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).

• Mapping Trends in Philanthropy « NathanielJames.org – "Philanthropy is changing, and I want to contribute to creating the best of all possible worlds for the social sector. Today, I’m launching a series on Mapping Trends in Philanthropy, to share what I am learning and invite a conversation with leaders in the field. Today, I’ll start with a basic taxonomy of these trends, and unpack each one over time. All of these trends are interdependent, often reinforcing the others, so as I approach the end, I hope to synthesize them into some working hypotheses and best practices for social impact leverage."
• International Digital Youth Work Events, 20th-23rd Sep – What can you share? What can you learn? « Online Youth Outreach – "Online Youth Outreach (@Katie_bacon) was contacted by Judith from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service http://www.hkcss.org.hk/ They have been able to source some limited funding for a group of 12 youth practitioners to travel to the UK to learn more about digital youth work practice. Feel free to suggest activities, we can alter and modify this programme according to the people and organisations who want to join in. To keep posted, share ideas and promote through your networks:Twitter #tag for this upcoming visit will be #incgen11 or Email cy@hkcss.org.hk or info@katiebacon.co.uk"
• Report Release: The 2011 NTEN Community Survey Report | NTEN – "The Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) conducts an annual Community Survey to find out more about the individuals and organizations in the NTEN community: we want to find out how these individuals and organizations use technology in their work, gauge the impact of NTEN programs and services on their professional development and their organization’s missions, and track trends in the nonprofit technology community over time."
• Google Introduces Facebook Competitor, Emphasizing Privacy – NYTimes.com – "Google took its biggest leap yet onto Facebook’s turf on Tuesday, introducing a social networking service called the Google+ project — which happens to look very much like Facebook… But the Google+ project will be different from Facebook in one significant way, which Google hopes will be enough to convince people to use yet another social networking service. It is designed for sharing with small groups — like colleagues, college roommates or hiking friends — instead of with all of a user’s friends or the entire Web. It also offers group text messaging and video chat."
• More Than 90% of Foundations Use Social Media – Social Philanthropy – The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas – "Foundations may sometimes be viewed as out of touch with new technology, but 93 percent of foundations use social networks, according to a new survey of the people who handle communications for the nation’s foundations.<br />
  <br />
  Forty-four percent of communications staff members said they spend up to 10 percent of their time “posting content, interacting with audiences through interactive media, adapting content, producing media, and developing new-media campaigns.”"

The talk:

My talk may not be as easily captured in the slides as some of my other talks are since this was a smaller group and I had the time to dive into each example and discuss it with the participants, instead of a more traditional presentation. The focus included both a look at what social media tools are being used to do in organizations now, how funders are using technology, and what opportunities exist for funders to support or lead on.

(Hint: click through to view the slides on SlideShare.net to see speaking notes.)

More resources:

Participants asked for a few resources during the discussion so I’ve included some links and pointers for them, and for you, below:

• How-to Set up an RSS Dashboard: this is a great way to position your organization as a resource and go-to for the sector or issue; but it is also one of the best ways to ensure you’re on top of information and conversations across the web (you can create a dashboard that’s private or public).
• Social by Social: a handbook for using new technologies for social impact that I co-authored last year. You can read it for free online (or download the PDF) and it includes case studies, how-to tutorials, and lots of information about various tools that may be appropriate for your organization (after you’ve identified your goals, audience, and so on).
• We Are Media: this wiki is another excellent source of information and examples of social media for social impact compiled by the nonprofit technology community.
• How-to Create a Social Media Strategy:

Keep talking:

I’d love to continue the conversation with those that were there today, and everyone else. Let me know what you think!

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).

• Oxfam in Haiti – Google Maps – This is a great example of how you can use a tool like Google Maps to tell a story and provide easy access to information – great job Oxfam! "Oxfam is responding to the biggest earthquake for 200 years in Haiti. This map shows some of the sites where Oxfam is providing water and sanitation, as well as employment through the cash-for-work program. Oxfam has reached 100,000 people across multiple sites and is aiming to reach 500,000 total over the next six months."
• Download the 2009 Data Ecosystem Survey Report | NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network – NTEN just released a report on the data ecosystem in nonprofit organizations – it's free for members, but $50 for non-NTEN members. "The data ecosystem is the collection of tools we use to manage all the ways we interact with donors, volunteers, activists, and supporters. We wanted to find out how happy organizations are with each of the tools they use, but also what tools make up their ecosystems, and how happy they are with those ecosystems as well."
• 5 Ways to “Emerge” as a Nonprofit Leader | Rosetta Thurman – "Many young nonprofit professionals are waiting until they get the title of “Director” to lead. They are waiting until their older colleagues deem them “ready” to lead instead of emerging as leaders in the here and now. But what we have to understand is that this behavior doesn’t benefit our organizations nor the communities we seek to serve. What we have to understand is that we need as many young people as possible to emerge as nonprofit leaders, even if they don’t have a title. The future of the nonprofit sector depends on it."
• 5 Real Challenges For Non-Profit Texting Campaigns – "Given the many aspects of texting, from technology to communications, non-profits need to consider SMS with their eyes wide open. Causes may even want to consider alternative mobile channels for communications and fundraising. Here are five things non-profits should consider before pursuing texting."
• A Consumers Guide To Low-Cost Data Visualization Tools – Check out this great, free report from Idealware! "You've got data. How do you transform it into charts, graphs, and maps that will help your audience understand the data and move them to take action? This 30-page independent Idealware report provides an overview of the types of graphic formats that might work for you, and then compares eight low-cost tools that can help you create them."
• Glasspockets – Check out this new resource from the Foundation Center:
  "With Glasspockets, the Foundation Center and its partners hope to:

  * Inspire private foundations to greater openness in their communications.
  * Increase understanding of best practices in foundation transparency and accountability in an online world.
  * Illustrate how institutional philanthropy is relevant to the critical issues of our time.
  * Highlight the many stories of philanthropy that show how private wealth is serving the public good.
  * Illuminate successes, failures, and ongoing experimentation so foundations can build on each other's ideas to increase impact."

1. Meyer Memorial Trust’s recent blog asks nonprofits how they are dealing with the crunch
   I am always impressed by the level of conversation, honesty, and engagement MMT’s blog presents both in content and comments.  Check it out!
2. NPR’s segment on assessing the impact of the crisis on nonprofits
   All Things Considers discusses nonprofits’ income streams in threat (corporate grants, etc.)  Listen here!

So, what do you think?  How has your nonprofit been affected, taken note, or answered funding questions about the financial crisis?

Asking this question on Twitter started some conversations!  Here are some recent posts:

TheDogLover @amyrsward interesting Twit… a lot of my work is for non profit. I am waiting to hear  for next year.  scary

gwalter @amyrsward As far as I know, there have not been discussions re: non-profit cashflow.

howardlake @amyrsward Try ‘Recession and Charities’ PDF from Cathy Pharoah and co at Centre for Ch Giving + Philanthropy this month: http://is.gd/3BsL

NAFund @amyrsward we’ve been thinking a lot about this, & how to helps nps – but so much is still in flux. it’s early to really guage the impact

I just started a discussion topic in the TechSoup Forums so we can continue to discuss the impact of the financial crisis on nonprofits and what we can do about it.  Contribute to the conversation!

I think that if foundations want to really show the diversity and greatness of their investments (grants, PRIs, MRIs, etc. are all investments in one way or another), they should tell the story of those they are investing in—the nonprofits.

A great way to start telling the story of foundation grantees is to create a virtual tour of your programs.  Instead of text-heavy program descriptions, incorporate photos and videos of funded programs to highlight success as well as provide examples of the funding areas.  Many foundations list grantees on their website; if yours does, there should be links to the program/project/organization and a way to follow up with the program/project/organization contact so others looking to do similar work or get an understanding for the foundation’s focus can contact grantees.

Just a couple quick thoughts.  I’d love to hear yours!  Do you work for a nonprofit that has been featured in some way by a granter?  How did it feel?  What effect did it have on the organization or the foundation (to your knowledge)?

Today, I finally made a little time to read through Social Citizens from Allison Fine and The Case Foundation.  It tore apart all of the other things I was thinking about today and threw me back into the subject of those white papers from last year.  It was wonderful!  So, I took it as a sign that I needed to get some of those thoughts out to you all this time around.  Keep in mind that these are my thoughts and I would love a chance (read: the time) to expand on them fully, so I apologize for the brevity.  Also, these ideas do not only sprout from this recent publication, obviously, but are inspired through many reports and from my own experiences as a Millenial.

Changing Role of Nonprofits and Foundations

Because so much of the organizing and activism, and thus information and opinion, around issues is done in networks of friends and family, the problem with access to both sides of the story and the opportunity for an independent and unique opinion grows.  As views are shaped by those closest to the individual, there is much less of a chance for a network-created cause or action to include full dialogue of an issue.

Nonprofits and foundations will continue to be tied to causes, changes, actions, and groups that form in social networks and elsewhere on the web.  The role these organizations have in the relationship will change to incorporate the need for access to the big picture.

Nonprofits and foundations will become sources for information and reliable reporting.  They will be the places that personalized campaigns link to for the background and continued data on an issue.  As the fundraising and momentum building moves more and more into the hands of supporters across the web and around the world, the relationship with the aligned organizations changes to reallocate responsibilities.  As information, data, and reporting providers, these organizations will work to ensure that the multitude of unique campaigns taking place simultaneously by supporters provide an opportunity for those networks and potential interested citizens to learn more (and act more).

Changing Expectations of Government and Corporations

Millenials feel political change by individuals is impossible and that political actions like voting and participating in the political arena as it currently exists do not have the impact they want.  This doesn’t mean that young voters aren’t turning out, as we see from the numbers in 2004 and so far in the primaries that the youth vote is taking a big upswing.  But, young voters view their action closer to a symbolic step than a concrete motion.

Millenials are also very concerned about and aware of the cause-related work that corporations are involved in, choosing to support (or purchase from) organizations that are environmentally conscious, giving back to the community, and/or contributing to changing social problems.  Young people report, as it says in the report, having more confidence in corporations than they do in the government.

This could mean that instead of groups of citizens urging politicians and policymakers to make changes around issues or specific legislation, that citizens instead turn to corporations who are aligned with those issues and support them in pressuring the government.  Standing behind more than just a product, but trusting in the clout of a corporation to swing policymakers.

To go further, this could even have implications for key supporters to have a ‘role’ (of some sort) in the leadership of the corporation.  This would complete the circle of accountability between the corporation and the supporters who have chosen to be loyal to the organization because of the issue alignment.

Changing Identity

In previous generations, personal identify was defined by career/job title and field.  You were an engineer or a teacher or a scientist.  That meant something when you said it to a new acquaintance and similarly created automatic circles of colleagues even if you hadn’t met personally.

Now, as taking action for Millenials has become incredibly important and easy via the social communities and world of the web, who you are is no longer defined by the college major you graduated with.  Not only are people of my generation projected to change career fields, not just employers, many times over compared to past generations, but we have come of age in a time when learning is no longer a hierarchical or institutional activity.

The power to do something is in our hands and accessed any time we want online.  This means, Millenials will be identified with their issue-alignment and causes.  The personalized widgets for fundraising campaigns, challenges, and international issues now speak to who we are.  We find friends through the interconnected profile links of campaigns to save Darfur or cancer awareness.  My online actions and challenges are met by people from all backgrounds, job titles, and locations – but we are all working to protect the environment, or raise air quality standards, or stop human trafficking.

The way I expect not just my friends and family, but also my employers and politicians to identify me and communicate with me is also effected by the way I am defined by issues and not simply where I live or where I work.

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I know that is just the tip of the iceberg for three incredibly large areas, but I was going to burst if I didn’t get at least that much out of my head.  I would really, really love to hear what you think and keep this conversation going.  As the way individuals ‘live’ online is already drastically changing the way nonprofits do their work.