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News for March 2009
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 24 March 2009 |
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| Free Frictionless Fundraising Seminar through GuideStar (Mar. 25) |
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GuideStar has brought me in to teach a 90 minute online seminar on Frictionless Fundraising tomorrow morning (Mar. 25th, 2009, 10 am (PDT)/1 pm (EDT)). We'll be primarily studying the relationship-deepening powers of online communication, with an emphasis on (1) how to influence your donors by listening to them, (2) the Email Newsletter Marketing Model (and how it's not actually about the fancy newsletter), and (3) using blogs and social media to leverage other voices. Registration is free. Sorry for the late notice, I hope you'll be able to join us!
Posted: 3/24/09; 11:33:17 AM # |
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23 March 2009 |
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| Guide to Online Video |
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I'm really not sure how to finesse my position about online video and civil society. Video is a very compelling tool and there are many organizations who are not taking advantage of its opportunities, particularly as a bottom-up, grassroots medium. On the other hand, because video is so compelling, it suffers enormously from what I call the "tyranny of the tangible" - the phenomenon that causes us to focus too much on content and not enough on relationships. Indeed, many videos I see out there seem primarily designed to speak to the people who had some kind of stake in its funding or production - sort of like how many websites seem designed to show off to a board of directors. With that lengthy caveat in place, I want to recommend See3 Communications' Guide to Online Video. it comes in seven parts: (1) The World We Live In, (2) Why Video Matters, (3) Building A Media Library, (4) Finding Your Story, (5) Telling Your Story, (6) Using Video Effectively, and (7) Marketing Your Campaign. Video production companies play far too much to our most self-involved natures, but still, this is a very fine guide. Of course, it's done in video.
Posted: 3/23/09; 5:21:04 PM # |
| The State of the News Media 2009 |
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If you're interested in developing a well-informed opinion about the future of news, you might want to read The State of the News Media 2009. As I see it, one of the most important trends identified in this report is this: "Power is shifting to the individual journalist and away, by degrees, from journalistic institutions. The trend is still forming and its potential is uncertain but the signs are clear. Through search, e-mail, blogs, social media and more, consumers are gravitating to the work of individual writers and voices, and away somewhat from institutional brand." What interests me about this is whether we are doing are best to develop the strengths of this trend. My personal desire: I want to see every neighborhood with its Seymour Hirsch and the nation with a hundred of them, with the time, independence, and resources to dig, dig, dig.
Posted: 3/23/09; 5:12:09 PM # |
| Old Growth Media And The Future Of News |
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With the recent collapse of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer here in my home town of Seattle, like so many other people, I am reflecting on the future of journalism. (I recently asked a colleague of mine what it would take to pay the salaries of all the value-added journalists in the U.S. It seemed like an appallingly small amount of money in the scale of things these days.) As always, one of my favorite authors, Steven Berlin Johnson, has great things to say about this topic in Old Growth Media And The Future Of News. In many ways, he hits the nail on the head: We really are living in a time of lush growth in the richness of information distribution. His last point about the search for business models for each of the various components of the "news stack" is the critical one though. In the midst of this shift in the information ecology of news, will the public interest in discovery (not just dissemination) of information, be properly addressed? Crises have a way of expanding some people's power at the expense of others. Will it be the right people?
Posted: 3/23/09; 5:07:10 PM # |
| User Experience Design for Collaboration 2.0 |
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In Wanted/Needed: UX Design for Collaboration 2.0, Matthew Clarke does some good thinking about what the pieces of collaboration actually are. I don't think I would necessarily analyze this the same way, but this is still incredibly useful and very much what we need to get our heads around the idea of how people work together through various interfaces. For example, his proposed model divides collaboration into six related parts: Actions, Artifacts (the products and "things" we work on), Calendar, Tasks (not the same as actions), Resources, and Team. Thought provoking stuff.
Posted: 3/23/09; 4:59:29 PM # |
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19 March 2009 |
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| Spring 2009 Training Catalog |
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As our training programs have grown, we started producing a free, downloadable version of our catalog for printing, internal circulation, and use by training directors and others who are making staff development plans. (Given the downturn, the trend this year is toward more distance learning.) Today, we're announcing the availability of our Spring 2009 Training Catalog (66 page PDF). It covers all our delivery models (in-house, online, pre-packaged, and custom) and is organized in terms of twelve major interest areas: email, writing, lifework, new media, technology, fundraising, civil society, social media, collaboration, capacity building, knowledge management, and strategic communication.
Posted: 3/19/09; 10:56:10 AM # |
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18 March 2009 |
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| New Seminar on Integrated Program Evaluation - April 22 & 29, 2009 |
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The effect of new technology and forms of work organization on planning and evaluation has been a topic I've been mulling over for several years now. At first, the possibilities don't seem as obvious as those for fundraising or distance learning, but in fact, I believe they may be just as profound and transformational. Indeed, the potential is there for programs that are nearly self-evaluating.
If you find that your processes for evaluation either lack rigor, are expensive, or conducted only after-the-fact, I encourage you to consider our newest workshop: Integrated Program Evaluation: An Affordable Model for Better Metrics, Improvement, and Accountability, which will be offered live, online April 22 & 29, 2009. More and more we are expected to demonstrate our results, often in numerical terms, to people making resource decisions. At the same time, we are all becoming aware of how much learning and improvement we can gain from doing good evaluation. This two part, hands-on workshop, will show how we can be be both rigorous and affordable when we ask ourselves: How are we doing?
Posted: 3/18/09; 4:08:44 PM # |
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17 March 2009 |
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| The State of Nonprofit Transparency, 2008: Voluntary Disclosure Practices |
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GuideStar has released the results of recent research into nonprofit transparency practices of U.S. organizations in the form of a report: The State of Nonprofit Transparency, 2008: Voluntary Disclosure Practices (executive summary). Take a look at the numbers and see where you fit. In brief, the report recommends five practices: (1) Regularly update Web sites with current, detailed program and evaluation information. (2) Post brief biographic information for important organizational leaders, in addition to names and titles. (3) Publish an annual report online, if you produce one. (4) Publish an audited financial statement online, if you produce one. (5) Publish your IRS letter of determination, if you have one. The full report can be ordered for free.
Posted: 3/17/09; 6:52:14 PM # |
| Nonprofits to President, Congress: 1 Million Charities Ready |
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I find the patterns of influence around the Obama administration to be a bit opaque. He's moved forward aggressively on extending government support for religious charities, which is exciting to some and a matter of some concern to many. I am uncertain about the directions that will be taken by the Office of Social Innovation, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the stimulus bill, and other programs with regard to one very blunt and important question: Where is the money for the sector that didn't get us into the global financial ponzi scheme, the sector that empowers people to participate in government, that helps the people whose lives are destroyed by Wall Street? In a sense, that is what this statement and petition at the Johns Hopkins Listening Post Project is all about: Nonprofits to President, Congress: 1 Million Charities Ready; Leaders call for renewing compact with 'citizen sector' to solve problems.
Posted: 3/17/09; 6:45:32 PM # |
| Online Courses and How They Change the Nature of Class |
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Scott Reid's research into Online Courses and How They Change the Nature of Class is a valuable read for anyone concerned with systems dynamics of teaching and learning. Based on a solid literature review plus interviews, there are no earth-shattering insights, but it firms up several things we know about distance learning: increased geographical and age diversity, greater solid work experience students bring to the class, and challenges with regard to expectations of teacher involvement (rather than student involvement) in the online environment.
Posted: 3/17/09; 10:54:19 AM # |
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13 March 2009 |
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11 March 2009 |
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| Free Online Seminar on April 8th: Online Social Networks Are Not Mailing Lists |
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Civil society organizations are becoming more and more interested in the role that online social networks may play in their communication, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. Are we interested because of the buzz? Or do we have an actual vision for how such networks may serve our mission and operations? I first brought up this question last fall in both an article and seminar. Since then, as the financial prospects of many organizations have declined, our interest in online social networks has skyrocketed. This creates a situation where there is both tremendous opportunity for organizations that approach such networks well, and a huge risk for those that, acting out of a place of scarcity, treat them as a source of names. I want to help organizations seize the opportunity and avoid the risk. So, on April 8, 2009, I will deliver a seminar entitled Online Social Networks Are Not Mailing Lists. Admission is free, but attendance is limited.
Posted: 3/11/09; 4:36:16 PM # |
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10 March 2009 |
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| Ten Nonprofit Funding Models |
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One of the things consultants do is make up new words for things. Sometimes this is useful, but most of the time I find it to be an annoying strategy for putting the consultant's mark on something. The Ten Nonprofit Funding Models developed by Foster, Kim, & Christiansen of Bridgespan may prove to be one of the useful exceptions. Using three parameters - the source of funds, the types of decision makers, the motivations of the decision makers - they propose ten canonical "nonprofit business models". I'm pleased to note that the names they have given them are not, as is often the case, too cute and clever for the subject matter. Their ten models are: Heartfelt Connector, Beneficiary Builder, Member Motivator, Big Bettor, Public Provider, Policy Innovator, Beneficiary Broke, Resource Recycler, Market Maker, and Local Nationalizer. I would rather see our funding models derive from our models for making change, but there is no getting away from the reality of resource needs. These ten models will definitely contribute to my thinking on the matter and I hope they do the same for you.
Posted: 3/10/09; 6:29:01 PM # |
| Blogging Etiquette Gets Personal |
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In Blogging Etiquette Gets Personal, Kevin Anderson looks at one manifestation of the kinds of arguments "professional communicators" get into when it comes to blogging. They are arguing about standards. As I see it, blogging has different standards (not lower standards) from other modes of communication. These standards emerge from the relationships and social structures of the medium, just as journalistic standards emerged from the relationships and social structures of mass news media. Journalism, for example, may put more emphasis on standards of accuracy. Blogging, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on standards of authenticity.
Posted: 3/10/09; 4:49:31 PM # |
| Fundraising in Tough Times |
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Mal Warwick offers nine tips in Fundraising in Tough Times: (1) Reassess the Whole Ball of Wax: Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications. (2) Strengthen Your Case for Giving. (3) Stick with What Works. (4) Cut Costs with a Scalpel, Not an Ax. (5) Fish Where the Big Fish Are. (6) Be Attentive to Your Donors. (7) Do Due Diligence. (8) Step Up Your Efforts Online. (9) Break Down the Silos.
Posted: 3/10/09; 4:25:35 PM # |
| Students for Humanity |
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Frerieke van Bree, who I met at Web of Change, is clearly in love with South Africa. given how I feel for the place myself, I want to share with you a project she's been mentoring there called Students for Humanity. It's basically a kind of online magazine for student voices, with a simple yet constructive organizing model: Get a team of ten students who are passionate about making a difference and you can apply to be contributors.
Posted: 3/10/09; 4:21:11 PM # |
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4 March 2009 |
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| 21st Century Collaboration Resources Now Available in Hard Copy |
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Collaboration is one of those words whose range of meaning has exploded in dozens of directions, which has been both useful and frustrating. In 21st Century Collaboration Resources we try to explore many of the most useful aspects of the modern opportunities for collaboration. Now available in hard copy format, this publication compiles five articles and 91 annotated resources in nineteen categories, including Case Studies, Network Effects, Self Organization, and Social Software.
Posted: 3/4/09; 5:18:41 PM # |
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3 March 2009 |
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| Exploring Web 2.0: Tools for Classroom Teaching and Professional Development |
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Michael Krauss of Lewis and Clark College has made the syllabus and resources for his Exploring Web 2.0 course available online. Since I believe the Internet started off as a "social medium", I tend to be a little irritated by the "web 2.0" usage, but this is still an absolutely fabulous resource. It's focused on the use of peer communication tools for teaching and I think it does a great job of surveying the field. I'm familiar with most of this and even I got lost in there. In a good way.
Posted: 3/3/09; 9:21:16 PM # |
| 5 Tips For Building Effective Infographics |
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Joshua Allen's 5 Tips For Building Effective Infographics is a useful guideline to anyone who is working on pushing information visualization beyond spreadsheet charts and graphs. Indeed, I would suggest that these tips are useful for many focused information communication endeavors (except for some of the specific R-script that's included): (1) Answer One Question. (2) Stay Agile. (3) Don't Over-Architect. (4) Resist Scope Creep. (5) Data is King. The first one is the most important and it's the one that ties you back into your communication needs. Good stuff.
Posted: 3/3/09; 8:22:57 PM # |
| RSS Hits the Big Time: Stimulus Bill Requires Feed Based Reporting |
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Foundations, are you making your grant announcement information available in RSS yet? Nonprofits, are you creating feeds for all your key time based activities? If not, then the biggest slowpoke of them all - the U.S. Federal Government - has passed you by. With the stimulus bill requiring RSS feed based reporting, Aaron Schwarz says RSS Has Hit the Big Time.
Posted: 3/3/09; 8:13:40 PM # |
| Romanticizing the Poor |
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If free markets actually existed, I would believe in "market solutions" to social problems. As it is, I am radically ambivalent. I am a strong advocate in some cases, a strident detractor in others, and a redefiner of terms in most. One source of discomfort for me is captured very well by Aneel Karnani's recent article on Romanticizing the Poor in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. I highly recommend this fact-based critical assessment of of the romance affecting many who think that social innovation is all about the market.
Posted: 3/3/09; 8:10:07 PM # |
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