Friday, January 29, 2010

Wilder Launches Statewide Data Hub « Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog – Philanthropy Potluck

Wilder Launches Statewide Data Hub « Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog – Philanthropy Potluck: "Wilder Research has just launched Minnesota Compass, which offers a host of data and other resources in a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate, one-stop web site.

This new initiative builds on the prior success of Twin Cities Compass, a similar project for the 7-county metro region. Minnesota Compass measures quality of life in communities around Minnesota, providing data, commentary and insight from nonpartisan experts, and links to a variety of local community initiatives."

Nonprofits: Time to Get Mobile - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media - frogloop

Nonprofits: Time to Get Mobile - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media - frogloop: "83% of adults have cell phones or smartphones. 35% of users have accessed the Internet via their phone, according to a December 2009 report by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. So in times of natural disasters like the catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti and affected more then two million people, can a mobile strategy help raise money in times of crisis?"

Top 10 Social Media Countries | Penn Olson

Top 10 Social Media Countries | Penn Olson: "While the list is pretty comprehensive, one might argue that the comparison is according to absolute terms rather than population proportion (like how we compared Facebook users in Singapore and the U.S), it still works as a good indicator of the top social media countries."

BBC News - How online sponsorship changes the way we give

BBC News - How online sponsorship changes the way we give: "It wasn't long ago that every person running a race or attempting some feat would send around a sponsorship form at their - or their parents' - office. But now, anyone looking to raise any significant amount of cash has migrated online."

The World Won't End Without Your Tweets | davefleet.com

The World Won't End Without Your Tweets | davefleet.com: "Social media can be a compulsive beast. It’s easy to feel a ‘need’ to keep putting out content through your various channels; no-where is this more true right now than on Twitter. I’ve written about that topic before, and I’ve also discovered the importance of unplugging occasionally."

Thursday, January 28, 2010

PHILANTHROPY 2173: What kind of Apps would your foundation build?

PHILANTHROPY 2173: What kind of Apps would your foundation build?: "As my plane landed I sent out this Tweet 'What could a community foundation App do?

Whoa. The smarties of Twitter responded. A flood of ideas came along - tweeted, DM'd and on and on. Here are some of them:"

New technology tools help Haiti earthquake relief - NashuaTelegraph.com

New technology tools help Haiti earthquake relief - NashuaTelegraph.com: "Volunteers have built and refined software for tracking missing people, mapping the disaster area and enabling urgent cell-phone text messaging. Organizations including the International Red Cross, the United Nations, the World Bank and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency have put the systems to use."

New award honors nonprofits' photographers

New award honors nonprofits' photographers: "So Farese created an online nonprofit, PhotoPhilanthropy.org, to link documentary photographers with nonprofits in need of exposure. At a time when international reporting is disappearing from the pages of financially strapped newspapers and magazines, she gathered a group of private investors and some of the biggest Bay Area names in photography to award cash prizes to the best photo essays of overseas humanitarian work."

Text messages are one more way to help Haiti victims - Las Cruces Sun-News

Text messages are one more way to help Haiti victims - Las Cruces Sun-News: "LAS CRUCES - Nursing student Gonzalo Valdez, 28, sat on a couch in Corbett Center at New Mexico State University on Tuesday and typed a few letters and numbers into his iPhone before returning to his studying.

The whole transaction took just about a minute, but Valdez helped provide clean drinking water, first aid supplies or a warm blanket to a victim of the earthquake that devastated Haiti two weeks ago."

Finextra: Chase to extend crowdsourcing charity effort after two million facebook users vote online

Finextra: Chase to extend crowdsourcing charity effort after two million facebook users vote online: "Chase to extend crowdsourcing charity effort after two million facebook users vote online Chase is to extend the use of social media for charitable giving after its first campaign on facebook attracted more than two million users to its Community Giving site."

Does Your Nonprofit Need a Social Media Guide? - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media - frogloop

Does Your Nonprofit Need a Social Media Guide? - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media - frogloop: "Guess what one of the biggest challenges nonprofits face today when adding a blog to their website or diving into social media? Giving up control.

Does this sound familiar?

* Should blog comments be moderated?
* Should we even allow public comments on our blog?
* How do we handle negative comments? Just delete them?
* How do we deal with trolls?
* What if the opposition takes our tweets and twists our words?
* What happens if some of our Facebook fans disagree with what we have to say in one of our status updates?"

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Flickr for non-profits – 8 lessons learned | Social Media 4 Good

Flickr for non-profits – 8 lessons learned | Social Media 4 Good: "I have been using Flickr for about two years to increase visibility of the work of Red Cross Red Crescent. Today, I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned.

Why Flickr?

I believe that most non-profits spend too much time preaching to the choir. Flickr is a great website to show what your organization is doing or why it is doing it to people whom you haven’t reached so far."

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Text Effect

The Text Effect: "Cell phone users have made the Haiti relief effort the most successful mobile giving campaign in history.

Four or five years ago, the idea of raising literally millions of dollars via text message would have been ludicrous.

Now, Michael Nilsen with the Association of Fundraising Professionals calls texting a quantum leap in fundraising.

'Giving via text message was around, still in its infancy but certainly had been around and been used a little bit. But now all of a sudden it has become the way. And we've really seen it just take off tremendously."

Monday, January 25, 2010

6 Benefits of Using Twitter for Nonprofit | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog

6 Benefits of Using Twitter for Nonprofit | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog: "Why should we?”

“Twitter is just a bunch of noise about people eating lunch.”

“Our customers aren’t online.”

“We already have a website.”

Sound familiar? There are plenty of reasons to avoid social media, it seems. It is true that there are a zillion time-wasting testimonials out there, and a plethora of pundits sharing little, if any, value to organizations and the causes they represent."