Friday, January 11, 2008

‘Pixelanthropy’ takes hold on Second Life - Giving- msnbc.com

‘Pixelanthropy’ takes hold on Second Life - Giving- msnbc.com: "Not so typical when you know that Jewell is an animated character, her friend’s nightclub exists only inside a computer, and the Nonprofit Commons is a complex of 32 virtual offices on a pleasant little digital island inside an ethereal place called Second Life.

Founded in 2003, this fast-growing virtual community — once largely regarded as the playground of otherwise anti-social computer nerds—has been experiencing a surge in new growth. The site now has some 9 million registered users, with most of them avatars (or virtual “selves” of humans) — though only about 40,000 “in-world” at any one time."

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro -- Fire-alert technology discussed

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro -- Fire-alert technology discussed: "The October wildfires were fought with blood, sweat and technology. But technology – particularly notifying residents by phone that a fire is headed their way – isn't exactly perfect."

Next-Gen donors | csmonitor.com

Next-Gen donors | csmonitor.com: "Charities know that young people volunteer. Over 90 percent of college-bound high school seniors have done community service – partly to be attractive to colleges, but partly out of goodwill. How to turn that goodwill into donations and foster a habit of financial giving? Technology can help.

Young people are connected to each other in ways that their parents weren't. The same bonds are there, but they are facilitated and widened by the Internet and cell- phones. Combine that with awareness of events, such as hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake in 2005, and the potential for financial support is significant."

Business Edge News Magazine - businessedge.ca - Ontario Edition - Software developers find charitable niche

Business Edge News Magazine - businessedge.ca - Ontario Edition - Software developers find charitable niche: "Software developers find charitable niche

Firms helping non-profit sector improve


By Sheldon Gordon - Business Edge
Published: 01/11/2008 - Vol. 8, No. 1

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Canadian software developers are doing well by helping others do good.

They're selling or licensing applications to charities, enabling them to manage their donor and volunteer databases, process their online transactions and create planned giving strategies.

Charities used to be laggards in high tech, generations behind in their computer hardware and dependent on volunteers to design their websites. Now, however, they've become niche markets for sophisticated softwa"

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Are Corporate-Nonprofit Partnerships Doomed? - Philanthropy.com

Are Corporate-Nonprofit Partnerships Doomed? - Philanthropy.com: "Are Corporate-Nonprofit Partnerships Doomed?

Intel and the nonprofit project, One Laptop Per Child, have officially parted ways, ending a collaboration that was marked by controversy almost from the start. And now some nonprofit observers are wondering whether this is a sign that charities should be more cautious in how they work with business."

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Most dreaming of a better job | NEWS.com.au Business

Most dreaming of a better job | NEWS.com.au Business: "Asked in the poll if they would donate more of their time to charitable causes if their employer supported them, 73 per cent said yes.

The same proportion said they would be more likely to begin or stay working with a company that allowed them some paid time off to work for a charity."

Behind the Intel/OLPC Breakup

Behind the Intel/OLPC Breakup: "n mid-December, in the hip, Frank Gehry-designed IAC (IACI) building in New York, Intel (INTC) held a small gathering for a dozen or so journalists to preview the corporation's planned showcase at this week's 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Curiously missing: any mention of a much-anticipated, low-cost laptop, called the XO, for children in developing countries, featuring an Intel microprocessor, with hardware designed by the Santa Clara (Calif.)-based nonprofit, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). The company had been planning to launch it at CES."

Monday, January 07, 2008

Future Tense: January 4, 2008 Archives

Future Tense: January 4, 2008 Archives: "Twin Cities Rise! is one of the Minnesota nonprofits that has applied to participate in the F1 Overnight Website Challenge - set to begin on March 1. The event will pair ten teams of Web developers with 10 Minnesota nonprofit organizations. Together, they'll work for about 24 hours to design brand new Websites.

The Overnight Website challenge is sponsored by Sierra Bravo Corporation, a Twin Cities software development company."

NussbaumOnDesign One Laptop Per Child Versus Intel--Who Speaks for India and China? - BusinessWeek

NussbaumOnDesign One Laptop Per Child Versus Intel--Who Speaks for India and China? - BusinessWeek: "At the Consumer Electronic Show this week, the One Laptop Per Child foundation was supposed to make two announcements—the number of computers it sold under the Give One, Get One holiday program and a new olpc machine made jointly with Intel. But now Intel has pulled out or been pushed out of the project with olpc, depending on who you believe. It’s a mess and a mess of huge dimensions that encompasses a conversation of profit vs. nonprofit, nationalism vs. colonialism, technology vs. pedagogy, rote vs. experiential learning, Western design vs. Eastern design, good intentions vs. bad intentions. It doesn’t get bigger, or nastier."

Social sites work to better world, one click at a time

Social sites work to better world, one click at a time: "All the networks, homemade videos and blogs have made the Web a center for socializing, not social change. But a slew of startups are using the tech tools and social dynamics that have become the norm online to tackle real-world problems.

Whether it's through a social network that helps a Nicaraguan woman get a loan to expand her business selling dyed rope or a Web site that uses video, podcasts and other tools to turn a social activist into an Internet celebrity with an army of active followers, a growing number of people looking to make changes in the real world are going online."

OLPC fires back at Intel, children learn nothing | One More Thing - CNET News.com

OLPC fires back at Intel, children learn nothing | One More Thing - CNET News.com: "OLPC fires back at Intel, children learn nothing
Posted by Tom Krazit

Nick Negroponte, founder and chairman of the One Laptop Per Child project, came out swinging at Intel on Friday, one day after the chipmaker decided to leave the group.

The OLPC's goal of bringing low-cost technology to children in developing countries apparently conflicts with Intel's goal of running a business. Even though the two agreed to put aside their differences in July, it's pretty clear that they never actually became friends."

Everyclick.com aims to triple charity donations | Technology | The Guardian

Everyclick.com aims to triple charity donations | Technology | The Guardian: "A UK search engine where users make money for charity every time they look something up is hoping to triple the amount it raises this year, thanks to US expansion and new tie-ups with big companies.

From every pound raised through searches, Everyclick.com gives 50p to whichever UK charity a user chooses. It has raised more than £360,000 since its launch in 2005 and in the next 12 months it wants to make another £1m."