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.