As Sandy Became #Sandy, Emergency Services Got Social | Fast Company

As Sandy Became #Sandy, Emergency Services Got Social | Fast Company: As New Yorkers took to Twitter to voice concerns, request aid, and offer real-time help, organizations were--more than ever before--there and ready to respond on their native platforms. Here's how the Red Cross, the City of New York, and Occupy Wall Street ratcheted up their Hurricane Sandy relief via the social web.

Want To Make Conference Learning Stick? Try Gamification!

Want To Make Conference Learning Stick? Try Gamification!: Want To Make Conference Learning Stick? Try Gamification!

Recovers.org, a Marketplace for Disaster Relief - Businessweek

Recovers.org, a Marketplace for Disaster Relief - Businessweek: O’Neill’s startup, Recovers.org, has set up websites in four New York City boroughs to manage relief efforts and prevent the logistical chaos that often follows catastrophes when well-meaning volunteers overwhelm government officials and relief organizations. Before Sandy, the company, less than a year old, had tested the site in only a handful of communities, including Forney, Tex., and West Pasco County, Fla. Coordinating an operation in the aftermath of a major natural disaster is like “inventing the wheel as the vehicle is in motion,” says Rebecca Williams, who organized aid for tornado survivors in Joplin, Mo., in 2011.

Nonprofit Web: Was That Really My Hair? - TheNonProfitTimes

Nonprofit Web: Was That Really My Hair? - TheNonProfitTimes: Websites today “really are connected to marketing and brand strategy,” she said. “It’s interesting to see what next step will be,” said Trompeter, who presented a session titled “Is It Time to Redesign Your Website? How to Tell and How to Fix It?” during the annual Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) held in San Francisco, Calif.

An integral part of the website redesign process is setting goals. Things that good nonprofit websites have always had in common was knowing what the goals and audiences are, being consistent in brand design, and how you portray yourselves differently, said Trompeter. “That’s changed as the tools have changed but the basic ideas have remained,” she said.

2012 Giving Season Give Back Video Contest

2012 Giving Season Give Back Video Contest: What Does Giving Back Mean to You?
2012 GuideStar Giving Season Give Back Contest

It's the giving season, the time of year when many people give back by stepping up their charitable giving. Which led us to wonder:

What does giving back mean to you?

NYC leverages social media to map evacuation info for Hurricane Sandy | SmartBlogs SmartBlogs

NYC leverages social media to map evacuation info for Hurricane Sandy | SmartBlogs SmartBlogs: The City of New York utilized its Open Data platform to help residents deal with the effects of Hurricane Sandy. The effort, which is part of the Digital Road Map the City launched last year, integrates geographic information systems (GIS), social media and other private and public assets to inform New Yorkers about the dangers posed by the storm. Highlights of the program include a Hurricane Evacuation Map and an accompanying Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder residents can use to see if their location is at-risk of flooding and plan an evacuation.

Harvard University Students Running NYC Marathon in Boston for Hurricane Sandy | BostInno

Harvard University Students Running NYC Marathon in Boston for Hurricane Sandy | BostInno: On Sunday, Baker and Whitmore, both Harvard University seniors, did their own 26.2-mile marathon, here in Boston, while raising money to support those in need who were impacted by the furious October storm.

They started a fundraising page on Indiegogo.com and have pledged to give all of the proceeds they collect to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts in NYC.