NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup.org - blogs

Inspiring non non-profit sites

Channing — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:11:35 -0400

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:

Organizations putting blogs to good use

amysampleward — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:56:30 -0400

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

The day I could answer "What's the point of having a blog?"

cmartin82 — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:35:30 -0400

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".

Turning Online Activism into Results - Interview with Josh Levy from Change.org

jedsundwall — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:29:51 -0400

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?

Use Web2.0 Tools to Raise Money for Your Organization

Rich Reader — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:26:16 -0500

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:

Seeking and sharing examples of youth and teen blogging projects

Celeste W of studio 501c — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:22:34 -0400

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.

Blog Day 2007: Reach Out and Link Someone

Britt Bravo — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:09:53 -0400

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!

OpenPlans.org

cholmes — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:46:16 -0400

ChipIn - Scalable, Affordable Distributed Fundraising Tools

ASalkever — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:30:25 -0400

Using Blogs for Advocacy - Article on NP Action

eweinb04 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:33:44 -0500

NP Action has information about nonprofit blogs in their article titled Showcase Groups: Using Blogs for Advocacy.

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