social media « Introducing the Nonprofit Guru: Kelly N Patterson

We Media PitchIt! Challenge (looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media)

December 29, 2009

We Media PitchIt! Challenge
Filed Under:

* media
* journalism
* competition

Deadline: January 20, 2010. US$25,000 prize

Are you a storyteller? An influencer? A connector? An idea person?

We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers are looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media. Be part of the 2010 We Media PitchIt! Challenge.

ENTER your solutions from now until January 20, 2010. The top finalists will pitch their ideas at We Media Miami, March 9-11, 2010. The best entry in each category–non-profit and business–will receive a $25,000 prize to help launch their new venture.
What happens when people have the power to tell their story?

We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers have teamed up once again to find and launch the best new ideas for inspiring a better world through media. In the We Media PitchIt! Challenge, we’re looking for groundbreaking solutions from all fields that incite action, encourage collaboration, and lead society to knowledge.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, we will provide $50,000 in seed funding to help launch the best solutions. One business and one non-profit venture will each receive $25,000 in seed capital.

Entrants will have the freedom to collaborate with potential partners and investors, while the global online community will discuss, debate and improve upon the most creative solutions.

All finalists will participate in the sixth annual We Media Event in Miami, March 9-11, 2010, and present their ideas to a panel of judges as well as potential funders and partners.

The competition will be open to individuals from all countries. We consider the following criteria:

* Media Focus: Ideas should reflect the theme of the competition. We are searching for innovative ideas that use media to create social change.
* Idea Stage: We’re looking for early-stage ventures or brand new ideas that have not yet been launched or built. These may be entirely new ventures, new companies or new projects from existing organizations.
* Business or Non-Profit: There will be two categories: business and non-profit. In the business category, the funding must be used to support the start-up of a new business that will have a sustainable revenue model. In the non-profit category, the funding should be used to support the launch of a non-profit venture or the development of a new project for an existing non-profit organization.
* Completed Form: Entries must be fully completed and submitted before the deadline of January 20, 2010.
* Language: Entries should be submitted in English.

B. Assessment Criteria

There will be several stages to this process:

1) The community’s comments will be included in the evaluation process.

2) The finalists will be selected by a combination of We Media and expert judges. Finalists will be announced on February 3, 2010.

3) Each finalist will attend We Media Miami March 9-11, 2010 and make a formal presentation to attendees and a panel of expert judges. There will be separate expert panels for business and non-profit ideas.

4) We Media PitchIt! Challenge finalists will each receive the following travel assistance for attending We Media Miami 2010:

* Up to $300 toward a coach airline ticket
* 2 nights lodging in Miami
* Registration for the entire We Media Event
* A display location in the gallery

5) Winners each receive $25,000 in seed funding: The judges will select one business and one non-profit entry. Each winner will receive $25,000 in seed funding.

Judges will consider the following criteria:

* Innovation: Is the idea innovative? This is the knock-out test. The idea should represent a disruptive innovation that changes the way media works. The innovation should demonstrate a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field and have the potential for large-scale expansion. We look for innovative business practices, entrepreneurial quality and a plausible sustainable model.
* Story Telling: Does this idea tell a story in a new or innovative way – or enable others to tell their stories? Does it create and apply a unique storytelling experience through journalism, discovery, narrative, exposition, or new methods and metaphors? We are looking for ideas that change the way we experience or understand storytelling. In this context, we define storytelling broadly.
* Social Impact: Does the idea affect social conditions, stimulate citizenship, raise awareness, influence public policy, or marshal support for an idea of broad social significance? Does this idea present a solution for increasing access, knowledge or connection for all? The idea may address a specific underserved community or the society at large, but ultimately it is important that the innovation has a potential for application or replication globally. It is also important that the idea does not have a negative environmental impact.
* Sustainability: Will the innovator be able to launch and sustain this idea? For an innovation to be truly effective, it should have a plan for securing financial backing and community support. We are looking for social entrepreneurs with ideas that are financially sustainable and scalable. We will also consider the experience and capacity of the innovator (or team), who will be expected to launch the idea.
* Design: Does the idea creatively engage multiple levels of intelligence and understanding of complex information with clarity, style, and meaning?
* Pattern Change: Does the idea pioneer original approaches and paradigms?
* Purpose: Does the idea express a purposeful vision through values reflecting ethics, credibility, responsibility and authenticity?
* Community: Does the idea seek to organize a community, virtual or geographic, in a new way?

Posted by kellyofthepattersons

Filed in contest/competitions, fundraising, grants/awards, journalism, social change, social media, technology
Tagged: competition, funding, grants, media, social change, social media

Leave a Comment »

The Tech Awards: Global Call for Nominations

December 17, 2008

2009 Nomination Deadline: March 27, 2009. $250,000 in Cash Prizes to be Awarded to Innovators Using Technology to Benefit Humanity

Nominations for The Tech Awards are now being accepted.

The Tech Awards is an international awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.

The Tech Awards program inspires global engagement in applying technology to humanity’s most pressing problems by recognizing the best of those who are utilizing innovative technology solutions to address the most urgent critical issues facing our planet. People all over the world are profoundly improving the human condition in the areas of education, equality, environment, health, and economic development through the use of technology. It is the goal of The Tech Awards to showcase their compelling stories and reward their brilliant accomplishments.

Each year, candidates are nominated and then invited to submit applications. Individuals, for-profit companies, and not-for-profit organizations are eligible. International panels of judges review the applications and annually select 25 Laureates. Awards are presented in five categories: Health, Education, Environment, Economic Development, and Equality. Five Laureates in each category are honored and one Laureate per category receives $50,000. Laureates are honored at an annual Gala event and inducted into The Tech Awards Network (TAN). The TAN extends the award program from an annual event to a year round program. The goal of the TAN is to create opportunities for learning, networking, and exposure to assist the Laureates in furthering their work.

The Tech Awards accepts nominations year-round. Nominations received after March 27, 2009 will be considered for The Tech Awards 2010.

Criteria: Ensure the candidate is eligible

Categories: Decide which category best fits the project

Nomination Form: Submit your nomination

Posted by kellyofthepattersons

Filed in contest/competitions, films, fundraising, social media
Tagged: competition, film contests, funding, IT, RFP, social justice, technology, technology awards

Leave a Comment »

New Study: Online Philanthropy Markets: From ‘Feel-Good’ Giving to Effective Social Investing?

December 10, 2008

Authors:

David Bonbright

Natalia Kiryttopoulou

Lindsay Iversen

Publication Date

January 2008

Summary

This study, supported by the Aspen Institute’s Nonprofit Sector Research Fund and carried out by Keystone, examines the phenomenon of online philanthropy markets and details the opportunity that they have to create the informational basis for results-oriented giving and for serving as a lever for greater accountability and effectiveness of social purpose organisations. ‘Online philanthropy market’, as stated in the publication, describes an internet phenomenon “through which individual citizens and institutions can engage with citizen-led organisations and micro-entrepreneurs all over the world to invest their money, time or expertise to improve human and environmental wellbeing.” The study examines 24 online markets and six informational sites to identify the quality and quantity of resources available for domestic and international development through online platforms such as these. Through the analysis and recommendations of this study, Keystone aims to spark a field-wide dialogue about how to achieve the transformative potential of online philanthropy markets and about how to use innovative online tools to create the informational basis for effective social investments.
From the Executive Summary:

“This study represents a first attempt to examine this phenomenon systematically, and set out to examine four main questions:

Do markets simply offer a means of mobilising short term relief or could they become effective vehicles for sustainable development?
How do online markets currently try to measure the impact of their investments in bringing about change in the world?
How do they present their ‘investment offerings’ to donors in ways that might cultivate larger numbers of donors and foster long term relationships of relatively unrestricted support?
How might they positively influence the practice of development by fostering greater dialogue and learning among the constituents (investors, implementers and those most affected) of interventions?”

The study finds that online philanthropy market innovations are advancing performance of nonprofit organisations in areas such as accountability to beneficiaries and other constituents of their work. The document contrasts the traditional ‘feel-good giving’ approach to philanthropy with the cultivation of a social investment mentality among the users of their platforms. The document reports that 27% of markets provide formal evaluation of projects. Most reports simply document outputs rather than try to understand and communicate contribution to sustainable outcomes. “Many respondents felt frustrated that there is currently little common understanding of what ‘performance’ means, and how to measure and communicate it credibly and effectively. Most rejected the idea of a single universal system of measuring and reporting in favour of a plurality of approaches based on common values and principles.” However, 85% of respondents felt that evidence that an organisation was achieving its goals was the most important factor motivating them to give.

There was, as stated here, interest in ways to reflect the voices of all constituents more effectively. However, there was “deep insecurity in the market that the demand for more and better performance data would alienate both donors and offerings – listed organisations and projects that solicit funding – from their market, or channel resources to the biggest and the easiest at the expense of small organisations that are working in the most difficult contexts.”

Recommendations from the research consider three ways markets can work together:

enabling their donors to begin thinking like investors by exploring effective and appealing ways of measuring and communicating the ongoing social value generated by online ‘investments;
creating independent supplemental data sets that allow comparisons of the performance of listed offerings both within and across markets in a shared space, such as a ‘performance data commons’; and
working to build a common reporting framework for constituency validated impact reporting.

Click here to download this document in PDF format.

Posted by kellyofthepattersons

Filed in fundraising, social media, tools
Tagged: e-fundraising, e-philanthropy, fundraising studies, online fundraising, studies, study

Leave a Comment »

Smaller online communities are doing the job for charities

December 8, 2008

Smaller online communities are doing the job for charities
http://www.nptimes.com
by Michele Donohue

Daphne Dixon wanted to get the word out that Conscious Decisions, an environmental nonprofit in Farfield, Conn., was hosting its Green Faire. Instead of calling and hassling all the local newspapers, Dixon used a feature on AmericanTowns.com to forward the press release to media outlets – and saw results.

“Their press release tool is amazing because it is a free service that distributes press releases to all local media quickly. And most importantly, the information is picked up and printed in all local papers,” said Dixon, who mentioned the turnout quickly had sponsors asking about next year’s event.

Conscious Decisions is working on its new Web site, so the organization constantly updates information on its AmericanTowns.com page. And having a second Web presence only helps search engine optimization (SEO). “It’s critical in this day and age when someone is searching on Google that it comes on that first page or you are virtually invisible to the world,” said Dixon.

Most people will not turn to the bulky phone book anymore to find out information about organizations when all they need to do is press a button. Organizations that don’t have a minimal Web presence are going to fall behind the pack. And social networking is taking hold as a method of gaining awareness, even though fundraising via social networks is still in its infancy.

“The longer you wait to adopt technological change, you always do leave yourself at a certain disadvantage,” said Steve MacLaughlin, director of Internet solutions at technology provider Blackbaud in Charleston, S.C. All organizations have to start somewhere — the important point is to actually start.

“Once something comes out, everyone tells you that you have to do it. Everyone is probably saying you have to be on Facebook right now. But it’s not about being there. You have to figure out what exactly you want to accomplish by being there and then make sure what you are doing is accomplishing that measure,” said Amin Tehrani, national director of new media and e-commerce at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in New York City. “Otherwise, you are just spinning your wheels and spending a lot of time doing stuff and not seeing any benefit from it.”

Tehrani explained that starting in small online communities might get your organization off the ground. JDRF began checking that the correct information was online about juvenile diabetes by editing sites like Wikipedia. Your organization can also gain attention by offering information on your specific topic on community sites or blogs. “You don’t want to be passive when attracting new donors and constituents. It’s great to have your own Web site and your own presence online, but you want to make sure you go out to where these people actually are,” said Tehrani.

For JDRF that meant going to Facebook, where the JDRF cause has more than 47,000 members. JDRF plans to launch its own social networking site.

Organizations can easily start their own online communities by offering constituents a site area to talk about events, volunteering or why they are dedicated to the mission. “We’ve been doing primitive relationship or community building since our early email program,” said Jo Sullivan, senior vice president of development and communications at ASPCA, based in New York City. Sullivan said that members would mail pictures of their pets — and now that has moved to the ASPCA online community. “People are so proud of their pets. They want an opportunity to share and we recognize that,” said Sullivan. The site has grown to more than 14,000 members who post pictures or discuss pet issues in the online forum.

JDRF tries to assess where online efforts would have the most impact for the organization. Tehrani recommended looking at programs you already have and how that can be translated online. JDRF had a mail-based pen pal program and now has a Kids Online section where children can learn more about living with juvenile diabetes and meet other kids with the disease. JDRF also has a section about its Children’s Congress, an event held every two years that gives 51 chosen delegates ages 4 to 17 the chance to discuss Type 1 diabetes with government officials. Now kids who weren’t selected to participate can read blog posts and read up on the delegates.

Sullivan said it’s important to foster online discussions, but organizations shouldn’t give free reign to members while on the organization’s site. Political discussions are great if it pertains to the mission, but if not, change the conversation before partisan battles flare up on your site.
“It’s great that it’s becoming something more than an animal welfare charity. The danger becomes how much more can it be before we as an organization get a reputation as being off mission,” said Sullivan, who has forum moderators that draw people back to animal issues when discussions veer off to unrelated threads.

Nonprofits are buzzing about free social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, which your organization can leverage peer-to-peer relationships for acquisition. But those two aren’t the only players in the social networking game – and more unconventional sites might work better for your audience. “I think it’s important to look at the big [sites] and have a presence there, but you may in fact find more success on a smaller site that more niche-oriented,” said MacLaughlin. He recommended organizations look for communities that are related to mission or sites that cater to nonprofit-minded people, like Care2.

“Ultimately it is about making that initial contact and then prompting some sort of action that would drive them back to your Web site or to take action on something,” said MacLaughlin. “I think people just get so hung up on the technology and the wires that they forget this is just traditional fundraising. The only difference is the online so I can reach more people than I would ever be able to reach going door-to-door or phoning people or direct mail,” he said.

“This is so early for a lot of nonprofits that I think there is an advantage to trying and experimenting with some of this stuff because it is a bit open territory,” said MacLaughlin. “It’s okay with some of this stuff to fail at it.” NPT

Posted by kellyofthepattersons

Filed in fundraising, nonprofit development/management, social media, tools
Tagged: funding, fundraising grants, social media

Leave a Comment »

Nonprofits: Your prospects or donors are in social networks now – You need to be there

December 8, 2008

I have been saying this for 3 years…here is a recent article in support of my theory that e-philanthropy is the present, as well as the future of fundraising.

Kelly N Patterson

Your prospects or donors are in social networks now – You need to be there
http://www.plannedlegacy.com
by B.L. Ochman, President of whatsnextonline.com,
“You can’t wait any longer to test the waters in social media marketing,” says B.L. Ochman, President of whatsnextonline.com, and one of the world’s most influential business bloggers and social media marketing consultants. “Your competitors are already there, or are planning to be, and your customers and/or contributors have already been there for quite a while.”

“Consumers aren’t only part of your revenue stream; they’re now part of the marketing landscape,” continued Ochman. “Social media provides the tools and the opportunities for building a social bond with customers and prospects.

“Social media marketing is not advertising, and it is not direct marketing. But its impact is measurable and it can impact the bottom line. By telling customers or supporters what they want to know about your organization, in an open and transparent way, social media marketing aims to create community, trust, buyers and/or contributors.

“Social media refers to marketing that engages customers in interactive conversation with a company or organization, using tools including blogs, blog advertising, RSS, video, photo and content sharing sites, social bookmarking, podcasting, social networks, tagging, and peer-to-peer communities sponsored or created by companies and organizations that want to get to know their customers better, to serve them better.

“Properly executed, a social media marketing campaign can produce better results than traditional methods of reaching customers and/or donors. You need to have realistic expectations, and know that conversational marketing produces results over time. It is not a quick fix or a magic bullet. Instead, social media must be integrated into the overall marketing plan for the long haul. And over time, you can build traffic, sales and your customer/donor base with these new tools.

“Socially responsible marketing is an absolutely critical way to distinguish your products and services from the knock-offs, the imitators, the pretenders, and to make people feel that they have to buy or belong to the original – the genuine item. Charities and non-profit organizations can gain supporters through the use of social networking and the creation of community in their marketing. This type of marketing requires you to be an active participant in a network, and to engage in open and honest communication.”

Posted by kellyofthepattersons

Filed in fundraising, social media, tools
Tagged: funding, fundraising, social media

Leave a Comment »

Introducing the Nonprofit Guru: Kelly N Patterson

Click below to subscribe

Archives

Categories

Recent Comments

Pages

December 29, 2009

October 20, 2009

October 7, 2009

2009 America’s Giving Challenge

October 1, 2009

World Challenge 09

January 21, 2009

January 5, 2009

December 17, 2008

December 10, 2008

Publication Date

Summary

December 8, 2008

December 8, 2008

Click below to subscribe

Archives

Categories

Recent Comments

Pages