We all know someone quietly changing the world each and every day. He or she is not on the front page of the newspaper, and not mingling with the Gates and Buffets of the world. Everyday people have shown extraordinary commitment to making this world better and actually get to work doing it. The CTK Foundation “Heroes with a Heart” Grant Award asks for your nominations of a “Hero with a Heart,” and gives them a chance to win $5,000 – a simple thanks for the hard work that they do. Grant Details Here’s an overview of awards the CTK Foundation will offer…
Selected by amysampleward
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Most Topular Stories
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Heroes with a Heart: Nominate a Nonprofit Hero Today!
Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech1 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am -
Connect with other Community Builders at Weekly #CommBuild Chats!
NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoupGlobal.org blogs7 Feb 2012 | 5:35 amI've recently been involved with community building around community building via weekly #commbuild Twitter chats. This concept is a bit meta, I know, but I've found it to be a really great way to connect with other people in my position. Since there are so many community builders involved with the Net2 network in various ways, I wanted to be sure to let you all know about this new opportunity.What is #CommBuild? #CommBuild focuses on issues and topics relevant to those working on community building or in community management roles. These chats originated out of the #4Change… -
What does monitoring your brand on social media channels really mean?
Beth’s Blog8 Feb 2012 | 8:49 amSource: journalism.org via Lucy on Pinterest “Listening” or tracking what people are saying about your brand or issue has always been hailed at the first most important step in building your social media or network strategy. Listening is the process tracking brand mentions or related key words and transforming a “river of noise” into insights that allow you to make decisions. Listening can help your organization craft messages/content, keep your finger on how your network thinks about your issue or brand, help with curation of content, identify influencers… -
How To Track Everyone Who's Anyone To You: Is A Single Database Right for Your Org?
NTEN8 Feb 2012 | 10:08 am[Editor's note: The following is an excerpt of an article in the December 2011 issue of NTEN:Change. Read the complete issue of NTEN's new quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders by subscribing to the journal for free!]By Laura Quinn, IdealwareSince most organizations don’t track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them—donors, volunteers, clients, email subscribers, advocates and everyone else—is something of a holy grail. The ability to easily see how all your constituents interact with your organization, and with each other, makes for an attractive,… -
Growing Good Habits + a Happy Reminder Board (video)
Have Fun • Do Good8 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmHappy Reminder Board (special appearance by Dora the Cat) from Britt Bravo on Vimeo. Whether I'm working with bloggers and creative entrepreneurs, or talking with a friend, everyone I know is trying to grow good habits. They want to write "morning pages," meditate, exercise, blog, cook dinner, make art, stretch, drink 8 glasses of water, eat healthier, and give thanks more often (sound familiar?). When I've asked people about what helps them keep good habits, they say: Enjoying the process Enjoying the result Having fun Having a role model, or mentor Keeping the habit with a buddy, or…
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Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech
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Heroes with a Heart: Nominate a Nonprofit Hero Today!
1 Feb 2012 | 11:00 amWe all know someone quietly changing the world each and every day. He or she is not on the front page of the newspaper, and not mingling with the Gates and Buffets of the world. Everyday people have shown extraordinary commitment to making this world better and actually get to work doing it. The CTK Foundation “Heroes with a Heart” Grant Award asks for your nominations of a “Hero with a Heart,” and gives them a chance to win $5,000 – a simple thanks for the hard work that they do. Grant Details Here’s an overview of awards the CTK Foundation will offer… -
New on SSIR: Data for Promotion, Engagement, and Reporting
25 Jan 2012 | 8:05 amMy latest contribution to the Stanford Social Innovation Review is now published. You can read the post and join the conversation on the SSIR Opinion blog, or read the full post below. —– Inevitably, January is filled with predictions and resolutions. We ponder the innovations and evolutions that may unfold in the technologies we use, and consider the issues we want to tackle in our work and communities. Me? I’m focused on data. This year will, I hope, be the year of data. I see more organizations looking for ways to be data-driven in decision making, communications,… -
Great reads from around the web on January 24th
24 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmI come across so many great conversations, ideas, and resources all over the web every day. Here are some of the most interesting things I’ve found recently (as of January 24th). You can join the conversations in the comments, or click through to the original posts to find what others are saying. To follow more of the things I find online, you can follow @amysampleward on Twitter (which is just a blog and resource feed), or find me on Delicious (for all kinds of bookmarks). Eric Lanke: Stop Calling It Strategic Planning – "So I'm working my way through Humanize, and like… -
Philanthropy and Social Media: New Whitepaper from The Institute for Philanthropy
20 Jan 2012 | 7:03 amEarlier this week, I had the terrific opportunity to participate on a panel at the US launch event for “Philanthropy and Social Media”, a whitepaper from The Institute for Philanthropy and The Indigo Trust. Download the full white paper or share it using this link: http://bit.ly/oii1Vr Below are notes from my remarks. The internet is not new. The last few years, though, have been dramatically impacted by the real-time web. The real-time web is a paradigm based on pushing information to users as soon as it’s available, instead of requiring that they or their software check a… -
Philanthropy and Social Media
17 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmDate: January 17, 2012, 6 pm EST Location: New York, NY Topic: Philanthropy and Social Media Description: To launch the whitepaper, Philanthropy and Social Media, presented by The Institute for Philanthropy and The Indigo Trust, this panel discussed the impact of social media on philanthropy and giving from various perspectives. In addition to myself, the panel included: Ben Scott (Policy Advisor for Innovation at the US Department of State), Mayur Patel (Vice President of Strategy and Assessment, Knight Foundation), Scott Oki (Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, and Co-Founder of…
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NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoupGlobal.org blogs
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Connect with other Community Builders at Weekly #CommBuild Chats!
7 Feb 2012 | 5:35 amI've recently been involved with community building around community building via weekly #commbuild Twitter chats. This concept is a bit meta, I know, but I've found it to be a really great way to connect with other people in my position. Since there are so many community builders involved with the Net2 network in various ways, I wanted to be sure to let you all know about this new opportunity.What is #CommBuild? #CommBuild focuses on issues and topics relevant to those working on community building or in community management roles. These chats originated out of the #4Change… -
TechSoup Geeks: Speedgeeking at USRio+2.0
6 Feb 2012 | 11:34 amFor three days last week, the US State Department hosted the USRio+2.0 Conference, an infusion of entrepreneurial spirit into a conversation that could use it: the Rio+20 discussion on sustainable development ideas and solutions. The event was all about highlighting innovative ideas and technologies through some nontraditional conference events including, among other things, speedgeeking. Speedgeeking, modelled off speed dating, is a quick-hit way to introduce and demonstrate technology projects. Although it’s been used in tech circles for a few years now, my guess is that it was new… -
Greening the Ghettos and Rebirth to Local Communities Ignored
6 Feb 2012 | 12:03 amMajora Carter contributed greatly to leading efforts to make ghettos, green, clean and sustainable in New York. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html We have an opportunity to apply the same principle in San Francisco. What would you do to fight for environmental justice in areas such as Bayview Hunters Point, Visitation Valley, Mission District and other under-served areas with low income and forgotten? As an examples...in an emotionally charged talk, MacArthur-winning activist Majora Carter details her fight for environmental justice in the South Bronx… -
NetSquared Camp Vancouver: April 28 2012
4 Feb 2012 | 2:52 pmNet Tuesday Vancouver is excited to announce NetSquared Camp 2012, an intimate gathering of Vancouver’s online campaigners. This unconference will be a chance for our community to gather and share our hard-won best practices, war stories, and victories! The event will be held at The Hive on Saturday, April 28 and admission is $20. There are just 80 spots available, so please RSVP soon to ensure you get a ticket. Tickets and more information: http://netsquared2012.eventbrite.ca/ Hope to see you there! -
Google Privacy Policy And What It Means For The Nptech World
3 Feb 2012 | 11:10 amLast week Google announced their new privacy policy to the world. The changes in the way that Google combines and uses information one shares with its services is effective in less than a month, on March the 1st. There is a few absolutely basic facts that every Internet user (be it a Google ID user or not) should be aware of in the context of the change, and I will try to brief them here. I would love to learn and understand how exactly non-profit organizations will be affected by the new policy -- I understand that this is a very complex issue, and it is still hard to distill how this…
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Beth’s Blog
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What does monitoring your brand on social media channels really mean?
8 Feb 2012 | 8:49 amSource: journalism.org via Lucy on Pinterest “Listening” or tracking what people are saying about your brand or issue has always been hailed at the first most important step in building your social media or network strategy. Listening is the process tracking brand mentions or related key words and transforming a “river of noise” into insights that allow you to make decisions. Listening can help your organization craft messages/content, keep your finger on how your network thinks about your issue or brand, help with curation of content, identify influencers… -
The Five Stages of A Social Media PR Disaster
7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 amSource: tomfishburne.com via Beth on Pinterest Update: Just as I hit the publish button on this post, I got news that Komen’s Karen Handel resigned. Perhaps the sixth stage is fire the staff person who was primarily responsible for the mess. Now that we’ve had a few days to let the dust settle from the Komen-Planned Parenthood firestorm, it is time to think about takeaways for other nonprofits. Deanna Zandt presents an analysis of what made this particular pr crisis different from others and the teachable moments that are useful other nonprofits. The bottom line is:… -
Taking Baby Steps to Social Media Maturity with Your Peers
6 Feb 2012 | 9:42 amFlickr Photo by Johnny Hall Note from Beth: This past year has been a deep exploration into how nonprofits can use measurement and reflection to improve their practices as a networked nonprofit and social media. As part of my work at the Packard Foundation, I designed and facilitated several peer learning groups and exchanges. It was a fantastic laboratory to explore the power of peer learning and the right mix. Also, as a trainer how you create a co-learning opportunity versus the “sage on the stage.” I’ve been reflecting, doing an after action review to… -
Heroes with A Heart Grant Recognizes Unsung Nonprofit Heroes
3 Feb 2012 | 8:56 amHeroes with A Heart Grant Recognizes Unsung Nonprofit Heros – Guest Post by John Haydon If you’re like most people, you get most of your inspiration from people who are quietly changing the world each and every day. They’re not on the front page of the newspaper, and they’re not mingling with the Gates and Buffets of the world. They’re everyday people like you and me who have shown extraordinary commitment to making this world better than when they found it. The CTK Foundation “Heroes with a Heart” Grant Award asks YOU to nominate a “Hero with a… -
Komen Kan Kiss My Mammagram, PinActivism, and Newsjacking for a Cause
1 Feb 2012 | 10:54 pmSource: thefastertimes.com via Noland on Pinterest On Tuesday, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a leading breast cancer charity, pulled hundreds of thousands of dollars in breast cancer screening funds from Planned Parenthood. Each year millions of women are screened for breast cancer at Planned Parenthood, and Susan G. Komen’s funding pays for about 170,000 of those screenings. These services are particularly important for women from under-served communities. The AP reported that Komen for the Cure has decided to halt grants to Planned Parenthood and the decision was…
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NTEN
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How To Track Everyone Who's Anyone To You: Is A Single Database Right for Your Org?
8 Feb 2012 | 10:08 am[Editor's note: The following is an excerpt of an article in the December 2011 issue of NTEN:Change. Read the complete issue of NTEN's new quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders by subscribing to the journal for free!]By Laura Quinn, IdealwareSince most organizations don’t track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them—donors, volunteers, clients, email subscribers, advocates and everyone else—is something of a holy grail. The ability to easily see how all your constituents interact with your organization, and with each other, makes for an attractive,… -
Keeping Them Coming Back for More: Your Communications Arcs
7 Feb 2012 | 3:59 pmKivi Leroux Miller President Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com Story arcs are what keep you coming back to your favorite TV shows: you care what happens next. What does this have to do with nonprofit marketing? Everything! If you have a favorite TV show, you are familiar with the concept of the story arc: what happens last week influences what happens this week, and that influences what happens next week. We can look back at the end of the season and summarize several different story arcs within one show. Smaller one-time events will happen in each episode, but a few larger story arcs continue… -
Social Networking IRL (In Real Life) at the NTC
6 Feb 2012 | 4:12 pm2012 NTC Feature It’s already February, and the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference is only two months away! One of the best parts of the conference is the opportunity to connect with other nonprofit technology professionals, so you can share your experiences and knowledge. We want to make sure you make the most of the social and networking events at the 2012 NTC, so this week we’re filling you in on the NTC Connect Track and other opportunities to connect with the NTC Community. NTC Connect Track To make it easier for you connect at the NTC, we’ve introduced a new event track… -
NTEN's Technology Leadership Academy Returns for 2012
3 Feb 2012 | 1:43 pmWe're excited to announce that the Technology Leadership Academy is returning in 2012. Even better, thanks to the generous support of Google and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, we're able to offer the Academy at no charge to qualifying organizations.The Academy gets at the very heart of what NTEN does. We believe that with improved tech leadership, nonprofits like yours will provide more and better programs, inspire more communities, and involve more volunteers to share their time.> Apply by February 24th! With improved tech leadership, our sector will be stronger, more… -
Member Round Up: We've got dancing babies!
3 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pmThis week, our members are releasing new fundraising tools, hosting workshops, and even awarding grants. While we’re encouraged by some statistics our members released regarding nonprofits and technology, we’re also thrilled that anyone could like us this much: Thank you so much for all your help in the NTEN Champions Fundraising Campaign, Corey Pudhorosky! Have more news to share? Drop us a line or include your links in the comments! Charity Dynamics released statistics that made everyone here at NTEN excited! A survey of their clients indicates that nonprofits are going to focus on…
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Have Fun • Do Good
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Growing Good Habits + a Happy Reminder Board (video)
8 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmHappy Reminder Board (special appearance by Dora the Cat) from Britt Bravo on Vimeo. Whether I'm working with bloggers and creative entrepreneurs, or talking with a friend, everyone I know is trying to grow good habits. They want to write "morning pages," meditate, exercise, blog, cook dinner, make art, stretch, drink 8 glasses of water, eat healthier, and give thanks more often (sound familiar?). When I've asked people about what helps them keep good habits, they say: Enjoying the process Enjoying the result Having fun Having a role model, or mentor Keeping the habit with a buddy, or… -
12 Prompts for Generous Living & Blogging
1 Feb 2012 | 11:57 amInspired by my post, 20 Ways to be a Generous Blogger, I shared 12 Prompts for Generous Living and Blogging in this month's Juicy Blogging e-News.You don't need to be a blogger, to try the Generous Living prompts, so I thought I'd share them here too. If you'd like to receive the Juicy Blogging eNews in your in-box once a month, you can subscribe by clicking here. Have fun doing good! ************************** Wednesday, February 1 Live it: What are your generous living goals for the month? How do you want to give to yourself, your friends, your family, your local community, and the… -
Cook from The Vegan Table with VegCookbook Club in February
31 Jan 2012 | 12:16 pmAs some of you know, this year I started a new blog, VegCookbookClub.com, where each month myself and readers cook through one vegetarian, or vegan cookbook. We share tips, opinions and advice about recipes in the comments, on Twitter, on Instagram, and on our own blogs. We just finished cooking from Appetite for Reduction. In February, we're going to cook from The Vegan Table. To join in the fun, all you have to do is pick up a copy of The Vegan Table, cook from it, and share your experience on VegCookbookClub.com, on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #vegcookbookclub, or on… -
Martha Beck Interview: Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
25 Jan 2012 | 9:35 amWe’ve proliferated and thrived because we never stop playing, and the way to cope with the increasing complexity of the wild new world is to play more. --Martha Beck, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World Like many of you, I know Martha Beck fromher O Magazine column (it's the first thing I read), and her many self-help books (e.g. Finding Your Own North Star, The Joy Diet). She always delivers good advice with a healthy dose of humor. When I signed up for her mailing list in the fall of 2010, I received a PDF of the first chapter of her book-in-progress with the working title, The… -
Tea, Cupcakes and Creative Bloggers in Your Town
24 Jan 2012 | 10:05 amA couple weekends ago I facilitated a 3-hour Tea, Cupcakes and Creative Bloggers workshop at Teahouse Studio. It was so much fun, I want to teach it again soon. I'm planning on offering it at Teahouse again in the fall, but am also looking for other venues for this spring and summer. If you know of a place that might like to host a TCCB gathering/workshop in the Bay Area and beyond, let me know in the comments, or email me at britt AT brittbravo DOT com. Maybe I can combine visiting your town with a vacation! Cupcakes by Batter and Dough Here are some of the nice things that the ladies…
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Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog
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Please take this Valentine’s Day pledge
8 Feb 2012 | 11:58 pmThis February 14, let’s re-boot Valentine’s Day for good. (Thanks to the video wizards at See3 for generously contributing this video to the movement!) Instead of forging V-Day connections with one person via chocolate, candlelight and a card, let’s forge G-Day connections with as many people as possible – including complete strangers – by saying YES on February 14th to every opportunity to be nice, help out, or delight with generosity. It might mean tipping 100%. Or telling a colleague how much you appreciate them and agreeing to that long-delayed… -
How to make a magnificent mini-impression
7 Feb 2012 | 11:35 pmPeople decide very quickly whether something appeals to them - usually in a matter of seconds. If you work in communications, marketing or fundraising, it’s wise to remember to focus on that mini-impression formed in the first few instants of engagement. You can be sure the Super Bowl advertisers knew that - heck, they were spending $116,667 a second to make a good impression. They didn’t always do a good job, but there is a lot to learn from their successes and failures. In the Harvard Business Review blog this week, Ron Ashkenas shares reflections on the three things… -
Two things it’s easy to forget with social media
6 Feb 2012 | 11:16 pmIn the reactive, fast-moving, turbulent world of social media, it’s easy to be swept up with a sense of false urgency. Yet two of the most valuable things you can do involve slowing down: 1. Pausing to think. Before you run off to spend time on a channel, you want to figure out WHO you’re trying to reach online, WHERE they are, and HOW to best communicate with them. A little intentionality now saves oodles of lost time later. 2 Stopping to listen. Really listen. It’s so tempting to fire off a response or jump into a conversation. But… -
Venn Heaven: How to map your champions online
5 Feb 2012 | 11:18 pmTom Webster of BrandSavant Blog had a fascinating post this past week on the overlap - or lack thereof - of 1) your base of supporters and 2) social media mavens. It’s important you understand how much overlap you have, so you know how to use social media effectively to build your brand. He drew a series of Venn Diagrams, which I am showing here: So which is ideal? The first looks good, because you have some overlap between supporters and social media champions. That overlapping area is a great start to a core of online enthusiasts - and it can grow as that group reaches out… -
Jobs at Network for Good
3 Feb 2012 | 11:49 amNetwork for Good, where I work, is hiring. Among the positions is a business development position for those interested in cultivating corporate cause partnerships. Next week, we’ll be posting an additional position in marketing. Check out our job listings here.
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Idealist Blog
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How to write a rejection letter
8 Feb 2012 | 10:22 amFrom Flickr user recoverling (Creative Commons) Over and over, job seekers tell us that it’s frustrating, and unfortunately very common, to submit applications and never receive any indication that a hiring manager has reviewed or even received them. But what about when you do get through the door, have an interview, and don’t get hired? We recently asked our Facebook and LinkedIn communities: Question: What was the nicest (or worst) rejection letter you ever received after a job interview? No need to name names/organizations. Just wondering what makes for the “best”… -
Nonprofit Finance Fund survey deadline: Feb 15
3 Feb 2012 | 11:24 amAnother day, another dollar, another survey Each year, the Nonprofit Finance Fund surveys U.S. nonprofits. The goals are to document the issues being faced by community-serving organizations and to identify ways the fund itself, and other supporters of the work of nonprofits, can be most useful. It takes maybe 15 minutes to complete the survey, which requires a pretty broad knowledge of an organization’s activities – from the state of the finances to relationships with funders to the board of directors. Do you have that knowledge? Take the survey today! And if that’s not you,… -
Got a new job? Eight tips for a successful start
19 Jan 2012 | 10:23 amJanuary is typically the month when we see the highest number of jobs posted to Idealist.org, and this year is no exception. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of those gigs, here are some things to keep in mind as you begin. Thanks to Michelle Moran of YNPN-NYC for this guest post. Good luck in your new role! (Photo: cogdogblog, Flickr/Creative Commons) Once you have landed a new job it may seem like the hard part is over, but sometimes your first few weeks at work can be very challenging. Follow these tips to get off on the right foot and avoid making common mistakes. 1. Remember: you… -
Take professional development into your own hands
17 Jan 2012 | 8:46 amHow will you carve out time to learn and reflect? Photo: US Army (Flickr/Creative Commons) Need professional development, but don’t have a budget for travel or tuition? Here are a bunch of free or relatively affordable upcoming trainings we’ve spotted recently – ones you can join from the comfort of your own desk or couch. Special thanks to Ben Hastil for his contributions to this roundup. Telling your organization’s story Creating Compelling Member Stories as Part of Your Outreach and Recruitment Strategy: A free webinar from the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), Jan. 25… -
Searching the site? Some updates for you.
13 Jan 2012 | 11:36 amNo need for a magnifying glass. (Photo: Mads Boedker, Flickr/Creative Commons) Yesterday we released a new set of features to make it easier to find the people, organizations, and opportunities that matter most to you. Play around and let us know what you think! Click on any of the listing types (Jobs, Volunteer Opportunities, etc.) in the header on Idealist.org, or start a search based on type, keyword, or location. To better locate the opportunities relevant to where you are or want to be, we’ve refined our radius search to including listings from your choice of 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100…
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The Epic Change Blog
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Look What Your Love Built
2 Feb 2012 | 11:31 amLast week, in a tiny Tanzanian village half the world away, a secondary school built from love opened its doors for the very first time. Because of you. Imagine the possibilities their education could represent for the world we share. Perhaps Gideon will go on to discover new planets. Maybe Leah will finally find a cure. You created these possibilities. By telling your mom you love her during To Mama With Love. By opening your heart, and your home, to friends from so very far away on a miraculous journey you made possible. By singing your little hearts out with LaLaLove. By simply giving Epic… -
Yes Begets Yes
9 Dec 2011 | 10:18 amIt was the middle of the night I’m sure, maybe even later, when we called Ann and told her yet again: we need your help. We’ve got one week to launch a site. We need a volunteer to build it. And you’re our only hope. It was the middle of the night, as it always is, because she’s got a full-time job changing lives in LA. And she’s an artist too. And a digital magazine publisher. And, oh so much more. It’s always them, you know, the ones with so much to do you can’t see them fitting one more thing in. They manipulate the laws of time & space to… -
Where Gratitude Leads
1 Dec 2011 | 9:46 amThis was my first ThanksGiving offline since TweetsGiving was born in 2008. Instead of spending the day seeking more, I decided to simply be present & thankful for every miracle that has already found it’s way into this little life of mine. And to relish every moment of a rare day spent in the company of my family from both sides of the world. And this is what happened. On ThanksGiving Day, I received a totally unexpected email from someone we’d last reached out to nearly a year ago. The first words in the email were: “Dear Stacey, Happy Thanksgiving!” The email… -
Epic Thanks To You Who Dare to Believe
22 Nov 2011 | 4:15 amI remember the first TweetsGiving, three years ago. Each day we plotted, for the six days before ThanksGiving, Sanjay would calmly whisper: “this isn’t going to work,” and then continued about his work building the site & strategizing as if he wholeheartedly believed. Somewhere deep down, his heart had hope, even if his brain couldn’t quite wrap itself around the possibility that gratitude could be sufficient currency to build a classroom. Then, in 48 hours, we raised over $11,000 USD from hundreds of people across the globe we’d never met. Since then, the… -
Update from the Road
7 Nov 2011 | 10:35 pmWe’re now half-way through our whirlwind US tour with Mama Lucy, Leah & Gideon. I’m SO grateful to those of you who have shown us such love & hospitality on the journey, and am hoping paths will cross with many more of you in the next few days. Want to join us for the rest of the journey? Join us in New York, Pittsburgh, DC, or Tampa. Like our Facebook page to catch all the photos from our journey. Follow @epicchange on Instagram on your mobile phone – or on followgram.me.
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Frogloop
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Top 10 Most Generous Cities in the U.S.
8 Feb 2012 | 12:12 pmEver wonder how charitable your city is? You’re in luck because Convio recently released their report on the 273 most generous cities across the United States. Convio analyzed cities with total population of more than 100,000 based on per capita online giving and the total amount donated through the Convio platform. The average gift size remained steady in 2011 at about $65 with more than $435M donated to charities. The donors in the most generous cities increased their total online contributions by more than 11 percent over 2010, which is pretty impressive considering the tough… -
Upcoming Conference Roundup (February - March 2012)
6 Feb 2012 | 12:26 pmWith the new year in full swing, we're looking forward to all the great events that are coming up this year by refreshing our own 2012 Conferences calendar. Here you'll find a list of upcoming events that are sure to be buzzing with cause-minded folks. And wherever there's a cause to be championed, you'll find the Care2 Team -- this month delivering a trifecta of tips and tactics, with three of our Nonprofit Services directors presenting at three different conferences on three different topics over the next three weeks: -Eric Rardin will be talking about Cause Marketing & High Level… -
Webinar: eCampaign 2012 - Killer Tactics to Drive Elections with Online Fundraising And Social Media
5 Feb 2012 | 2:46 pmElectoral campaigns are important incubators of new techniques and tactics in online fundraising and organizing. From Barack Obama's campaign to the thousands of state and local races across the country, campaigners are relentlessly testing new approaches and refining proven tactics in online fundraising and social media to gain an edge over their rivals -- and in some cases to make history. Join us on February 16, 2012 at 2:00 PM ET for "eCampaign 2012 - Killer Tactics to Drive Elections Using Online Fundraising & Social Media" and hear from two experts who are… -
Lessons Learned When Your Community Revolts
2 Feb 2012 | 6:40 amThere are three pillars to building an online community and engaging on social media channels: 1. Honesty, transparency, and being upfront. 2. Listening and being responsive to members of the community no matter how lame or silly you find the questions or feedback. 3. Thanking your community for their support, feedback and guidance. If you don’t practice these principals every single day somewhere along the way your community is going to revolt. And it won’t be pretty. For example, yesterday, Planned Parenthood released a statement saying that the Susan G. Komen Foundation… -
Year-End Fundraising Up in 2011
30 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amIn January of last year I wrote up a quick summary on how some of our clients' end-of-year fundraising campaigns did vs. the prior year, and I thought it’d be nice to repeat the exercise to see how nonprofits fared in 2011. The results below come from aggregate data from 14 organizations we work with – a big thanks to them for letting us include their data in this post. These aren’t necessarily the same organizations we included in our write-up last year; this analysis compares two years of data for these 14 groups. So without further ado, here’s the scoop: A lot more…
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How to Change the World
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Raising Money: What Not to Say and What Not to Believe #OfficeandGuyK
20 Jan 2012 | 10:46 amOver the past two weeks via my partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve provided templates of models for you to create enchanting PowerPoint pitches, Word business plans, and Excel financial models. They are all available for you to download from my SkyDrive account. I hope these documents and blog posts help you save a boatload of time and increase the quality of your efforts.I leave you with two sets of top ten lies: one of entrepreneurs and one of investors so that you know what not to say and what not to believe. Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs “Our projections are… -
Design a Sam Adams beer
20 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amNow this is a fun project. I’m helping Sam Adams “tap” the knowledge of beer drinkers and crowd source its next brew. Join the party by getting the app and designing your beer: The final brew will be released in Austin in the first week of March. #sponsored -
How to Create an Enchanting Financial Forecast #OfficeandGuyK
17 Jan 2012 | 1:52 pmThis is the third post in my Microsoft partnership, and it’s all about numbers. The topic is crafting your financial forecast to include in your pitch. Bill Reichert, my partner at Garage Technology Ventures, created an Excel model and wrote this blog post. There’s a lesson in this too: Get the best person for the job. His grasp of financial models and how to present them exceeds mine by two orders of magnitude. The Purpose of Financial Projections When it comes to financial projections, there are two types of entrepreneurs: first, the “visionary entrepreneur” who… -
How to Create an Enchanting Business Plan #OfficeandGuyK
12 Jan 2012 | 8:16 amHere is the second post in my series about planning, pitching, and launching a new business venture. In partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve created a Word document that outlines a good business plan. It’s saved to my SkyDrive folder here. Feel free to download it and use it as inspiration. And if you’re working with a partner, you can use the free Word Web App to stay in sync. I provided the PowerPoint document before the Word document because a good business plan is an elaboration of a good pitch as opposed to a good pitch being a distillation of good business plan. -
How to Create an Enchanting Pitch #OfficeandGuyK
9 Jan 2012 | 8:01 amWelcome to the first in a series of blog posts I’ll be doing as part of a partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps. Over the next two weeks, I’ll cover everything a budding entrepreneur needs to turn an idea into an enchanting investment opportunity—from the perfect pitch to a killer business plan to financial forecasts. I’m going to start with a little dissertation on creating effective PowerPoint pitches for your company. I embedded the sample deck for you to click through by using the PowerPoint Web App. When you’re ready to get started, you can download the…
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SocialButterfly
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What’s In A Campaign? That Which We Call Change
8 Feb 2012 | 7:08 pmAs the science behind social change evolves, how we approach our work must too. And sometimes, it is just symantics. But sometimes, it’s not. It’s a difference in mentality. Take the idea of a “campaign” for example. The word campaign itself brings with it assumed processes, methods and associations. It also ranks up there with “awareness” as one of the most overused and over-relied upon words in public health. We can do better. The word-of-mouth company, Brains on Fire, wrote a brilliant manifesto on the inherent differences between a campaign and a… -
Is Talking About Spirituality and Social Change Taboo?
23 Jan 2012 | 8:44 pmWhat shapes your world view? How does your world view influence your work to change the world for the better? Growing up, we’re told we shouldn’t talk about two things: politics and religion. Yet these two things often help set the foundation of one’s world view. How do we go about changing the world for the better if we can’t talk about either? It’s not realistic--Is it? www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXfD5SJgPqo “If I hear one more politician croak out the words that his or her faith is a private matter, I may just have to go smack them. That is so not reality. -
Passion Meets Purpose – Let’s #Rock2012
13 Jan 2012 | 8:24 pmHow are you applying purpose to your passion? Between blogging with Razoo and working at IQ Solutions on fun projects such as launching Healthy People 2020 and our Nation’s Leading Health Indicators, it’s been awhile. There are two announcements I want to share: Evolving Beyond the Free Agent Fundraiser Jo Rampy crossing the finish line at the inaugural TRI 2 Encourage with her family. My family and I (pictured above) have launched a nonprofit foundation to help advance multiple sclerosis research called the Rampy MS Research Foundation. Our vision? Find a cure for MS within our… -
Social Media Is Not a Marketing Strategy
20 Nov 2011 | 6:40 pmThere, I said it. Social media in and of itself is not a strategy (gasp). It does not replace a solid marketing approach or even a communications plan. To be successful, it must be integrated into a larger strategic framework. This applies to organizations as well as programs, initiatives and (my dreaded word) campaigns. Harvard Business Review recently published an article titled “Separate Social Media From Marketing:” …we need to break out social media and talk about more than marketing and technology. Instead, we need to talk about what social media enables: the ability… -
Reading Up On Social Determinants of Health
10 Oct 2011 | 7:29 pmOctober may be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but a number of articles came out last week focusing on social determinants of health. The phrase “social determinants of health” refers to health where we live, learn, work, play (and pray). In short, Health with a capital H. U.S. Life Expectancy Rises, Health Disparities Increase Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shared its review of Healthy People 2010. The report shared that as a Nation, we had met or were moving toward meeting, 71% of the disease prevention and health promotion objectives we set in…
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Ashoka In The News
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Red Solidaria ("Solidarity Network")
20 Jan 2012 | 7:35 amRelease Date: January 18, 2012 Original URL: http://www.actualidadlocal.net/noticias/8045.html Publication name: Actualidad Local In Argentina, Ashoka Fellow, Juan Carr, works to create a bridge between those who need any type of ... read more -
Social Entrepreneurship in Egypt: Challenges and Opportunities
20 Jan 2012 | 7:30 amRelease Date: December 12, 2011 Original URL: http://blogs.worldbank.org/dmblog/social-entrepreneurship-in-egypt-challenges-an... Publication name: World Bank Blog Egyptian Fellow, Ehaab Abdou, discusses the three main challenges facing social entrepreneurship in the MENA region and in particular, in Egypt. -
MFI Bandhan wins Skoch Financial Inclusion Award 2012
17 Jan 2012 | 11:31 amRelease Date: January 5, 2012 Original URL: http://www.microfinancefocus.com/mfi-bandhan-wins-skoch-financial-inclusion-awar... Publication name: Microfinance Focus Ashoka Fellow, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, receives recognition for his work to alleviate poverty through education and microfinance. -
UK ‘social stock exchange’ takes next step as Big Society fund shares out £3.1m from dormant bank accounts
28 Dec 2011 | 7:11 amRelease Date: December 28, 2011 Original URL: http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/social-investment/money/20111228/uk-... Publication name: Social Enterprise A new push in Britain has been made to develop a 'social stock exchange,' designed to improve access to capital for social entrepreneurs. read more -
Ahige: Los hombres lideran la igualdad de género
28 Dec 2011 | 6:56 amRelease Date: December 27, 2011 Original URL: http://www.compromisoempresarial.com/nombres-propios/organizaciones-responsables... Publication name: Compromiso Empresarial Read more about the work being done by Spanish Fellow, Antonio Garcia Dominguez, to promote gender equality in Europe.
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Social Media Explorer
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What Happened To Saying Something Nice?
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amSocial media has certainly given the power back to the consumer. But sometimes the consumer doesn’t do nice things with that power. While it could be a matter of perception (the overwhelming sentiment of most brands in online conversational analysis is positive), it certainly seems like the only time we take note of brand mentions online is when someone is whining or bitching about them. AT&T is one brand that gets unnecessarily beaten about its head and face a lot online. I’ve never quite understood this, perhaps because I’m A) Practical in nature and understand… -
Get Out of Your Own Way: 5 Excuses Marketers Use to Avoid Social Media ROI
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amYou see it everywhere. Management teams and marketers desperately want to understand how social media is delivering to the bottom line. Marketers are getting tons of pressure from their management teams and are desperate for a way to prove their strategies are working. With so many chomping at the bit to get at true return on investment (ROI), how has it remained so elusive? Has social media become the marketing channel that we know we need to have, but can’t demonstrate why? What if Social Media ROI was really simple, but we let a bunch of excuses get in our way of measuring it? -
Empowering Your Employees With Social Media
6 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amEditor’s Note: This is a guest post by Emily Eldridge, Senior Vice President of Pure. It’s tempting to think that employees’ online discussions about your company should be curbed. Most company policies in the modern workplace exist to protect us from lawsuits – and to ostensibly protect employees from themselves. While it’s understandable to want control over our corporate image, this fear dimishes our employees’ ability to communicate. A stronger approach is to empower our staff to be brand advocates. Advocate for Your Employees Companies should decide whether their… -
How Small Businesses Can Go Big With Social Media Marketing
6 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amIt’s no secret to many of you — it-getters in the sense that you at least read Social Media Explorer and are likely bought in — that social media marketing can have a huge impact on your business. But we still see more case studies from major brands playing in the social channels than we do small businesses. With the fact that 44 percent of small businesses don’t even have a website, much less social media efforts, it’s no surprise that there’s a gap between success cases in small versus medium and large businesses. Small businesses typically face one… -
Integrating Social Media Across The Organization
3 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amOperationalizing social media across the organization is perhaps on of the most challenging aspects of social media for companies and brands. Too many look at social media as a consumer-facing communications channel and forget that departments from HR to research and development and even internal collaboration among divisions can all be helped by social technologies and strategies. We’re addressing that issue at Explore Dallas-Fort Worth in several discussions, one major one led by Zena Weist, Vice-President of Digital Strategy for Edelman. Her experience at brands like Embarq, Sprint…
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ReadWriteWeb
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Groupon's First Earnings Call Missed the Mark, But It May Not Matter
8 Feb 2012 | 9:28 pmToday in its quarterly earnings call, Groupon reported that it did not meet fourth quarter expectations. The company posted a $43 million loss, or $0.08 cents per share. Despite the loss, Groupon's revenue in the fourth quarter 2011 grew 194% to $506.5 million, up from $172.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. In fact, the fourth quarter 2011 was the company's first quarter of operating profitability since it opening international operations in the second quarter of 2010. This brings everyone back to the same question: Is the daily deals model a real, legitimate business, or is it just a… -
Daily Wrap: January's List of Apps You Need to See and more
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmDan Rowinski rounds up the best apps, in our opinion, of January 2012. This and more in today's Daily Wrap. Sometimes it's difficult to catch everything that hits tech media in a day, so we wrap up some of the most talked about stories. We give you a daily recap of what you missed in the ReadWriteWeb Community, including a link to some of the most popular discussions in our offsite communities on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ as well. Sponsor New iPhone, iPad and Android Apps for January 2012 In what is surely a labor of love, Dan Rowinski combs through the mass of apps released… -
Stop Saying "Finally"
8 Feb 2012 | 5:50 pmFIIIINALLY! Google released a Chrome beta for Android! GODDDDD. What took them so long? All the Ice Cream Sandwich users have been waiting, like, FOREVER! Finally, Tweetbot for iPad came out. I've only been asking them for, like, EIGHT MONTHS! Jeez. Apple fiiiinally released iTunes Match after a whole month, and it didn't even work right! Listen to how this sounds. How do we, the tech bloggers, get away with headlines like this? Where do users get off complaining impatiently about updates to a service that costs them $2.99? Or a free service? Let's have a reality check. Remember how awesome… -
10 Ways to Win Over Writers
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pmAs a PR person, product developer, CEO or whatever, you're probably more interested in getting noticed by the media than developing a relationship with a particular writer. That's one way to go about it. Then there's that old-fashioned "building a relationship with a real person not a robot" idea. You know, treating people like people and taking the time to get to know them. Oh right, yeah, forgot about that. Writers, like artists, are sensitive to ideas and people. But not every writer will get you or your product - and in the tech world as in any world, each writer has their own… -
Nginx Continues Growth, Adds Commercial Offerings
8 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pmAccording to the Netcraft Web Server Survey for February 2012, Nginx was "the only server to experience a non-negligible market share increase this month" by picking up 0.27 percentage points. Good news for the upstart Web server, just as the brand-new company behind Nginx takes the wraps off its commercial packages. Nginx has had quite the growth spurt over the past year. In February of last year Nginx had 7.57% of the market, or about 21 million domains hosted with Nginx. Microsoft had 20.04%, or about 57 million. Apache was at 60.10%, with more than 171 million domains. Sponsor…
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Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
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Can You Find Success Following a Firing?
8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amOne of the most challenging situations a person can find themselves in is trying to secure a new job after they’ve been terminated from a previous position. While there is hope of locating employment following a termination, the odds are definitely lessened for such individuals, who must fight through the stigma of being removed from a company. The bottom line is resiliency and the ability to best explain away why you were let go. For those individuals who have to deal with such a situation, keep several things in mind: Deal with reality – It is never easy when the pink slip arrives and… -
Five Delegation Thinking Traps that Trip Almost Everyone Who Wants to Scale Up
7 Feb 2012 | 5:39 amScaling Up Requires Pushing Down Lower-Level Tasks In the companies I worked with and for, product development schedules were cyclical, with seriously tight deadlines at certain times of the year and a more relaxing pace when those deadline had been achieved. To even out this ebb and flow of deliverables, we would hire freelancers, off-sire staff, and development groups. Even the most entry-level full-time people were managing and influencing the performance of someone else. The ability to influence another person’s performance in positive ways affected how quickly employees could grow… -
Does Your Business Style Connect or Make People Cringe?
6 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amGet Serious Attention In Amanda Valenti’s recent guest post here about Common Writing Mistakes, she made many important points that I encourage small businesses to take to heart. If spelling, grammar, and homophones are not your strong suites, find someone who can edit what you write. It IS worth it because Amanda is absolutely correct – these types of errors will cost you visitors and business. There is something more serious you must be aware of as well and that is what kind of image you are presenting to the world. Specifically, what you consider acceptable regarding profanity,… -
Beach Notes: After the Storm
5 Feb 2012 | 7:11 amby Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh After the storm, creative thinking … With all the driftwood on the beach after recent big storms, some people see debris spoiling the usually pristine sands. Others see a gift for creativity. What do you see when everything goes pear-shaped and plans fall apart? Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh -
What to do while you are waiting
5 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amMany people have to wait a long time for something to happen. Tom Petty was right: The waiting is the hardest part. It’s easy to become impatient, especially when we cannot see any signs that anything is happening. It’s like the seed germinating within the earth. Although there may be millions of chemical reactions going on beneath the surface, from topside, the soil resembles a mute brown plane, keeping its own counsel. Maddening. The urge to dig up the seed to check on its progress is almost overwhelming, and yet, in order for the seed to bear fruit, we must trust that the process is on…
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GlobalGiving Progress Reports
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Technology for Education Fund: "Technology for Education Fund 2011 Round-up"
8 Feb 2012 | 2:42 pmHappy New Year, Technology for Education Supporters!We hope 2012 is off to a great start for all of you. We’re writing to provide an update all the great work helped by the Technology for Education Fund in 2011. In 2011, the Fund continued to support three projects: CARE’s work in India and Egypt, and the Mortel Family Foundation’s work in Haiti. In Egypt, CARE continued to work with PCs in classrooms, providing safe spaces for girls to learn, share ideas, and socialize. The program has increased computer literacy among its students, providing them with… -
Empowering Young Men In Ending Sexual Exploitation: "Analysis of the Curriculum's Evaluation"
8 Feb 2012 | 8:32 amAt the start of the 2011-2012 academic year, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation brought on a new intern from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Kendra Harding is pursuing an MA in Forensic Psychology, and holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Iowa. She has proved invaluable to the organization, and spent the fall putting her research expertise to good use by analyzing all of the student evaluations from the first year of the CAASE’s curriculum, “Empowering Young Men.” She has compiled her findings in this… -
Empower girls like Priti in slums in Pune, India: "Stitching a new life"
8 Feb 2012 | 8:10 amRajiya, 18 years old I was really happy to learn sewing at the project. The course really has changed a lot in my life. Before joining the class, I didn’t have confidence in my stitching skills. By joining the class, not only did I get skills, but I got confidence too. Before joining the course I was very shy and found it hard to mix with other women and girls. But now, I like to share my thoughts. I can actually earn money – the course helped me to get a job at a dress designer’s shop, so I now have financial independence. I’m very grateful to the project. -
The Safe House: An Enclave of Peace and Hope: "Positive Impacts from The Safe House"
8 Feb 2012 | 7:50 amOne of the most rewarding things about our work is realizing the positive outcomes from our young women who have worked so hard to overcome their traumatic experiences and strive for a better life. We cannot emphasize enough our pride in their resilience and endurance, and would like to thank you, the donors, for making these impressive gains possible. Margaret’s Exceptional Strides In November, Margaret shared her powerful story that told of the trauma she experienced before arriving at The Safe House. Margaret was forced to flee the Congo due to violent soldier attacks on her village,… -
East Africa Food Crisis: "A Dangerous Delay"
8 Feb 2012 | 7:26 amMore than 13 million people are still affected by the crisis in the Horn of Africa. There were clear early warning signs many months in advance, yet there was insufficient response until it was far too late. Governments, donors, the UN and NGOs need to change their approach to chronic drought situations by managing the risks, not the crisis. This means acting on information from early warning systems and not waiting for certainty before responding, as well as tackling the root causes of vulnerability and actively seeking to reduce risk in all activities. To achieve this, we must…
