Foundation Journal

Never a dull moment. That's how I would describe the second session on using social media tools for non-profits because we had lots of good questions and discussion. We covered another set of social network/media tools -- Youtube Channel, Flickr for groups, podcasting -- then showcased The Pixel Project non-profit group's global campaign to reduce violence against women. The Pixel Project uses social networking as a crucial means to fulfill their group's cause, which is why it was showcased last night. One of the take-aways from the Communiversity class is that there are different levels to using social media. The first level might be "just starting," when you're unsure of how the social networking tool works and skeptical about the value to your organization. Another level might be "one-way communication" to your group's followers. Many groups use Twitter to send information about events, but don't use it to engage supporters. The next lev...

This annual event was sponsored by the Non-Profit Technology Network and was attended by 1400 non-profit technology, communications, fundraising workers and consultants. The conference included a full-range of sessions on leadership, staffing, media, technology products, communications, fundraising, among others. Representatives from a large number of non-profits and community organizations were there – energy policy, health services, food banks, education services, advocacy groups, disaster relief and services, child and women’s services. Consultants from a number of technology companies were present – web hosting, software development, content management systems (CMS), constituent relations management (CRM), public relations, and fundraising. I attended sessions on how a non-profit organization can explore social media technology like blogging, CMS systems, video and audio podcasting. Keynote speakers included Clay Shirky , author of Here Comes Everybody and professor at New York U...