act. Saying that "It's time fo rthe world's idealists to work together (seriously)." I couldn't agree more! Check it out: "What if by looking at the world from a different point of view we can quickly build a network of people and organizations that will allow us to make the most of what each of us has to offer, online and in person? What you'll find here is a vision for this network, a path and a timeline to get there, and an invitation to be part of this movement from the very start."
• JPMorgan Chase: Chase and Facebook Launch Innovative Giving Program for Small and Local Charities – "For the first time ever, Facebook®: users will be able to choose from more than 500,000 small and local charities to decide which community organizations they want to receive donations totaling millions of dollars from a corporate philanthropy fund. Chase and Facebook today announced the launch of Chase Community Giving: You Decide What Matters, a grassroots campaign to inspire a new way of corporate philanthropy."
• Nonprofit Tagline Report: Getting Attention Blog – The updated guide shows nonprofits top tagline approaches for stronger messaging, and features a directory of over 2,500 nonprofit tagline examples for organizations to use in creating strong messages. "The 2009 Report provides everything an organization needs to jump start its tagline development process: Why a Nonprofit’s Name Isn’t Enough; How a Strong Tagline Benefits Your Organization – Useful for developing support among colleagues and leadership; The 10 Have-Tos for Successful Taglines; Using Words that Work; The 7 Deadly Sins, 9 Snores and 5 Best Ways to Antagonize Your Audience – What not to do; Research, Create, Revise, Test, Repeat – The right steps to take to craft a potent tagline." Download the report!
• Beth Asked a Question « A. Fine Blog – "Beth asked a question on her blog the other day: Do we have examples of using nonprofits using social media for: Volunteer or board recruitment strategy; Outreach or educational program delivery; Crowdsourcing ideas for program development; Professional development; Integrated in other areas? The answer is that there are a growing number of examples of organizations, and individuals, using social media as part of their programs not just part of fundraising and communications efforts."

Journeys for Change is offering the chance to win a fully-paid nine-day tour of leading Social Entrepreneurs in India. The winner will join a select group of senior leaders from some of the world’s top private, public and civil society organisations, and will get first-hand lessons in innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership from some of Bangalore and Mumbai’s leading social entrepreneurs.

Thank you to those who have already voted or commented!  I’m so honored by your support and really look forward to a chance at sharing all the work from this network of changemakers with those on this journey!

Please support me by voting and commenting here.

Here is a copy of the application narrative; you can read it and vote for me on the competition site here.

Part of my role as the Global Community Development Manager at NetSquared is to support and grow our offline organizers from around the world. This offline network, called Net Tuesdays, balances the work we do online to connect all those working at the intersection of technology and social impact. We now have over 50 cities globally hosting monthly events with many more getting started. On a daily basis, I work with the organizers in all these cities as well as those interested in organizing in their community, to connect them to each other, share information and ideas, and create innovative ways to link the global network.

I also work closely with our innovator community, those who have submitted Projects on our platform and participated in open innovation Challenges. NetSquared’s hosted Challenges for 3 years now, surfacing hundreds of innovative technologies for social impact. We highlight and support their work by connecting teams with local Net Tuesday groups (for feedback, presentations), foundation and nonprofit organizations (to help implement technologies in the real world), and the larger community (for new ideas and collaborations).

Outside of NetSquared, I am a trainer, blogger and facilitator as well as the co-author of Social by Social: a practical guide to using technology for social impact. I’m also a contributor to Socialbrite, NTEN, Women Who Tech and other industry leading collaborations.

I cannot wait for the experiences ahead for all those chosen to participate in this journey. As someone enmeshed in the innovation and social impact sector, this would be an incredible opportunity to understand the issues and options facing those in communities in India as well as connect with individuals who are ready to do more. I am always happy to share any experiences or knowledge I have, extend any resources or connections, and support the work of valuable projects. I have to believe that all those participating in the one-of-a-kind journey probably feel the same way and view this opportunity as a chance to create synergies throughout our work during and after the trip.

I hope to help those groups already getting started in India and elsewhere by personally understanding the context they work in every day, as well as creating new relationships to help bridge local barriers to participation in a global conversation about social impact. I hope that I can extend my personal community-driven model of development to aid both the colleagues on the trip as well as those we meet. An journey like this opens doors to new partnerships, relationships, and networks in a unique way.

Like I said, I cannot wait!

What do you think?

Would love to hear ideas from you about how I could help or highlight a project your are working on if I have the chance to go! Leave a comment on the application here.

The 140-Character Mission: How Social Media Revolutionizes Social Entrepreneurship

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Location: MIT room 3-270 (click for map)
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
Time: Networking and dinner begins at 6:00pm
Register: to save your spot

The question is: Are the two disciplines of “Social Media” and “Social Entrepreneurship” friends on Facebook?

Absolutely, we say. The common adjective is no accident. Already Twitter, Facebook, and the rest are revolutionizing the business and marketing of social impact.  Every day, it seems, another grassroots effort testifies to these platforms and their ability to spread a message to thousands, even millions.  Followers become funders, messages become movements, and social networks beget social change.  (They can even help elect a new president.)

On Wednesday, April 8th, we are convening a panel of experts and high-impact entrepreneurs at MIT to ask, How does the speed and reach of social media alter the formulas for successful social impact?  What happens when marketing evolves from broadcast to conversation, fundraising changes from large donors to e-microdonations, or collaboration moves from sweaty basements to vast social networks?

Please register and join us as we learn and engage about the use and misuse of Twitter, Facebook, and the rest.

Panelists include  (bio’s also available):

• Brian Halligan | CEO and Co-founder | HubSpot | www.brianhalligan.com (@bhalligan)
• Ken George | Head of marketing and new media | WBUR Boston | www.kenrgeorge.com (@kengeorge)
• Gradon Tripp | Founder | Social Media for Social Change (SM4SC) | www.gradontripp.com (@gradontripp)
• Joe Waters | Director of Cause Marketing | Boston Medical Center | www.selfishgiving.com (@joewaters)
• Social entrepreneur case presenter: Sam Vaghar | Managing Director | Millennium Campus Network | www.mcnpartners.org (@samvaghar)
• Remotely Twittering guest: Amy Sample Ward | Consultant and Blogger | www.amysampleward.org (@amyrsward)

Register now.

P.S. If you’re already on Twitter, follow the conversation and share your thoughts on social entrepreneurship with the hash tag #tiese.  Or go right now to twitter.com and tweet this:
“Check out this great panel on social media and social entrepreneurship: http://bit.ly/April8 — It’s 4/8 at MIT in Cambridge, MA. #tiese”