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Far too many NGOs are relying on Facebook and Twitter to get connected with donors, and its time that we try to break out of this two-party system. There are millions of potential donors, volunteers, or just concerned people to rely only on the "usual suspects." I personally find the team focus for fundraising to be the most interesting, and probably most-effective for getting people involved and raising large amounts of cash. Make it highly visible, and make it competitive, and people can have a lot of fun doing the right thing.

This article discusses the new and different ways people now get their information about things that are happening in the news. It is all about using social media to do this. Cities, towns and counties are taking advantage of these social media websites and it is helping them reach out to more people. people are already on these websites daily, so it is more convenient. It helps to engage the citizens. These new social media tools have also helped lower many costs.

Email marketing is CHEAP and EFFECTIVE means to marketing in a nonprofit but there is a wrong way to do it. This article outlines the importance of not upsetting people with SPAM. A targeted, restrained outreach is more effective in the long run.

This article is very useful in outlining the pyramid of achievements a small nonprofit should be looking to achieve step by step. IT asset building starts with the mission statement and choosing the people who will implement your strategies.

This post is an article linking to a series that outlines the building of IT assets in a nonprofit organization

Only 16% of nonprofits expect to be ready for mobile devices in 2011 so there is tremendous opportunity in 84% of nonprofits. Mobile web use increased 230% from 2008 to 2009 which indicates that many more people are impressed with mobile computing devices and it is here to stay for a while. Websites without mobile connectivity are essentially going to be out-of-date now.

This is supplementary to our first reading assignment which outlines where we are are and where we are going in nonprofit technology

The Guide to Managing ICT in the Voluntary and Community Sector is produced by the ICT Hub to help voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) make best use of information communication technologies (ICTs).The guideis intended particularly for staff and volunteers from small and medium-sized organisations and especially for those people who don't

This article suggests what the telecommunications solution should look like. A secure VPN to share files, Instant messaging to cover long distance calling, web conferencing for a more personal long distance interaction if and when needed , VoIP and PBX which might be the most prominent. Keeping the workforce strongly connected over long distances makes people more productive and happier.

I think this best represents the standard platform but there is much more available now ( look to mobile for growth )

Another interesting article about regular people who are ebay users and sellers giving records amount of money to charities

This is a very disturbing truth about social media that you would think people are aware of , but are they?

National Unplugging day is where people put away their phones, computers and any kind of social networking devices for one day. The day was very successful and people liked it because it helped them reconnect with each other because it forced them to communicate one on one. Ironically, they are going to develop an app to get the word out about National Unplugging Day.

Technology is increasingly important to the American Red Cross. We are an old organization proving we can learn new ways of doing good. Our ultimate goal is to empower the American public to get help or give help during emergencies. A healthy dose of passionate people, tools, and gadgets are required to do this effectively.  

Food shortages and distribution issues have become a major problem in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. In many areas, supermarket shelves are empty, particularly as people stock up on food and other items as they face uncertainty around the nuclear situation in the country.

This article talks about the consequences of hoarding digital data. These consequences seem to not be known by a lot of people including IT experts.

After seeing the tragedy that has hit Japan, I found this story to be useful as a great example of how tech can really affect people's lives. Google has provided a system where you can search the name of a person in Japan and find out about their status in the country after the earthquake. This tool is so important for government to use during a national disaster because it allows families, no matter where they are across the globe, to better find out what has happened to their loved ones after such a tragedy. Governments or non profits such as the American Red Cross can use this technology in all types of different relief effort circumstances when a number of people somewhere in the world have been the victim of such a disaster.

China gets its first database

"Social media! I seriously think it's "the" buzz word. According to Omniture, over 200 million searches are conducted every single day and 78% of people trust recommendations by peers. But how should nonprofits track their social media? What tools should they use?"  Understand What You Want to Track.

substantive new report out from the Knight Foundation that is worth attention: Connected Citizens: The Power, Peril and Potential of Networks.  The report notes: *It's important to listen to and consult the crowd in our work *We should create environments where connections can naturally form, including between people with different perspectives *It's good practice to support collective action so grassroots efforts can grow So how can nonprofits embrace these practices? 

UNICEF is playing with the idea of using QR Codes to encouraging people to donate items on a 1X2 (buy one, give one) basis while shopping at the store. It is a pretty neat way to utilize the technology, and encourage people to donate.