Friday, June 13, 2014

New site rallies volunteer troops to help make Dallas a better place - CultureMap Dallas

New site rallies volunteer troops to help make Dallas a better place - CultureMap Dallas: Imagine a website that helps both nonprofits and volunteers equally, one that allows people to explore opportunities by cause, agency or date and gives organizations a place to submit information, find volunteers passionate about their particular cause and, perhaps most important, track the effectiveness of their postings.

Sound like a philanthropic utopia? Nope, it’s just Voly, the new social website that connects volunteers and organizations in North Texas.

ArtsBoston aids nonprofits in the art of data mining - Business - The Boston Globe

ArtsBoston aids nonprofits in the art of data mining - Business - The Boston Globe: ArtsBoston is teaching other US nonprofits the art of data mining.

For decades, art institutions have individually collected basic information about their own subscribers and donors — names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails — as part of their marketing strategy.

But ArtsBoston, a nonprofit that helps organizations with their marketing needs, has taken that concept a step further by convincing 60 of its 150 area members — from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to the Danforth Museum in Framingham — to pool their data to get a more comprehensive, crossover look at the region’s arts scene and

Gates turns to Twitter for advice on how to give away $50,000 - Sectors | The Irish Times - Fri, Jun 13, 2014

Gates turns to Twitter for advice on how to give away $50,000 - Sectors | The Irish Times - Fri, Jun 13, 2014: Bill Gates, the world’s wealthiest man and an advocate of philanthropic giving, has turned to his 16.2 million Twitter followers to solicit ideas for how to give away $50,000.

Gates was responding to a DealBook article on college courses in philanthropy that require students to give away real money to no-profit organisations.

Gates has reduced his own giving to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over the last decade, DealBook reported last month. A spokesman for Gates pointed to the challenge of distributing big donations where they can be most effective.

Big Data Veracity and the Value of Doubt | NewSci

Big Data Veracity and the Value of Doubt | NewSci: Big Data Veracity and the Value of Doubt

by David Lawson | Jun 11, 2014 | Big Data, Cognitive Computing, knowledge, Relationships, Veractiy | 0 comments

The fourth V of Big Data – Veracity – is not talked about a lot perhaps because it brings up the uncomfortable reality of the inherent uncertainty of data, especially Big Data. The more data sources you access, and the greater the variety of data types within those sources, the higher the probability for error becomes.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Causes.com Platform Sold And To Be Shutdown | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times

Causes.com Platform Sold And To Be Shutdown | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times: Causes.com, the Facebook inspired campaign platform for advocacy and fundraising, will soon be no more.

Brigade Media has acquired a controlling stake in Philotic, Inc., the company that owns the Causes. The creation of Brigade, a new effort by Silicon Valley wunderkind Sean Parker, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and others, was announced earlier this year with a $9.5 million investment from Benioff, Parker and angel investor Ron Conway.

Brigade Blog

Brigade Blog: Today we’re pleased to announce that Brigade Media has acquired a controlling stake in Philotic Inc., the company that owns Causes, the world’s largest online campaigning platform, and political advocacy startup Votizen, which was bought by Philotic in 2013. This is one of the first steps we’re taking to re-energize interest in democracy by bringing together people who are passionate about different issues in their communities, cities, states and countries, and allowing them to take action.

Tech Journey returns for second year with more students, stronger mission - Silicon Prairie News

Tech Journey returns for second year with more students, stronger mission - Silicon Prairie News: Last year Tony Kioko and a team of other local IT professionals did what, at the time, seemed impossible.

They created a nonprofit—Tech Journey—to help empower Des Moines students with limited access to resources to take an interest in technology.

Now, after what Kioko calls a successful first run, the group is prepping for its second summer camp, currently its primary means of reaching local students.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

6 More Best Practices for a Great B2B Website | ClickZ

6 More Best Practices for a Great B2B Website | ClickZ

ACNC Launches Charity Passport | Pro Bono Australia

ACNC Launches Charity Passport | Pro Bono Australia: The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has launched its long awaited Charity Passport - a secure online system set up to save charities from reporting the same information to multiple government agencies.

ACNC Commissioner Susan Pascoe said the Charity Passport had enormous potential to create substantial time and cost savings for charities.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Word Lens: Your New Mobile Travel Companion - The TechSoup Blog - Community - TechSoup

Word Lens: Your New Mobile Travel Companion - The TechSoup Blog - Community - TechSoup: Word Lens is one of those apps that seems, dare I say, magical. It's a straightforward translation app that translates printed materials, such as signs, menus, or books. Recently purchased by Google, Word Lens is free in a handful of languages for a limited time so stop reading this for a second and download it now!

If you are traveling internationally this summer (either for a work conference or for vacation!) or work with overseas constituents, volunteers, or staff, Word Lens is a handy tool.