Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Best of 2012: Nonprofit Technology Grows Up | NTEN

Best of 2012: Nonprofit Technology Grows Up | NTEN: think that the best thing that happened in 2012 was that some of the 2010-2011 "bleedng edge" conceptual technologies stood up and proved they weren't fads.

Give as you Live research identifies six online charity supporter profiles | Third Sector

Give as you Live research identifies six online charity supporter profiles | Third Sector: Polly Gowers, chief executive of the direct donations website, says its research would help charities choose the right digital channels

Online charity supporters can be grouped into six different types, such as "industrial heartland Clive" or "wealthy professional Jacqueline", emerging research indicates.

Give as you Live, a website that allows online shoppers to direct donations, which are made by retailers, to the charity of their choice, is carrying out research asking charity donors about topics including what inspired them to give, how they spent time online, their online giving habits and their general lifestyle.

Why You Need to Stop Talking About Yourself On Social Media (Video)

Why You Need to Stop Talking About Yourself On Social Media (Video): I’ve got another installment of my Social Media Pet Peeve video series today, and this time I’m talking about why you need to stop talking about yourself on social media.

Self-promotion on social media is a tricky business, and finding the right balance between tooting your own horn, tooting the horns of others, and sharing useful information others can use can be a tough balancing act — but it absolutely must be done.

Monday, December 10, 2012

ASAE Technology Conference: The End of Command and Control: Associations Now

ASAE Technology Conference: The End of Command and Control: Associations Now: Last week’s ASAE Technology Conference & Expo generated plenty of conversation on a variety of topics. But for me the discussions seemed to coalesce around one theme: Control.

Or, rather, your lack of it.

How Nonprofits Can Use Data to Solve the World’s Problems | TIME.com

How Nonprofits Can Use Data to Solve the World’s Problems | TIME.com: Edna McConnell Clark, which doled out $53 million in grants this year, is among a legion of foundations pushing nonprofits into the data-driven future by awarding money to organizations that have found ways to turn their lofty stated goals into specific data points measuring impact. Youth Villages, a grant-winner that provides housing and programming for at-risk children in the foster care and juvenile detention systems, measures success not by the number of young people served but by the percentage of those young people who are successfully living at home 12 months after being discharged. Students who go through the program are surveyed 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after leaving. Data gathered is used both to measure success and to highlight areas where program structure could be improved. “We didn’t just want to give kids a happy experience,” says CEO Patrick Lawler. “We wanted to give kids a happy life.”