Introduction
Building Community
Holly Ross, Executive Director, NTEN  Community is at the heart of what we do as nonprofits. Whether our organizations are focused on disease prevention, crime prevention, or ending petlessness, our job is to represent the interests of the communities we serve.
The implication, of course, is that we know our communities - who they are and what they want. Technology presents us with myriad ways to move closer to our communities, even when they're halfway around the globe. It's something we know a little something about here at NTEN. You, gentle reader, are one of 45,000 community members. And in the spirit of community, it's our community members who are sharing their favorite tips and ideas in this issue. While we're on the topic, I'd like to thank everyone in the NTEN community for helping us create another Nonprofit Technology Conference sell-out. Though we don't have any spots left in San Francisco, don't forget that you can join from the comfort of your chair at the Online NTC. You'll get access to some great sessions, and an even better community. And, because we value your presence in our community, we want you to attend the Online NTC at less than half the regular non-member rate! You can use the code 12oNTC-45NM to save $200 - but only through March 30. We hope you'll be able to join us online. Best,
Holly Partner Sponsor
 FEATURED ARTICLE
How to Build Your Community While Having Fun
By Evan Bailyn, Author, Outsmarting Google  To succeed in the nonprofit world, you need support. Many of us spend our time laboring for this support, between fundraising, organization-building, and developing new content. But building a large community around your nonprofit can be far easier when you replace effort with effervescence.
What am I talking about? I mean have some fun — be you, get people onboard, because your passion is contagious! There is nothing more attractive than authenticity. If you allow your organization to be the sum of the passionate people it comprises, your number of supporters will skyrocket. CONTINUE READING > FEATURED ARTICLE
5 Assumptions Every Community Manager Should Make Daily
By Amy Sample Ward, Membership Director, NTEN  Normally, I stay away from assumptions: We all know the saying about what assuming does to you and me! When it comes to managing or building communities, online or on the ground, the work can seem overwhelming and sometimes even never-ending.
Wherever you are, and whatever the kind of community you are wrangling, there are some general lessons that I recommend. These five assumptions always help me remember the role and responsibilities a successful community manager needs to best serve and engage a community. CONTINUE READING > Partner Sponsor
 Volunteers + the Right Technology = Your Dreams Come True  By Shari Ilsen, Online Communications Manager, VolunteerMatch
Running an effective, successful volunteer program can be a game changer for your nonprofit. Here are some tools, tips, and strategies that can help you succeed in each of the three phases of the volunteer lifecycle. CONTINUE READING > How to Handle Online Criticism of Your Organization  By Adele Cehrs, President, Epic PR Group
Understanding how a strategy, announcement, or issue will play out on various platforms can mean the difference between creating a winning campaign and a PR disaster. CONTINUE READING > Partner Sponsor
 Bowlers, Birders, and Baristas: Igniting Passion Communities  By Alia Mckee, Principal, Sea Change Strategies
There's no shortage of passion in this world. But there is a shortage of people who understand and harness passion meaningfully and effectively – to build relationships, to grow movements, and to change the world. CONTINUE READING > The IT Annual Report: Reinforcing Your IT Department's Ties to Your Community  By Edward G. Happ, Global CIO, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
How can you know if your IT team has moved the needle at the end of the year? What does success look like – and who cares? Your IT Annual Report can answer all these questions. 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. - The New York Times has an article on the growing interest in coding. "Inasmuch as you need to know how to read English, you need to have some understanding of the code that builds the Web." We love that! (We also love that all it takes to get around the NYT's 20 articles per month barrier is a simple clearing of your cache.)
- And the coder in you (or your org's IT department) will enjoy this write-up on how to "Use Google Docs to Monitor Your Website's Uptime".
- You should also check out ifttt: if this then that. Set a trigger to start an action, like: "If I post a photo on Facebook, then pin it on Pinterest", automagically. Very cool.
- Speaking of everybody's favorite new social media toy/punching bag/vision of the future, even the Wall Street Journal uses Pinterest to post memorable quotes from... the Wall Street Journal. That's putting the "able" in "venerable"!
- Are we "becoming a society of hyperactive, yammering idiots" because of things like infographics? Is our attention span really down to just a few seconds?
- Hey, check out this nifty infographic explaining bounce rates!
- Sometimes, even detailed graphics make us feel like Han Solo trapped in carbonite mini crayons. That's when we turn to the Procatinator, which matches animated gifs of cats to some awesome tunes.
- Okay, we jest. The NTEN community may have fun, but we work harder -- and concentrate for longer periods of time -- than most. How else to explain all the NTEN members in the Global Journal's "Top 100 Best NGOs" list?
- Or nominated for the 2012 Impact Prize?
- In short, you rock. So, if you find yourself needing a little more time to continue amping up the awesome, here's a look at "How to Fold a T-shirt in 2 Seconds". We know you'll spend those extra minutes wisely.
| MARCH 2012
Have we mentioned your discount to the Online NTC yet? We'll be streaming 12 great sessions, as well as the plenaries -- and you'll get recordings of them all. Don't forget to use the coupon code 12oNTC-45NM to attend the Online NTC for just $150. But hurry! The code expires on March 30th. REGISTER TODAY >
THE STATE OF THE NONPROFIT CLOUD
In the second half of 2011, we looked at the "State of the Nonprofit Cloud". The vast majority of nonprofits we surveyed were using hosted software, but our interviews with staff members revealed that many didn't even realize those systems could be considered hosted, or "cloud," solutions. The complete report, "The State of the Nonprofit Cloud: The Results of a Study of Nonprofit Use of Cloud Software", is free to download, so you can find out how your organization compares. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT >
Upcoming Webinars
NTEN Members access all our programming at a discount – sometimes for free! Upcoming webinars include: MORE WEBINARS >
Forward to a Friend
If you've read this far, you probably like us enough to tell all your friends about us. Right? Thanks! FORWARD NTEN CONNECT >
About NTEN
The Nonprofit Technology Network helps nonprofits use technology strategically and confidently to create the change they want to see in the world. LEARN MORE > NTEN
1020 SW Taylor Street, #800
Portland, OR 97205
Tel: 415.397.900
Fax: 415.814.4056
info@nten.org |
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