O'Brien: Lessons on innovation from nonprofits - San Jose Mercury News

O'Brien: Lessons on innovation from nonprofits - San Jose Mercury News: "Those lessons were on display last week when I stopped by the annual NetSquared conference at the Cisco Systems campus. The two-day event is run by TechSoup, a San Francisco organization that connects nonprofits with tech equipment and educational resources.

Each year, TechSoup issues a technology challenge to find the most creative use of technology by nonprofits around the world. The 15 finalists are brought to San Jose for the conference to present their ideas, network and compete for about $50,000 in funding. The challenge this year focused on nonprofits using mobile technologies to address a social problem."

Rock Bands Use Twitter to Raise $850K for Fan's Heart Transplant

Rock Bands Use Twitter to Raise $850K for Fan's Heart Transplant: "Some musicians have criticized Twitter for being the 'highest form of narcissism,' but, over the last few weeks, Twitter users have given thousands of reasons to prove that the microblogging community will overwhelmingly come to the aid of others. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, with the help of the band Jane's Addiction, has managed to raise $850,000, thanks in part to Twitter, for a fan in need of a heart transplant."

Do Online Fund-Raising Contests Squeeze Out Foreign Charities? - Philanthropy.com

Do Online Fund-Raising Contests Squeeze Out Foreign Charities? - Philanthropy.com: "Do Online Fund-Raising Contests Squeeze Out Foreign Charities?

Epic Change, a charity raising money for a school in Tanzania, is a finalist in one of a mushrooming number of contests that enable Web users to vote for nonprofit groups. But Stacey Monk, its founder, sees a big challenge: the lack of Internet access for would-be voters in Tanzania."

Twollars: Turning Twitter users' virtual charity into real donations -- chicagotribune.com

Twollars: Turning Twitter users' virtual charity into real donations -- chicagotribune.com: "You don't have to be a Twillionaire to donate to a charity in the Twittersphere.

The latest version of Twollars, or 'the currency of appreciation,' launched Friday with a basic concept -- using virtual currency to generate real donations for charities.

Here's how it works:"

Google Online Mapping Tools: Planning Advanced Mapping

Google Online Mapping Tools: Planning Advanced Mapping: "Google Online Mapping Tools: Planning Advanced Mapping
Using Google Maps APIs and KML tools to create online maps

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By: Chris Peters and Mano Marks

May 22, 2009

In TechSoup's companion article A Nonprofit's Introduction to Google's Online Mapping Tools, we provide an overview of the more basic features and uses of Google Maps and Google Earth, and offer guidance for organizations that are considering embarking on a mapping project.

Yet while Google Maps and Google Earth offer powerful, built-in capabilities that don't require advanced technical skill or programming ability, the type of map your nonprofit is envisioning may require advanced, customized functionality."

Search Engine Wars: Google Aims for Social Search, as Microsoft Chases It With Bing | Technomix | Fast Company

Search Engine Wars: Google Aims for Social Search, as Microsoft Chases It With Bing | Technomix | Fast Company: "Google has really been pushing new features lately, and getting news interest as developments like Wolfram Alpha and Twitter's live search seem to be innovating how search engines work. But when speaking to reporters, Google's Group Product Manager Ken Tokusei revealed another new angle that the company is investigating--personalized, social-network style results to search queries. He noted that people are using the net more and more to find out more personally-relevant soft information like restaurant recommendations rather than traditional hard fact searches. Tokusei then acknowledged that Google would like to weave in search responses from people you're acquainted with, and admitted that 'We haven't gotten to the point where results are seen as if they come from someone you know.' For now, Google will add a slightly personalized, more human angle to search queries by letting users rate search responses and delete unrelated links."

Beware Social Media Marketing Myths - BusinessWeek

Beware Social Media Marketing Myths - BusinessWeek: "We've been misled as to the benefits of social networking sites. Many of us are finding that these tools do not live up to the hype, especially for small business. Once we start digging deeper, we're finding a lot of challenges. Are you thinking of using Facebook, Twitter, or the like in your business? Before you go any further, consider the following myths:"