Sep 09: Involver: How Nonprofits Can Create Video Campaigns for Social Networks at Net Tuesday SF at TechSoup/CompuMentor

Oct 04: DrupalCampParis3 - Drupal'n'Go (aka DrupalNGO) at La Cantine - Coworking Paris

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September 5, 2008In+this+hands-on+workshop+you+will+learn+the+following%3A++Working+with+large+worksheets%3B+Working+with+multiple+worksheets+and+workbooks%3B+Customizing+Excel%3B+Advanced+charting%3B+Advanced+formatting%3B+List+management%3B+Documenting+and+auditing%3B+and+Using+templates.

September 9, 2008Join+this+Wegner+Nonprofit+Roundtable+where+we+will+discuss+the+more+prominent+state+and+federal+employment+laws+and+how+they+may+impact+nonprofit+organizations.++We+will+provide+practical+advice+on+how+to+avoid+some+common+pitfalls+often+associated+with+these+laws.++The+session+is+appliable+to+all+businesses%2C+with+a+focus+on+some+of+the+more+common+questions+that+arise+in+the+nonprofit+sector.

September 10, 2008Bring+a+Brown+Bag.+This+session+is+an+opportunity+for+community+nonprofit+organizations%0D%0Ain+Milwaukee+to+discuss+with+school%2C+health+and+state+government%0D%0Achild+advocates+how+our+work+is+linked+together+and+contributes+to%0D%0Athe+success+for+families+with+young+children.+Current+program+reform+activity%2C%0D%0Achild+and+family+well-being+indicators%2C+bridge-building+across+sectors%0D%0Aand+other+advocacy+efforts+will+be+examined.

September 10, 2008Board+service+is+a+challenging+and+rewarding+volunteer+assignment.++Choosing+where+you+want+to+invest+your+time%2C+talent+and+treasure+requires+that+you+learn+about+the+responsibilities+of+effective+board+services%2C+know+what+to+ask+about+the+prospective+organization+including+the+programs%2C+financial+status+and+board%2Fstaff+relationships%2C+and+feel+a+personal+interest+and+commitment+to+the+organization%27s+mission.++In+this+workshop%2C+we+will+review+the+basic+duties+and+responsibilities+of+a+board+member%2C+discuss+how+an+effective+board+should+function%2C+identify+the+types+of+boards%2C+discuss+organizational+structure%2C+and+share+with+you+a+set+of+key+questions+you+should+ask+of+the+organization+and+of+yourself+before+joining+a+board.++You+will+have+the+opportunity+to+assess+your+personal+interests+and+skills+as+a+prospective+board+member+and+the+option+of+taking+the+next+step.++Join+us+and+consider+whether+or+not+opening+the+door+to+the+board+room+is+right+for+you.

September 11, 2008Web+sites+are+not+simply+a+technical+exercise+to+delegate+to+a+consultant.++organizations+need+to+seriously+examine+what+content+they+will+share+on+a+site.++This+workshop+will+include+a+survey+of+organization+web+sites+to+demonstrate+content+options.++What+do+your+customers%2Fmembers+need+to+know%3F++What+information+can+keep+your+site+fresh+and+interesting%3F++When+might+on-line+transactions+enhance+your+work%3F++Michael+Barndt+has+prepared+an+assessment+tool--Nonprofits+at+Work+on+the+Internet-that+will+be+the+basis+for+this+presentation.++This+session+is+not+for+technical+staff%2C+but+for+persons+responsible+for+communication%2C+eduction+and+organization+of+programs.

My Listening Ears, Flickr Photo by niclindh

During the month of September and into October, the WeAreMedia project will be discussing the content in the tactical modules on the wiki. The first module is on Listening.

Why listening?  Learning how to listen using a couple of social media tools and the active task of listening is something that can be easily learned in a few hours and if an organization invests 1-5 hours per week in this task it will definitely return value to strategy development.   

As the ExperienceTheBlog suggests:

Simply put, the best way to use social media is to use it. Don't jump into the deep end of the social media pool, but you won't get any benefit nor gain any knowledge by staying dry and arguing over where and how to leap. Dip a toe into the water, test the temperature, and see what you learn about your consumers and your brands.

The point was driven home to me by a commenter from a nonprofit organization named Paulette who works for an arts organization who left this comment on the interview with Marc from the Chicago Symphony:

We're trying to figure out how to best engage in social media. I'm advocating for us to use it more as part of our outreach efforts because I think we're missing an opportunity to communicate with the new audiences we're always talking about developing for the arts. The ROI ideas were particularly helpful as you're correct, it is important to be adding more value than just "keeping up with Joneses." And I'm especially keen on the idea of listening first, as, of course, inevitably the push escalates to "act and get big results" long before you're actually ready for that.

I thought it was right on.

Defining Listening

I like how Josh Bernhoff definesit on this YouTube video from the Forrester Consumer Forum. "Learning from what your customers are saying."

In the chapter on listening in Josh Bernhoff and Charlene Li's new book, Groundswell they point out that listening is nothing new - it's market research. There is a difference between market research (using surveys, focus groups, and interviews to collect data) and listening (using social media tools). Market research generates answers, while listening using social media generates insights.

Bernhoff and Li point out in their book that there are problems relying solely on social media to do your listening. While you'll gain new insights, the people you're listening to are not necessarily representative of your total client or audience base. The other issue is information overload due to volume.

Why Important

As a listener using social media tools, you become a Jane Goodall observing your clients in their natural environment. On the social web,current and potential supporters for your nonprofit are sharing opinions, concerns, and ideas; some are even sharing their day-to-day experiences with your issue area or why they care or what might motivate them to make a contribution.  If your first tactical step is to spend 1-5 hours per week putting on your social media ears, you can glean the nuances of what's on your supporters' minds.

Help us flesh out the Listening section by answering these questions on the wiki:

• What are some basic beginner steps for listening?
• What are some advanced techniques for listening?
• What are some of the best resources or blog posts about social media listening?
• We are REALLY need examples, stories, or case studies about nonprofits and listening.   Share a "nugget" or drop a comment and I'll interview you for a blog post and addition the wiki.

Greetings NetSquared citizens. My name is James Vito Palazzolo and I’ve just joined the blogging team that brings you relevant content about tech tools, interviews with non-profit personnel leading the charge merging tech and communications, theoretical concepts regarding the past/present/future of non-profits, and many more topics.

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Forwarding this really cool opportunity to join the Democracy Now! team in New York. If you're a Linux Systems Admin with Drupal experience, this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to join a driven team of smart, passionate people working for justice. One of the responsibilities would be to develop new internal and public websites for them: sounds like Drupal would be a great fit!

Here's the info. It was taken from http://www.democracynow.org/about/jobs#sysadmin

============================================================

Immediate opening for full-time Systems Administrator

Democracy Now! is a daily, non-profit, national, independent news hour based in New York City. Our public website, which is is visited by tens of thousands of users daily, features the news hour every day in a variety of video, audio, and transcript formats, and also features a store selling copies of the program. Internally, we maintain a heterogeneous network of client and server computers to process, store, and record the show and its components and to support our general office and distribution operations. Democracy Now! is hiring a full-time Systems Administrator with extensive Linux experience to maintain, support, and extend these systems.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement, maintain, and monitor the computer network and internal servers, including our internet connection, firewall, and shared printer resources.
• Provide desktop technical support to staff and volunteers, primarily on an Apple OS X platform.
• Coordinate with external consultants and service providers who are responsible for some aspects of our technical operations.
• Architect and, where practical, develop web sites and applications for public and internal use.
• Research and suggest cost effective products and solutions which may improve organizational workflow.

QUALIFICATIONS

As a small organization with limited IT staff but diverse technological needs, we seek to hire someone who can work with a wide variety of technologies and quickly learn new technologies.

Experience configuring and maintaining GNU/Linux servers and an ability to create and maintain bash shell scripts are essential. The ideal candidate will also have experience with some or all of the following technologies: Free Software media processing tools including ffmpeg, mencoder, sox, dvgrab, and MP4Box; programming languages including Perl, Ruby on Rails, and Python; Apple OS X and Microsoft Windows desktop and application support, ideally including Final Cut Pro and Filemaker Pro; version-control systems such as Subversion and git; firewall maintenance with OpenBSD and pf; and web technologies including HTML, CSS, and XML.

Also essential are the abilities to manage several simultaneous projects and to research, select, and integrate new technologies. Experience in a non-profit or media environment is preferred, as is an interest in independent media and non-commercial television.

This is a full-time New York City-based position with benefits and salary based on experience. Democracy Now! is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively recruits women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and persons with diverse gender and sexual identities.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter (PDF or plain text formats only) to job (at) democracynow (dot) org with “Systems Administrator” as the subject. No phone calls.

New York City

Join one of 10 Net Tuesdays next week! Net Tuesdays are free monthly gatherings for social changemakers and web innovators to network, socialize and share ideas about how nonprofits and social benefit organizations can use the social web for social change. If you don't see a Net Tuesdya near you, start your own!

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TechSoup recently received funding from ZeroDivide, whose CEO I just interviewed, to provide mentors for 4 of their grantee organizations:  Southern California Library, Craigslist Foundation, Women’s Audio Mission and the San Diego Futures Foundation. These organizations need advice on everything from e-commerce, to marketing and communications strategy, to intellectual property issues, to business plan development.

Please take a moment to scan through their projects and mentoring needs to see if you have time and skills to donate to their work. If you're interested in being a mentor, contact Sheetal Singh, NetSquared's Grants Manager, at sheetal@techsoup.org.

Southern California Library
Project: SCL proposes a community enterprise that will use web 2.0 technologies to provide greater access to the valuable historical documents, records, and materials; facilitate on and off-line creation and sharing of community members’ own stories, ideas, and insights; and generate revenue through the sale of Library products and services.

Need: They need advice on generating an e-commerce business plan; legal advice on copyright issues; and assistance identifying technology vendors/services.

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1. The Community Technology Foundation changed its name to ZeroDivide in early 2008. What prompted the name change, and what else has changed about the organization along with its name?

We were founded in 1998 by a collaboration of 10 coalitions representing underserved communities to impact the “digital divide” by promoting community technology. “Zerodivide” was a concept we always used to describe the aspirational goal of bridging the digital divide while understanding its relationship to the socioeconomic and cultural divides existing in low-income, minority and undeserved communities. As we gained more practical knowledge about the common determinants for increasing technology access and addressing civic engagement, social services and economic self-sufficiency, the need to change our name to call out this interconnection became pretty self evident. The bigger changes however have been in our strategy.

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