studio 501c

still searching for clues: my response to the recent seth godin post on nonprofits (for which i come out of blogging hibernation)

In response to this post by Seth Godin on nonprofits and social media, I say this: http://bit.ly/wetheclueless. 

It's what I wrote in 2006, when Godin slammed nonprofits for not using his Web service, Squidoo.

Given the episode in 2006, plus Godin's response to Tom Watson about Squidoo, one can't help but wonder if the nonprofit execs that Godin cites in this week's post were rejecting Squidoo, rather than online fundraising and social media in general.

In fact, a friend from a large nonprofit told me his nonprofit was treated arrogantly by someone from Seth's company when they refused to get involved with Squidoo -- the nonprofit leaders were made to feel stupid.

And if we're talking about blowing people away, as Seth suggests, you know what would blow me away?  Seth publishing a detailed report showing exact amounts raised by each nonprofit in the Squidoo program, along with case studies of the time and resources they expended. To my knowledge, detailed figures have never been published -- there are only vague statements about thousands raised.

If Seth wants nonprofits to change, and if he wants them to use his product, he should start with a thorough, transparent report on the uses and results of Squidoo.

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hauntedpalace/ / CC BY 2.0

nonprofits, especially web newbies, shouldn't miss this free webinar series on storytelling and social media

There is a lot of stuff on the web about social media for nonprofits, but it's so dispersed that it can be hard for a beginner to know where to start.

This free five-part webinar series on storytelling and social media from TechSoup Global and NTEN looks like an excellent introduction for beginners as well as a great resource for those who are more advanced.  Plus, it integrates storytelling, the proven technique for communicating.  You must sign up for each session individually:

Part 1: Building Blocks (1/21/2009, 11am PT) Amy Sample Ward
Part 2: Podcasting (1/28/2009, 11am PT) Corey Pudhorodsky
Part 3: Video Creation (2/4/2009, 11am PT) Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson
Part 4: Creating Social Buzz (2/11/2009, 11am PT) Danielle Brigida
Part 5: Social Media ROI (2/18/2009, 11am PT) Beth Kanter

(Thanks to Joe Solomon and Chad Norman for alerting me to this webinar via Twitter, the microblogging service. And thanks to Many Cats 4 Me for permission to use this photo via a Creative Commons license.)

nonprofits, nota bene: Clicking on any of the above-linked names will connect you to some of the smartest minds in using the Web to advance your cause.  And if you don't know about NTEN or TechSoup Global, check them out, too, and sign up for their updates and services.

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the communications network is a great resource for philanthropy (and other nonprofit) communicators

I haven't been blogging at studio 501c in a while because I've been busy over at the blog of the Communications Network, a professional association for communicators in philanthropy.  (I highly recommend joining.)

As a member of the host committee, I helped start a blog for the Network's recent conference in Chicago.  Now, the group's wonderful director, Bruce Trachtenberg, and I are continuing to publish it as a resource on philanthropy communications in general. 

Please take a look and consider subscribing.  There are ideas and resources on everything from annual reports to story telling to web 2.0.   (And there's much more --including handouts and slides from the conference presentations -- to come.)  Not all of it will be applicable to nonprofit service providers, but much of it will.

nonprofits, nota bene: Blogs can be a great way to disseminate information before, during, and after a conference.  There are a variety of ways to manage one. For the Communications Network, we even integrated a Twitter feed about the conference into the blog.  Social media expert Josh Hallett has a good article on conference blogging here. 

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nonprofit web developers may want to look into this expressionengine scholarship

Designers and developers for nonprofit web sites should consider this scholarship opportunity to learn ExpressionEngine (EE), a highly regarded content management system.  The application is a 300-word essay on how learning EE would change your life.  I bet nonprofit web experts could make a great case for how learning EE would change others' lives for the good.  The deadline is August 13.

ExpressionEngine is deservedly and increasingly receiving attention for its power and flexibility.  I believe we will continue to hear more about it in the next few years.  Here is one nonprofit that is using EE: http://greatnonprofits.org/.

For more examples of nonprofits that use ExpressionEngine, you might look into some developers and designers who work a lot with the platform and who also work with nonprofits. Here are a few of them:

• Endeavor Creative
• Gridwork Design
• Hop Studios
• Lealea Design
• Netraising
• Viget Labs

nonprofits, nota bene: Don't miss the Great Nonprofits site, mentioned above.  Great Nonprofits is a review and rating site for nonprofits that is funded by the Kellogg Foundation, among others.  It was founded by the brilliant Perla Ni, former publisher of the Stanford Social Innovation Review.  If the idea of constituents rating your nonprofit sounds scary -- it doesn't have to be.  And, trust me, it's something all nonprofits are going to have to learn how to manage, as online rating systems are sure to become more popular.

 

fundraiser, poet, friend: Jason Shinder, 1955 to 2008

I don't know anyone who is a better fundraiser than Jason Shinder was.

By being himself -- by connecting with people kindly, authentically, and personally -- he not only made hundreds of friends, he also formed plentiful partnerships and secured dozens of grants to support his vision of integrating arts into YMCAs across the country.

I worked with Jason when I was at the YMCA of the USA, and like so many others who knew him, I know that my life is richer for it.

 

CODA

And now I know what most deeply connects us

after that summer so many years ago,
and it isn’t poetry, although it is poetry,

and it isn’t illness, although we have that in common,

and it isn’t gratitude for every moment,
even the terrifying ones, even the physical pain,

though we are grateful, and it isn’t even death,

though we are halfway through
it, or even the way you describe the magnificence

of being alive, catching a glimpse,

in the store window, of your blowing hair and chapped lips,
though it is beautiful, it is; but it is

that you’re my friend out here on the far reaches

of what humans can find out about each other.

—Jason Shinder

nonprofits, nota bene: As you work for the common good, be sure to take time for art.  Whether it's a poem, or play, or song, art will replenish your spirit for the work ahead.

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techsoup and flickr offer free online photo accounts to nonprofits

One of the most popular online photo sharing services, Flickr, is partnering with TechSoup, a nonprofit that helps other nonprofits use technology, to offer 10,000 free premium Flickr accounts to nonprofit organizations.  Flickr is also starting a new program, Flickr for Good, whereby it will highlight photos of "good works" depicted on Flickr.

Techsoup's suggestions for how nonprofits can use Flickr:

"Uses for Outreach and Community Building: Flickr is a new way for organizations to tell their story. With a Flickr account, individuals can showcase and chronicle their organization's work through their own photography. For example, by creating a group photo pool and encouraging discussions, Flickr members can build awareness of an organization's work. Members can also provide a link to their organization's Web site in their Flickr profiles. Conversely, the organization's Web site can stream Flickr photos...

Uses Within Organizations: Flickr members can store all their photographs of their organization's work in one place if they have the legal right to do so. Account holders can upload photos to Flickr from anywhere in the world. The photos can be organized into sets and collections, and they can be tagged for easy searching. Another tool that organizations can use internally is a Flickr group. In a private group, only group members and those who have been invited can view the group page. Groups can also be completely public or public by invitation only."

Find out how to apply for a free Flickr account here at TechSoup.

nonprofits, nota bene: While you're checking out the free Flickr accounts at TechSoup, take a look at the many other services and products TechSoup offers, including drastically discounted software and other technology products.

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Know some nontechie nonprofit leaders?  This blog, studio 501c, is just for them -– the ones who are brilliant and busy and who want to use the web more effectively to promote their nonprofit but who don’t know where to start.  Use the "email this" button below to tell them about studio 501c.  Don’t forget to add that they can sign up to get the blog's occasional articles via email. Thanks!

pbs to air inspiring new film, american idealist, january 21 (copies available to educators and nonprofits)

Nonprofit leaders, activists, educators, and anyone interested in making our country -- and world -- a better place won't want to miss American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver.  This inspiring new documentary shows how Shriver, though overshadowed by his in-laws, the Kennedys, was the driving force behind many innovative social justice initiatives in the 1960s.  It airs Monday, January 21, 2008 on most PBS stations.  Download a PDF of the air times and dates here and check out some short clips here.

Full disclosure: speaking of in-laws, I must tell you that the director and producer, Bruce Orenstein, is my husband's brother.  Of course I'm biased, but I think it's a brilliant film that is sure to get people thinking differently about the sixties and to inspire young people to get involved in working for peace and social justice. Its emphasis on Sargent Shriver's signature contribution -- the creation of pathways for young people to get involved in public service (Peace Corps, VISTA, Head Start, Youth Corps, and Legal Services) -- could even inspire fresh thinking along these lines in the presidential election.

PBS is broadcasting the film Monday in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday. It offers a powerful new look at one pivotal moment in King's life (as well as, sadly, Coretta Scott King's last recorded interview), and the story of Head Start's struggle in the Mississippi Delta is its dramatic climax. 

While appealing to people of all ages, the film would be great to show to young people -- from junior high to grad school -- in youth programs, service learning and civic engagement programs, history and social studies courses, and the like.  If you are an educator or nonprofit staffer, you can obtain a copy of the DVD from the organizations (such as Facing History and Ourselves) listed here.

Some testimonials about American Idealist:

• "Splendid. The best depiction of the War on Poverty I have ever seen on film. What an amazing man. I never knew how absolutely essential he was to 1960s social change. I want to share this new knowledge with the world." Darlene Clark Hine, Board of Trustees Professor of African American Studies and History at Northwestern University, and past president of the Organization of American Historians.

• "An exceptional achievement.  One of the best documentaries ever made about the history of the 1960s." Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University, and author of America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s.

• "American Idealist is wonderful. It should be on the shelves of every schoolhouse in America, for it can awaken in children a sense of hope and possibility." John Bridgeland, Assistant to the President of the U.S.,Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council (2000-2002), and USA Freedom Corps.

nonprofits (and others), nota bene: Please pass the word on to the young people in your life.  Encourage them to help promote American Idealist by writing about it on their blogs and by linking to the documentary's website, MySpace page, or Facebook page.

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series offers an excellent overview of web trends and tools for nonprofits

A recent series from the popular Read/WriteWeb blog provides a great overview of best practices and resources for nonprofits in using the web, including Facebook and MySpace.  I couldn't find links to all of the articles listed in one place, so I've gathered them below.  (And don't forget to read the comments to these posts--they also have lots of good info):

• Is The Web Still a Windfall For Non-Profits?

• Non-Profits on Facebook and MySpace

• Non-Profits Web Tool Kit

• Non-Profits: Plenty of Web Resources, But How Much Success?

• Non-Profits & Web 2.0: Notes From The Real World

nonprofits, nota bene:  This series would be helpful to any group of nonprofit staff members and volunteers considering ways to use the web more effectively.  If your organization has hired a web designer or consultant who is not totally familiar with web strategies for nonprofits, you may want to forward this article to him or her.

Know some nontechie nonprofit leaders?  This blog, studio 501c, is just for them -– the ones who are brilliant and busy and who want to use the web more effectively to promote their nonprofit but who don’t know where to start.  Use the "email this" button below to tell them about studio 501c.  Don’t forget to add that they can sign up to get updates via email. Thanks! 

nonprofits, teens, and blogs: seeking and sharing some examples

For a friend who works for a wonderful, youth-engaging nonprofit, I am seeking examples of organizations that have sponsored a youth or teen blogging project.  The purpose may range from engaging youth in raising awareness of an issue to helping them enhance skills such as writing, self-expression, leadership, and community building.  Or it may be something else entirely.

The projects could be based on blogging platforms such as Typepad, Blogger, Wordpress, and ExpressionEngine or social networks like MySpace and Facebook.  And they can fall anywhere along the private/public continuum -- only members of the youth group can blog or anyone can blog; the public can read the blog or only youth members can read the blog via password or invitation.

I am also seeking examples of online safety or risk management policies instituted as part of the project.

In response to an email query, Britt Bravo wrote of one organization that has a blog on which teens post but which, because of safety reasons, prefers not to be publicized widely. Britt also mentioned:

• the Young Caucasus Women's Project, which she and Beth Kanter were a part of in the spring of 2006 and
• New Moon Magazine, which has a blog that girls can submit to.

Beth Kanter kindly posted my email query to her blog and suggested these resources:

• Shaping Youth
• Global Kids (web site and blog)
• TakingItGlobal
• MacArthur Spotlight Blog: Digital Youth Discuss Digital Media

In response to her post:            

Michaela Hackner of World Learning wrote, "We're in the process of developing strategies for this, starting with our study abroad blogging pilot this fall.  We also host a Serbian youth program that we are planning to introduce to Vox."

Lisa Canter said to "take a look at this dynamic NY youth organization" -- www.girlsclub.org (Click on "A Day in the Life.")

Nick Booth shared www.frankleytalk.com, which is "just getting started and is based in a neighbourhood in Birmingham (England)."

Marshall Kirkpatrick shared the resources below and suggested I look at "variations on this query" at http://snipurl.com/1qexf (danah boyd's blog).

• www.youthnoise.com/
• www.netsquared.org/kahlon
• http://ypulse.com (Says Marshall, "There's some coverage of the topic there.  See http://snipurl.com/1qexe for an example.")

Many thanks to all of the above.  I'd love for more examples -- please share them below via comments.  

nonprofits, nota bene: Michaela's idea of using Vox for a youth project is a great one.  This free platform allows bloggers to create members-only groups called "neighborhoods."  Users can log onto the neighborhood page to see recent posts from all other members.  As the Vox site says, "You can choose the privacy level for every post, every picture, every sound clip, every video. Put up posts for the world. Put up posts for just your family. Or just your friends."  Also, bloggers can choose from a variety of well designed templates, and the blogs allow for easy incorporation of video and photos.

To increase safety, consider these ideas from Britt Bravo:

• Obtain permission slips from parents and guardians.
• Discourage or prohibit bloggers from posting identifiable photos or video of themselves, their friends, their homes, and their neighborhoods, and encourage instead abstract photos, such as those of a foot or door.
• Prohibit bloggers from using their real names and from posting contact information such as address, email, and phone.

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take note of these clear and quick explanations on how to use rss and wikis

Thanks to Dissident, a delightful blog discovery, I've also discovered the Common Craft Show and two video presentations -- the best I've ever seen for newbies on using RSS and Wikis.  They're also quite amusing.

Click To Play RSS in Plain English by Common Craft


 

Click To Play Wikis in Plain English by Common Craft

nonprofits, nota bene: If you want tools to improve productivity, learning, and internal communication (including communication with volunteers), run, don't walk, to share these presentations with your colleagues.  Also consider a subscription to the Common Craft blog.  This couple knows how to teach.

 

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tips for promoting your nonprofit's blog

Beth Kanter asked some folks to provide tips on blog promotion to Alison Lowndes, who started an interesting nonprofit in Kenya.  I left some specific tips for her in the comments section of Beth's post, and I'm sharing more general tips in this post -- tips I recently shared with a friend who is touring the Arctic Circle for one year -- and who hasn't had time to implement any of the tips :).

1. Do everything this post from Performancing.com tells you to do.  Pick one thing from the list to work on every other day, or two things to work on each week, or one thing to do each week.  Also subscribe to feeds or newsletters from Performancing.
2. Use the many blogging promotion tools at Feedburner.  Feedburner publishes special instructions depending on the blogging platform that you use, so look for those.
3. Make your profile informative.  In the profile, link to interesting articles about you.  Alison, for example, could link to her interview with Beth.  Also make sure your full name or pseudoynm is listed in your profile.
4. Consider these tips from The Online Marketing Blog.

nonprofits, nota bene: The Online Marketing Blog and many others recommend frequent posts, from several times a day to several times a week.  Frequent posts will help build traffic, especially early in the life of a blog, but for the many bloggers and for the average, non-Web-addicted reader -- for example, the donors you encourage to subscribe to your blog -- frequent posts can be overwhelming.  I recommend posting only when you have something important or interesting to share, hopefully that's once or twice a week. 

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Don't be concerned with the words below unless you're interested in tagging or Technorati, which is another way to promote your blog. 

how nonprofits can communicate online -- simply and inexpensively

Here's an utterly excellent post from a new favorite, The Bamboo Project blog by Michele Martin.  Michele shows how small nonprofits can use the web  -- for an investment of $60 or less -- to communicate with clients, donors, advocates, volunteers, and other supporters.   

Just as good is this one, from the same blog, on how nonprofits can benefit from Facebook.

nonprofits, nota bene: I use Typepad for studio 501c, and recommend it for the same reasons that Seth Godin (who inspired Michele's post) does.  For a more comprehensive web site, I recommend ExpressionEngine.

You can also publish a blog for short-term communications objectives.  Here's how Naisy Dolar, a Chicago aldermanic candidate, used a blog to chronicle election-day happenings in a recent run-off in Chicago's 50th ward.  Published with Google's free Blogger service, the blog was an efficient way to communicate with supporters and the press throughout the day.

Nonprofits could do the same for special projects and events, e.g., a marathon, a field trip, a clean-up day, an art project, or construction of a building.

swipe this: check out the sites and practices of these web-savvy nonprofits

Having been on hiatus, I thought I would jump back in with an easy post: This list of the 59 Smartest Orgs Online from Squidoo.com, Net2, and GetActive is a great one to explore.  See what nonprofit marketing expert Nancy Schwartz has to say about it.  She likes the list and reminds us that "whether any or all of these strategies are right for your organization depends on your marketing goals, and other communications strategies in play."

nonprofits, nota bene: If you're interested in using the web more effectively, ask different staffers or volunteers to each review a few sites and to report back to the group on their findings.  Make sure to examine the sites of those with missions that are close to yours as well as a few that aren't.  If you have a narrow goal, e.g., improving your online donation capacity, concentrate on what the different nonprofits are doing in that area.

P.S.  Very interesting that Barack Obama decided to announce his presidential exploratory committee via the web yesterday.  It was a great way to get a very personal message (as compared, say, to a press conference announcement) out to millions and millions of people.  That video, which features Obama speaking directly to the camera in a home setting, has been featured on major news sites and blogs around the world.

nonprofits can use microsoft word templates for better design, communication

The popular Lifehacker productivity blog asked its readers to help Elyse, who works "for an earnest, mission-driven, do-good non-profit organization that, despite the high quality of our project work, has little time or expertise to devote to details such as aesthetics, formatting, and design"  and who is looking for "tried and true design tips to easily spruce up a document and make it more eye-appealing."

I've long been a fan of designer Chuck Green, who created these wonderful Word templates -- for everything from reports to ads to brochures to certificates -- for OKI Printing Solutions.

Another designer produced these, based on Chuck's work.  (Be sure to page down to the marketing materials to find the report template.)

nonprofits, nota bene: After you've reviewed the Microsoft Word design tips that other Lifehacker readers shared with Elyse (through the link above), check out Chuck Green's Ideabook.com and Jumpola.com, and be sure to sign up for the free newsletters he offers on both sites.  Chuck's advice and articles are fun, inspiring, and informative, and much of his guidance, especially the stuff on Ideabook, is geared to non-designers.  In fact, Ideabook is a studio 501c smart pick!   

Jim Fruchterman, technologist for social change, wins MacArthur genius award (oh, and by the way, he has a blog)

One of the 25 MacArthur Fellows announced yesterday was James Fruchterman, social entrepreneur and founder of Benetech, a nonprofit that creates "new technology solutions that serve humanity and empower people to improve their lives."   Benetech's innovative projects have focused on literacy for people with disabilities, landmine detection, and human rights.

When visiting Benetech's web site, I was delighted to discover that the homepage features a link to the latest post in Fruchterman's blog, Beneblog.  Beneblog is an example of what I have called a business-lunch blog.  In a simple, conversational style, and in posts that range from short to long, Fruchterman discusses interesting happenings in the life of the organization, for example, national media coverage and job openings.  He also comments on current events that are related to the mission and work of the organization.

nonprofits, nota bene:  A business-lunch blog is a practical strategy for many social sector organizations.  Every blog takes time, but it needn't take an extraordinary amount (the archives show that Fruchterman publishes as little as three times a month).  Blogs rank high in search engine results, making them a good way to raise awareness of your organization.  For more ideas on how your nonprofit can connect in a more personal way with clients, members, donors, volunteers, and  the general public, see my earlier post, "a blog can be like a business lunch."  And if you do publish a blog, consider featuring the latest post or two on your homepage. 

Congratulations, Jim Fruchterman. (For more on Jim, check out Global X and Jim Korn, two bloggers who know him.)
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the ad that empowered a jilted bride to empower women 'round the world

Kyle Paxman was supposed to get married today, but when she discovered six weeks ago that her fiance was cheating on her, she called off the wedding.  Stuck with a contract for a 180-guest event at a nice hotel, she turned the day into a fundraising benefit for CARE USA and the Vermont Children's Aid Society.

Kyle chose CARE after she happened to see this PSA, I Am Powerful, on television.  From the 9/08/06 New York Times: "[The commercial] shows hundreds of women from various countries striding across a desert, then zeroes in on four who stare straight into the camera and declare, 'I am powerful.'  It ends as a narrator says: 'She has the power to change her world. You have the power to help her,' and it spoke to Ms. Paxman. 'It was the most powerful commercial I’ve ever seen,' she said. 'I knew then that I had found my other cause.' ”

The story has captured the interest of a number of bloggers, at least one of whom was inspired to donate to CARE USA in Kyle's honor. (You can donate to CARE in Kyle's honor here.)

nonprofits, nota bene: Nonprofits should always be ready to leverage current events.  If I worked for CARE, I would try to raise more money by including a link to the New York Times piece on the homepage along with a message encouraging web visitors to join Kyle in supporting CARE.  I'd also feature the story in my next email newsletter.  If I had more time to spare, I'd pitch the story to bloggers like the ones who had already covered the story, e.g., wedding bloggers.  If I worked for the Vermont Children's Home Society (VCHS), I'd do the same.  (You can contact VCHS here.  It does not have an online donation function, so it should get an one, using Idealware's recommendations.)

Digg this or add to  del.icio.us |  Yahoo |  BlinkList |  Spurl |  reddit |   Furl 
my technorati tags: net2, nptech, weddings, brides, vermont, CARE

a new way for nonprofits to "show up" in Google: March of Dimes petitions for a "doodle"

Via Seth Godin : The March of Dimes is asking supporters to petition Google to create a "doodle," (a modification of its logo that changes daily and that commemorates different holidays and events)  to commemorate Prematurity Awareness Day on November 14. 

Good petitions, like this one, Godin says, "build emotional energy."  Even if Google does not create a doodle, the petition will have helped to raise awareness of the day, and of the cause.

live TV becoming more affordable for nonprofits

PR pro Kami Huyse asks her blog's readers to consider putting live TV into their PR plans, with the help of some relatively inexpensive technology. She mentions a recommendation by Shel Holtz, who is a highly respected online PR strategist, and someone whose recommendation I would take very seriously. For those nonprofits that can afford it right now (I supposed that the cost will decline over time), live TV could be a great tool for training staff and volunteers and for helping donors and members to participate in events remotely. If you have ideas for how nonprofits can use live TV, please share them in the comments section below.

nonprofit makes it easy to donate, offset carbon emissions anywhere, any time via text messaging

From Springwise, a new favorite, I learned of a wise move from the World Land Trust, which is allowing consumers to use text messaging to donate small amounts to offset carbon emissions: "Every time a consumer texts 'WLT CARBON' to number 87050 (within the UK), World Land Trust will offset 140 kilograms of CO2 through its Carbon Balanced Program. The program regenerates rainforest, which not only helps remove CO2 from the atmosphere, but also provides habitat for endangered species....Users can create accounts that keep track of their sms donations." The cost to the consumer, on top of regular texting charges, is 1.5 GBP or $2.84 U.S. dollars.

Says the World Land Trust, on a page about the offsets, "We want to make it as easy to offset unavoidable emissions as we can, which is why we have created an sms service to provide offsets by using a mobile phone. So whether it is flight to Paris, a birthday party or a weekend away, now you can offset emissions anywhere and anytime."

I don't know much about text-messaging fundraising, but this campaign seems a bit different from efforts to raise money through SMS for victims of the tsunami, Katrina, and 9/11. Those campaigns offered a great convenience to donors wanting to respond immediately to a sudden disaster. This one is positioning itself as a long-term campaign to encourage regular giving of small amounts as consumers become increasingly mindful of the effect of their activities on the environment.

If you have ideas about other circumstances in which text-messaging campaigns would be appropriate or if you know of successful campaigns, please share your thoughts in the comments section.

free guide is a handy tool for nonprofit public relations

Via Steve Rubel, here's a succinct, free 30-page guide from PR firm Shift Communications on how to use the Web for public relations. Written for PR specialists, PR 2.0 Essentials would be just as helpful to nontechies in nonprofits who want to learn how to interact with external audiences through social bookmarking, RSS, blogs, podcasts, and more. Among dozens of ideas and links to resources, it includes good tips on "pitching" bloggers and podcasters with story ideas. Just replace the phrase "your clients" with "your nonprofit" or "your staff and board," and this guide will serve even the smallest of 501c3s very well.

Technorati tags: net2 nptech nonprofit_blogs nonprofit social media pr public relations Web2.0 PR 2.0 Shift Communications Steve Rubel

3 posts = a great primer on blogging and web communications for nonprofits

Two of my favorite bloggers recently published posts that, together, provide a great overview of the importance and potential of web-based communications for 501c3s. These articles would be good to share with an executive director or team that is beginning to explore how to use the web to build relationships with donors, volunteers, clients, members, and other stakeholders.

Check out Nancy Schwartz's Everybody's Talking About You--Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Listen, and Listen Hard. (Be sure to click to read the whole article.)

And if you haven't seen it yet, go to Netsquared to read Using New Tools in Non-tech Orgs: An Interview with Seth Mazow of Interplast by Marshall Kirkpatrick. Seth shares practical advice that is within the reach of many nonprofits.

If Marshall and Nancy's posts inspire you to investigate blogging, don't miss Idealware.org's great report, Getting Started With Blogging Software.

Like Seth Mazow, I recommend Typepad, which I use to publish this blog. I also recommend ExpressionEngine, which I plan to use for another project.

Technorati tags: net2 nptech nonprofit_blogs nonprofit Typepad Idealware ExpressionEngine Web2.0

report compiles good blogging advice for businesses and nonprofits; as always, beware of absolute truths

A University of Massachusetts marketing professor has published an interesting report based on a survey of bloggers.  "Behind the Scenes in the Blogosphere: Advice from Established Bloggers" contains useful information, and I recommend it if your nonprofit has a blog or is considering one.

However, in terms of using the report to drive decisions about business or nonprofit blogging, keep the second half of the study's title in mind: the ideas in this paper are based on the "self-reports" and opinions of bloggers who responded to an open call in May 2006 to participate.  The study did not measure the opinions of the blogs' readers, readers' use of the blogs, or the effect of business blogs on customer or stakeholder behavior.

Also consider that not all 74 of the survey respondents were truly "business bloggers," i.e., bloggers blogging as an employee of a company or organization.  As the author notes, 27% of them were "independent bloggers" such as Marketing Monger.

Therefore, I take the assertions in the report with a grain of salt.  I do agree that these "blogosphere truths," as author Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes calls them, are generally true:

1. Blogs take time and commitment.
2. Blogs must be part of a plan.
3. A blog is a conversation.
4. Transparency, authenticity, and focus are good. Bland is bad.

However, there are some assertions in the report that have been contradicted recently by other established bloggers:

-- "A good blog is one where posts are fresh and new posts are frequent."
-- "One respondent says, 'Don’t start a blog unless you have people in your organization to post to it daily in an open, friendly, and excited tone.' "
While regular posts are essential, the MarketingProfs blog recently argued that frequent posts may not be desirable.  Now that readers can elect to automatically receive new blog posts via email and RSS (news feeds), the promise of a new post daily is not necessary to lure readers, and the volume of daily posts can overwhelm readers and bloggers both.

-- "Participation is essential in the blogosphere. One respondent says... 'A blog is a conversation. Don’t open the line unless you’re ready to really talk.' ”
-- "It is important not to be afraid of giving up the mono-directed control that usually characterizes an organization."
While I believe that allowing for comments is beneficial for most business bloggers, Steve Rubel recently discussed why two popular independent bloggers don't accept comments.  More important, in my opinion, is that the content and tone of the blog are conversational, even if it is a one-way communication.

-- "Blogs will make or break your business."
-- "Blogs are not a fad. They are no longer even an option. Those businesses that choose to remain outside this online conversation, will be sidelined. Eventually they will become extinct."
While I believe that most businesses and nonprofits could benefit from some kind of blog, no less than Nicholas Carr, a former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, argues the contrary, and offers some cautionary advice on corporate blogging: In advising businesses not to blog (or at least to be careful in doing so), he says, "And don't buy that nonsense about needing to have 'conversations' with the marketplace. That's an ideology, not a strategy."

I would turn Carr's statement around to say that blogs as conversations are a strategy, not an ideology.  For most organizations, blogs are extremely effective ways to build relationships with customers and stakeholders (in a nonprofit's case -- donors, volunteers, clients, and members), and I highly recommend them.  However, as I argued in my earlier post, "a blog can be like a business lunch," there are no absolute truths about business blogging.

Thanks to Dr. Barnes for the study and to the smart and succinct Steve Rubel for the tip.

Technorati tags: net2 nptech blogging nonprofit blogosphere business corporate marketing research study reference Web2.0 business_blog blogs bloggers

e-newsletters better than web site or RSS for building relationships, study suggests

Any nonprofit interested in effective online communication should check out the executive summary of a fascinating study -- by the highly regarded Nielsen Norman group -- on e-mail newsletters, how to make them user friendly, and their value compared to web sites and RSS (also known as web feeds or news feeds). A couple of excerpts:

On e-newsletters vs. web sites: "Users tend to glance at websites when they need to accomplish something or to find the answer to a specific question. In contrast, newsletters feel personal because they arrive in users’ inboxes, and users have an ongoing relationship with them. Newsletters also have a social aspect, as users often forward them to colleagues and friends."

On e-newsletters vs RSS (web feeds): "Feeds are a cold medium in comparison with email newsletters. Feeds don’t form the same relationship between company and customers that a good newsletter can build. We don’t have data to calculate the relative business value of a newsletter subscriber compared to a feeds subscriber, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out that companies make ten times as much money from each newsletter subscriber. Given that newsletters are a warmer and much more powerful medium, it is probably best for most companies to encourage newsletter subscriptions and promote them over feeds on their website."

Hmmm, among other things, this suggests that a free service such as Zookoda, which allows bloggers to send a weekly branded newsletter with digests of blog posts, would be more effective than RSS at building relationships with readers. I'll have to check it out. If anyone has used Zookoda, I'd be grateful for your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks to the ultrapopular Merlin Mann at 43 folders for the tip.

Technorati tags: net2 nonprofit nptech social sector NGO Jakob Nielsen JakobNielsen Norman NielsenNorman usability newsletters e-newsletters feeds web2.0 Zookoda site relationship building relationshipBuilding

nonprofit marketing with YouTube, MySpace, and more

The npMarketing Blog recently published a great overview of how the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) uses Web services such as YouTube (online video), MySpace (online community popular with young people), and Frappr (online mapping) to promote its cause. Mark Sirkin, the blogger, calls these sites "fourth places" -- "virtual places online that are their own, self-sustained communities that we want to reach out to and partner with." Mark, a "must read" for nonprofit types interested in web communications and relationship building, directs online marketing for LLS.

Technorati tags: net2 nonprofit nptech social sector NGO MySpace YouTube Frappr leukemia lymphoma LLS web2.0 fourthplacemarketing fourthplace nonprofitmarketing

fake newspaper: a fun, fast way to honor nonprofit volunteers, donors, staff

I discovered fodey.com's newspaper snippet generator via popular blogger Steve Rubel, who always has interesting and instructive posts on marketing and PR.

As the image below shows, this free and easy tool provides a fun way to recognize staff members, volunteers, and donors.  Some ideas:

• Use your nonprofit's name in the name of the newspaper, e.g., "YMCA Times." If it's too long a name, use "Great News" or "Hope Times." (Play around with the text -- long titles get cut off.  You'll also have to play around with the body of the story, as spacing between words can get funky.)
• Use your town's name in the "dateline," as in the example below.
• Include quotes from leaders of your nonprofit, and, with permission, from kids and adults who have benefitted from the work of the person you're honoring.
• Use the story images on your Web site, in email newsletters, and in flyers.
• Create and save your story in a Word or a text editor before generating the image with the snippet generator. You can then re-use parts of it or revise it. (Once you save the story in the snippet generator, you can't edit it.)

Please share your ideas for using the newspaper snippet generator in the comments section below.

Technorati tags: net2 rubel fake newspaper nonprofit nptech fundraising email volunteer staff donor recognition web2.0

choosing web tools and software? start at Idealware.org

As nonprofits adopt more web-based tools and software for building relationships with their stakeholders, many are understandably perplexed by which brands to choose.

Raiser's Edge or salesforce.com for a constituent database? Constant Contact or Google Groups for email communication? eTapestry or Auctionpay for accepting online donations? These are important decisions with great implications for how the staff spends its time and budget.

Thank goodness that www.Idealware.org has arrived. To quote the site, "Idealware provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits....Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective."

This objective and intelligent resource was sorely needed in the land of 501c's. A nonprofit itself, Idealware was founded in the fall of 2005 by Laura Quinn, who has a strong background in nonprofit Web strategies and software, and she's recruited stellar advisors and board members to help her out.

Some of the articles and reports to date include online petition tools, membership and constituent databases, online donation tools, and content management systems. The monthly newsletter is a great way to keep up with the latest reviews.

Technorati tags: net2 salesforce salesforce.com nonprofit software nptech tools fundraising email databases web2.0

convert docs to PDFs for free

Even in well-funded nonprofits, not everybody has access to the version of Adobe Acrobat that allows you to make PDF files from Word and Excel documents.  Using a PDF (which stands for Portable Document Format) is often more convenient -- a PDF with images will be smaller in file size than a Word document, and thus easier to send via email.  And even though some folks have the software necessary to edit PDFs, a PDF is less likely to suffer at the hands of overeager editors than is a Word document.  There's just something much more final about it.

Lifehacker, an incredibly popular blog on productivity and "helpful hints" (read more about the editor here) recommends ExpressPDF, a free Web-based service.  If you have experience, good or bad, with ExpressPDF or the similar services popping up (see the responses in Lifehacker's comments section), please share your thoughts here. (Note that ExpressPDF is not totally secure so find another solution for sensitive documents.)

Technorati tags: net2 nonprofit nptech tools Adobe Acrobat PDF web2.0

a great place for nonprofit bloggers to begin: Netsquared

For an introduction to the hows and whys of nonprofit blogging, you can do no better than this "Resource Center" from Netsquared, called, well, Blogging for Nonprofits.  Netsquared is a Web site -- really a community -- that focuses on helping people use the Web to increase impact and effect social change.   Netsquared Resource Centers were just introduced.  They are collections of useful information about particular topics, e.g., online public relations, blogging, etc. that are created by volunteer contributors.  (I just joined the Resource Center for nonprofit blogging.)

Technorati tags: net2 nonprofit blogging nptech social sector NGO philanthropy

foldera: a cool (and free) tool for nonprofit project management

There are tons of good, free Web applications and services available now, but foldera seems especially promising for nonprofits that want to to give staff and volunteers (especially volunteer board members) an easy way to organize their communications, information, documents, and workflow.

Having first learned about foldera.com through one of its contractors, the highly regarded Web designer Emily Chang, I went on to find that it was getting great reviews from many respected bloggers. So, I've signed up for the free beta launch.

I will be curious to see how foldera can contribute not only to project management, but also to the knowledge management function in nonprofits, a function that is often overlooked as they struggle with increasing demands for their services and decreasing sources of funding.

Technorati tags: project knowledge management net2 nonprofit NGO nptech tools web2.0 foldera collaboration

don't jump on the cluetrain when it's goin' down the wrong track

When I blogged on March 26 about Seth Godin's paper Flipping the Funnel, I hadn't read this NetSquared interview by Marshall Kirkpatrick, in which Seth calls nonprofits "so so clueless" for not using his new Web service, Squidoo. This disparagement was unfair and, to my mind, ironic, given that one of Seth's ideas for using Squidoo could actually be damaging to a nonprofit's brand.

I responded to the interview in a NetSquared community blog post entitled, "We, the clueless," in which I advise nonprofits not to "jump on the cluetrain when it's goin' down the wrong track." The post was headlined on the Netsquared home page, and it elicited a comment from Seth as well as a few others.

Technorati tags: cluetrain net2 nonprofit NGO nptech blogging nonprofit blogging tools web2.0 Godin squidoo

flip the funnel, but flip it feasibly

Thanks to Michael Gilbert's Nonprofit Online News, I learned about the latest publication of prolific marketing writer Seth Godin: his nonprofit edition of Flipping the Funnel (free PDF download) shows how nonprofits can gain new supporters by asking current supporters to use free Web tools such as blogs, Flickr, del.icio.us, and his own Squidoo. (As Seth says, "A Squidoo page contains links—links to products for sale, to reviews, to pictures, to videos, to RSS feeds, and to blogs. A Squidoo page, which is called a lens, is one person’s take on one topic.")

As much as I respect Seth's marketing expertise, I disagree with a couple of points in this paper.  It's silly to claim that, because it gets more traffic, Squidoo.com will attract more attention to a nonprofit than will a traditional nonprofit Web site such as diabetes.org. (Seth refers to a chart showing their comparative stats, but it wasn't in the version that I downloaded today.)  Squidoo as a whole has a very different purpose and audience from diabetes.org.  A more apt comparison would be diabetes.org vs. a Squidoo page on diabetes.

And while I agree that nonprofits could use Squidoo pages to promote themselves and engage supporters, the idea, on page 14, of the New York Philharmonic asking 3,000 of its supporters to each create a Squidoo page about dressing kids for winter (and for the 3,000 to raise money for the orchestra by getting friends to buy clothing featured on their pages) is so odd that I can't help but wonder if something wasn't lost in the editing.

Can you imagine being the one at the Philharmonic to tell the CEO (or board chair, or development director) that one of your fundraising strategies is to get 3,000 donors each to create a Web page about kids' winter clothing and for them to get their friends to buy clothing from their pages, with a small percentage of the profits going to the orchestra? Not only would that convey a very confusing message about the Philharmonic brand to supporters, it's unrealistic to expect 30 donors, much less 3,000, to want to publish a Web page on that particular topic.  (And how many people will actually be motivated to support the orchestra by purchasing clothing through the Squidoo pages?  Though I am loyal to my son's school, I've never bought anything through the Web sites that give a percentage to the school -- it's just one too many things for me to think about during my busy day.)

Much better are the ideas found on page 15 of the paper, for example, for a nonprofit to create a Squidoo page to supplement its Web site or for a nonprofit to ask supporters to create pages about topics that naturally interest them, with proceeds from sales on the pages going to the nonprofit.  Even so, the second strategy would probably not work unless the supporters were savvy about the Web (if not already publishing on the Web) and unless they had a strong bond with the organization or with each other.

If you know of any nonprofits currently using Squidoo to build relationships, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know via the comments below.  I do think it could be effective given the right conditions, and I'm eager to see how it pans out.

Technorati tags: net2 nonprofit NGO nptech nonprofit blogging del.icio.us flickr blogger tools web2.0 Godin

cluetrain squidoo

email sigs as marketing, and other smart advice for nonprofits

I don't know Nancy Schwartz, but her advice on communications for nonprofits is smart, succinct, and important. Reading her articles could be considered a crash course in nonprofit marketing communications. Take, for example, this article about a free and underused marketing opportunity, e-mail signatures. Employees can convey key messages about your mission, programs, and events through consistent signature formats and regularly updated and hyperlinked taglines.

In this age of information overwhelm, I am picky about recommending subscriptions, but I highly recommend her newsletter, Getting Attention.

Technorati tags: net2 nptech signatures

a blog can be like a business lunch

Beth Kanter, a thought leader in the world of nonprofit blogging, recently shared some useful criteria to help nonprofits decide whether to blog or not.  While I agree with most of them, I think that two (yes, if you want to enable many voices; no, if things must be vetted by a central authority) could, if interpreted narrowly, inhibit some nonprofits from blogging. 

There is at least one model that doesn't meet all of her criteria, but would, I think, be a great approach for many nonprofits.  It's a “business-lunch blog” -- a simple, general blog that chronicles events and ideas in the life of the nonprofit organization.  I call it that because the tone and topics are similar to that of a conversation you might have with one of your stakeholders -– a donor, client, staff member, board member -- over lunch. I also think the metaphor helps overcome popular misconceptions about blogs, e.g., that they are only suited to heavy political discussions or chronicles of the antics of your cats.

I’ve found that these misconceptions lead some nonprofit leaders to believe that blogging will require them to publish in-depth commentary on their nonprofit’s issue every day, to divulge personal habits, to engage endlessly in Web conversations, or to let their "freak flag fly."  While all of these have their place, these options are for “some of the bloggers some of the time.”  None are ever required when publishing a business-lunch blog. 

While a business-lunch blog could certainly involve many contributors, it can just as easily and effectively be authored by -- gasp -- a central authority, even -- gasp again -- PR and marketing people, as the case seems to be with this excellent example of a business-lunch blog from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. (The gasps are not poking fun at Beth, just at some of the dogma I’ve heard about nonprofit and business blogging.)

Even if only one person posts to the blog on behalf of the whole organization, I think it’s best, and more in keeping with the more personal nature of blogging, if the poster’s name is published with each entry.  (I recommend this especially if there’s a chance that more than one person will post to the blog in the future.)  Note, however, that the posts on this well regarded blog of the humanitarian organization Interplast are not identified with a particular author -- proof that a blog can be great even if it doesn’t follow every rule ever published about blogging.

The frequency of posts will depend on the particular nonprofit, but I tend to think that posting weekly, and probably no more than two to three times a week, would be appropriate for a business-lunch blog.

Allowing comments is highly desirable, but not always critical.  While I wish that Terry Axelrod allowed for comments in her Raising More Money blog, as someone interested in learning more about her acclaimed fundraising model, I nonetheless benefit from her posts.

Here are some examples of the kinds of entries that different kinds of nonprofits might post in a business-lunch blog:

o The article in today's Name of Local Newspaper (links to paper) about casualties in the Iraq war underlines the importance of our new initiative (links to info on initiative) to provide comprehensive services to vets who are disabled… 

o Name of Person (links to bio) on our staff just won the Name of Award (links to info on award) for environmental advocacy.  Name has been instrumental in our Blue Lakes campaign (links to info on campaign)…

o We've just put up the registration page (links to page) for our annual benefit -- the band this year is Betsy Redhead and the Boneshakers and the tickets are only $75.00.  As the federal government continues to slash funding of supportive services to people who are homeless, the Name of Event is essential to our ability to….(links to info on mission or important programs) …

o The mayor announced yesterday that she would not support the restaurant smoking ban (links to announcement by Mayor). Please help us persuade her that this is not in the best interest of the citizens of Whoville by sending a letter (links to model letter)…

o Name of CEO was interviewed today for a Channel 10 story (links to TV station story summary) about local theater groups.  An important fact that the TV news report omitted was that...

Some benefits of the business-lunch blog approach:

o Stakeholders and potential supporters are engaged in a way that is more intimate and immediate than that of traditional newsletters, especially if comments are allowed. (Note, printed newsletters will remain important and effective vehicles for many nonprofits, even for those that blog.) 

o A business-lunch blog is an efficient way to share information that you want all key stakeholders to know.  The staff, board, and major donors of nonprofits I’ve worked with recently all had access to email.  If this is true for your nonprofit, encourage these major stakeholders to subscribe to RSS or email feeds of your blog.

o If you plan to post frequently on a number of topics that will not interest all stakeholders equally, consider a blogging platform that allows you to categorize posts and RSS feeds.  This allows readers to select which topics they wish to read.

o If it suits your organization, your blog may grow to include more than one contributor. Contributors may even go on to publish their own "spin off" blogs, all of which could be aggregated for the user.

While particularly suited to small nonprofits, a business-lunch blog may be a good solution for organizations of all kinds -- private, nonprofit, public -- and of all sizes.   For some, it will be a starting point; for others, it will be all they ever need.   

There are, of course, other good starter models, at least one of which I plan to discuss in the future, but I believe this approach is one that many nonprofits would do well to adopt and one that more nonprofit-tech evangelists would do well to promote. 

Thoughts?  I welcome them in the "comments" section below.

Technorati tags: net2 06NTC blogging nonprofit nptech

welcome to studio 501c

This is a resource for ordinary people doing extraordinary things -- social entrepreneurs and nonprofit staff and volunteers, i.e., those who work hard every day to make positive change.  I'm a nonprofit professional, too, and I'm interested in the ways that the Internet, personal technology, and other tools can help advance the goals of those in the social sector (which, by my definition, encompasses the nonprofit sector, but also goes beyond it to include those in the private and public sectors who are pursuing social innovation). 

As a result of my interests in personal tech and communications, I often find myself telling friends and colleagues about a Web site for tracking down the address of a prospective donor, or an easy way they can keep up with the issues their nonprofit addresses or a free Web-based calendar, task, and contact management application that can help individuals and teams be more productive.   I hope to do the same thing with this blog -- to share information and tips from time to time that will help people accomplish their social-change goals more effectively.

I won't pretend to be definitive or even authoritative.  In fact, much of the advice here will be pretty basic, as I find that even many brilliant leaders in the social sector know little about RSS, blogs as communications tools for nonprofits, or all that Google can do for them!  (Watch for more info on these tools in future posts.)

I'll just share what has worked for me, as well as what others with far more knowledge and experience are recommending.  I plan to review what experts in personal tech, life hacks, productivity, cool tools, and nonprofit tech are publishing, and then share the best of it here, adding ideas for how nontechies in in the social sector can apply the tips to their particular concerns. In that sense, I hope studio 501c will be a time-saving filter blog.

I also hope that it will offer a practical perspective to current discussions on how nonprofits can use the Internet and technology to further their missions.  These discussions, though well intended, sometimes become unrealistic, especially when they involve nonprofit techies talking with other nonprofit techies.  With studio 501c, I'll aim to address the everyday concerns of nontechies in nonprofits and other social-sector organizations.

I hope that you can help with this effort.  Please post your ideas, advice, and experience in the comments section of this blog so that we can all learn from each other.

Cheers,
Celeste W

Technorati tags: net2 blogging nonprofit NGO nonprofit blogging marketing nptech fundraising social sector social entrepreneur AirSet ZabaSearch small business studio 501c nontechie nontechie