Facebook vs. Twitter

"A new report from eMarketer finds that most adult Americans with Internet access use Facebook at least once a month... Twitter‘s penetration rate was much lower, sitting at around 7% of the total population and 9% of the Internet-using population"

Read the full Mashable article

Facebook Marketing, Best Practices

Great 30 minute video about marketing on Facebook and some best practices, particularly for nonprofits.

Facebook marketing strategies and best practices from Socialbrite

Upcoming Webinars

Wild Apricot's blog has a list of upcoming free webinars, many related to nonprofit technology. Check the list out here.

California

I just got back from the National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness. I will be sharing about the conference through The Stable Foundation's website, Twitter, and Facebook, but here's a link to the pictures I took during the trip.

Nonprofit Technology

Here are the links and other resources related to the BCS Nonprofit Technology Training.

The Presentation
The Audio (mp3)

Techsoup
"Your Nonprofit Needs a Technology Plan"
Tech Soup: Technology Planning archive

Software
OpenOffice
Google Docs
GIMP (image editor)
Mozilla Firefox (web browser)
Google Chrome (web browser)
Microsoft Security Essentials (antivirus)

Web-based Applications/Services
Blogger (blog/website)
Wordpress (blog/website)
Squarespace (blog/website)
Flickr (photo sharing)
Youtube (video sharing)
Vimeo (video sharing)
Carbonite (backup)
CrashPlan (backup)
BackBlaze (backup)
Google Groups (mass email)
Vertical Response (mass email)
Constant Contact (mass email)
MailChimp (mass email)
Delivra (mass email)
mGive (text to donate)

Nonprofit Specific
Raiser's Edge (donor management)
eTapestry (donor management)
DonorPerfect (donor management)
GiftWorks (donor management)
Volgistics (volunteer management)
HandsOn (volunteer management)
Samaritan Technologies (volunteer management)
Wild Apricot (volunteer management)

Google Apps for Nonprofits

The Stable Foundation

On June 1st of this year, I became the Executive Director of The Stable Foundation. I hope that you will read my recent letter sharing the story of TSF and how you can help.

Just today, I helped a family of six sign a lease to move into their own apartment. They had been living in a shelter for several weeks and had many obstacles to getting into their own place, obstacles most of us can't even imagine. If it wasn't for the generous support of local congregations, private foundations, and individuals like you, this family would still be without a place to call home.

One particular donor has agreed to match any money I raise personally up to $500. In other words, if one of you donates a dollar, they will also donate a dollar. This offer has a deadline, though, so please consider making a donation soon.

Thanks for all of your support.

UPDATE: You can join our Cause and donate through Facebook.

Collaboration

If you have applied for a grant recently, you have probably come across this word: collaboration. Even before the current economic crisis, funding agencies were seeking ways for their grants to do more. Collaboration, getting nonprofit organizations to work together, was an obvious choice. Unfortunately, collaboration doesn't come easily for most nonprofits. Nonprofit leaders are often fiercely independent, but many are now seeing collaboration as beneficial, if not essential.

Some keys for establishing effective collaboration

Develop relationships with leaders in other organizations.
A strong personal relationship can be the conduit for organizations to work together. It may also be the glue that holds a partnership together when problems arise.

Get to know dissimilar organizations.
Recently, a student living in a local homeless shelter was able to participate in another organization's music camp on scholarship, which resulted in a huge emotional benefit for the student. If these organizations had not been familiar with each other and willing to work together, this opportunity would have been missed.

Take advantage of local community foundations and nonprofit resource centers.
These organizations typically have a wide view of their community's nonprofit landscape. Funding agencies know that if they are expecting collaboration, then they should be a resource for collaboration. The days of foundations simply being a checkbook are quickly disappearing. The Georgia Center for Nonprofits and Community Connection of Northeast Georgia can be great starting points for an organization seeking to develop collaborative relationships.

What will collaboration look like for your organization?
It could be as unique and creative as the organizations involved, but take a look at some local forms of collaboration. The United Way is a well-known fundraising collaboration for many local nonprofits such as the Girl Scouts, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, and the Salvation Army. HandsOn Northeast Georgia recruits volunteers for projects submitted by over 60 agency partners. Interfaith Hospitality Network uses church buildings as temporary housing for homeless families with church members serving as volunteers. Team United, a collaboration unique to the University of Georgia, has the FCA, Athletes in Action, and Georgia Athletes Outreach sharing office space, equipment, and administrative staff. Fiscal sponsorships are common for new or small organizations. Organizations also partner on specific programs, each taking the part of the program for which they are best equipped. Collaboration with for-profit and public organizations, beyond just fundraising, can also be effective.

Learn about nonprofits sharing office space


Whether pressured into collaboration by funding agencies or proactively choosing to pursue greater effectiveness and efficiency, all nonprofit leaders should recognize the benefits of working together. It will be difficult at times, but the organizations that will thrive in the years ahead will be those that work together.