Goodbye Checkbook, Hello Tablet: Fundraising Goes Mobile - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

Goodbye Checkbook, Hello Tablet: Fundraising Goes Mobile - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site: At a recent fundraising party in San Jose Calif., there was a signature cocktail selling for $20, tasty appetizers paired with designer wines, and an iPad, making its way around the room. Host Mark Fordyce was offering guests a chance to make a donation to his wife Kirsten's Avon Breast Cancer Walk.

They threw a party, and decided using a tablet would be a perfect way for Mark to mingle with guests and fundraise at the same time.

The Best Times To Post To Social Media: Introducing the Burrito Principle | Beth’s Blog

The Best Times To Post To Social Media: Introducing the Burrito Principle | Beth’s Blog: The Best Times To Post To Social Media: Introducing the Burrito Principle
By Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Founder of Nonprofit Boot Camp and Co-Founder of Social Media for Nonprofits

IFC - International Fundraising Congress | 101fundraising

IFC - International Fundraising Congress | 101fundraising: 101fundraising is proud to be the official blog/media partner of the International Fundraising Congress (IFC).

“The IFC is the world’s leading conference on fundraising. Established in 1981, it attracts around 1,000 participants from almost 60 countries, and is renowned for its outstanding learning and networking opportunities. The IFC is the world’s showcase for excellence, innovation and inspiration in fundraising.”

8 Benefits Of Crowdfunding

8 Benefits Of Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is becoming one of the great alternatives to a traditional bank loan or government grant. When you’re trying to raise awareness or start an advocacy campaign, gathering donations from a number of interested people is far preferable to borrowing money from an impersonal organization that you’ll probably have to pay back with interest.

Causes Starts Social Network Focused on Charitable Passions - Social Media - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Causes Starts Social Network Focused on Charitable Passions - Social Media - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Causes, a company that got its start as a Facebook application for donating money to charity, today transformed itself into a full-fledged social network.

4 Ways to Cure Your Technological "Distraction Addiction" | Co.Create | creativity culture commerce

4 Ways to Cure Your Technological "Distraction Addiction" | Co.Create | creativity culture commerce: You don't have to purge technology from your life; Alex Soojung-Kim Pang argues that you can get the Information You Need and the Communication You Want, Without Enraging Your Family, Annoying Your Colleagues, and Destroying Your Soul. Here's how.

don't get caught: Taking a blog from zero to 60: 5 lessons from @GuideStarUSA

don't get caught: Taking a blog from zero to 60: 5 lessons from @GuideStarUSA: t took me three years to get the hang of blogging for a brand. A couple of weeks ago, the blog that I poured so much blood, sweat, and tears into—the GuideStar Blog—was ranked by Top Nonprofits as #15 among the top 150 nonprofit blogs, giving me a reason to jump for joy. This recognition gave me a moment to pause and reflect on what worked – and what didn’t – when building a successful organizational blog. I thought I’d share with you the five things I learned along the way:

A new tool for Twitter search out of the Knight Lab portrays trends in a single picture � Nieman Journalism Lab

A new tool for Twitter search out of the Knight Lab portrays trends in a single picture � Nieman Journalism Lab: It’s a couple days old by now, but make sure you take a look at TwXplorer, the tool out of Northwestern’s Knight Lab. In addition to showing a list of recent tweets that include your search term, twXplorer displays the most popular words, hashtags, and links in those tweets.

Columbus Foundation’s Big Give generates $10.5 million in donations, up from $8.5 million last time - Columbus - Business First

Columbus Foundation’s Big Give generates $10.5 million in donations, up from $8.5 million last time - Columbus - Business First: The Columbus Foundation facilitated nearly $10.5 million in donations to 569 local nonprofits through its online fundraiser that wrapped up Wednesday morning.

Is Your Website Turning Away Donors? | Inspiring Generosity

Is Your Website Turning Away Donors? | Inspiring Generosity: Recently, Philanthropy.com published a survey of millennials who were asked to respond to different nonprofit websites. The headline of the results, published on July 18, 2013, caught my eye. It reads, “75% of Young Donors Turned Off By Out-of-Date Web Sites.” The survey involved 2,600 people born between the years 1979-1994. More than simply reporting what the survey respondents said, Philanthropy.com actually asked 100 participants to react to nonprofit websites on video (scrolling all the way down the page linked above will show you the video)

Olmert chat is offered in unconventional charity drive | JPost | Israel News

Olmert chat is offered in unconventional charity drive | JPost | Israel News: The nonprofit organization Aleh is offering a video chat with Olmert as the prize in an unconventional online raffle that will help fund a mobility hoist that provides safe and dignified transport of children with severe disabilities.

ATTN Nonprofits: Facebook Now Recommends Pages in the News Feed

ATTN Nonprofits: Facebook Now Recommends Pages in the News Feed: Facebook now also recommends pages in the news feed, but only if your nonprofit has opted-in to have your page recommended.

Large charities tell HMRC they might miss the deadline for the online Gift Aid system | Third Sector

Large charities tell HMRC they might miss the deadline for the online Gift Aid system | Third Sector: The seven charities, including Scope, say their IT systems might not be ready when the new system comes into force on 1 October

Seven of the UK’s large fundraising charities, including the disability charity Scope, have told HM Revenue & Customs that their IT systems might not be ready to claim Gift Aid under a new system next month.

If they miss the deadline, the charities would face a delay in receiving Gift Aid payments from HMRC.

Vodafone Foundation launches 2013 charity hackathon - mobility, smartphones, Vodafone, Hackathons, mobile apps - Development - Techworld

Vodafone Foundation launches 2013 charity hackathon - mobility, smartphones, Vodafone, Hackathons, mobile apps - Development - Techworld: The Vodafone Foundation has launched the 2013 edition of its charity hackathon, App Aid. As with App Aid 2012, teams of developers will partner with charities for the event.

The goal is to build prototype mobile apps to help the charities' work. This year Vodafone's charity arm has partnered with the Pozible crowdfunding service, allowing teams to raise additional money to build the apps. The foundation will match up to $10,000 teams raise through Pozible.

NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase Continues Code for Good Challenges in the U.S. | Business Wire | Rock Hill Herald Online

NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase Continues Code for Good Challenges in the U.S. | Business Wire | Rock Hill Herald Online: Building off a successful U.S. launch in February, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) announced today three upcoming Code for Good Challenges. The Code for Good Challenges bring together college students studying technology to develop solutions to challenges faced by nonprofits during an intense two-day event.

Cell Internet Access | Pew Internet & American Life Project

Cell Internet Access | Pew Internet & American Life Project: Nearly two-thirds (63%) of cell phone owners now use their phone to go online, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. We call them “cell internet users” and define them as anyone who uses their cell phone to access the internet or use email. Because 91% of all Americans now own a cell phone, this means that 57% of all American adults are cell internet users. The proportion of cell owners who use their phone to go online has doubled since 2009.

What Does 'Mobile-First' Mean to Publishers? | Digiday

What Does 'Mobile-First' Mean to Publishers? | Digiday

Verizon Awards $20,000 Disaster Relief Grant to the American Red Cross for Colorado flood victims | Justmeans

Verizon Awards $20,000 Disaster Relief Grant to the American Red Cross for Colorado flood victims | Justmeans: September 13, 2013 /3BL Media/ - What: The Verizon Foundation today approved a $20,000 disaster relief grant to the American Red Cross to support the agency’s relief efforts for Colorado residents. The grant will help those Coloradoans affected by the devastating flood waters in Boulder County and other parts of the state.

The company also activated its mobile giving program so Verizon customers can use their mobile phones to donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund to help those affected by the catastrophic flooding.

New Pew Internet survey sheds insights on location-based services - National U.S. Headlines | Examiner.com

New Pew Internet survey sheds insights on location-based services - National U.S. Headlines | Examiner.com: The continuing influence of digital technology has spurred new practices when it comes to using smartphones. A new survey published Thursday by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project revealed a gradual rise in the use of local services in the United States along with the increasing adoption of smartphones.

Twitter for Android getting major redesign, beta available now | The Verge

Twitter for Android getting major redesign, beta available now | The Verge: Twitter's first-party Android app has been steadily getting better over the years, but it has generally maintained the same look and feel, with four navigation tabs located at the top of your timeline. That's going to change drastically in the near future however, as a completely redesigned version of the app is now available to those that have signed up for beta testing.

TechSoup Global Launches Service to Scale Donations of Microsoft Office 365 for Nonprofits - MarketWatch

TechSoup Global Launches Service to Scale Donations of Microsoft Office 365 for Nonprofits - MarketWatch: SAN FRANCISCO, Sep 12, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TechSoup Global announced today that, in partnership with Microsoft, it has launched a new service on its platform to quickly and reliably verify if an organization is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) and qualified to receive donations of Microsoft Office 365 for Nonprofits. This service enables Microsoft to scale its donation of Office 365 for Nonprofits, available in 41 countries immediately and in up to 90 countries by July 2014. TechSoup Global's worldwide network of partner NGOs ensures that these validation services are scalable, reliable, and consistent, while being appropriately tailored to the local context.

Creating Your 'Virtual Porch' With a Social-Media Plan : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

Creating Your 'Virtual Porch' With a Social-Media Plan : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: Your goal with social media is to create a “virtual porch,” a welcoming, reliably satisfying environment. If you’re successful, people will want to stop and spend some time with you and their friends. They’ll share stories, they’ll learn from each other and they’ll grow closer to your organization.

Whether your organization is new to social media or already at the stage where you are looking beyond basics, here are some points to consider.

Nonprofits

Nonprofits: Clicking for Charity Keeps Growing - 3 New Apps for Good
Wednesday September 11, 2013

Easy ways to donate to charitable causes through our multiplying electronic devices just keep popping up everywhere. There seems to be a big cadre of social entrepreneurs and socially minded companies who want to help people give back, and an unending stream of good ideas for doing so.

Here are three that recently came across my various screens:

How to Go Viral - 10 Tips for Going Viral

How to Go Viral - 10 Tips for Going Viral

County nonprofits can apply for computer lab essentials -- Gazette.Net

County nonprofits can apply for computer lab essentials -- Gazette.Net: The Montgomery County Students Information Technology Foundation will award a refurbished computer lab to a county nonprofit.

The lab will consist of six reconditioned computers with operating systems, flat panel LCD monitors, keyboards, mice and one printer.

Giving in a Digital World | Is there any real future for QR Codes in fundraising?

Giving in a Digital World | Is there any real future for QR Codes in fundraising?: Recent research by Global Web Index apparently showed “Scanned a QR Code” as the mobile behaviour showing the greatest increase from Q2 2012, with 30% of respondents globally saying they had used them. So perhaps there is a future in them – if advertisers and fundraisers start to use them properly.

But, for now, I see no evidence of any successful fundraising application of the technology at all – while the use of good old SMS response on advertising has seen such a resurgence in the UK that it has led to restrictions on the number of charity ads being allowed on London trains.

GitHub, Humanitarian Data Toolkit, big little data, PSI Directive & Millennials & Data #DataDigest | NetSquared

GitHub, Humanitarian Data Toolkit, big little data, PSI Directive & Millennials & Data #DataDigest | NetSquared: This week learn about some cool data tools and find out about “big little data”. The EC is also asking for feedback on their Public Sector Information Directive and a short but great interview about Millennials & Data is featured.

Microsoft lures nonprofits with Office 365 freebie | PCWorld

Microsoft lures nonprofits with Office 365 freebie | PCWorld: Nonprofit organizations will be able to sign up for Office 365 for free or at a reduced price as part of a new program Microsoft launched on Tuesday.

Properly certified nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 41 countries can apply to the Office 365 for Nonprofits program. Microsoft expects to offer the program in 90 countries by July.

It's Time to Update the Definition of a Website - Search Engine Watch (#SEW)

It's Time to Update the Definition of a Website - Search Engine Watch (#SEW): The Definition of a Website Must be Updated
Out With The Old

Unfortunately, the current outdated definition of a website has perpetuated the view of a website as an exercise in technology, rather than a function of business.

BBC News - Gromit charity art trail in Bristol attracts 200,000

BBC News - Gromit charity art trail in Bristol attracts 200,000: More than 200,000 people collected a map to take part in the Gromit Unleashed arts trail in Bristol.

The 80 statues, decorated by well-known celebrities and artists, were being removed earlier having been on display since the end of June.

They will be auctioned off on 3 October to raise money for charity and will be displayed in Clifton later this month.

More than �20,000 has already been raised for Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal by people downloading the app.

Livefyre Acquires Storify, Says The Social Curation Service Will Still Operate As Standalone Product | TechCrunch

Livefyre Acquires Storify, Says The Social Curation Service Will Still Operate As Standalone Product | TechCrunch: "Livefyre, a commenting platform used by TechCrunch and other websites, is announcing that it has acquired social curation startup Storify."

What Your Donors Won’t Tell You about Social Media - Clairification

What Your Donors Won’t Tell You about Social Media - Clairification: Give your donors what they like. I’m not saying you shouldn’t phone or visit them at some point. But you’re better off connecting digitally than not at all. And many donors these days will never respond to a phone call. No matter how often you keep trying.

Video: Young Donors Want Fewer Words but More Information - Marketing and Communications - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Video: Young Donors Want Fewer Words but More Information - Marketing and Communications - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Video: Young Donors Want Fewer Words but More Information
Third in a series of videos

By Cody Switzer

Young donors want a lot of information when they visit a nonprofit's Web site. But they may not want large amounts of text.

Ease your guilty conscience with GiveGab, a social network for volunteers | TechHive

Ease your guilty conscience with GiveGab, a social network for volunteers | TechHive: GiveGab is an under-the-radar social network for volunteers that has been quietly partnering with colleges and nonprofits across the country over the last two years. Quietly is the key word: GiveGab has been focused on growing its network organically and without a lot of fuss. After all, volunteering is serious business.

BlackbaudNews.com: Your Source for Blackbaud News

BlackbaudNews.com: Your Source for Blackbaud News: The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving Grew 1.8% in July, Online Giving Was Up 14.5%
Posted on September 3, 2013 by Melanie Mathos

The Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving increased 1.8% and online giving increased 14.5% for the three months ending July 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012. As reported in the Charitable Giving Report, overall giving grew approximately 2% for the full year 2012 and online giving grew by about 11% in 2012 compared to 2011.

Running Facebook Contests Just Got a Lot Easier

Running Facebook Contests Just Got a Lot Easier: Congratulations, former Facebook promotions rule-breakers–it’s now officially ok to break those rules. Actually, you won’t even have to–Facebook has changed those pesky Promotions Guidelines and made it easier to run and administer contests. Gone are the third party app requirements and restrictions on using the like or comment features as entry mechanisms–businesses can now run promotions either in an app or on their page’s Timeline (but not a personal timeline). Additionally they can:

Making "the Ask" in a Brave New World | Gary Laermer

Making "the Ask" in a Brave New World | Gary Laermer: A key part of reaching and engaging younger donors is exploiting technology to our fullest advantage. Social media and other digital technologies have made it easier and more economical than ever for philanthropic organizations and young people to connect with one other and raise money in a competitive environment. Embracing social media is now and will continue to be essential: a recent survey from the Millennial Impact Project found that eight in 10 young donors have smartphones and use them to read materials from nonprofit groups, and that three in four young donors have engaged with or shared nonprofit content on social networks. If they haven't already, philanthropic entities must redouble their digital and social media efforts to connect with a large group of people who are engaged and technologically savvy.

How Brands Are Using Twitter’s Vine: Statistics, Facts & Tips [INFOGRAPHIC] - AllTwitter

How Brands Are Using Twitter’s Vine: Statistics, Facts & Tips [INFOGRAPHIC] - AllTwitter: Did you know that 5 tweets per second contain a Vine link, and that studies are showing that a branded Vine is four times more likely to be seen than a branded video?

Low sign-ups force postponement of London Twestival

Low sign-ups force postponement of London Twestival: The London Twestival, a Twitter-based fundraising event due to be held this Monday, was called off this week citing low ticket sales and a lack of support from the tech community.

While the organisers of this year’s event, which was due to raise money for BeatBullying, say they are working to find alternative date for later this year, no date is yet fixed.

Software for Program Evaluation: What's Your Organization's Strategy?

Software for Program Evaluation: What's Your Organization's Strategy?: Most nonprofits conduct some kind of program evaluation, whether it’s simply keeping track of how many people have been directly helped by an organization’s services or complex multi-year studies of a program’s effects on the larger community. There is a wealth of resources out there for a nonprofit looking to design a logic model or define indicators, and lots of smart people have plenty to say about program evaluation as a discipline.

But at Idealware, we’ve noticed that very little has been said about how software can fit into and support a nonprofit’s program evaluation strategy.

Which Crowdfunding Platform Is Best for Your Organization?

Which Crowdfunding Platform Is Best for Your Organization?: It seems like there's a new crowdfunding website out there every week, but which one is right for your nonprofit? I looked at a few popular crowdfunding sites and dissected their cost plans, nonprofit support, and special features. What platform you choose really depends on the size of your nonprofit and what sort of campaign you plan to run. If you're just doing a general fundraising campaign, Razoo or CauseVox might be the way to go. If you are interested in offering merchandise, check out Teespring. If you're trying launch a project, like a community center or a film festival, KickStarter or Indiegogo might be the way to go.

New York State Nonprofits Trying to Get Paid Faster under Cuomo Administration Reforms - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

New York State Nonprofits Trying to Get Paid Faster under Cuomo Administration Reforms - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The state’s Grants Reform Initiative allowed nonprofits to post their required information online once, rather than having to submit it for each grant application. In theory, that kind of consolidated information would overcome the problem of different state agencies working under wildly different application and documentation requirements. The reform initiative included other efficiency moves aimed at speeding up the process, including some elements of centralized procurement.

Articles - 2013 - How to make your questionnaire mobile-ready

Articles - 2013 - How to make your questionnaire mobile-ready: Today, survey respondents are in control. They choose not only if or when to take a survey but also how to take it. An online survey-taker may choose to take a survey on a tablet while riding on a train today, on a smartphone while waiting in a queue at the bank tomorrow and then on a PC or laptop at home over the weekend. For multiwave or diary studies, a respondent may take parts one, two and four on a mobile device and parts three and five on a PC. To maintain a broad frame that is as representative as possible of our target populations, we must include these on-the-go survey-takers and offer the right survey design to fit their preference and lifestyle.

School fundraising grows up with mobile wallets, daily deals — Tech News and Analysis

School fundraising grows up with mobile wallets, daily deals — Tech News and Analysis: With the growth of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, services like Fundly, Razoo and Dibbee have made it easier for schools (and other nonprofits) to solicit donations from their communities online. But other startups are pitching schools with even more interesting fundraising models that take a page from the books of consumer e-commerce companies.

Automattic takes on Storify with WordPress Media Explorer for curating tweets and YouTube videos - The Next Web

Automattic takes on Storify with WordPress Media Explorer for curating tweets and YouTube videos - The Next Web: Automattic has released a Media Explorer tool for the WordPress blogging platform that lets authors curate trending content from Twitter and YouTube all without needing to leave their post. The feature is available today for WordPress.com and WordPress.com VIP users.

Non-Profits Use Vine for Good

Non-Profits Use Vine for Good: With user attention spans shrinking, a new app from Twitter hopes to capture viewers attention in the blink of an eye. Vine prompts users to record and share six-second videos that loop over and over much like a gif. Most of these addicting little videos have a funny bent, but businesses have caught on to the trend. Retailer Urban Outfitters recently hosted a Vine contest in which it asked users to document a day in the life of their sneakers. Home Improvement chain Lowes is one of the leading brands on Vine with its #Lowesfixinsix series. Non-profits may not have expansive budgets, satellite hughesnet Internet or the latest camera equipment, but Vine levels the playing field.

Vine should interest non-profits because it is an inexpensive, effective way to spread a cause. Learn from proven businesses to create viral Vines.

Charity website to increase visibility of small causes - Daily News Egypt

Charity website to increase visibility of small causes - Daily News Egypt: Although there is a constant need for charitable giving, many small organisations struggle to get sufficient funds for their causes. A new website, Fa3elKheirEgypt.com, aims to solve this problem and increase the visibility of small charities to a wider audience.

LinkedIn Changes Could Impact Nonprofit Groups - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

LinkedIn Changes Could Impact Nonprofit Groups - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly:LinkedIn has implemented some new changes into their social network, which may affect how nonprofits use the website, and specifically how groups will function. The new design will focus on user engagement, encouraging individuals to participate in posts and discussion in order for content to get noticed. These changes also aim to reduce the amount of spam and promotional content that appears in groups, a problem which has increased in the past few years.

Nonprofit Tech for Good has highlighted five changes that may have an impact on how nonprofits use LinkedIn. Here is a list of the new changes to look out for:

allAfrica.com: Tanzania: Charitable Giving - Where Are Tanzania's Affluent? (Page 1 of 4)

allAfrica.com: Tanzania: Charitable Giving - Where Are Tanzania's Affluent? (Page 1 of 4): IN December 2009, Luca Neghesti, a serial entrepreneur in Media, ICT and Logistics industries in Tanzania spearheaded a relief aid campaign for thousands of victims of the Dar es Salaam floods through the use of social media platforms.

Free Tools to Test Your Nonprofit's Website for Accessibility | NTEN

Free Tools to Test Your Nonprofit's Website for Accessibility | NTEN: "People generally associate the topic of web accessibility with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but I like to think of web accessibility as the practice of making websites with content, features and functionality that people of all abilities can access and use."

'via Blog this'

How to Grow Your Fundraising With Video Marketing In Five Simple Steps - Resource Center - AFP

How to Grow Your Fundraising With Video Marketing In Five Simple Steps - Resource Center - AFP: Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last five years or so, you'll have undoubtedly noticed the infectious growth in online video. The reasons behind this explosion in online video are numerous, but it basically boils down to two big things: video drives 1. traffic and 2. conversions.

Video content is almost 17 times more likely to find itself on the first page of search results compared to a page without video. And once a visitor has arrived at your website they’re much more likely to stick around and take in your message in the form of video than with any other type of content.

Non-profits should not forget online platforms when reaching out to potential donors | Business | Kentucky.com

Non-profits should not forget online platforms when reaching out to potential donors | Business | Kentucky.com: Online is an important channel for nonprofits to include in their fundraising practices, and the options for online fundraising include much more than just a donate button on the organization's website.

Online fundraising should involve a coordinated, multi-faceted approach using tools such as email, website, video, social media, mobile, and SEO to solicit donations. They all need to work together.

Video: What Young Donors Want From Mobile Devices - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Video: What Young Donors Want From Mobile Devices - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Three-quarters of young donors in a recent survey said their biggest frustration with charity Web sites was that many are not designed to be used with a smartphone or tablet.

Tthe video interviews of donors produced as part of that survey—an annual report by Achieve, a fundraising consulting firm—support those findings.

Disaster-relief vending machines on the rise - The Japan News

Disaster-relief vending machines on the rise - The Japan News: When the Great East Japan Earthquake hit on March 11, 2011, Coca-Cola Japan Co. took advantage of the remote control functions on about 400 disaster-relief vending machines, equipped with batteries for backup, in the Tokyo metropolitan area and other locations.

The Tokyo-headquartered company offered more than 88,000 of its beverages for free to people who had difficulty returning home in the aftermath of the disaster.

The company said it later received words of gratitude such as, “It was nice to get a hot drink for free in such a cold situation.”

How to harness the power of social media - Telegraph

How to harness the power of social media - Telegraph: But there are a few hard-and-fast rules that business owners should adhere to if they want to avoid going from social hero to hapless zero.
Avoid the hard sell

University fundraising service to enter digital realm - The Pitt News: News

University fundraising service to enter digital realm - The Pitt News: News: TeleFund, Pitt’s telephone fundraising service, suspended its calling operation for a few weeks to take time to consider new ways to communicate with Pitt alumni.

“The way the world communicates is changing,” said Albert Novak, a vice chancellor in the Office of Institutional Advancement, which oversees TeleFund’s operations.

New Site Matches 'Crowdfunding' and Cause-Driven Contests - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

New Site Matches 'Crowdfunding' and Cause-Driven Contests - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A new organization called BigLeap is marrying “crowdfunding” Web sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe to competitions to attract dollars for innovative projects serving social goals, according to Forbes.

Opinion: Zuckerberg's big idea is no charity - CNN.com

Opinion: Zuckerberg's big idea is no charity - CNN.com: Mark Zuckerberg believes that connectivity is a human right. Or at least that's how he's framing his new project, Internet.org, a partnership with leading companies in the smartphone industry to bring Internet access to the developing world.

You could be generous and call this enlightened self-interest, but more likely, Internet.org is a canny business move dressed up to sound like charity.

Exciting Changes in the NTEN Community: Our New Community Platform | NTEN

Exciting Changes in the NTEN Community: Our New Community Platform | NTEN: After considering several different platform options we selected Higher Logic as the new "behind the scenes" software powering my.nten.org. Out of all the options we explored, we felt the features, look, and feel of the Higher Logic platform was the best fit to serve the NTEN community based on the feedback we received.

Abila Acquires Avectra - SiliconHills

Abila Acquires Avectra - SiliconHills: Abila, based in Austin, has acquired Avectra, based in McLean, Va.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Abila, which changed its name in July from Sage Nonprofit Solutions, sells software to nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Avectra sells customer relationship management software to nonprofits and associations.

Comic Relief uses Google Hangouts for online comedy events | UK Fundraising

Comic Relief uses Google Hangouts for online comedy events | UK Fundraising: Comic Relief is using Google Hangouts to broadcast comedy shows, making it one of the first UK charities to exploit this interactive video broadcasting channel.

The Hangout Comedy Show will feature "some of the UK's funniest comedians". Viewers can even interact with the comedians if they wish, although the impact of a virtual heckle is yet to be established

Could the Future of Fundraising Be Social?: Associations Now

Could the Future of Fundraising Be Social?: Associations Now: "How much of a role does social media play in your fundraising goals?

According to a recent survey conducted by web-based social CRM provider Avectra , almost three-quarters of nonprofits believe social media will have a moderately or very positive impact on their fundraising efforts over the next year."

Facebook: The business of philanthropy | Marketplace.org

Facebook: The business of philanthropy | Marketplace.org: The homepage of Internet.org, a new nonprofit initiative started by Mark Zuckerberg that aims to remove some of the barriers to Internet connectivity worldwide, looks like that of a traditional non-governmental organization. A video shows African children playing, women working in fields, men dancing, all beneath a voice track of John F. Kennedy's "Peace" speech, delivered at American University in June, 1963. In that speech, Kennedy exhorted his audience to remember that "we all inhabit this small planet."

Knight Foundation Launches The Giving Day Play Book | Beth’s Blog

Knight Foundation Launches The Giving Day Play Book | Beth’s Blog: 4 Big Things You Need to do Now to Prepare a Successful Giving Day – By Beth Kanter and Bahia Ramos

So you want to start a Giving Day.

SaveWave › About #SaveWave

SaveWave › About #SaveWave: And that's where you can help. Join #SaveWave with Facebook and Twitter and twice a week, throughout the six week campaign, the latest RNLI rescue stories will automatic

Cause Crowdfunder Razoo Opens Up To Indivduals | Turnstyle

Cause Crowdfunder Razoo Opens Up To Indivduals | Turnstyle: Some of what made crowdfunding such a revolutionary idea--that a distributed group of people can make a huge impact on a person's life--has gotten obscured by a focus on bigger and bolder campaigns.

This is a trend that is ripe for disruption and an announcement today by Razoo, a "crowdfunding platform for causes," is the latest sign that the altruistic heart of the movement is alive and well.

Vine Tops 40 Million Users

Vine Tops 40 Million Users: nstagram hasn't hurt Vine's user growth much, if the latest numbers from the 6-second video sharing app are any indication.

Vine revealed in a tweet Tuesday that it now has more than 40 million registered users, up from 13 million users in early June — about six weeks before Instagram launched its own video sharing feature.

A Consumers Guide to Software for Volunteer Management

A Consumers Guide to Software for Volunteer Management: Volunteer-based organizations have to keep track of a lot of data, and the right software can help, freeing time for managing volunteers. This report will help you understand what software is out there, what to expect, and how the different solutions compare.

Foundation Facebook friends vote young scholars as grant recipient

News - The Telegram - Herkimer, NY: UTICA, N.Y. —

The Community Foundation recently hosted a three-week contest via its Facebook page that allowed nonprofits to vie for $500 to be used toward its programming.

Nonprofits who received grants from the foundation in 2012 were invited to write a paragraph sharing with the community how they would use the $500 if chosen.

Video: Young Donors React to Online Appeals - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Video: Young Donors React to Online Appeals - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Young donors want to know where their money is going and what their gifts will accomplish.

Those are two of the key lessons from young donors interviewed in videos produced by Achieve, a fundraising consulting firm that in July released its annual Millennial Impact Report.

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Nonprofits: Master ‘medium data’ before tackling Big Data | Philanthropy Journal

Nonprofits: Master ‘medium data’ before tackling Big Data | Philanthropy Journal: Every day, humanity adds approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data to our collective store of knowledge. Looking over this treasure trove, scientists, financiers, and business leaders are justifiably giddy about the potential of Big Data. For the nonprofit community, Big Data also offers immense potential. But with our mere billions of data points we're not quite ready for it. Instead, we need to get "medium data" right first.

Mobile emergency response still hampered by low bandwidth and fragmented networks | Innovation Trail

Mobile emergency response still hampered by low bandwidth and fragmented networks | Innovation Trail: Mobile technology is driving the modernization of disaster relief and public safety response. And, according to a recent report from the Brookings Institution, the rapid expansion of mobile devices and mobile driven data has already begun to save lives and alleviate suffering in disaster-struck communities.

Also check out the AFP Blog on Disaster Relief

Success = Right Tech at Right Time | LinkedIn

Success = Right Tech at Right Time | LinkedIn: Despite the clear nonprofit need and technology solution, the market simply wasn't ready. We needed to do a lot more work before we could get the critical mass of pro bono providers to populate the marketplace.

So, we changed course and lobbied the President to create A Billion Change, a challenge to secure pledges from 500 companies to not only provide pro bono services but also report on their activities. We also began to work with LinkedIn to leverage their network and corporate directory to enable us to provide even greater tools for nonprofits.

Using Vine Videos to Beef Up Your Written Content

Using Vine Videos to Beef Up Your Written Content: Twitter’s video service, Vine, has been making waves lately as a new platform that businesses can use to make an impression on their target audience. And while Vine certainly works to any business’s advantage on its own, it can also be used to enhance your written content as part of a larger campaign, or through linking and embedding Vine videos in your text.

Let’s take a look at a few ways

How to Make Visual Content for Social Media in 5 Minutes [Free Template]

How to Make Visual Content for Social Media in 5 Minutes [Free Template]

How Philanthropic Contests Can Spur Innovation - Social Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

How Philanthropic Contests Can Spur Innovation - Social Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "The recently released “Why Contests Improve Philanthropy” compiles lessons from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s six years of offering open philanthropic contests."

CEOs Must Embrace Social Media…Finally - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

CEOs Must Embrace Social Media…Finally - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Businesses are now realizing that the CEO must be involved in social media activities. It “raises a company’s thought leadership and credibility. CEOs reap these benefits including a raised profile,” says the piece written by Brigitte Yuille.

This is especially true for nonprofits, where thought leadership and credibility are much more critical to an organization’s brand. Nonprofits are often defined by their policies, services and relationships with their communities—to a much greater extent than a business selling a product, for example.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Technology Blog: An Underused Fundraising Resource

Thanks to techsoup.org  for the great coverage of our technology blog

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Technology Blog: An Underused Fundraising Resource: I have to admit that the venerable Association of Fundraising Professionals website was one of the last places I looked to find fresh interesting coverage of fundraising technology, but I have mended my ways. I’m now a fan of Reed Stockman’s AFP technology blog.

Ministers learn to compete | The Detroit News

Ministers learn to compete | The Detroit News: hey need to understand organizational leadership: how to create a mission statement, set goals and measure whether they’ve achieved those goals — skills typically taught in masters of business administration programs, not seminaries.

Beyond that, they should be comfortable with technology and savvy about social media — maybe tweeting or creating a lively Facebook page.

Nonprofits get help finding low-cost tech solutions - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nonprofits get help finding low-cost tech solutions - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The conference, hosted by the Hands On Tech Pittsburgh program, will bring 100 nonprofit professionals to Garfield to discuss the technology, marketing and organizational management techniques that will bring their organizations to the next level.

When You Can’t Tell Web Suffixes Without a Scorecard - NYTimes.com

When You Can’t Tell Web Suffixes Without a Scorecard - NYTimes.com: But there soon may be, along with hundreds of other new Internet address suffixes like .bible, .blog, .family, .game, .gay and .pizza.

Is Crowdfunding's New "It Girl" Creating a Generation of Citizen Philanthropists? - Innovation Toronto

 Some related stories on Crowdfunding are here

Is Crowdfunding's New "It Girl" Creating a Generation of Citizen Philanthropists? - Innovation Toronto: I went on a shopping spree in July and spent four million dollars on girls and women,” Maz Kessler says proudly.

As the founder and creative director of Catapult, a start-up nonprofit organization that helps development projects for women and girls get funding, she has every reason to boast. Catapult, a crowdfunding site that insists on transparency and engagement with donors, is one of several organizations changing the world of philanthropy. Launched on the first International Day of the Girl, in October 2012, the start-up has already seen impressive results.

8 Things a Nonprofit Leader Really Needs to Know About Social Media Marketing

8 Things a Nonprofit Leader Really Needs to Know About Social Media Marketing: It’s not uncommon for nonprofit executives to be hesitant about using technology, especially since technology is constantly changing. Technology has changed the very basic notion of communication entirely. Learning to view social media as a “game changer”, not just an addition to the way your nonprofit communicates, is crucial

One-Page Scrolling Web Sites: a Great New Way to Tell a Story - Redesigning Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

One-Page Scrolling Web Sites: a Great New Way to Tell a Story - Redesigning Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Increasingly these one-page scrolling sites are popping up to tell stories in interesting new ways.

11 nonprofit Pinterest board ideas you can steal — Small Act

11 nonprofit Pinterest board ideas you can steal — Small Act:

'via Blog this'

A Field Guide to Mobile Payments

A Field Guide to Mobile Payments: Have you ever had to turn a donor away at an event because you could only accept cash or checks? With mobile payment processing tools, you can accept donations from anywhere, at any time. Not sure what your options are? We've compiled tools and resources on mobil

Utilizing Real-Time Collaboration Tools to Increase Team Success

massnonprofit.org ::: Nonprofits, like other organizations, need to effectively and efficiently problem solve and share ideas, and real-time collaboration tools provide a means of communication and information sharing that enables geographically diverse teams to create content, make decisions, and drive the organization forward.

Presented below are some key collaboration tools, their features and how they can provide a serious return on investment to any organization.

Donors Who Give by Text Want to Give More, Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Donors Who Give by Text Want to Give More, Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Donors who give via text message would like to make larger gifts using their mobile phones, according to a new survey of more than 20,000 text-message donors.

Eighty-five percent of the donors said they would be willing to give $25 to $5

Millennials Aren’t Becoming Their Parents | The NonProfit Times

Millennials Aren’t Becoming Their Parents | The NonProfit Times: Millennials prefer to connect via technology, share in “micro ways,” facilitate and rely on peer influence, volunteer along a continuum of support, and give to have an impact. Those are among the findings of the 2013 Millennial Impact Report, which also introduced a new Millennial Impact Benchmarks in its fourth edition.

CRUK to launch mobile game to help scientists find cure for cancer

CRUK to launch mobile game to help scientists find cure for cancer: Cancer Research UK will launch a free mobile game this autumn that will speed up the analysis of gene data, by getting the public to help as they play.

In March, 55 ‘hackers’ (computer programmers, gamers, graphic designers), along with Google, Facebook and Amazon attended Cancer Research UK's (CRUK) GameJam event to brainstorm different ways to turn the charity’s gene data into a mobile game.

Verify U.S. Federal Government Social Media Accounts | USA.gov

The government uses social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to connect with people and communicate official information, so it’s important to know if a social media account is really managed by the federal government.
This tool lets you verify if a social media account is managed by the U.S. federal government.
Verify U.S. Federal Government Social Media Accounts | USA.gov

Young Donors Want Web Sites To Show Results - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Young Donors Want Web Sites To Show Results - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Organizations that want to persuade people in their 20s and early 30s to give and volunteer don’t have much of a chance if they’re not updating their Web sites frequently and including compelling details about their causes and the people they serve, a new survey finds.

10 Surprising social media statistics that might make you rethink your social strategy - The Buffer Blog

10 Surprising social media statistics that might make you rethink your social strategy - The Buffer Blog: f you’re managing social media for your business, it might be useful to know about some of the most surprising social media statistics this year. Here are ten that might make you rethink the way you’re approaching social media.

Sage Nonprofit Solutions: Just Call Us Abila | texastechpulse.com

Sage Nonprofit Solutions: Just Call Us Abila | texastechpulse.com: Sage Nonprofit Solutions, the nonprofit accounting, donor, and fundraising management software provider which was acquired by Accel-KKR in February, has renamed itself Abila, the company said this morning. The company said the new name will help fuel its future and growth. Abila had formerly been part of Sage Group PLC. Accel-KKR announced its acquisition of Sage Nonprofit Solutions in February.

What a Dream Board Can Do for You

What a Dream Board Can Do for You: But that was before Pinterest. Because with Pinterest, it turns out a dream board is a simple as a few clicks and a few breath-taking images; it requires absolutely no gunky glue or old magazines that give me paper cuts. Pinterest is, in fact, just made for dream boards.

CharityGiving website is suspended

CharityGiving website is suspended: According to the Dove Trust, Framjee was meeting with a "large charity" this morning in a bid to try to "salvage the situation" and ensure charities do not miss out on funds raised for them.

Framjee’s recent assessment indicates that there is a shortfall between the funds due to the charities donated through CharityGiving, and the cash held by the Dove Trust. Online reports suggest that the shortfall may be in the region of �250,000.

USAID innovation contest yields new tools -- FCW

USAID innovation contest yields new tools -- FCW: Smartphone software that keeps communication intact in the face of infrastructure damage received first place for the communication category in the Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention contest, which was inspired by a White House initiative. The U.S. Agency for International Development and Humanity United are co-sponsors of this rolling contest, and announced the latest batch of winners on July 10.

Nonprofit Trends: Technology and Transformational Change | Marc Chardon

Nonprofit Trends: Technology and Transformational Change | Marc Chardon: f we're connected in all these ways, then why shouldn't we also be connected to the nonprofits we either support or rely on for services? We can. Today, mobile computing is enabling nonprofits to always be present to those who care about them and to be more efficient in how they engage donors and customers by giving them anytime/anywhere access through their phones, iPads and so on. This access helps the donor feel connected to the cause, on his or her own terms, not the nonprofit's. And it helps the customer or recipient of a nonprofit's services see that the organization is really there for them, all the time. And in terms of nonprofit management, mobile technology is equipping staff members to stay in the loop wherever they are -- at home, on an errand or on the road. It's empowering them to step away from the computer and be more effective in the field.

New technologies can dramatically improve fundraising efforts | TMA Resources

New technologies can dramatically improve fundraising efforts | TMA Resources: A recent study by j2 Global has found that savvy nonprofits are looking to cloud services to ensure staff is more connected and to drive productivity. The "State of the Nonprofit Sector" survey found that following years of economic hardship and budgetary issues

Charity register aims to boost transparency | ACNC | Susan Pascoe

Charity register aims to boost transparency | ACNC | Susan Pascoe: An online charity register allowing Australians to compare and contrast the ways their donations are spent will improve transparency and may help mend a national reluctance to give to lesser-known charities, according to the sector's new regulator.

Yes, Kickstarter raises more money for artists than the NEA. Here’s why that’s not really surprising

Yes, Kickstarter raises more money for artists than the NEA. Here’s why that’s not really surprising: During a session at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Institute president Walter Isaacson asked Perry Chen, founder of Kickstarter, whether it was true that Kickstarter now funds more arts-related projects than the National Endowment for the Arts.

The crowdfunding site has, Chen told Isaacson, funded over $600 million in arts projects. “And,” said Isaacson, “that might be now more than the federal government spent on the arts in a given year?” adding a bit later that “in some ways… you’ve invented something that does what the NEA used to do and can’t quite do now.

AFP Leading, Innovating in Social Media - Resource Center - AFP

AFP Leading, Innovating in Social Media - Resource Center - AFP: AFP Chief Marketing Officer Scott Pearl (@scottpearlmktg) is the top-ranked association CMO on Twitter, according to Social Media Marketing magazine—another sign of AFP’s increasing leadership in the areas of social media.

The association is in the middle of a significant new media campaign designed to reach out to both fundraisers and those within the charitable sector, as well as donors, volunteers and supporters outside the sector.

Half of people give up when trying to donate by mobile

Half of people give up when trying to donate by mobile: It takes givers too long to navigate the donation process, delegates heard

More than half of people who try to donate to charity online by using a mobile device never get as far as making the donation, delegates at the convention heard yesterday.

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving Grew 1.1% in May, Online Giving Was Up 15.2% | Blackbaud News

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving Grew 1.1% in May, Online Giving Was Up 15.2% | Blackbaud News: The Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving increased 1.1% and online giving increased 15.2% for the three months ending May 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012. As reported in the recently released Charitable Giving Report, overall giving grew approximately 2% for the full year 2012 and online giving grew by about 11% in 2012 compared to 2011.

Change Agents: Tom Serres and emerging cause economy | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

Change Agents: Tom Serres and emerging cause economy | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: Where his goals once were limited to corporate success, now they're dead focused on making Rally a linchpin in the nation's $300 billion "cause economy," his favored term for personalized philanthropy.

Where Kickstarter is known for raising money for movies and products, Rally is one of a growing number of sites such as Indiegogo and GoFundMe where individuals make their pitch for everything from sending local kids to camp to rebuilding a destroyed barn.

General Management - Community Managers: Salaries, Skill-Sets, and Experience Levels : MarketingProfs Article

General Management - Community Managers: Salaries, Skill-Sets, and Experience Levels : MarketingProfs Article: Typical community managers are mid-level professionals who are highly networked within their organization and valued most for their people skills, according to a recent report by The Community Roundtable.

Time management for data analysts | CoolData blog

Time management for data analysts | CoolData blog

Online Giving Grows as Charities Polish Their Methods

Online Giving Grows as Charities Polish Their Methods: According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, online giving is growing at a blistering pace. Two studies cited by the Chronicle indicate that online donations to 115,000 nonprofits rose by 14 percent to $2.1-billion, just between 2011 and 2012; and that online contributions to the largest 149 charities in the US also grew 14 percent, to $785-million.

Nonprofits: Drive Behavior With Social Media - Forbes

Nonprofits: Drive Behavior With Social Media - Forbes: real-life experiment by Facebook to encourage organ donation, adding one’s donor status to one’s timeline, sparked an immediate 2,000% increase in the number of people signing up as donors. Even after the initial flurry, signups continued at a rate double the previous rate, reports Mediapost. These remarkable results highlight the huge opportunity that social media offer to nonprofit groups.

New database will show how charity money is spent | Philanthropy Impact

New database will show how charity money is spent | Philanthropy Impact: The database will consist of information from the annual returns sent to the Charity Commission from charities in England and Wales. It will give headline income and expenditure and show how charities with an income of over �500,000 allocate their revenue across fundraising and governance, charitable activities and reserves. This follows the recent launch of the beta version of DfID’s aid tracker, which allows UK taxpayers to see where their money goes, what it is being spent on and with what result.

5 key elements for your content to go viral - The Buffer Blog

5 key elements for your content to go viral - The Buffer Blog: This is the holy grail for every marketer, entrepreneur and any other professional on the internet: To go viral. At least, when I first started out writing articles and producing content, I could think of nothing else other than trying to figure how to get this post spread like mad on Facebook, Twitter and all the other important places. What I quickly found out is that it takes a little more than posting cute cat photos, although I keep questioning myself on that.

New Websites Match Three Trends in Charitable Giving

New Websites Match Three Trends in Charitable Giving: ecently, new charitable giving sites have been popping up like baby bunnies in springtime. So much so that it is tough to keep up. But three newish online giving sites caught my interest because they reflect so well the trends in donor expectations and behavior. Here is the scoop on them.

Lap Around The Internet: Tech Sites for Nonprofits | The NonProfit Times

From the Nonprofit Times
Lap Around The Internet: Tech Sites for Nonprofits | The NonProfit Times: Lap Around The Internet: Tech Sites for Nonprofits
By Chris Bernard - June 13, 2013

Technology changes fast, doesn’t it? And there are so many pieces to it that it’s difficult to keep up with any one of them, much less all of them. But in my role at Idealware, I’d be remiss if I didn’t try. To that end, there are a number of sites I visit regularly to keep up to speed on the ever-evolving world of technology, especially as it applies to the nonprofit sector.

Here’s what a typical lap of the Internet looks like for me.

Trends: Association Management Systems & Online Community Providers: Associations Now

From Associations Now

Trends: Association Management Systems & Online Community Providers: Associations Now: At ASAE’s 2013 Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference last week, I visited the expo hall to speak with the industry partners there who provide association management systems (AMSs) and online community platforms (or both). Because these tools form the foundation of much of the work done by association membership professionals, I wanted to get a feel for the state of the industry.

Brooklyn Museum: Community: bloggers@brooklynmuseum » Moving Toward a Conversation

Brooklyn Museum: Community: bloggers@brooklynmuseum » Moving Toward a Conversation: "For the most part these worked to serve the purpose and we didn’t think much about changing them, but this year we started to wonder if there would be value in upping the game a bit. As they stood, they were the electronic version of a one way comment drop box.  Should they become a more personal experience and one that leans toward a two way dialog? Could we elevate the discussion from a simple “leave us your thoughts” to more directed questions that might provoke deeper engagement?  Could that same format help give visitors access to someone—a curator, an educator, an artist, a conservator—to help get their questions answered?

"

British Program Puts Philanthropy at One’s Fingertips - NYTimes.com

British Program Puts Philanthropy at One’s Fingertips - NYTimes.com: n a bid to restore the canvas and painting in time for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the war, the gallery is making an appeal for the funds, equivalent to about $31,000, through smartphones.

Museums have long solicited donations from the public, but they are increasingly turning to new, often digital, ways to raise funds. In addition to traditional donation boxes, more than a dozen institutions in Britain have signed up for the National Funding Scheme’s Donate program, which uses digital technology to attract contributions.

Marketing, Membership & Communications: Where Tech Comes in: Associations Now

Marketing, Membership & Communications: Where Tech Comes in: Associations Now: Technology was a persistent theme during ASAE’s 2013 Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference last week. Why? Well, when you peel away the outer layers surrounding tech issues, what you might find at the core are really membership issues.

Tampa Company Creates App For Online Giving

Tampa Company Creates App For Online Giving: Lots of companies make charitable contributions each year, with varying methods of determining where to allocate the funds. A new Facebook app called CharityVote allows companies to involve their customers and other Facebook fans in these decisions. Companies determine the amount they want to donate and create a contest involving five of their favorite charities. Facebook fans then vote on which charity should receive the money, with each receiving a portion of the donations. Since fans have to "like" the company page in order to vote, the app increases the company’s social media reach.

From KC To DC In A Car Powered By Tweets - Forbes

From KC To DC In A Car Powered By Tweets - Forbes: Okay, so it’s not literally powered by social media. But what they’ve done to the car is added a “social fuel” program to it, where different social media interactions open enough watts for the car to use.

For example, following them on Twitter? That’s 5 watts. Like them on Facebook? That’s 1 watt. Watch their YouTube video? That’s 3 watts. Their goal is to get enough social media interactions to give them the watts they need to travel from Kansas City to Washington, D.C. in their converted car.

They want to do that simply to raise awareness for their program, MindDrive. This program is centered around 30 at

At Grameen Foundation, an international nonprofit becomes a software developer - The Washington Post

At Grameen Foundation, an international nonprofit becomes a software developer - The Washington Post: hree years later, the foundation’s thesis has given rise to an open-source software platform called Mobile Technology for Community Health, or MOTECH, that an increasing number of nonprofits, non-governmental organizations and humanitarian groups are using to address pandemics such as tuberculosis and HIV.

Waters True Value donates $4,000 with the help of social media - News - Dodge City Daily Globe - Dodge City, KS

Waters True Value donates $4,000 with the help of social media - News - Dodge City Daily Globe - Dodge City, KS: Waters True Value utilized Facebook to bring awareness about relief efforts to the community. Waters’ encouraged their Facebook friends to share a “Pray for Oklahoma” status with a promise of donating one dollar to the disaster relief efforts for each share. After only two days, the status generated over 2,000 shares. The True Value Corporation in Chicago continued the endeavor by matching the amount, resulting in a $4,000 donation given to the Oklahoma City Red Cross.

Online Fundraising - What Donors Want to See on Your Website

Online Fundraising - What Donors Want to See on Your Website: It is tempting to think that websites are less important in this age of social media. But, as a recent report on young people revealed, the website may be more important than ever. People of all ages, are likely to research your nonprofit right at your home page before they give to you. Make sure that you make donating as easy as possible.

Jakob Nielsen, a web page usability expert, has found that bad nonprofit website design results in fewer online donations.

American Red Cross Launches Digital Training Program for Disaster Relief Volunteers - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

American Red Cross Launches Digital Training Program for Disaster Relief Volunteers - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee: WASHINGTON, June 4, 2013 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today,the American Red Cross announced a new, technology-based training program for disaster relief volunteers that will allow them to access training programs remotely through mobile devices.

Why Adding Tons of Features to Fundraising Software Results in Disaster | Bloomerang

Why Adding Tons of Features to Fundraising Software Results in Disaster | Bloomerang: Taking Inventory on Feature Usage in Nonprofit Database Systems

Every leading retail store operation knows down to the penny what revenue and profit is being provided daily, weekly and monthly by each item of inventory being sold. They know which ones are hot and which ones are slow movers. They obviously adjust future orders based upon this information.

Software vendors, especially those serving the charity sector are not always that smart! I am not trying to be harsh, but to my knowledge few if any of the top vendors have ever removed little used features and functions in order to stream line the use of their products. This is sad because the end users could truly benefit if this was done.

Disaster relief calculator, developed at URI, is adopted by U.S. international relief agency | Business Notes - Business | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal - The Providence Journal

Disaster relief calculator, developed at URI, is adopted by U.S. international relief agency | Business Notes - Business | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal - The Providence Journal: Students at the University of Rhode Island have developed a program that helps donors see how to aim their generous impulses to the most effective actions.

Called the Greatest Good Donation Calculator, and developed by students and faculty in business and computer engineering, the calculator was adopted by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the federal government’s international relief agency.

Digital is the 'New Normal', so why is digital fundraising still so rubbish? | Rachel Beer |

Digital is the 'New Normal', so why is digital fundraising still so rubbish? | Rachel Beer |: "So, since all of this is so normal, why are digital channels still so under utilised when it comes to fundraising?  And why isn’t digital fundraising making more of a contribution to the bottom line?  It’s not like the potential to generate income isn’t there – I mean, just look at Amazon, iTunes, eBay… the list goes on and on.
It’s because a lot of digital fundraising is rubbish"

How to do data management right.

From Social Fish
Check out this awesome infographic from the ASAE Technology Council.  They will be sharing lots more information about the specific pieces of it on this site, but here it is in all its glory! From Rick Johnston (a long time colleague and friend, and my new manager at ICF!):
How to do data management right.:

Online charity Give Locally uses mobile gaming, social media website to meet growing demands - The Washington Post

Online charity Give Locally uses mobile gaming, social media website to meet growing demands - The Washington Post: WASHINGTON — Andrew “Bo” Young III, son of former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, is carving out his own path for social change courtesy of a mobile app designed to help real families through the purchase of virtual goods.

Young and California lawyer Brad Newman have launched “Giv Galaxy,” an iPhone game in which players buy virtual products to help feed villagers and provide them with medicine. A portion of the proceeds from those virtual purchases goes to help families in need.

5 Ways to Supercharge Your Nonprofit's Facebook Page

5 Ways to Supercharge Your Nonprofit's Facebook Page:everyone says Facebook can grow your audience. After all, it's one of the most used and most powerful social media tools on the planet.

You started a Facebook Page for your nonprofit. You have a few likes. You've posted some updates. You've seen modest results, but you wonder...now what? Am I missing something?

Online philanthropy course eases access to grant funds | The News Desk

Online philanthropy course eases access to grant funds | The News Desk: Rozek wanted to begin the course to distribute the foundation’s funds to as many localities as possible. After learning about online courses offered by colleges such as Stanford and Harvard he wanted to include the philanthropy courses already provided at universities by the foundation in the online-learning movement.

Currently the Learning by Giving Foundation has 30 classes at universities across the county dedicated to philanthropy, including one at the University of Mary Washington.

This online course opens these classes up to an unlimited number of students.

Fundraising Advice From Katya Andresen Over the Years : FundRaising Success

Fundraising Advice From Katya Andresen Over the Years : FundRaising Success: we are sharing some of the tremendous fundraising tips Andresen has been gracious enough to pass on to our readers through our various publications. Enjoy, and best wishes to Katya on her new endeavor at ePals!

High school students build electric car powered by social media - Chicago Tribune

High school students build electric car powered by social media - Chicago Tribune: High school students have turned a 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia into an all-electric car that is powered by tweets, shares, posts and likes. Turning tweets into watts will take the at-risk students from Kansas City to Washington, D.C. to “drive change in education.”

“We want to make the statement to students everywhere that they can participate in [shaping] their education,” says Steve Rees, CEO of Minddrive, “that students can have a voice.”

Oklahoma governor thanks media for tornado coverage | Poynter.

Oklahoma governor thanks media for tornado coverage | Poynter.: The Vital Role of Online and Mobile

When I spoke with him Tuesday morning, an exhausted-sounding KFOR Interim News Director Steve Johnson was juggling the demands of coordinating another day of storm cleanup and what will likely be another afternoon of heavy storms. At the moment we spoke, he said 2,200 people “are looking at our live stream; 213 are looking at a video story from Moore.”

KWTV’s VP of Digital and Social Content Billy Hendrix said his station set a new record for online traffic, 2.5 million page views. “We have a big metro area and then we have very rural Oklahoma in our viewing area,” Hendrix told me. “The people out in the country tend to watch TV on satellite dishes and when storms come, they lose their signals fast. So during a storm we stream live video online, on mobile and on several apps. During the storm we use Twitter and Facebook to tell the public street by street were the storm is and where it is going.”

Tornado Facebook Group Reunites Oklahoma Victims With Belongings

Tornado Facebook Group Reunites Oklahoma Victims With Belongings: "Hagelberg logged into Facebook and found that many of her neighbors had reported finding items, so she decided to start a Facebook group to reunite victims of the tornado with their missing belongings.

The Facebook group was expanded Monday, to help people who were affected by the devastating tornado that ripped through Moore, Okla., killing dozens of people."

'via Blog this'

Social analytics are fueling a more predictive model | TMA Resources

Social analytics are fueling a more predictive model | TMA Resources: Social media has played an increasingly important role in organizations' client engagement strategy as firms look to monitor interactions on these channels for valuable insight and foster new relationships.

Willis Turner-So ... Is Social Media BS or Not? : FundRaising Success

Willis Turner-So ... Is Social Media BS or Not? : FundRaising Success: Sitting onstage in his wingback chair like a crusty old grandfather (or like the beguiling iconoclast he is), reading from an oversized fairy tale book to a room full of wide-eyed prot�g�s and sharp-witted peers, he reinterpreted Snow White as a modern fundraising fable.

It was a tale of vanity, hubris, black knights, white knights, short-term thinking and good intentions gone wrong.

American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award $1 Million in Grants to Restore 13 Washington, D.C. Metro Area Historic Places - MarketWatch

American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award $1 Million in Grants to Restore 13 Washington, D.C. Metro Area Historic Places - MarketWatch: WASHINGTON, May 13, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation today announced the Washington National Cathedral as the winner of Partners in Preservation, the region's first-ever preservation effort powered by social media. For earning the most points, the Washington National Cathedral will receive its full grant request of $100,000.

How To Tweet Your Way To Your Dream Job | Fast Company | Business Innovation

How To Tweet Your Way To Your Dream Job | Fast Company | Business Innovation

How My Mom Thinks Search Engines Work | SEOmoz

How My Mom Thinks Search Engines Work | SEOmoz: With Mother’s Day in many countries having just passed (I learned this week that the UK celebrates Mothering Sunday earlier in the year), I thought it would be fun to have a conversation about SEO with one of the most incredible people on the entire planet: my mom. I asked her about what it is she believes our industry does on a daily basis as well as how she thinks search engines function in general.

MediaShift Idea Lab . How FrontlineSMS Helped an Indonesian Community Clean Up a River | PBS

MediaShift Idea Lab . How FrontlineSMS Helped an Indonesian Community Clean Up a River | PBS: using sms

Hapsoro was a man who always actively sent SMS to all our friends to participate in regular KPC Bogor activities, especially to remind them to get them involved with cleaning the river. With an old mobile phone, he used to send messages one by one to the numbers in his phone book. The day after we decided to keep KPC Bogor alive, I asked permission from Hapsoro's wife, Yuniken Mayangsari, about whether we could keep using his phone number to send SMS to all the subscribers. She gave me the phone at once without hesitation.

Six Essential Mobile Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits | Stanford Social Innovation Review

Six Essential Mobile Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits | Stanford Social Innovation Review: More than 130 million Americans own smartphones. Add desktop computers, tablets, and laptops to the mix, and there are more Internet-connected devices in the United States than there are people. Skyrocketing mobile web traffic numbers have Comcast analysts predicting that mobile web surfing will overtake desktop surfing by 2014. Still, most NGOs and nonprofits don’t have a mobile marketing strategy in place and so are missing out on new ways to connect with supporters. Worse, they may be unintentionally harming their organizations’ brands by brushing off the mobile sea change.

Here are six mobile strategies every nonprofit marketer should know.

Ushadhidi's rugged BRCK, 'the backup generator for the internet' (Wired UK)

Ushadhidi's rugged BRCK, 'the backup generator for the internet' (Wired UK): Sometimes, when you need access to the web the most is when it's most likely to be hard to find. It could even be a matter of life or death. So having a backup connection that you can carry in your pocket, that will work from Windhoek to Williamsburg, sounds like a good idea. That's the concept behind Ushahidi's BRCK.

ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms

By Doug Donovan

The investigative-journalism organization ProPublica started a free online service today for searching the federal tax returns of more than 615,000 nonprofits.

Orphan charity wins social media campaign | Voxy.co.nz

Orphan charity wins social media campaign | Voxy.co.nz: With 24,997 registered charities in New Zealand, one small charity which started in Invercargill in 2004 has surprised large players in the field, as well as New Zealand public by winning first place in a nationwide social media competition, "25 Ways to Say Thanks".

The campaign, launched by Toyota NZ to "give back" after achieving 25 years of market leadership, was a way to say thanks to the charitable sector for their contributions to society. Toyota invited charities to take part, and 515 took up their offer. The prizes were the use of 25 brand new Corollas for three years - each going to the top 25 charities.

Eight Crowdfunding Sites For Social Entrepreneurs - Forbes

An article on Crowdfunding from Forbes

Eight Crowdfunding Sites For Social Entrepreneurs - Forbes: Eight Crowdfunding Sites For Social Entrepreneurs

Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites For Fundraising - Forbes

 A Forbes article on Crowdfunding sites.

Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites For Fundraising - Forbes: Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites For Fundraising

Faces of Change | United Way of Southern Nevada

Faces of Change | United Way of Southern Nevada: What do local celebrities Holly Madison, Clair Sinclair, Taylor Hicks, Frankie Moreno, Murray Sawchuck, Josh Strickland, Carla Pellegrino, Mac King, and Tara Palsha have in common? All of them have shown their support of United Way by participating in the organization’s ‘Be the Face of Change’ campaign.

Celebrities and community members who supported the program uploaded their photos to United Way of Southern Nevada’s Facebook page and saw their photos posted on billboards across the Valley.

Measuring happiness through Twitter

Measuring happiness through Twitter: The day of the Boston bombings was the world’s saddest in five years—at least according to the “Hedonometer,” a tool designed by mathematicians at the University of Vermont that acts like a mood ring for the Internet.

Sir Stuart: Charity Commission leaders have lost sector's respect

Sir Stuart: Charity Commission leaders have lost sector's respect: NCVO chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington will use a speech today to criticise the leadership of the Charity Commission and warn that it has lost the respect of the sector over the Cup Trust scandal.

And in response to a question from civilsociety.co.uk about whether the regulator can overcome its current problems without a change of leadership, he said: "They have a lot of work to do if they are to regain the trust of the sector."

BREAKING: Twitter’s API changes will cause TweetChat to stop working

BREAKING: Twitter’s API changes will cause TweetChat to stop working

Drew Hendricks: 5 Ways Non-Profits Can Get the Word Out Online

Drew Hendricks: 5 Ways Non-Profits Can Get the Word Out Online: However, many nonprofits are missing the mark and passing up opportunities simply because they don't know any better. Every missed opportunity is a missed grant, long-term donor or in-kind donation. Here are 5 easy ways non-profit can spread the message online.

Rosie Childs: Social Media Allows Charities a Different Type of Story-Telling

Rosie Childs: Social Media Allows Charities a Different Type of Story-Telling: n the aftermath of a double-dip recession which nationally has seen charitable giving down by 20%, charities need to be able to tell the public about the needs of others more than ever. They also need to be able to persuade them that they can and will help. Sadly, this is becoming increasingly difficult.

The Makers of Ushahidi Hope to Kickstart a Backup Communications Server | MIT Technology Review

The Makers of Ushahidi Hope to Kickstart a Backup Communications Server | MIT Technology Review: This Box Keeps Information Flowing During a Crisis

The creators of Ushahidi, a crisis mapping platform, have developed hardware that keeps wireless communication going in the midst of chaos.

Nonprofit news roundup, 05.03.13 � Philanthropy North Carolina

Nonprofit news roundup, 05.03.13 � Philanthropy North Carolina: Habitat Metrolina Partners receive tech award

Habitat for Humanity Metrolina Partners in Charlotte received the 2013 Technology Innovation Award from Apparo, formerly NPower Charlotte Region, and sponsored by Accenture.

SIB chief reviews Twitter use after Social Action Fund investigation

SIB chief reviews Twitter use after Social Action Fund investigation: Jonathan Jenkins, chief executive of the Social Investment Business, has agreed to review his use of social media in order to minimise perceptions that he has social relationships with people from charities that receive statutory funds on his recommendation.

Data Digest: Maps, Trends, and a Social Progress Index

Data Digest: Maps, Trends, and a Social Progress Index: Data Digest is a weekly round-up of the latest news on data-related projects in the nonprofit sector, compiled and authored by Keisha Taylor of GuideStar International and TechSoup Global. It originally appeared on NetSquared.

This week, the call for data measurement in the social sector heightens with the proposition of a Social Progress Index and ways that NGOs can use data maps to increase effectiveness. The need for open data from NGOs is reiterated, while the way philanthropy has promoted the global Open Government Partnership is explained. Five trending Big Data technologies are also identified.

Open data and the charity sector: a perfect fit | News | guardian.co.uk

Open data and the charity sector: a perfect fit | News | guardian.co.uk: Government officials, charity leaders and senior figures from the open data movement said on Monday that the UK must foster an environment of collaboration and transparency in order to share best practices from the public and private sectors with nonprofit organisations.

"Part of the value of civil society is holding power to account, and if this can be underpinned by good quality data, we will have a very powerful tool indeed", said Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Unveils Web Site and Priorities - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Bloomberg Philanthropies Unveils Web Site and Priorities - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: But that has changed. The billionaire has increasingly spoken out on causes to which he gives money, and today his Bloomberg Philanthropies unveiled its first Web site to provide viewers with detailed information about what it supports.

Thunderclap: Championing Board Diversity!

Thunderclap: Championing Board Diversity!: Young Charity Trustees is two years old! Please support our drive for greater Board Diversity! http://thndr.it/ZwcaSa”

New web addresses for NGOs and non-profits - Telegraph

New web addresses for NGOs and non-profits - Telegraph: Two new types of web address will indicate that organisations are bona fide non-profits or NGOs, writes Brian Cute, the Chief executive of the Public Interest Registry

1 | The Story Of Superstorm Sandy Through The Eyes Of NYC's Digital First Responders | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation

1 | The Story Of Superstorm Sandy Through The Eyes Of NYC's Digital First Responders | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation: Superstorm Sandy struck New York on October 29th, 2012. Six months later, the city’s digital first responders recall how they sprang into action, quickly disseminating information and helping to save lives.

CRM requires a more cohesive, customer-centric focus | TMA Resources

CRM requires a more cohesive, customer-centric focus | TMA Resources: Computerworld reported that an overwhelming majority of CRM projects are still focused inward on the objectives of the organization, when the goal should be driving value to clients. The source explained that the ultimate goal of CRM initiatives should be to drive a more meaningful experience, which requires that the client's voice is heard on all channels

Nonprofit E-File Data Should Be Open - Sunlight Foundation Blog

Nonprofit E-File Data Should Be Open - Sunlight Foundation Blog: Carl Malamud's been busy recently, playing an important role in opening the D.C. Code. But that's not all he's been up to. For years, Carl's efforts at Public.Resource.Org have helped to distribute the data provided to the IRS by nonprofits through Form 990. The data contained in this form is vital public information: it can help donors figure out who's running a nonprofit and how effectively. If you've ever used a site like Charity Navigator to research your giving decisions, you've used 990 data.

The 10 Business Growing Pains that Social Media is Going Through Right Now | Social Media Today

The 10 Business Growing Pains that Social Media is Going Through Right Now | Social Media Today

iKlatch: Apple CEO holding charity auction for coffee break with himself — RT Business

iKlatch: Apple CEO holding charity auction for coffee break with himself — RT Business: Apple CEO Tim Cook has started an online charity auction for a coffee break with one of the most powerful figures in tech and business: Himself.

Bombing Victims Get Millions as Internet Redefines Giving - Bloomberg

Bombing Victims Get Millions as Internet Redefines Giving - Bloomberg: Bombing Victims Get Millions as Internet Redefines Giving

Online Fundraising Shows Strong Gains - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Online Fundraising Shows Strong Gains - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Explore Online Fundraising Results, by Quarter

The Chronicle uses online fundraising data provided quarterly by Blackbaud, Network for Good, and PayPal to analyze online giving. The percentage changes above show an analysis of online donations to a fixed group of organizations during the second through fourth quarters of 2012, compared with donations to this same group made during the same period in 2011.

Linking Planned Gifts To Social Media | The NonProfit Times

Linking Planned Gifts To Social Media | The NonProfit Times: “The Internet is the great equalizer. If you are a small organization, you can have a big presence.”

Those were the words of said Kristen Jaarda, senior vice president at Crescendo Interactive in Camarillo, Calif., during a session at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 2013 International Conference on Fundraising (ICON) in San Diego, Calif.

DataKind launches UK chapter

DataKind launches UK chapter: US charity that connects other charities with data scientists who want to volunteer, has launched a UK branch.

Featured Topic: Disaster Planning and Recovery

Featured Topic: Disaster Planning and Recovery: Disaster preparedness isn't just about being ready for a fire or earthquake; it's a nimble, flexible approach to your organization's day-to-day programs and operations. A natural disaster may never hit your office, but by adopting certain technologies and strategies, you can deepen your nonprofit's impact and make your work faster and more efficient. The resources in this toolkit will not only prepare you for a crisis, but also deepen the impact of your nonprofit or charity in times of health.

CEOs and Social Media – Trends and Effective Practices

CEOs and Social Media – Trends and Effective Practices: Another important thing to note is that the reasons for a CEO to use social media are NOT THE SAME as the goals for the company on social. What those specific goals might be will change depending on the individual executive, but will always be related to who he or she wants to build relationships with – journalists? Members of Congress? Thought leaders? Other CEOs?

Angie Moore-Survey Results Are In! (The Real Skinny on Nonprofit Data) : FundRaising Success

Angie Moore-Survey Results Are In!s: ... blog to get as many nonprofits as possible to take a 10-minute survey. Why? Well, in early April I had a two-part blog on modeling that was the outcome of me asking experts in the industry four questions about modeling and how it can help those in the nonprofit industry be better fundraisers and marketers.