The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison H. Fine is a WONDERFUL book! I’ve finished the first half and can’t wait to delve into the second one. Although blogs and Face Book pages are great sources of information, there is nothing like a book sometimes!
I am into week 2 of my “E-learning and Digital Cultures” class with Coursera. There are 30,000 students. I am glad that I have avoided signing up for Face Book or Twitter participation, since I have read on the discussion forums that the pure number of responses and notifications has been overwhelming. This is one case where being a lurker makes sense!
I have enjoyed watching the videos in the course for weeks 1 and 2, but admit that I have no interest in or plan to do the class assignment. I don’t feel any sense of allegiance or commitment to the course. I believe, as many other students do, that the course instructors need to break down the students into some kind of manageable chunks for peer sharing.
The Social Media Examiner has a list of 24 finalists for their 4th annual “Top 10 Social Media Blogs” contest. Hard to believe there were 750 nominations! Since they have done the vetting, it would be worthwhile to check out their list of finalists (with hyperlinks, naturally). Check out the list here.
Over the week-end I signed up for a free Coursera class, E-Learning and Digital Cultures. I was wondering how Coursera does or will “monetize” their venture. This N.Y. Times article answers that question.
Students Rush to Web Classes, But Profits May be Much Later
I am curious how this class will be. I admit, I am concerned that because it is free I will have an easy out. I wonder what the completion rates are for these classes? I do think it will be significantly higher for folks who obtain a certificate or, of course, class credit.
Sometimes lost in the sea of social media are the basics of a good nonprofit web site. “How to Create Clear Objectives For Your Nonprofit’s Website” is a good overview of the importance of clear objectives for your organization’s web site, particularly related to calls to action. The article, on John Haydon’s website, includes a useful worksheet.
Socialbrite, a social media consulting company, offers tutorials on their web site, a useful first step for non-profit social media novices. The Sharing Center also has resources and information.
Beth Kanter presented a slide show at a recent non-profit conference, with a title I just love: Mindful or Mind Full Social Media, with tips for mindfull content curation…I can already see how burn out can creep in!
Slate also published a useful article on how limiting commitments can be your best new years resolution: Economists on How to Make Better New Year’s Resolutions
One of my goals for this blog is to be a spot where I can keep track of all the articles, webinars, blogs about social media, particularly for non-profits. It has been a challenge in the past for me to keep track of web-based content so I am giving this a whirl.
Short answer: I am learning! I just registered for a free webinar
on this topic, presented by Beth Kanter, author of “Measuring the Networked Non-profit: Using Data to Change the World. The webinar is sponsored by CharityHowTo.com and registration information is here.
Beth Kanter is an expert on social media for non-profits and I strongly recommend perusing her blog for great information. She is also on Face Book, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, to name a few!
Interesting blog post about the importance of harnessing the storytelling power of social media with strategy. Doing so is especially important for non-profits – social media is a great opportunity to tell success stories and personalize your non-profit mission.
Read Why-your-social-media-plan-needs-gurus-and-storytellers” here.
Welcome! I am a capacity building and writing consultant based near Portland, OR. My goal for 2013 is to transition away from grant writing and more towards web-based content development, social media, and research. My LinkedIn profile has more details on my background. I also have a now-dormant blog on parenting children with special needs, A Different Nest. You can find my posts here.
A new year, a new blog, created to organize and and share information on how social media can and does help non-profits be more efficient, robust and successful. I learn best by doing, so at the risk of being “meta” – I am learning more about social media by doing more social media.
Exploring social media wisdom for non-profits 