This session is being live-blogged from the 2009 Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Technology Conference, New Times – New Tech.
Presented by Gavin Clabaugh, vice president of information services for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, this session offers an introduction to Web 2.0 and the age of ambient communities. The session will cover new technology tools and how they can and are being used by nonprofits and other community groups for collaboration, communications, and outreach. You will see how these new technologies can be used to build membership and funding; examine where and how Web 2.0 works and where it doesn’t; see real-world examples of cloud computing that will change how we work; and learn how new technologies can help us cut costs and weather turbulent times.
Continue reading for a couple basic rules, information about the tools groups are using, examples of who is using them well, and links for more info!
A Couple Rules
Web 2.0 tools are those that allow people to discuss and engage, rather than just read static content.
We all looked at the recent election and said, if Obama can do it, so can we! But we can not do it all, and we need to thing through what will work best for us, given our time and resources.
Technology is easy. People are tough. To make these solutions work you have to (1) Mandate them; (2) Make them invisible; or (3) Offer people something they cannot get anywhere else.
Ask yourself what you want to do and then spend your time and resources on it, and also who your audience is. Do you want to fundraise? Do you want to gain support for your organization and key issues? Do you want to build community? No one vehicle is the right one. You might have to try them all.
Tools
The Blog: This takes time, and it is not for everyone. We have to make sure we have stories to tell or good information to pass along. If you do, find out what your niche is, who your audience is, and what your message is going to be. Then be sure not to hide your blog. Make it visible on your Website, and find ways to get updates out to people who want them. More about Blogging >>
Facebook: This is not for everyone. It is messy and impossible to control. But it can be a fantastic way to connect with especially young people and gain viral support for your organization and your issues. More about Facebook >>
Twitter: Twitter is like micro-blogging. It is very fast and immediate. This is a good tool if you want to give short and timely updates for individuals in your organization or neighborhood, volunteers you want to engage, or media sources who are following your news about an event you are planning or the play-by-play of a legislative hearing, for instance. More about Twitter >>
Google Apps: These tools are phenomenal and free. Google does all the work. You get shared calendars, shared documents, and shared maps. This enterprise suite can replace Microsoft Office with almost no overhead costs. Google Apps is a type of “Cloud Computing,” because you are only using applications and services that come to you through a web browser, and are hosted and administered from “somewhere out there.” More about Google Apps >>
Live Mesh: Beta program from Microsoft…Free for now. Great tool for seamless peer-to-peer file-sharing. It is painless, because the technology is invisible. More about Live Mesh >>
Second Life: Second Life is a virtual world. The first foundation to go on to Secoond Life got a large surprise. They decided to have a virtual press conference, but did not realize that their “avatars,” or virtual people, maxed out at 50—they got 300 there. The penalty for going over capacity was that not of the avatars at the virtual press conference were wearing clothing. Above 50 avatars, the virtual people started to shed their clothes. Even the virtual president of the foundation was naked. This was certainly unexpected for them. A good lesson in being prepared. More about Second Life >>
Who is using Web 2.0 tools well?
Sunlight Foundation: The Sunlight Foundation is the best example of a foundation using Web 2.0 tools well. They blog about what they do, Twitter all the time, are very successful on Facebook, and are an overall great example of what cohesive and sustained e-advocacy efforts can look like. An example of a project they support is MAPLight.org, a tool for illuminating the connection between money and politics. More about Sunlight Foundation >>
Democracy in Action: They combine membership databases with demographic information and let you do just about anything with it when it comes to marketing and communications. More about Democracy in Action >>
To learn more…
