Reloading commentable documents: introducing Read+Comment

02 September 2010

At TeaCamp today, I’m taking the Campers through one of my new projects, Read+Comment, designed to offer hassle-free publishing of commentable documents online. Introducing Read+Comment View more presentations from Steph Gray. It’s based on some work I’ve done recently for BIS, updating the Commentariat WordPress theme so that the team can roll out more flexible [...] Related posts:

1. Five ways to publish commentable documents online
2. Introducing Commentariat & the POI Taskforce Report
3. Different strokes for different folks

Announcing the Winners of Blackbaud’s INSPIRE Contests!

31 August 2010

We’d like to send out a big thanks to everyone who participated in Blackbaud’s INSPIRE Contests – the response was amazing!

The Blackbaud INSPIRE Tweetaway asked participants to share how they inspire supporters with social media. (Be sure to stay tuned for a roundup of all of the great entries.)

5 Things I’d Do if I Started Today

31 August 2010

I was talking to a friend who’s looking to start using the web and social media more effectively to reach a specific group of people. It got me thinking about the basics - the things that are, in most cases, mission critical when it comes to finding success in a digital world.

Do You do Mobile?

30 August 2010

Are you thinking about the future of communication as it relates to reaching and connecting with your supporters, donors, volunteers and members? What about reaching those who know nothing about you? I am. I’m thinking about how the nonprofit industry should be adapting to the ever changing landscape of internet use and how mobile devices fit in. Here’s a few interesting points to consider ...

Social Media ROI and More at the Women Who Tech TeleSummit

30 August 2010

There are two words we can’t escape these days. Social Media. While your nonprofit may have a presence on Twitter and a Facebook Fanpage, how are you using it? To promote your blog posts or press releases? Your action alerts and donation pitches? Are you even being social? Just because you tweet a blog post does not mean you’re being social, as Steve McLaughlin so eloquently said in his recent blog post Single Channel Communication is Dead. Being social is about being a part of a community and engaging in discussions with other people. In other words - it’s not just about you and your nonprofit priorities. It’s more about your supporters and how they want to engage with you.

Mobile Giving: Meet James Eberhard

26 August 2010

The mobile platform for social good is here to stay. Eberhard says "you can put a bucket outside a grocery store and hope to collect some spare change, but what if you put that bucket in front of everybody in the United States?" There is a huge untapped resource in America’s 290 million mobile phones. What does that mean for your next fund raising campaign? Related posts:

1. Top 4 Things to Ensure Last-Minute Giving Success
2. Make the Case For Giving – 7 Tips to Help Your Nonprofits Increase Its Year End Appeal Response
3. Increasing Online Giving: 10 Tips to Optimize Your Donation Landing Pages
4. Email Marketing for Nonprofits: 3 Essential Techniques

Developing the Israeli Third Sector – NP Tech Launches GuideStar Israel

26 August 2010

NP Tech, the Israeli organization designed to make technology more accessible to social organizations in Israel, recently launched GuideStar Israel. In this interview, Royi Biller, CEO of NP Tech, talks about the technology needs of Israeli nonprofit organizations, why it is important to have a GuideStar Israel, and the launch of TechSoup Global in late 2010.

I Have a Favor to Ask of You

26 August 2010

South by South West 2011 is in the works! I know I know ... it seems so soon, but just as we’ve all started planning for 2011 in the nonprofit world folks like the SXSW organizers have set out to get a jump start on their yearly event - one that attracts thousands of internet enthusiasts as well as movie and music lovers.

100 days later

25 August 2010

Just over three months ago, I left a secure job (well, it was then) in the civil service for reasons I’ve never quite been able to explain coherently. So how have the first 100 days of postbureaucratic life been? I left planning to take a bit of time, do bits and pieces, and wait for [...] No related posts.

Accountability is Crucial - 4 Tips for Nonprofits

25 August 2010

Donors represent one of the most important (if not the most important) segments of many nonprofit organizations. These donors are essentially the investors of your organization, and as such, they deserve full accountability from you to ensure their money is being spent wisely. Being truly worthy of a donor’s continued support extends well beyond the donor acknowledgement letter that is standard process for each donation.

Win a Free Pass to Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits

24 August 2010

Join us in Washington, D.C. on October 20 to 22, 2010 for what will surely be the ultimate learning experience. Whether you are already registered or you’re planning to attend, check out everything this year’s Conference has to offer...

Email Marketing: 7 Easy Ways to Decrease Your Newsletter Unsubscribe Rate

23 August 2010

Your organization's newsletter can be an important marketing tool. It is a simple yet powerful medium for reaching out to your supporters on a regular basis. Learn best practices to grow your existing opt-in email list and decrease your unsubscribe rates. Related posts:

1. Email Marketing for Nonprofits: 3 Essential Techniques
2. How to Create a Custom Tab For Your Facebook Page
3. The Making of a Strong Nonprofit Brand

Don’t be down with the kids

23 August 2010

I started my career in market research, where soliciting the views of under 16s is frowned upon without rather a lot of faffing around getting hold of parental consent. Online, surveys tend to ask if you’re older than 16, and if not, chuck you out. On balance, it’s probably a good thing that dubious marketers [...] Related posts:

1. What standards and legal requirements do government websites need to take account of?

Guest Post by John Haydon: Email Acquisition – A Case Study

23 August 2010

The challenge: Help Oceana unlock the potential of its 10,000 Facebook Fans. John Haydon explains how his company, Inbound Zombie, helped Oceana acquire 5,000 new email addresses and 4,277 new Facebook Page connections during a 60-day campaign.

Community Builder Chat Wrap-Up & September Details

20 August 2010

Last night was the first in what will now be a monthly chat for community builders or those interested in learning more about building community, on and offline. The goal of this chat was to set some of the ground work for us to build on going forward. Below you’ll find highlights from the first [...]

Community Builder Chats: Exploring the Community (August 2010)

19 August 2010

Hi everyone! Welcome to the new monthly chats focused on community building. These are a branch of the #4Change chats – so whether you have participated in the past on a different topic or not, welcome In the future, these chats will have a topic and questions (generated from you!) posted ahead of time. As [...]

Conversation Starter: Digital Natives Moving Offline

19 August 2010

Ivan Boothe posted a link to this story recently on the Progressive Exchange list. It’s been a busy week so I just clicked through today and thought it was an excellent opportunity to start integrating more conversation starters into this blog (as suggested in the Blog Redesign thread). —– The article from Spiegel Online International [...]

Ask Amounts: Strategic or Arbitrary?

19 August 2010

So what’s your answer: strategic or arbitrary? Perhaps I should explain a bit further.

Are you an organization that put thought into your ask amounts on your donation form? Did you think about how each ask amount translates to the good work your organization does?

5 Steps to Addressing Sensitive Conversations in Social Media

18 August 2010

For many organizations social media isn't simply a new medium to learn and manage, its also an exercise in control-or lack thereof. What if users say something inappropriate, out of line with the organization's messaging, or even worse, downright offensive or problematic? I often hear this reasoning for reluctence to utilizing social media by non-profits, espeically by those with an organized opposition and/or sensitive topics.

Guest Post by Manny Hernandez: Crowdsourcing No Sugar Added Poetry

16 August 2010

In early 2009, TuDiabetes.org, a social network for people touched by diabetes, asked members to share their diabetes poems as part of a contest called No-Sugar Added Poetry. The end result was the No-Sugar Added Poetry book. Manny Hernandez writes of the many lessons learned from crowdsourcing, publishing, and selling a community book.