In a meeting yesterday, a couple of my clients wanted to be able to see the locations of various employers in their community on a map, but weren't sure how to do this. I knew that this was something we could do using Google Maps, but not being a programmer, I also knew it was beyond my minimal capacities to be fooling around with Google's API. So I started to... Read more →
Via Seth Godin, NetSquared, Get Active and NetSquared have teamed up to identify 59 nonprofits that are making the best use Web 2.0 practices. "These charities were chosen for their excellence in online storytelling and collaboration with their donors. We didn't play favorites to one cause over another, nor did we look at their fundraising goals or number of members. Instead, these organizations are winners because of their web 2.0... Read more →
I'm working on my latest nonprofit networking installment, which I may or may not upload today. In the meantime, here's a nice mini guide to free video resources for learning from Robin Good. I haven't had a chance to fully explore it, but of particular interest to nonprofits, I think are the sections on: Video tutorials for blogging, social bookmarking and "Internet television." Presentations Collaborative Learning Michele Read more →
An interesting article in IT Business.ca, that indicates that many organizations are still not embracing Web 2.0 in all its glory, with many expressing concerns about privacy and compliance issues. Among the article's key points: Employees are interested in the ability of Web 2.0 applications to help them make sense of the growing tsunami of information with which they're faced on a daily basis. Blogs, wikis and mashups can be... Read more →
Via Seth, NPower New York and Squidoo, a FABULOUS one page cheat sheet describing "six cool (free) things you can do by the end of the day" to explore Web 2.0 tools and "Org 2.0." It's an easy-to-read PDF file that you can use to start experimenting with the new breed of Internet tools. Go get it. Right now. I'm not kidding. It's a must have. Use it to explain... Read more →
Sometimes we learn more from what's wrong, than from what's right. That's why Vince Flanders of Web Pages that Suck has been dissing businesses and nonprofit websites for years. Rightfully so if you check out his Biggest Mistakes in Web Design: 1995-2015, an article he recently revised when he realized that the Mistakes of 2004 (when he originally wrote it) were doomed to be repeated. For those of you who... Read more →
Lately Open Space Technology (OST) has been cropping up everywhere, most notably as Unconferences and Mashup Camps. I think that part of the appeal comes from how well OST processes dovetail with the ethos of Web 2.0, as well as how the tools of Web 2.0 lend themselves perfectly to supporting Open Space. What is Open Space? Open Space is a process for running meetings and conferences that is based... Read more →
It's our turn to host the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants this week, so I need your help. The Basics Submit a post on the topic below by 8 p.m. (EST) Friday, December 8. Send your post to [email protected] or by going to the Blog Carnival Form. I'll be selecting 7 of the best entries for the Carnival, which will go online Monday morning. Topic Last week, I mentioned that we've... Read more →
Via Escape from Cubicle Nation, I found Monthly Socks, a "sock of the month" club that allows you to sign up and receive socks on a monthly basis. Since it's Christmas and these kinds of "Thing of the Month" packages make great gifts, it got me to thinking . . . What about nonprofits banding together for a sort of "donation of the month" club? Let's say I'm buying a... Read more →
I'm tired after a day of presentations, but still wanted to quickly write about this. Excuse any incoherence. . . The USC/Annenberg Digital Future Project just released a report indicating some major shifts in communications and social connections spurred by online activities. The project conducts annual surveys of more than 2,000 individuals nationally and this year's report identifies some important changes in how users are participating in real-life and online... Read more →