Introduction
Getting Your Message Out Recently, I caught an episode of Leave It to Beaver during a bout of hotel-induced insomnia. It centered around the Beav lying about owning a pet parrot to his classmates. In under thirty minutes, Ward and June had figured the whole thing out and made the Beav understand the importance of the truth. Don't you wish communicating your message were that simple? The nonprofit communications landscape has exploded over the past two decades, and it's not slowing down. While we've spent a lot of time thinking about what this means as we communicate with our external audiences, it's just as important to note that it also impacts how you communicate with your internal audiences: other staff and board. Add to that the fact that technology isn't a topic most nonprofits are eager to embrace, and you've got a challenge on your hands. This month's issue is devoted to exactly that: making sure your audiences receive your message -- and hear it. And be sure to check out all of the 2012 Online NTC sessions related to getting your story out. Best,
Holly FEATURED ARTICLE
Technology is 90% Psychology
By Holly Ross, Executive Director NTEN  If you've ever implemented a technology project at a nonprofit, you know it's true: technology is 90% psychology. Success rarely hinges on the hardware and the software; technology hinges on the humans involved.
These days, technology has forced its way into every single aspect of our organizations. While we used to use change management strategies to help soothe the fears of those who would reject the new database, now we need something slightly more radical: entirely new organizations. CONTINUE READING > FEATURED ARTICLE
Tell Your Nonprofit's Story More Effectively (with the Help of a Few Masters)
By Danny Alpert, Executive Producer, See3 Communications  Storytelling is as old as humanity. So why the obsession? Why now?
Is it that now we all have the power to tell stories? That the traditional media gatekeepers are no longer so powerful and the consumer is now also the producer of stories? Is it that we all think we can control our own narratives? An important question that is rarely asked is: Do we all have something worthwhile to tell -- really? CONTINUE READING > Partner Sponsor
 Social Media for Social Good: 3 Secrets to Raising Big Bucks Online  By Frank Barry, Director, Professional Services, Blackbaud
What's the thing that separates the top 1% social fundraisers from the rest of the pack, and how can any nonprofit, large or small, put big numbers on the board? CONTINUE READING > What Goes into a Social Media Strategic Plan?  By J. D. Lasica, Founder, Socialbrite
A social media strategy should support the overall organization, not just a single department. It is your blueprint, the animating force that connects goals to actions. CONTINUE READING > How To Track Everyone Who's Anyone To You: Is A Single Database Right for Your Org?  By Laura Quinn, Executive Director, Idealware
Since most organizations don't track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them is something of a holy grail. In reality, a single constituent database usually involves some sort of compromise. CONTINUE READING > How to Find the Right Medium and Channels for Online Storytelling  By Rob Wu, Founder, CauseVox
Everyone knows when they hear, watch, or read a good story. We know how to identify one, but how do you create one? CONTINUE READING > Partner Sponsor
 Things We Like A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog. - Charity Dynamics reports that social media and mobile strategies top the list of priorities for nonprofits in 2012. And for good reason.
- As the social media landscape gets more crowded, strategy matters more than ever.
- But there are so many distractions, right? Like this mesmerizing video of some guy snowboarding, at night, in an LED suit. (Actually, it's kind of awesome.)
- Or, to be slightly more topical, browsing through all of the great visualizations at the comScore Data Mine. Or trying to memorize every one of the "65 Terrific Social Media Infographics".
- If only there were one infographic to rule them all, one infographic on, say, "How to Focus in the Age of Distraction". There is? Oh, thank you!
- Now we can start thinking about how to win the story wars. Or what our sites actually look like on a mobile device.
- And -- dare we dream? -- with the increased focus, we might even win a prize.
- So, we'll just keep repeating to ourselves: "We will not indulge in cat breading. We will not match cats to fonts. We will not PhotoShop cats into sci-fi scenes."
- Shoot. What was that infographic again?
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