21 nonprofit uses for Twitter’s Vine video app | Nonprofit Nate

21 nonprofit uses for Twitter’s Vine video app | Nonprofit Nate

The value of Facebook Likes for nonprofits in 2013 - Small Act

The value of Facebook Likes for nonprofits in 2013 - Small Act: hen I set out to write this post I thought I would present some resounding evidence that would debunk all of the myths associated with calculating the worth of a Facebook like. I realized in my research that there are some folks smarter and more articulate than me that have already done the leg-work. I am going to try and whittle it down to some digestible chunks that prove the point and let each of you go on the same voyage I did in discovering the value of a Facebook like.

IRS New Media

Connect with the IRS

The IRS uses social media tools to share the latest information on tax changes, initiatives, products and services.  Connect with the IRS through the following social media tools
IRS New Media

Facebook Tests Giving Platform - TheNonProfitTimes

Facebook Tests Giving Platform - TheNonProfitTimes: Facebook Tests Giving Platform - 01/24/2013

Facebook rolled out an experimental giving platform that allows users to donate $25 to any of a dozen charities. The social networking platform might expand the program later in 2013.

For many people on Facebook, it might be the first time they’re considering a contribution or have discovered the work of a nonprofit. People might know Livestrong or the American Red Cross, said Sarah Feinberg, director of policy communications and run our social good programs, but might be less familiar with the likes of Kiva, Girls Inc., or Blue Star Families.

Facebook users' donations through JustGiving increased by more than 40 per cent last year

Facebook users' donations through JustGiving increased by more than 40 per cent last year: Jonathan Waddingham, JustGiving's social and labs product manager, says charities should make spontaneous giving 'as frictionless as possible'

The amount of money given by Facebook users through the online donation website JustGiving increased by more than 40 per cent in 2012, new figures show.

Data from JustGiving shows that 1.8 million UK donors made charitable donations totalling �34m in 2012 when arriving through Facebook, a rise of 44 per cent on 2011.

Short Story Shorter: The Most Creative Uses Of Vine (So Far) | Co.Create: Creativity \ Culture \ Commerce

Short Story Shorter: The Most Creative Uses Of Vine (So Far) | Co.Create: Creativity \ Culture \ Commerce

Should Your Nonprofit Use a Social Scoring System? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Should Your Nonprofit Use a Social Scoring System? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Although tapping into social media influencers could increase awareness and donations, some individuals have expressed wariness about relying too heavily on social scoring for planning social networking strategies. Some critics argue that “key influencers” could also be illegitimate spam accounts, which could actually lead nonprofits to a worse understanding of their real constituents.

Let’s revisit the concept of failure-friendliness � Deborah Elizabeth Finn, Strategist and Consultant

Let’s revisit the concept of failure-friendliness � Deborah Elizabeth Finn, Strategist and Consultant: Although techies vary greatly in their attitudes about projects that don’t work out, we also tend to make tacit assumptions that everyone concerned understands that we are not engaged in an exact science but in an evolving process.

Techies also tend to regard failure as pretty interesting – as a good source of information about what ought to be fixed when Version 97.53.01 of the software is released. We also enjoy working on cool tools, even if such tools don’t actually deliver the outcomes desired by those who are underwriting the project. This form of process orientation can be less than endearing to decision-makers in nonprofit organizations.

Philanthropy 2.0: Giving in the Digital Age - Mobiledia

Philanthropy 2.0: Giving in the Digital Age - Mobiledia: nstead of relying on galas, clipboards and clamoring bells, we have Facebook pages and Kickstarter campaigns. Donating money is as simple as sending a text or clicking a button -- thanks, PayPal -- and it's easier than ever for worthy causes to find a platform. And since young people prefer this digital way of donating, the smartest thing a charity or non-profit organization can do to fund its future is log on and sign in.

How popular is online giving? It's still far from the most prevalent form of charity, but it's definitely on the up-and-up

Packable philanthropy: Donate a TEDx in a Box

Packable philanthropy: Donate a TEDx in a Box: What is a TEDx in a Box, you ask? It’s a suitcase stuffed with everything an economically marginalized community needs to host their very own TEDx event — a projector, an iPod preloaded with subtitled TED Talks, a sound system, camcorders to capture fresh talks, and a how-to guide. TEDx in a Box was an idea that originated at TEDxKibera, a vibrant event held in the slums of Nairobi. With TEDx in a Box, individuals in the developing world and other underserved areas are delivered all the resources they need for an event, packaged into a portable box designed by IDEO. So far, boxes have been shipped to organizers in Ecuador, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, India and Pakistan — and counting.

How social media is supporting small charities

How social media is supporting small charities: he true value of the impact social media has on fundraising projects was demonstrated to me during a recent visit to The Gambia, where I worked with the Glove Project, an organisation which works to improve local villages through a mixture of aid and enterprise. The project is part-funded via a tour company called Tilly’s Tours, which employs local people to manage, plan and organise trips for visitors to the Gambian villages. This ensures a regular flow of tourists who meet with the local people and purchase goods which have been created from the tools and training provided by the Glove Project. This system delivers a level of sustainable aid and regular financial support to the Gambian villages, which benefit from regular influx of visitors, many of whom become volunteers.

Twitter experiences connectivity issues on Inauguration Day — Tech News and Analysis

Twitter experiences connectivity issues on Inauguration Day — Tech News and Analysis

For Africa, Entrepreneurship is the Way | Skoll World Forum

For Africa, Entrepreneurship is the Way | Skoll World Forum: n South Africa, new mobile technology strategies are being used to educate the youth and to promote entrepreneurship.

Microsoft Launches Free Disaster Relief App

Microsoft Launches Free Disaster Relief App: Microsoft has recently released a new Disaster Relief app that goes under the name HelpBridge. The application is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8. The application allows you to do two things: ask for help and give help. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to call for help, you can send a message out via Facebook, SMS and email to a preassigned list of contacts with your location and a message. As of now, the app doesn’t support Twitter. HelpBridge also allows users to alert family and friends that they’re OK after a disaster strikes.

6 Services You Could Replace With Facebook Graph Search | Fast Company

6 Services You Could Replace With Facebook Graph Search | Fast Company: 6 Services You Could Replace With Facebook Graph Search
By Sarah Kessler
|
January 16, 2013

With the launch of Graph Social, a handful of startups that integrate with Facebook are now competing with the mothership.

Going Mobile without Reinventing the Wheel: Five Apps That May Help Your Nonprofit - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Going Mobile without Reinventing the Wheel: Five Apps That May Help Your Nonprofit - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Going Mobile without Reinventing the Wheel: Five Apps That May Help Your Nonprofit

My current daydream: The marriage of outcomes management apps with data visualization apps � Deborah Elizabeth Finn, Strategist and Consultant

My current daydream: The marriage of outcomes management apps with data visualization apps � Deborah Elizabeth Finn, Strategist and Consultant: Given my current preoccupation with both outcomes management and data visualization for mission-based organizations, perhaps it’s not a surprise that I’m daydreaming about integrating applications that were designed for these two tasks.

Nonprofit Tech Forecasts for 2013

Nonprofit Tech Forecasts for 2013: I love year-ahead forecasts and have looked a number of them from all over the global IT press. Here’s what the buzz seems to be for 2013 from a nonprofit technology viewpoint.
The Forecasts for 2012

I guess a good place to start is looking back at forecasts from January 2012. Andrew Cohen of Forum One did one called 12 Big Trends in Nonprofit Technology for 2012. His big prediction was that 2012 would be a breakout year for mobile computing in nonprofit tech.

We certainly covered a bunch of smartphone developments over the year, including some great Cool App Roundups like our most recent one for fundraising apps. We also noticed a significant increase in the way that mobile technology is being used in disaster relief.

Commission website still slated for integration into government portal

Commission website still slated for integration into government portal: The Cabinet Office is still insisting that the Charity Commission website should be subsumed within the new single web portal for central government, gov.uk, despite representations to the contrary from the regulator.

On 2 January the government announced that six of 24 government departments have now moved their corporate websites to gov.uk, with more to follow soon.

Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Donation Forms?

Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Donation Forms?: Having easily accessible online donation forms is an important factor in increasing overall donations, but it’s really only half the battle. To ensure that potential donors who visit your forms turn into actual donors, there are many other aspects to consider. Are your forms intuitive? Are they a good length? Do they look trustworthy? There are a whole host of reasons why people click the little red x on a page without actually donating, but the good news is, many of these things are in your control.

Innovative charities engaging with new technologies | Charity Tech Insight

Innovative charities engaging with new technologies | Charity Tech Insight: Below are some examples of charities which are engaging with new technologies in an attempt to promote their cause, improve overall efficiency and increase donations.

Innovative charities engaging with new technologies | Charity Tech Insight

Innovative charities engaging with new technologies | Charity Tech Insight: Below are some examples of charities which are engaging with new technologies in an attempt to promote their cause, improve overall efficiency and increase donations.

Real Time Charitable Giving | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project

Real Time Charitable Giving | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project: Contributors to the “Text to Haiti” earthquake relief campaign were spur-of-the-moment donors who often induced friends and family to give, too, new research finds

Report is first in-depth study of mobile giving

WASHINGTON, DC – Charitable donations from mobile phones have grown more common in recent years. Two thirds (64%) of American adults now use text messaging, and 9% have texted a charitable donation from their mobile phone.

CRM gives organizations more accurate client profile | TMA Resources

CRM gives organizations more accurate client profile | TMA Resources: CRM as a journey
Integrating CRM into member communication strategies is a continually evolving process, according to MS Dynamics World. Data is now stored in an increasing number of channels and diversified formats, and improving the analysis of this information also requires constant adaptations.

In order to fully leverage member data for insight, organizations need to have a plan in place for CRM integration and the most advanced member management software that has the capability of extracting meaning. MS Dynamic World explained that only up-to-date technologies are able to merge existing client information with new data for enhanced understanding.

Rethinking Recruitment: NPR’s “Brand Ambassadors” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Rethinking Recruitment: NPR’s “Brand Ambassadors” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: he landscape is changing, one tweet at a time. According to the Washington Post, National Public Radio (NPR) is finding interns via Twitter. In a recent search, the applicant pool was smaller than desired. The solution: NPR posted a notice on Twitter and asked their followers to retweet it. The outcome: 132 retweets, 140 applications, and eventually, 15 newly hired interns.

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog | The 4 kinds of people who care about causes - and what they do online

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog | The 4 kinds of people who care about causes - and what they do online: The wonderful people at the Georgetown Center for Social Impact Communication have drawn on their recent research to profile who is most likely spread the word about your cause - and how.

There Are 181,000 Social Media 'Gurus,' 'Ninjas,' 'Masters,' and 'Mavens' on Twitter | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology - Advertising Age

There Are 181,000 Social Media 'Gurus,' 'Ninjas,' 'Masters,' and 'Mavens' on Twitter | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology - Advertising Age: As a public service, I like to periodically check in on the number of self-proclaimed social media "gurus," "ninjas," "masters" and "mavens" on Twitter. Why? Well, it seems like an important metric, an indicator of something.

Marc Chardon: Peering Into the Nonprofit Crystal Ball...2013

Marc Chardon: Peering Into the Nonprofit Crystal Ball...2013: Technology will play a major role for both nonprofits and their supporters

At times, it would seem that ongoing technology trends like mobile and cloud will go on forever, but at some point these technologies reach a tipping point that causes a transformational change in the way people relate to technology. In 2013, we will likely see this transpire in the nonprofit sector. Supporters will be able to observe real-time mission delivery through mobile devices. Relying on CRM and Big Data, nonprofits will have a comprehensive understanding of all the ways supporters interact with their organizations and will be able to tailor branded experiences for each and every supporter. According to the recent State of the Nonprofit Industry report, the use of mobile technologies will more than double for most nonprofit organizations in 2013. In many ways, nonprofits will move from testing the mobile experience to delivering the mobile experience this year.

The Role of Controversy in 2012’s Top Five Nonprofit YouTube Videos - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

The Role of Controversy in 2012’s Top Five Nonprofit YouTube Videos - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The Role of Controversy in 2012’s Top Five Nonprofit YouTube Videos

Welcome to the New TechSoup.org!

Welcome to the New TechSoup.org!: Welcome to the New TechSoup.org!

patrickduggan
6 Jan 2013 5:30 PM


Notice anything different? We've updated TechSoup.org with a new look and feel, directly integrating our product donations with our webinars, articles, forums, and blog posts.

The Nerdery to provide free Websites for Twin Cities nonprofits in Overnight Website Challenge - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

The Nerdery to provide free Websites for Twin Cities nonprofits in Overnight Website Challenge - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal: "Overnight Website Challenge," during which scores of programmers will create new (and free) Websites for Twin Cities nonprofits.

Content Marketing Training - How to Motivate Employees to Create Content - Reputation Capital: Content Marketing Strategy, Copywriting, Inbound Marketing

Content Marketing Training - How to Motivate Employees to Create Content - Reputation Capital: Content Marketing Strategy, Copywriting, Inbound Marketing: It can be difficult to encourage busy employees to provide content in addition to their normal jobs (Whaddaya mean I have to do marketing? Isn’t that why we have a marketing department?). To minimize bad feelings and maximize productivity, follow these guidelines:

Track Year-End Online Giving - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Track Year-End Online Giving - Online Fundraising - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Track Year-End Online Giving

By Emily Gipple and Derek Lieu

The Chronicle has analyzed fourth-quarter online fundraising totals for more than 8,700 charities that process their donations through Network for Good.

Hover over any day to compare online giving totals from 2011 and 2012 and highlight a section of the lower graph to zoom in.

20 top web design and development trends for 2013 | Feature | .net magazine

20 top web design and development trends for 2013 | Feature | .net magazine: Predicting the future is tough, but with the fast-moving nature of the web, it’s good to know what lies ahead. Craig Grannell talks to top industry figures about the web design and development trends you should be mindful of over the coming 12 months

Effective social media marketing requires CRM data | TMA Resources

Effective social media marketing requires CRM data | TMA Resources: Many associations still don't understand social CRM or its advantages. A report by Awareness revealed that only 16 percent of firms have a social CRM system, and 17 percent have no concept of what it's used for or why it can be beneficial. However, 68 percent of organizations expressed interest in social footprint impression. Major challenges cited in social media marketing were growing and managing social presence, monitoring social media accounts and the lack of adequate resources.

Plus-One This: Proof That Google Plus Will Prevail | Fast Company

Plus-One This: Proof That Google Plus Will Prevail | Fast Company: Plus-One This: Proof That Google Plus Will Prevail
By Dave Llorens
|
January 7, 2013

Google Plus has been written off as a universal flop--but a deeper look proves that we will all eventually succumb to its siren song.

6 direct marketing methods to gain social media influencers : Page 1 of 2 : Target Marketing

6 direct marketing methods to gain social media influencers : Page 1 of 2 : Target Marketing: 'm a big fan of social media. I jumped on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., but it didn't occur to me until recently that social media could help direct marketers by leveraging influencers. In other words, I was a purist—I was communicating on social media for the pure joy of talking to people, meeting them and learning. I didn't think about it as leveraging anyone, but there is something to be said for targeting respected followers and encouraging them to recommend you.

The Secret Yardstick Driving Innovation At AOL, Beats, And Microsoft | Co.Design: business innovation design

The Secret Yardstick Driving Innovation At AOL, Beats, And Microsoft | Co.Design: business innovation design: The "15-foot test," as Wetherell refers to it, is the threshold for differentiation he holds his team to: Products must attract attention even yards away from the computer screen. It’s the idea that in order for a product to stand out in such a crowded market, he says, "it needs not only to function differently but also look noticeably different from afar." That standard was arguably the driver behind Alto, AOL’s radically redesigned email service that launched in October--which looks more like Pinterest than Gmail--but it’s also a sentiment I’ve heard from a slew of designers in the past year--a sign that products can no longer live or die by tech specs and up-close product inspections. In fact, AOL killed a past iteration of its email service, called Phoenix, because Wetherall says, "it didn’t pass the 15-foot test."

ASAE Technology Conference & Expo Spotlights Mobile Apps, the Cloud | TSNN Trade Show News

ASAE Technology Conference & Expo Spotlights Mobile Apps, the Cloud | TSNN Trade Show News: ASAE Technology Conference & Expo Spotlights Mobile Apps, the Cloud
January 1, 2013
inShare
ASAE Technology Conference & Expo Spotlights Mobile Apps, the Cloud altASAE Technology Conference & Expo Spotlights Mobile Apps, the Cloud

When 637 executives recently gathered for the American Society of Association Executives Technology Conference & Expo in early December at the Walter E Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, they walked away knowing not only the latest technology showcased by more exhibitors, but also the latest trends to keep an eye on.

A Preliminary Theology of Social Networks

A Preliminary Theology of Social Networks: As people like Beth Kanter and Allison Fine made clear in their book, The Networked Nonprofit, networks are the new form of organizational structure in the 21st-century. (Actually, Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps predicted in 1994 in The Age of the Network that networks would be the signature form of organizations in this century and I wrote about network organizations for the Jewish community in 2001 in Network Judaism). The bedrock of social networking sites, the platforms that support network organizations, is relationships.

Online Giving Grew Fast in Fourth Quarter - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Online Giving Grew Fast in Fourth Quarter - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Online Giving Grew Fast in Fourth Quarter

January 3, 2013, 9:02 am

By Holly Hall

The last week of December, usually a boom time in online donations, was fairly sluggish compared with 2011, according to figures from more than 8,700 charities whose performance The Chronicle has been tracking weekly since Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, the fourth quarter produced a surge in online gifts.

200 More Email Subject Lines from End of Year Fundraising | npENGAGE

200 More Email Subject Lines from End of Year Fundraising | npENGAGE: Back by popular demand is the latest analysis of end of year fundraising email subject lines. The 2011 edition of “80 Email Subject Lines from End of Year Fundraising” was a very popular article and I decided to do it again.

This time, I analyzed 200 email subject lines sent to me from nonprofits between December 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Here are some interesting findings, best practices, and the complete list of email subject lines.

Top Social Media Stats of 2012 | The Realtime Report

Top Social Media Stats of 2012 | The Realtime Report