Great reads from around the web on September 9th

These are some links I wanted to share from September 9th. Find me on Delicious for more!

  • Worldchanging: Bright Green: Worldchanging Interview: Jean Russell on Thrivability – Great interview with Jean Russell at Worldchanging! If you are interested in technology, sustainability, and collaboration, then Jean's for you: "Technology consultant, entrepreneur and thrivability theorist Jean Russell joined Jerry Michalski's August 3 Yi-Tan Conference Call for a conversation about thrivability as a conceptual replacement for sustainabilty. After that talk (which you can hear via the above link), I asked Jean to join me in a brief but enlightening Worldchanging interview."
  • Non-profit’s Twitter Interview Questions | twitter-interviews | interviews TechnicaVita Social Media Advice – Does your organization use Twitter? Participate in this interview to share some of your experiences with others! John Carnell, from BullyingUK or @johncarnell on Twitter, is helping organizations share their twitter experiences with each other in this interview series. If you aren't using the micro-blogging tool at your organization, you can read some of the interviews with others who are to get some ideas!
  • How a Small Nonprofit Used Social Media & Crowd-Sourcing to Win the 2009 Global Giving Challenge – frogloop Home~Care2’s blog for nonprofits – frogloop – "The goal was simple. Earn a permanent spot on the GlobalGiving website by raising at least $4000 online from 50 individual donors in three weeks. Win up to $6000 in additional bonuses for out-fundraising the 70 other participating organizations." Here's a case study from Jared Schwartz about how Critical Exposure used social media to fundraise and campaign.
  • Volunteering Waning in Recession, Report Says – NYTimes.com – "As the recession took hold, most Americans cut back on volunteer work and other civic activities, according to a survey conducted for the National Conference on Citizenship."

    That finding undercuts anecdotal reports of volunteers’ flooding nonprofit groups as unemployment has increased and suggests the challenges faced by the Obama administration, Congress and foundations working to encourage greater volunteer service and civic participation.

    “They’re not saying they’ve stopped volunteering, but they are cutting back on the time spent on volunteering and civic engagement,” said David Smith, executive director of the National Conference on Citizenship, which conducted the survey as part of a study titled America’s Civic Health Index,

  • How Social Media Help People Find Stolen Bikes – WSJ.com – Bear with me, but I think this has a lot of lessons for those looking at using social media for causes and nonprofit organizations. The biking community in Toronto and many other places around North America and the world is a dedicated community, plugged in to news and engagement for, with, and about biking. So, it makes sense that posting information about a "bad thing" that happened, first hand, and calling for help would result in honest and dedicated responses. How can your organization identify and join a dedicated community about your issues – and once part of that community, how do you respond to and create opportunities for response to make a difference?

Author: Amy Sample Ward

Amy Sample Ward is trainer, author, and community organizer focused on the intersections of technology and social change. Amy is also the CEO of NTEN, a nonprofit that supports organizations fulfilling their missions through the skillful and racially equitable use of technology.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *