NPTech
Refreshing Idea For Summer: Join NTEN!
It's summertime, for real now: I've been having breakfast with Wimbledon, the mosquitoes are biting, and I can't walk down the street in the evening without smelling someone cooking out on a grill.
Here at NTEN, another tell-tale sign of summer is our Summer Membership Offer:
Become a member of NTEN this summer, and get member benefits from now until the end of 2009!
> Learn more and join us
Who Makes Up the Nonprofit Tech Community?
Flickr photo: victoriapeckhamWe talk a lot about the nonprofit technology community here at NTEN. After all, that's why we're here: to support the community of nonprofit and technology professionals. But who makes up that community?
To keep track of the growing community and your technology needs and interests, every year we conduct a Community Survey. (You can see the 2007 NTEN Community Survey Report here.) It keeps us on our toes and helps us determine which programming and content is most relevant. And it's time again to take stock of who we are and what we need.
Oh yeah: you can enter to win a FREE registration to the 2009 Nonprofit Technology Conference in San Francisco while you're at it.
How Many Jellybeans Are in Your Jar?
Flickr Photo: husband unitIt's the day before a major holiday, so things are a wee bit quiet around here. Well, except for the iPod blaring Elton John. But quiet other than that.
I've finally had some time today to dive into the conversation that you, dear NTEN community, are starting on our Be the Media (name about to change) project.
If I didn't already believe in the wisdom of crowds, I certainly believe in the wisdom of THIS crowd. So many of you have contributed to the first module: Why Should Nonprofits Embrace Social Media (Or Not)?
NTEN Member Online Round-Up: Yes, It's Been a While
Flickr Photo: 2-Dog-FarmIt's been a while since I've posted a round-up of the online news and activity of NTEN members, but that's because there's been so much going on with you all, not to mention around here at NTEN!
On this afternoon before a long weekend, I thought I'd channel my cabin-fever energy into a roundup of what I've seen online this week from and about NTEN members:
Things We Like (June 2008)
- Campaign Monitor's "Guide to CSS Support in E-mail Clients". Brilliant! If NTEN Connect looks bad on your screen, we'd like to blame the engineers who coded your e-mail client, please.
- The Mobile Marketing Association has a code of conduct, which helps prevent mobile junk messages. Is it too late to hit the reset button on e-mail?
- What exactly would one charge with a solar power bra?
- A much cooler use of solar cells is Australia's solar updraft tower, capable of powering 200,000 homes, emission free. Oh, and Portugal's building a wave farm.
- NTEN's book club. Read a book, discuss it with other nptechies, "meet" the author.
- Cubans can now buy cell phones. Trips to the mall to find custom Che Guevara skins can't be far behind.
- mGive: Affordable text-to-give campaigns for nonprofits. That's it. No joke.
- e.Politics "Online Politics 101" is a great read! Sample: "Let’s change the world! But how? Robot/kung fu army? Too expensive. Zombies? Too messy. Online politics? A wise choice."
- Wired thinks Google's Android platform will free the wireless web. Maybe it will make robot armies more affordable, too.
- We've plugged them before, but the Center for Biological Diversity's RareEarthtones project still rocks harder than Dave Grohl after 5 Red Bulls. Recently added ringtones: alligator, bald eagle, and baby emperor penguin.
- Another reason to visit Japan: the C-shirt. See a shirt you like, scan its code with your mobile, remix it Creative Commons style, have it shipped to your door.
And the Winner is....
Nobody wore a hat today, so Karl drew the winner's name out of the plastic shell that covers our stack o' DVD-Rs. Drumroll please. The NTEN Blog comment raffle winner is... Avi Kaplan.
Avi will receive a copy of Media Rules!: Mastering Today's Technology to Connect with and Keep Your Audience by Brian Reich and Dan Soloman
Find out more about purchasing the book through NTEN, with access to an online Meet the Author session with Brian Reich. You can also join the developing discussion in the online Affinity Group - Book Club.
> Learn More and Join the NTEN Book Club Today!
How do You Explain Web 2.0? A New NTEN Project
Flickr Photo: Daniel F PigattoWe've started a new project to help aggregate the many amazing social media resources out there and develop a social media training curriculum that anyone in the sector can use. The best part is, we're making it happen in true Web 2.0 style. This is content truly created by and for our sector.
The amazing Beth Kanter is working on this project with us, and we've started work on the very first module for the curriculum: Why Should Nonprofits Embrace Social Media?
How did you pitch a blog, flickr, or twitter to your boss? Is there a metaphor you use to describe social media? Share your experiences with us on the wiki. Everything you share contributes to a richer curriculum we can all use in the future.
What IS a CTO Anyway?
Flickr Photo: Timmy ToucanI admit it: I use the terms CIO and CTO almost interchangeably. To me, the CIO/CTO split was like the distinction between Executive Director and President -- a matter of taste.
Turns out, I'm totally wrong. According to TechRepublic, there's a big difference betweeen the CIO and the CTO, and it has to do with who you serve. The CIO serves an organization's internal audience, or its staff. The CTO focuses on an organization's external audience, or clients, stakeholders, donors, etc. Check out the full breakdown.
So, what happens if you're the only techie at your organization? Are you the CT&IO?
Mobile Campaign Case Studies from Advocacy, Service Delivery, and Fundraising
Corinne Ramey, MobileActive.org
The numbers speak for themselves: There are currently 236 million cell phone users in the U.S. – an astounding 76% of the population. In December of last year alone, 18.7 billion text messages were sent — up 92% from 9.7 billion in December 2005. Estimates for this year are topping 195 billion text messages sent in 2007. That is 600 million text messages a day.
Nonprofits and advocacy organizations around the world are increasingly turning to mobile phones for advocating for issues and engaging constituents, for providing services, and even for fundraising.
The DOs and DON’Ts of Mobile Advocacy
Katrin Verclas, CalderStrategies.com and MobileActive.org
There is increasing evidence that mobile social marketing works in increasing awareness and moving people to actions. It is also becoming an effective way to engage users and constituents. Throughout our experience with mobile campaigns, we've run into some great campaigns and some failures as well.
Here are the top ten things that nonprofits should and shouldn't do when running a mobile campaign.
