I was going to write about all the excellent non-profit blogs out there that there are to be read, but Beth’s Blog already made a fantastic entry to get you started on this (granted it focuses exclusively on Gen X/Y/Millennial blogs - but we’re Gen X/Y and it’s just to get you started).

A confession is that I don’t actually read a whole lot of non-profit oriented blogs and sites, mostly because it’s hard to find ones that don’t oversimplify their advice to the point of it being useless. Consider a recent example I came across on the subject of online fundraising:

The number of people blogging is still growing (just check Technorati for numbers), but the number of organizations starting blogs is rising, too. After enough staff members and volunteers touted the usefulness of blogs for conversation, news, and general transparency, it seems organizations are looking to give blogs a chance. Organizations of all sizes and sectors are utilizing this community building tool. Here are some examples of how far and wide blogs are being used to reach out to the community.

ARK Adventure

When the idea of starting a blog for our organization first came up a few years ago, I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. All I knew about blogs was that a few of my friends did it for fun, and the Houston Chronicle had about 50 of them that didn't interest me in the least. And since when was my organization the kind to waste its time on trendy stuff like that?

Looking back, I think my problem was not understanding the purpose of having a blog. I mean, we already had a website where we posted news and pictures - wasn't a blog just another place to put all the same stuff, only with a trendier name? At that time, I don't think any of us really "got it".

Josh Levy, who is awesome, and I talk about his new job as managing editor at Change.org, what he's learned at techPresident, and why he believes that just writing blogs won't change the world.

What is your role at Change.org?

Before committing resources to particular milestones & objectives for a fundraising campaign that employs groups, events, and applications on Facebook, OpenSocial, and other platforms, test (AB testing) the relative appeal of various assets (themes, messages, actors, stories, text, images, video, wikis, audio, speakers) and tools for your campaign on a representative sample of your target audience/engaged membership.

Some set of elements fit together and perform as a whole better than others. Find out which combinations create the best results.

Once testing is complete, estimate:

At my blog, studio 501c, I asked readers to point me toward examples of nonprofits that have engaged young people in blogging. I also asked for examples of safety guidelines the nonprofits used as a result. I started this research, on behalf of a friend who works for a youth-engaging nonprofit, by emailing Britt Bravo, Beth Kanter, and Marshall Kirkpatrick, all of whom I want to be like when I grow up (and all of whom I finally met face-to-face at Blogher in Chicago this past summer). I'm grateful to them for getting the ball rolling.

Today is Blog Day, when bloggers are encouraged to find 5 new blogs outside of their culture, point of view or area of interest.

We don't post here much about how educators are using the web for their work, so here are a few education and technology themed blogs. Give 'em a little link love!

Here is a list of the nonprofit blogs listed in the article:

• The Nonprofit Blog Exchange
• BallotBlog (by the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center)
• Denounce Torture Blog , Death Penalty Blog , Stop Violence Against Women Blog (blogs by Amnesty International)
• Clean up Washington Blog (by Public Citizen)
• OMB Watch Advocacy Blog
• Spark program