Friday, April 29, 2011

Bridgespan launches website for givers | Philanthropy Journal

Bridgespan launches website for givers | Philanthropy Journal: "To equip donors with the tools and information they need to be smart and impactful givers, Bridgespan Group has launched GiveSmart.org, an online resource for philanthropic giving."

Thursday, April 28, 2011

CharityVillage� Research: Benchmark Study Shows Online’s Strength

CharityVillage� Research: Benchmark Study Shows Online’s Strength: "Web-based fundraising is coming of age. That’s the conclusion of the 2011 Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark™ Study, which evaluated the results of nearly 600 nonprofit organizations that use Convio's software.

The study, released in early March, found that online is the fastest growing fundraising channel for nonprofits. In 2010, Convio’s clients raised more than $1.3 billion online, up 40 percent from 2009. The median growth rate in online giving was 20 percent, compared to a median growth rate of 14 percent in 2009. Still, while the majority saw growth, a significant minority saw decreases — some as high as 21 percent."

CharityVillage� Research: Five Things to Do Before You "Do Social Media"

CharityVillage� Research: Five Things to Do Before You "Do Social Media": "Like many charities and nonprofit organizations, you've probably put 'Do something with social media!' on your list of marketing objectives for 2011.

Most nonprofits are already maintaining a presence on one to three popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. If you're not there yet, it's easy to feel pressured to leap in.

Social media projects are notorious for sucking up staff time and energy. Do you have the existing infrastructure to support your organization's efforts in social media?

Here are five things to consider putting in place before you get started."

Monday, April 25, 2011

Churches use new technology to connect with people

Churches use new technology to connect with people: "Harvest Church was looking for a way to get the word out about its Easter series of sermons.

So, the Billings Heights church turned to the Internet, including Facebook, to spread the word.

St. Pius X Catholic Parish uses Facebook fan pages to keep in touch with various groups that belong to the Billings church."

The Beggar 'Bot: Highest-Tech Solution Yet To Charity Fatigue | Fast Company

The Beggar 'Bot: Highest-Tech Solution Yet To Charity Fatigue | Fast Company: "Korean researchers, with input from MIT's famous Media Lab, have been developing their 'urban donation motivating robot,' a.k.a. DONA, for a while, and just unveiled the most advanced prototype yet. DONA is essentially a tiny droid that's heavy on the cuteness and packed with robotic smarts--enough to make it engage with potential charity donors in a convincing way."