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

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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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!

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.

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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