Make it Easy for Bloggers to Cover Your Org -- Update

Update: May 2, 2008

I registered at the WE site and received an email confirmation, but not untill the next day. I would have loved to hear from them within an hour (easy to do with an auto-responder) while they were still on my mind. Lost opportunity for WE.

One more suggestion for WE -- the email I received was 100% generic, not reflecting any of the infromation (beat, interests, other sources) I submitted to them. I wish the org had taken the same kind of time I did to customize its response.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Just do what the WE Campaign does in its online press room, a model for nonprofit press outreach and one you can follow for your nonprofit, even if you didn't just launch.

1) Reach out to bloggers along with the traditional press. I'd include social media folks (who talk about you on Facebook, YouTube, etc.) as well but this is a good place to start.

2) Make it easy. Get a sense of press/bloggers interests plus contact info. Then let them know when there's relevant news.  The WE Campaign asks bloggers for basic contact info (email, name, blog name and URL), frequency of posts, topics covered, news sources, political orientation, take on the Campaign's mission and an open-ended response on how WE can help. This a great way to build relationships with the folks that matter most, but WE should do the same for other press as well.

3) Offer other means of staying in touch. WE invites press to subscribe to email distribution of its press releases and to a "releases plus" feed via their blog readers.

4) Follow up. Nothing's more annoying than a great system never implemented. The jury is still out on the WE Campaign. I submitted my info last week and am waiting to hear. I'll let you know when I do.

Any other ideas for nurturing relationships with the right bloggers? Please share your strategies in Comments below.

Learn more about crafting a satisfying online press room here.

Photo by Steve Rhodes.

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Just Logged Reader #100,000 this Morning

I've been blogging for a fantastically fun (albeit labor-intensive) 19 months now, and just hit my 100,000th reader. Here's my very first Getting Attention post.

At this point, I just couldn't not blog. It's food for my intellect and creativity, and keeps me up on all the stuff I need to parse as context for nonprofit communications clients. So Getting Attention is a huge benefit to me, as well as (I hear) to nonprofit marketer readers. If you think it has value, I'd love you to spread the word to friends and colleagues in the field.

Thanks to all of you for reading, commenting and sending your words of thanks and support. Your feedback means the world to me.

All the best,
Nancy

P.S. Make sure you don't miss a post by subscribing to via your blog reader, or via email. Do it today at top right of the blog home page.

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Get the Most from Your Volunteer Web Team -- From UK Web Designer Jason King

As a card-carrying member of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange, I'm periodically introduced to a new (and usually top-grade) online resource for nonprofiteers, and asked to introduce it to my readers. it's a great way to extend my knowledge of what's out there, as well as to build my own community of colleagues.

Today, I'm pleased to introduce you to Jason King's Nonprofit Web Design blog where this UK-based Web strategist and developer shares his insights on planning, sourcing, designing and editing nonprofit Web sites. Jason has lots of value to say, but I was struck by his guidance on managing prospective volunteers to develop and manage your nonprofit Web site. Here are Jason's key recommendations:

1. Clarify that your organization owns the site and all its pieces: Ensure that the charity has ownership of the domain name and the hosting account, retain all passwords, and make clear to the volunteer that you own content copyright. Confirm in a brief, written contract.
2. Make sure you know what's going on at all times: Volunteers tends to come and go, no matter how dedicated. Ensure you know all passwords and where the project is at all times.
3. Assign Web work with success in mind: Assign volunteers to tangible, short-term projects that can be completed when they're not working and within a finite timeframe. Volunteers don't mix with huge projects or urgent deadlines.

You'll get more useful Web guidance from Jason here, including some gruesome site development horror stories from UK nonprofits.

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Bob's Blog Strikes a Chord -- California Endowment President Blogging with Great Success

Dr. Robert K. Ross, president of The California Endowment (a powerful influencer in the health care reform and philanthropy world) is blogging and blogging well. Unlike most CEO bloggers, Ross knows how to say it straight, and briefly. Here are a couple of the qualities that make him such a great blogger:

• His relaxed, conversational tone and writing style: Ross writes exactly to the medium; a must many nonprofit leaders can't muster. If your leaders can't relax in posting, then forget blogging.
• His framing of professional insights in the context of his own experiences, so readers get engaged by the story and learn from the insights.
• His comfort with engaging audiences, rather than following the traditional command and control model.
• The interesting stories he has to tell about how the Endowment is helping solve problems in the health care system, and lessons learned along the way.

My only recommendation to Ross is that he blog more frequently than once a month. Posting once weekly is the minimum required to nurture regular readers. If you can't deliver, you should question whether your nonprofit CEO should be blogging at all.

P.S. I'm not surprised that Ross blogs so effectively. The California Endowment team members are true strategic communicators, parsing each channel for possible application as it comes down the line. They've put Ross' relaxed tone and insightful comments to work perfectly in his blog, which is a powerful complement to a host of other communications channels, each used to its max. For example, California HealthSpeaks is an ongoing podcast series covering key issues in the field, and a key component of the Endowment's multimedia newsroom.

P.S. Here are more nonprofit CEO and university president bloggers.

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Push Through Fear of SEO to Boost Your Nonprofit's Online Marketing Results

Was I glad to see Katya Andresen's guide to search engine marketing 101(aka search engine optimization or SEO) in the most recent Network for Good e-news. Your focus on search engine positioning is critical for ensuring your audiences find your organization or program online (by making sure you show up as high as possible in search results on relevant keywords and phrases), but it's a seemingly complex strategy to put into play. As a result, many nonprofit communicators avoid SEO like the plague.

Let me share a story: A few weeks ago, I led a workshop for 25 sharp nonprofit communicators on Writing for the Web. In addition to covering the "usual suspects" (casual tone, direct and succinct style, using storytelling to show rather than tell), I briefly reviewed basic SEO. And, although the guidelines I proposed were definitely baby steps to getting started, I was met by a roomful of blank stares -- some fearful, others just not interested.

Here's why you have to be interested in SEO:

Let’s say you are a small AIDS prevention nonprofit in Boise, Idaho.  It’s December 30, and several Boise residents have logged onto Google to find a charity for a...donation/last minute tax deduction.  It's likely that potential donors will do a Google search for "boise aids charity."  But if your nonprofit doesn’t pop-up near the top of the search results, these donors may never find you.

Luckily for me, there were a few nonprofit SEO experts in the room who helped me talk down their peers from the SEO ledge, and translate what seems to be a very  daunting  path of entry into this so important marketing strategy.

Now in today's article, Katya clearly outlines the steps to take for using Google Grants, Google's free-to-nonprofits SEO program. It's a no-lose, all win investment of a very  brief amount of time (to research which keywords will  capture the most viewers for your nonprofit's  listing), so jump in today. Really. Today.

Thanks too to Katya for pointing to Dave Davies' 10 Steps to Higher Search Engine Positioning, a very concise guide to what's called "organic SEO" -- how to write and design your site copy, headlines, title tags etc. so that the site or blog is search engine friendly.

I urge you to step down from the SEO ledge. SEO will boost your nonprofit's online marketing big time. Use it for all it's worth, and keep it powered by using Google Dashboard or another site/blog analytics tool to track which keywords and phrases site visitors are using to find you, adjusting your strategy as indicated.

P.S. While you're thinking Web site, here are some additional strategies for Shaping Your Nonprofit Web Site to Generate the Actions You Need.

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Nonprofit Marketing: Blogging in 5 Sensible Steps

You can't imagine how many queries I get from nonprofit organizations wondering if they should launch a blog. They're usually feeling pressured (by the media, colleagues, perhaps even competitors already blogging) to do so.

My response is always the same; to stress that blogging is a low cost but high effort endeavor that does generate some very clear benefits for nonprofits. Key benefits include opening new channels for documentation and knowledge-sharing, especially for for non-profits that have been constrained by the time and costs of other web technologies, and enlivening your group's Web presence and engage clients, supporters and strangers alike in your work. Read more about the benefits of blogging here.

But many of you are wisely cautious about jumping into blogging. Resources ($ and time) are all too finite for us nonprofit communicators. So here (inspired by MarketingProfs' TJ McCue) is a simple five-step approach to tiptoeing into the blog conversation:

1. Identify key terms—what's your org's expertise? Define it with key words and phrases and confirm with a free search term tool like Nichebot.
2. Identify the top blogs in your field based on key terms using Google Blog Search, and start to read them (use a blog reader like Bloglines).
3. Set up search alerts via Google Alerts for those key terms (How tos here) to see where else they're covered (you can choose to get alerts on blog coverage only if you'd like).
4. Set up a comment tracker like Co-Comment to see what your comments generate.
5. Comment on blog posts when you (or your ED or program director -- whoever would be blogging) have something valuable to contribute.

Tiptoe in with this five-step program today to get a taste of blogging, without setting up your own blog. When you do, you'll get a much clearer sense about whether your organization's investment in blogging makes sense. And there's a bonus -- you'll be developing a corps of online readers and colleagues who "know" you and are likely to read your blog (when/if).

P.S. Here's how the National Women's Law Center put blogging to work.

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RE3.org Case Study -- North Carolina Recycling Campaign Using Social Media for Social Marketing Success

Let me introduce you to RE3.org, a North Carolina campaign to raise awareness about waste reduction and recycling. Launched in 2005, the RE3.org campaign targets high schoolers, college students and twenty-somethings via compelling social marketing strategies.

Pay close attention, readers, to the thorough audience research campaign communicators implemented -- working closely with collegiate recycling coordinators throughout the state to identify barriers to recycling perceived by twenty-somethings, and how they get their information and influences. Based on this research, the campaign has focused on social marketing techniques such as commitment, norms, incentives and prompts. Here's how the RE3.org folks describe their social marketing strategy.

Initially, the campaign used more traditional marketing channels, such as a Web site (yes, the Web can now be considered traditional), ads on cable, pre-movie ads, billboards, trucks and Mountain Dew cans (a fav drink of the target audience).

This year, the campaign has grown to incorporate some powerful social media techniques including:

• A BLOG! -- Yes, the first time I've seen a social marketing campaign so effectively integrate a blog into its communications. Nice work. This blog is up-to-date (with posts three to five times/weekly), chatty, fun, interesting, productive (used also as an informal idea motivator/workspace for RE3.org staff and supporters).
• Online WOM (word of mouth) marketing via YouTube (lots of catchy videos motivating recycling) and MySpace (sample Grandaddy Nature Anthem, it's funny and memorable).

Nice work, RE3.org. I know that much of its success comes from being so closely in touch with target audiences. It's the only way to understand the needs, interests and habits of those you're trying to reach.

Thanks to Craig Lefebvre for the tip.

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How to Nurture Strong Relationships with E-news and Blog Readers -- More Depth, Less Often, Advises Jakob Nielsen

More depth, less often (if necessary due to time constrictions), is the way to go with blogging (or your e-newsletter), asserts online communications expert Jakob Nielsen. 

Nielsen, who's been researching and advising on the way we tend to use the Web and other online communications channels since 1995, advises bloggers to "avoid commodity status." Translation -- prove your value to readers with insightful, pithy commentary rather than superficial patter limited to links to others' insights or comments on other posts. In doing so, says Nielsen, your nonprofit will succeed in building strong relationships with loyal readers, rather fleeting flirtations with "blog dilettantes" who skim 200+ blogs daily.

I think he's got something. How can anyone relate to so much information, especially when a lot of it can be found elsewhere online?  And if your nonprofit just reiterates what your readers can get elsewhere, where's the value?

Where I disagree is Nielsen's insistence that blogs don't have value as a channel. He's a contrarian, so I take his claim with many grains of salt. I hold that blogs and e-newsletters have value: What's critical is that each one is used strategically in the way that fits best.

Let me share my experience... You may have noticed that my posts tend to be longer than those of many other bloggers. That's because rather than having something to say about everything that crosses my lens, I find it more useful (as do my readers, they tell me) to dig into what's really significant, frequently relating communications campaigns I come across in my "regular life" to nonprofit communications, analyzing a nonprofit marketing launch, or a news item that suggests some useful approach marketing wise.

On the other hand, I sometimes write two-sentence posts pointing you to a valuable article or some eye-opening stats. That's it, and that's enough, and results in a good mix of blog posts.

Again,I do believe in the value of parallel communications channels. A blog and e-newsletter are  complementary. Nielsen is right, however, in insisting that the only way to differentiate yourself in this world of TMI (too much information) is to craft content that's valued by your target audiences.

Your nonprofit's in-depth content just can't be recreated by 99.5% of the other nonprofits out there. As he puts it, "A thousand monkeys writing for 1,000 hours doesn't add up to Shakespeare. They'll actually create a thousand low-to-medium-quality postings that aren't integrated and that don't give readers a comprehensive understanding of the topic -- even if those readers suffer through all 1,000 blogs."

Or, as my husband says, "blog posts are like popcorn, dissolving the moment they're in your mouth, but in-depth news articles are like an ear of corn...something to really hold on to."

So when time and budget are short, as they always are, I'd go with a modified Nielsen approach. In-depth articles, published less frequently if necessary, conveyed via blog or e-news (why not both, readers have their own preferences in terms of getting info), are more memorable and more engaging. Use your blog as a complementary tool for short updates and calls to action, or to highlight nuances or insights that you get during your workday, and of course a link. That's the best of both worlds.

Most important to remember -- content (perspectives, news, guidance) is the most powerful means you have of showcasing your nonprofit's expertise and value.

P.S. One issue Nielsen fails to address is how to get your longer articles -- delivered most typically via email -- through email spam filters. My recommendation is to publish articles via e-newsletter, add those articles to your Web site (here's the Getting Attention e-news article archive), and post a brief article summary on your blog linking to the full article. It works. Promise.

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15 Presidents Who Blog -- And No, I'm Not Talking Bush or Putin

University presidents, that is. Thanks to university communications expert Bob Johnson for this very useful list that includes leaders of large public universities to small private colleges to two-year colleges:

• Arizona State University... Michael Crow at http://www.michaelcrow.net/
• Avila University... Ronald Slepitza at http://www.avila.edu/President/presblog.asp
• Cedarville University... Bill Brown at http://www.xanga.com/billbrown
• Colorado College... Dick Celeste at http://www.coloradocollege.edu/welcome/presidentsoffice/blog/
• Michigan State University... Lou Anna Simon at http://president.msu.edu/
• Ohio Dominican University... Jack Calareso at http://www.ohiodominican.edu/blogs/blogs/president/default.aspx
• Oregon Institute of Technology... Martha Anne Dow at http://www.marthaannedow.blogspot.com/
• Pellissippi State Technical Community College... Allen Edwards at http://www.pstcc.edu/president/
• Quest University... David Strangway at http://strangway.blogspot.com/
• Red River College... Jeff Zabudsky at http://www.rrc.mb.ca/index.php?pid=3898
• Saint Vincent College... Jim Towey at http://www.stvincent.edu/president/blog
• Towson University... Bob Caret at http://presidentcaret.org/blog/
• Trinity University... Pat McGuire at http://www.trinitydc.edu/about/president/blog/
• University of Washington... Mark Emmert at http://depts.washington.edu/presblog/wordpress/
• Wenatchee Valley College... Jim Richardson at http://wvcpresident.blogspot.com/

As Bob says:

"The list of (university) presidents who blog continues to grow despite the fears and admonitions of lawyers and public relations people who warn against some terrible damage to their institutions if their presidents are let loose to say whatever they want to say on the institutional website. So far, that's not happened. And if indeed it does, it won't be cause to remove everyone else's blog from the Internet."

What do your organization's leaders have to say, and should they be blogging?  Read Should Your Executive Director be Blogging. You'll find more examples of nonprofit leaders who are blogging here.

BTW, take Bob's admonition to heart -- advise your nonprofit's leaders to blog if it's appropriate (more on that here), and not to be dissuaded by fears (legal, PR or otherwise). 

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Happy Birthday -- Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants

It's been a year now that nonprofit writer Kivi Leroux Miller has run the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants -- giving bloggers in the nonprofit space a bigger megaphone. Even more importantly, the Carnival has brought together some of the most creative minds (and pens) in the sector, and generated some incredibly fresh perspectives in doing so.

To celebrate, Kivi has listed all 93 bloggers who've participated in the Carnival's inaugural year. You won't find a better "to read" list anywhere.

Happy birthday, Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants.

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How to Pitch Blogs

Green Media Toolshed Blog sums up strategies for pitching bloggers -- as recommended at a recent training by the Leadership Conference for Civil Rights. This take from Moveon.Org blogger Adam Green says it all:

"Bloggers should be seen as activists and strategic partners. Blogs are so effective because they band together as a community and are able to make news that way. George Allen's 'macaca' incident was picked up by the news because so many bloggers were writing about it. So when you are ready to pitch to blogs, think strategically. You need to target the right audiences. Who is your audience and what blogs target them? Secondly, don't treat bloggers like reporters. Your goals need to be aligned and you should give them a heads up about your issues or campaign - let them know what you are working towards and how they can help. Finally, legitimize blogs. You can do this by helping them build credibility - bring them the hot news and the breaking news first."

More tips for pitching bloggers here:

• Boost Blog Coverage of Your Nonprofit, and Offline Coverage will Follow
• 5 Steps to Building Relationships with Key Bloggers to Reach Nonprofit Audiences and Traditional Journalist

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MIT Admissions Staff Bloggers Respond to Dean of Admissions Scandal -- No Better Crisis Communications

Higher ed marketing Guru Bob Johnson reported recently on how blogs have helped MIT talk frankly about last week's departure of the dean of admissions. Read Message from Ben and Matt, the recently-launched blog from MIT's admissions communications director to see how the blog format serves as a natural, honest way to communicate directly with future students.

Nothing like conversation (and blogs are online conversation, when done right) to quell worries, emphasize credibility and build loyalty. Good move MIT.

Consider launching staff  blogs (from by staff members who most public facing -- or should be), member-to-member, donor-to-donor, volunteer-to-volunteer or a mix thereof blogs for your organization, before its crisis communication time. Then you're good to go with a strong channel if/when a crisis arises and you need to get the word out quickly.

Are any of your staff members blogging? Let me know if the comments field below please.

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Share In Sharing Witness -- Compelling New Blog

They're watching...

Take a look at Sharing Witness, a new blog where leaders from various fields offer insight on, and innovative solutions to, social problems. Launched by innovator Share Our Strength (SOS) (see post on its great tagline here), it's a great model on several fronts:

• Reinforces "brand extension" for SOS,  perpetuating  organizational identity with the inclusion of share in the blog title
• Features "witness" via posts from a wealth of hard-thinking individuals active in various ways (from board members to advocates to foundation staffers) in five issue areas searchable by topic, by post date and by tag.
• Enables "regular folks" to share (via the comments field) thoughts, opinions, ideas and experiences about the needs and opportunities in our communities in ways often not part of the national dialogue.

Join the conversation and become part of this extraordinary opportunity to engage on the topics that really matter.

One more idea for Sharing Witness -- schedule topical sub-blogs incorporating cross-disciplinary posters.

Thanks to Lucy Bernholz for the tip.

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Star Light, Star Bright -- Don't Miss These Ops for Your Nonprofit to Shine

Kivi Miller, mastermind behind the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants, asked for input on some of nonprofits' most commonly missed or overlooked opportunities to share success stories, good deeds, accomplishments. What should nonprofits be bragging about, but aren’t? What tools can you use to help your organization shine more brightly?

I anticipate an incredibly useful conversation among the experts who participate in the Carnival. Here are a few of my ideas:

• Comment -- Every time you read about another nonprofit's accomplishment, innovation, success or new program, you have an opportunity to talk about your organization's related accomplishment etc.
  • Blog comments, list servs and MySpace pages are all great venues for doing so.

• Speak and share -- Toot your own horn while you share your expertise and the experience with colleagues in nonprofit communications, via Webinar, conference, workshop:

• I just finished participating in a Webinar (web-based conference call) with players in the powerful communications success enjoyed by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists when it moved its doomsday clock closer to midnight.
• Participation is a benefit of my membership in The Communications Network, an association of communications specialists working for and with foundations.
• Speakers included the Bulletin's ED and the various communications experts who shaped the very innovative campaign.
• The result was a great learning experience for me, and a wonderful opportunity for the Bulletin to spread the word on the hows, whys and results of its innovative campaign.I'm going to write about it, and I'm sure others will spread the word too.
• Also, a great way for a professional association to offer a benefit for its members -- a win-win for The Communications Network and the Bulletin.

• Quit Thinking so Much, and Make it Quick and Easy -- Sometimes I think we all overthink. One of the most effective communications I absorbed recently was a simple letter-size flyer I picked off the circulation desk at the local library. Titled Facts and Figures for 2006, it cites number of patrons served, books checked out, volumes purchased and other stats that say a lot, without any comment from library staff. Less is more in action.

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Puhhleez -- Include The Entire Blog Post in Your Blog Feed

Just venting here. But seriously. I read some 150 blogs on a regular basis -- 145 of them via my blog reader, so every moment counts.

And I just can't stand it when bloggers set it up (yes, bloggers can control this feature) so I have to click on the headline and open up a new Web browser window to read the post. What about making it easy for the reader?

Just one woman's opinion. The whole point of having blog posts delivered to your in-box or blog reader is ease. So make it easy for me.

Interested in hearing any reason why not to. Let me know if you have one.

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Invite Your Supporters to Fundraise for Your Organization

Such viral fundraising  or micro philanthropy is just one of the 10 great ways nonprofits can benefit from blogs (their own and others) outlined by blogger supreme Britt Bravo. I've shared many of these same ideas, plus a few more, with you in recent posts but not this one, which is brilliant.

Britt points to some of the bloggers (Beth Kanter stands out in my mind) who have raised lots for causes, and the availability of plug-ins that bloggers in your audience can easily add to their blogs. This is a low cost, high potential means of enhancing your fundraising. Make it happen.

Here are a few examples to get you going:

• Darren Rowse celebrated ProBlogger's two- year anniversary by using his blog to raise $830 US ($100 AU) for Oxfam Australia with his Blogging for Chickens campaign.
• Beth Kanter raised $50,000 for the Sharing Foundation using a Network for Good Badge and similar tools to the ChipIn campaign, in three weeks.
• Chez Pim raised almost $62,000 with her Menu for Hope Campaign in 2.5 weeks using her food blog and an online auction.

That's the kind of virus every organization would like to have!

Here's how to start:

• Reach out to donors, inviting them to join your fundraising team -- featuring the invite in an e-newsletter is a great appraoch
• Ask those who have a Web site and/or blog to fundraise there
• Point them to a how to page on your Web site, with links to fundraising tools (such as the Network for Good charity badge, ChipIn and FirstGiving)
• Ask them to register online (just so you know what the response, and success rate is).

Please share your experiences with supporter fundraisers in the comments field below.

P.S. Now dogs can fundraise too. Just ask Jaspar.

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Nonprofit Leaders Who Blog -- Please Alert Me to Bloggers Missing from the List

Just Added -- December 18th!

• Taking the Initiative (Sierra Club)
  • Blogger: Executive Director Carl Pope has been blogging for almost two years now, and he's a pro at it. He writes zingy, pithy posts on issues that are relevant to audiences lives, so they catch readers' attention.
  • A recent post on Illinois' recently signed bill to restrict pollution, partially focused on ensuring that regional fish are as mercury-free as possible pulled in readers with Pope's focus on:
    • Many fish have dangerously-high levels of mercury
    • Illinois is ahead of the game in signing this new bill
    • Detailing aspects of the bill which are great models for other states.
  • So he pulls readers in via a personal concern (mercury-laden fish), then hooks them into the legislative/advocacy agenda.Masterfully done, Carl.
  • Subscribe to this blog's feed and track Carl's posts. He's one of the best nonprofit bloggers I know, and the top of the list of advocacy bloggers.

Don't forget to email me when you hear of a new blog from a nonprofit or foundation CEO.
_______________________________________

• President's Blog (Trinity University)
  • Blogger: President Patricia McGuire is a natural blogger -- disarmingly straightforward, tackles the hard issues, writes in a conversational voice.
  • She gives her point of view on two fronts -- University news and current affairs. In Her November 16th post, McGuire hones in on Nancy Pelosi's (a Trinity alum) perceived loss of power after her appointment of Steny Hoyer as whip (Pelosi had supported Murtha, but was out voted). She uses this event as a springboard to discuss "losing and leading, learning the art of compromise in order to make progress."
  • McGuire's clear, strong voice is compelling. If I was a student considering Trinity, or a prospective donor reviewing giving opportunities, I'd source her blog for a powerful sense of what I'd be getting into.
  • BTW, comments are accepted only through an email form, with McGuire blogging her responses only to selected comments and queries.

• President's Blog (Oregon Institute of Technology)
  • Blogger: Martha Anne Dow, Institute president, blogs on issues as wide-ranging as the campus physical plant to the Institute's GRAD program for high school graduates. No comments are accepted.
  • Dow's posts are in "admin voice," so don't make as much impact as they could.
  • Nonetheless, she posts on some controversial issues. See Dow's October 23rd post on the decrease in state support, results in increased tuition.
  • However, Dow needs to post more frequently. I'm writing this on November 17th and the last post was made on October 30th.

• Beneblog
  
  • Blogger: James Fruchterman, social entrepreneur, founder of Benetech and 2006 MacArthur Genius award winner. Benetech creates innovative technology solutions that address social needs. Its Bookshare.org initiative created the world’s largest accessible library of scanned books and periodicals, providing people with visual or print disabilities access to a dramatically increased volume of print materials.
  • Fruchterman's blog is a great example of what studio 501c blogger Celeste Wroblewski calls the "business lunch blog."
    
    • In a simple and clear, short to medium-length posts  Fruchterman discusses Benetech news and comments on current events related to the mission and  work of the organization. Definitely stays at the overview level but his comments supplement the reader's understanding of Fruchterman's vision,and where the organization is going.
    • Just the kind of interesting but finite content you'd discuss over lunch with a donor, staff member, colleague or board member over a roast beef sandwich, when you have a 2pm meeting coming. Enough, but not too much.

• Nick's Blog
  • Hybrid blogger Nick Jacobs is President and CEO of Windber Research Institute (a nonprofit) and the for-profit Windber Medical Center.  His relatively new blog has evolved from "CEO speak" (which may work for an annual report, but is a bust blog-wise), to more personal insights on his work and the institutions he runs.
  • Nick's most effective posts let me understand him personally (the influences that have shaped him, what matters to him, how he responds) and how these traits plug into his leadership of the Windber Institute and Medical Center.
  • Best posts include:
    • Nick's excitement in finding some very relevant organizational development ideas for Windber in Dee Hock's Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • How growing up with fear, including "duck and cover" training in his 1950s school days, made him a worrier, and thus, a strong institutional administrator.
    • Nick's relief at the release of some earmarked funding, and his tales of partnerships that went bust.( Via Blog Write for CEOs)

Here's a fairly comprehensive listing of leadership blogs across the world.

3 Tips on Better Blogging from Master Storyteller Holly Stevens

As nonprofit tech innovator Beth Kanter points out in her intro to this useful interview, storyteller Holly Stevens is a natural blogger. Many of the same interests and talents that make Holly a master storyteller, make her a strong nonprofit communicator. She's passionate, she's focused and she knows how to put her skills to work to motivate dialogue on difficult issues.

Stevens sees strong similarities in how blog and storytelling audiences relate to content. Here are her tips for nonprofit bloggers:

• Practice inductive writing, in which the particular experiences of the writer is shared first, and the wisdom that came of the experiences comes later. That way, your readers can participate vicariously in the experience; they might come away with an entirely different new kernel of truth that the writer expresses, but it is still much more of a shared experience.
• Blend personal narrative with broad social commentary, the way Barbara Kingsolver tells stories. She might start off with a remark her daughter made after a morning in kindergarten, and the remark gets her going about what it means to be patriotic, and how she feels robbed of her identification with the American flag.
• Craft your blog post to make for good reading aloud.

BTW, in her own blog, The Story and The Listener Online, Holly publishes two guest essays each month which explore, "the role of story and narrative in peacemaking, healing, bridge building and reconciliation processes in communities around the world."  Here are some recent examples:

• Andre Heuer talks about the emerging ethic of storytelling for social change among young storytellers
• Laura Simms shares her storytelling adventures with the Gypsy children of a small town in Rumania, the focus of a charitable organization she created
• Quaker storyteller Sarah Malone writes about her not-for-profit venture, The Peace Tales Project, which uses storytelling as an agent for peacemaking.

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Great Visual Storytelling More Powerful than any Tale I Could Tell

Don't believe me? Take a look at this ridiculously engaging post on chutzpah, truffles and Alain Ducasse by the Amateur Gourmet.

Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for the tip.

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How to Pinpoint the Right Social Networking Tools for Your Nonprofit, and Get the Support and Budget to Put Them to Work -- Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants Weighs In

The traveling Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants brings you the best blog postings on nonprofit issues. For this week's event, I asked bloggers to advise on how already over-taxed nonprofit communicators can handle the ever-expanding menu of communications channels, especially social networking tools, and what social media have the greatest potential for nonprofits.

I received so many useful responses that I have to break the rule to limit my Carnival to seven post references. I just can't do it -- you'd lose out on too much valuable information and insight. Here goes:

Marc Sirkin, VP of eMarketing at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and blogger extraordinaire at npMarketing Blog, has more experience with social networking than most. He covers several key issues in It's a Social Networking Carnival, , and emphasizes the importance of communicating as a human being -- rather than a marketer -- in these venues. The value of being genuine is something I hear a lot these days, Marc.

Kevin Hendricks of Think Personality concurs with Marc in Be Yourself to Make the Most of Social Networking.  He takes it one step further to stress that the social media (social media and social networking used interchangeably here) venue you use must be a good fit. Blogging makes sense when the blogger posts in a genuine, opinion-laden voice; YouTube works great when your nonprofit has footage that really conveys your story, and is willing to give up some control. 

Katya Andresen of Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog adds the Five Minute Guide to Social Networking, with a host of tips derived from her travels in developing countries. Seems that there are several relevant analogies between finding one's way in uncharted territories and with uncharted communications channels. Take 1 -- get to know the culture before plunging in.

Emily Weinberg at Emily's World shares her insights on How Nonprofits Can Use Facebook, including several mini-case studies.

Ken Goldstein at The Nonprofit Consultant Blog introduces us to Care2, an online community specifically for folks looking for volunteer or giving opportunities, in Care2 Join an Online Community?

Michelle Martin at The Bamboo Project Blog summarizes why The Bridge is such an effective MySpace campaign. The Bridge is The Glue Network's project to build a virtual bridge around the world connecting 24,092 people (the number of miles around the world) who care about helping others (and donate to jump on the bridge).

Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog muses on How Blogging Changes Things, emphasizing the necessity of an authentic voice and looking forward to the day when that voice spills over into other communications channels.

Beth Kanter at Beth's Blog emphasizes the importance of experimentation in understanding which social networking tools are right for your nonprofit, suggests four steps to getting started in Using Social Networking Tools - Advice, Brief Case Study, and Resources.

Nedra Weinreich of Spare Change reports in on The CDC's Second Life. One of the reason's behind the CDC's success in Second Life if its immersion in Second Life culture before taking the plunge. Are you beginning to sense a theme here?

Michael Hoffman, one of the innovators behind DoGooderTV, posts his take on Social Networking -- What's Real at See What's Out There.  Michael's caution to take a breath makes great sense. Don't jump on the social networking bandwagon because you fear being left behind. Do jump on the social networking learning curve, so you find out what makes send for your nonprofit's outreach.

David Wilcox, from across the pond at Designing Civil Society, wonders if social networking will, in time, eclipse interest in associations and other membership organizations in Why Bother with Membership?

And finally, my post on MacArthur Foundation Walks the Walk with Launch of Digital Media and Learning Initiative.

Next week's Carnival, hosted at Donor Power Blog, is an open call. Don't forget to submit your post. .

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MacArthur Foundation Walks the Walk with Launch of Digital Media and Learning Initiative

Kudos to the thought leaders at the MacArthur Foundation who recently launched the $50 million Digital Media and Learning Initiative, focused on understanding how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.

What's most impressive is that the Foundation's communications strategy for launching the Initiative was designed to show what the initiative is doing, in addition to talking about it.
The multi-channel launch included the standard, in-person press conference, held in New York, plus two simultaneous virtual casts -- a Web videocast of the live event and a Second Life events in New Media Consortium virtual campus. (that's the image here, the Second Life participants viewing the live event).

According to nonprofit-use-of-tech-innovations blogger Beth Kanter, there were over 65 educators on the Second Life virtual campus, each represented by an avatar. "While the speakers were talking, the avatars in Second Life were carrying on a lively debate in chat about the points raised, suggesting questions to be asked in the room in New York City, and sharing resources related to the discussion at hand," reports Beth (who participated herself).

Talk about convergence. As participants joined the launch via Webcast and Second Life, real-life bloggers were blogging the in-person event. In addition, the Second Life gathering was projected to the participants at the live event. That's multiple channel, multiple audience, reach anybody who's interested where they get their information. At the same time, Beth and other bloggers live-blogged the event on Second Life.

Most relevant to your nonprofit communications effort, is the way in which MacArthur demonstrated its commitment to social media/networking as learning and communications tools, and its fluency in those tools, in the launch itself. Core communications maxim: It's far more effective to show, rather than to tell.

MacArthur's Press Release
Launch Coverage from a Second Life Perspective

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CNN Hosts Political Bloggers at Election Night Blog Fest -- Recognizes Unparalleled Reach in Political and Community Arenas

When the New York Times reported that CNN had invited 25 top political bloggers to an election night blogging party at a Washington cafe, I knew that something had shifted. And I don't mean the majority in the House.

Participants ranged from Bob Cesca of The Huffington Post to RedState's Mike Krempasky. Some of their analysis appeared in segments on-air in online reports, including on CNN Pipeline, CNN.com’s premium live video news service.

There's no going back now. Blogging has come into its own. "Much of the serious political dialog is taking place online, and it seems wrong to ignore it," says CNN Washington Bureau Chief David Bohrman, who helped to select blogger participants from across the political spectrum.

So CNN is acknowledging how influential blogs are in certain arenas, and bringing key bloggers into the conversation formerly dominated by broadcast media (election night finds many of us glued to the TV). When the player formerly at the top of the heap invites the newbie to the table, that's a powerful symbolic action. Much like Bush inviting the new Democratic House leaders to lunch at the White House today.

What this means for your nonprofit is this:

• Blogs can't be ignored any longer as a core communications channel
• There is significant opportunity for advocacy via blogging
• Get on the stick with responding to posts on your nonprofit and the issues you focus on, even if you aren't ready to get blogging yourself.

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Seeking Blog Posts on Nonprofit Use of Social Networking Tools

Get ready, the Carnival is coming to town. Next Monday, November 13th, I'll be hosting the next edition of the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants -- a weekly compilation of the best guidance and resources that nonprofit consultants post on via their blogs.

Next week, I'll be featuring posts on nonprofit use of social networking tools (MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc.). Write a post covering one or more of the following topics, and email it to me by Sunday, November 12th.

• Context: As more and more communications channels come on the scene, we, as communicators, have more to analyze, experiment with, and staff (and sometimes pay for).
• How do we:
  • Find the time to explore an ever expanding menu of communications channels
  • Identify the channels that will be most effective
  • Ramp up our skill base in those channels
  • Convince leadership to invest in these channels (even if it means more budget, or doing less via traditional channels)
  • Learn from other nonprofit communicators
  • What channels have the greatest potential for various facets of nonprofit communications (giving, advocacy, program/service marketing, branding, etc.), and why?
• What are some social networking “don’ts” for nonprofit organizations?

I’m looking for your post (either a recent post, or a new one you’ll write for this purpose) on any or all of these topics. And please consider marketing in its broadest sense.. as it relates to fundraising, messaging, technology, etc. 

Here's what to do:

1. Some time between now and Sunday, November 12, publish your nonprofit/social marketing post.
2. Once you've done that, send me your post's URL (the post permalink, not the blog’s URL) at npc.carnival@yahoo.com   
3. On the afternoon of Monday, November 13, I'll post the Carnival.  The Carnival post will feature comments on and links to the seven most relevant posts submitted. 

I've found that participating in this carnival is a great way to boost blog traffic, and be discovered by new readers.  The weeks my posts have been in it, I've seen a modest but persistent increase in traffic. In addition, I’ve found it refreshing to be pushed by a colleague to think and comment on a topic they've selected.

Don't forget to come back next Monday to join me at the Carnival!

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Boost Blog Coverage of Your Nonprofit, and Offline Coverage Will Follow

“Don’t overlook mainstream media blogs,” advises Kevin Maney, technology columnist, reporter and blogger for USA Today. “Blogs that run on sites like ours can be perfect targets for breaking news and industry tidbits. For example, my blog on the site is always hungry. And the space is much less precious than space in a newspaper. It’s a much easier entry point into the media,” he assures.

Maney recently offered these additional tips and techniques for PR practitioners seeking entry into the blogosphere in a recent issue of Journalists Speak Out e-news:

1. Provide fresh information, without the positioning. Most nonprofits don't have a lot of breaking news but when you do, get that out to bloggers ASAP. What nonprofits and foundations do have frequently is research. Get it out much more broadly than you are today, sans framing. “Blogs are simpler. We want to post things that are interesting and new — so it’s no big sweat for us to pop a quick factoid into a blog. That means it’s got to be short: raw information is best,” Maney says.
2. Offer experts and access, and expect quick turnaround. Maney looks for big names in their  issue areas.
3. Hone relationships with key bloggers, and your pitch (just like you would to any print or broadcast journalist). Don’t be a newbie — read blogs, build relationships, then pitch unique content that matches a particular blogger's interests . Maney advises  not to count on the blanket approach you might use to reach dailies. "That kind of blanket approach won’t work with us. We want fresh stuff and we want to hear from people who read through our blogs,” he stresses.
4. Give bloggers a month to cover your story before you follow-up.  “Most bloggers are like columnists,” says Maney. “That means we don’t always ‘publish’ every day. Our schedules are very personalized and depend on how we take in information and put it together. That means, for example, that we might mention your item a few times, instead of just once, as with a newspaper."

Read 5 Steps to Building Relationships with Key Bloggers for more tips on boosting blog coverage of your nonprofit.

5 Steps to Building Relationships with Key Bloggers to Reach Nonprofit Audiences and Traditional Journalists

I'm certain that identifying, and building relationships with, targeted print and broadcast journalists is a core component of your nonprofit's marketing strategy. But I'm (almost) just as certain that you're leaving out a vital cadre of new media conduits -- bloggers.

Tremendous growth in blogging by and on nonprofits is just part of the broader emergence of blogs. You're likely to be a regular reader of blogs, and it's probably occurred to you that some of the bloggers you read are folks who should know about what your nonprofit is doing. These blogs are likely to reach some of the same audiences targeted by your nonprofit, and many traditional journalists covering related beats.

I urge you to move forward now to integrate blogger relations into your media relations work as a formal commitment. When you do, you'll find that bloggers are far more likely to post accurately on your nonprofit's mission and programs, and far more likely to contact you with questions when they're critiquing one of your organization's programs or policies.

Here's how to build strong blogger relationships:

1. Research the key blogs that cover the issue areas in which your nonprofit works, the related policy arena and other relevant topics. Find these by searching (Technorati works well) for coverage of these topics and of your nonprofit and colleague and competitive organizations.
2. Subscribe to these blogs via email download (you'll find a button for this if it's offered) or your RSS reader.
3. Become familiar with what the blogger(s) cover, their purpose in blogging and their points of view. During this process you're likely to cut some blogs and add others to your target list.
4. Begin to build relationships with the top 20 bloggers. Do this over the course of a couple of weeks by participating in the conversations on the bloggers' blogs, via the comments field. Make sure your comments are relevant rather than gratuitous.
5. If your nonprofit blogs, blog on a recent posts by these bloggers, linking to the Trackback links (which flags the blogger that you're linking to one of their posts) to the posts so they know you've featured them. But be genuine. Do this only if your citation and analysis fits well within your nonprofit's blog content strategy.

Nonprofit communicators, start tracking and getting to know bloggers today. This strategy is low-cost, high benefit, with the potential to reinforce key messages and calls to action for your target audiences, and to reach beyond existing targets to audiences likely to become supporters, participants or volunteers.

Learn more about how to get a reporter's attention in this Getting Attention article.

Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants -- Nonprofit Marketing Tales and Twists

Here’s the latest Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants – on the theme of nonprofit marketing this week.  I tell you,  I’m more impressed than ever by the great bloggers out there focused on the nonprofit sectors. So, read away, and don't forget to comment, and to participate in next week's Carnival.

Always funny (as in haha, not weird) Joe Waters at Selfish Giving jumps off from the somewhat-successes of the Verb campaign, guiding nonprofits on how to be Merchants of Cool. Hats off to Joe for nudging us nonprofit types to put ourselves out there a little more boldly.

Beth Kanter at Beth’s Blog offers an incredibly practical post on Using Flickr as a Visual Resource for Presentations. Beth makes introduces some very specific ways to increase audience engagement in presentations, and outlines the value of Flickr images as a no-cost, high-engagement presentation component. Thanks, Beth. Love the how-to stuff.

Pithy, punchy Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog cautions against The White Man’s New Burden,  reporting on a recent change in the way international relief organizations like the International Red Cross are limiting images to those that convey the “dignity” of the subject. Jeff contends that when the needs disappears (as it does in these more dignified photos), so do the level of engagement and giving. I'm with you, Jeff.

Kivi Miller at Writing911 discusses Activities v. Accomplishments in Annual Reports. Kivi’s on-target recommendation to focus on what your nonprofit has achieved, rather than the work its done, is particularly relevant as we plunge into annual report season.

Marc Sirkin, VP of eMarketing at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and blogger extraordinaire at npMarketing Blog shares a useful Case Study in Online Event Fundraising. Make that events, as the campaign was put into place at the national and chapter/local level. In his post, Marc details the strategies – most centrally, a wiki --  LLS used to ensure that chapters shared experiences, materials and successes. And no, Marc isn’t a consultant, but he’s an insightful, innovative communicator in our field who shares some very useful recommendations and perspectives. Just coloring outside the lines a bit.

Celeste Wroblewski of Studio 501c pitches her concept that a blog can be like a business lunch. There’s nothing I relate to more than food metaphors, Celeste. Ideal for a nonprofit CEO blog, but applicable in other situations as well, Celeste’s approach is a great way for nonprofits to start blogging. What’s next, the all-you-can-eat-buffet blog?

Betsy Harman of betsy's blog advises nonprofit organization on Reaching Donors Under 40. Especially important is Betsy’s point about executing multiple marketing strategies to different target audiences to ensure you engage each one (or, to put it conversely, to make sure you don't alienate anyone). That’s a particularly vital technique when segmenting donors and prospects by age.

And last, and maybe least, Nancy Schwartz, of GettingAttention, shares the story of How a Small Nonprofit Shaped a Clear, Memorable Brand – Five Steps to Low-Budget Branding for Big Results.

Next week's Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants hones in on Young Professionals in Philanthropy. Don't forget to submit your post, and to read all on Monday, October 2nd.

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