News from the NTEN Connect Blog

NTEN's Technology Leadership Academy Returns for 2012

Submitted by Brett on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 2:43pm

We're excited to announce that the Technology Leadership Academy is returning in 2012. Even better, thanks to the generous support of Google and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, we're able to offer the Academy at no charge to qualifying organizations.

The Academy gets at the very heart of what NTEN does. We believe that with improved tech leadership, nonprofits like yours will provide more and better programs, inspire more communities, and involve more volunteers to share their time.

> Learn more and apply by February 24th!

Keeping Them Coming Back for More: Your Communications Arcs

Submitted on Tue, 2/7/2012 - 4:59pm
Story arcs are what keep you coming back to your favorite TV shows: you care what happens next. What does this have to do with nonprofit marketing? Everything!

Social Networking IRL (In Real Life) at the NTC

Submitted by Mimi on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 5:12pm

It’s already February, and the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference is only two months away! One of the best parts of the conference is the opportunity to connect with other nonprofit technology professionals, so you can share your experiences and knowledge.

We want to make sure you make the most of the social and networking events at the 2012 NTC, so this week we’re filling you in on the NTC Connect Track and other opportunities to connect with the NTC Community.

Member Round Up: We've got dancing babies!

Submitted by Amanda on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 2:41pm

This week, our members are releasing new fundraising tools, hosting workshops, and even awarding grants. While we’re encouraged by some statistics our members released regarding nonprofits and technology, we’re also thrilled that anyone could like us this much:

Thank you so much for all your help in the NTEN Champions Fundraising Campaign, Corey Pudhorosky!

Have more news to share? Drop us a line or include your links in the comments!

Why You Need a Mobile-Enhanced Email Template

Submitted on Thu, 2/2/2012 - 2:57pm
Nearly 90 million Americans use their phone to read email. If you don't improve your email template, you may be ignored by a large part of your audience.

Communications Styles: How to Get Your Message Out (When People Aren't Listening Properly)

Submitted on Thu, 2/2/2012 - 12:19pm
While communications styles may clash, we still need to find ways to work together. Knowing what your own style is may help.

Your Nonprofit Video in the Spotlight (and on YouTube's Homepage)

Submitted by Anna on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 4:24pm

The DoGooder Nonprofit Video Contest is back and calling for your best 2011 nonprofit videos!

Are you a nonprofit? Did your organization create impactful videos in 2011? Do you want your organization to be recognized for making great videos and maybe win some incredible prizes? Perfect.

The 6th Annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Contest is taking submissions starting February 1st.

Technology is 90% Psychology

Submitted by Holly on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 12:02pm

Flickr photo: Dom de OliveiraFlickr photo: Dom de OliveiraIf you've ever implemented a technology project at a nonprofit, you know it's true: technology is 90% psychology. Success rarely hinges on the hardware and the software; technology hinges on the humans involved.

These days, technology has forced its way into every single aspect of our organizations. While we used to use change mangement strategies to help soothe the fears of those who would reject the new database, now we need something slightly more radical: entirely new organizations.

I'm a long-time fan of Maddie Grant, so I was excited to see her and co-author Jamie Notter tackle this very topic in Humanize. Their premise is quite simple: to succeed in today's world you've got to throw your old models out the window. 

Welcome NTEN’s new Educational Program Manager: John Kenyon!

Submitted by Brett on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 9:26am

We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to the NTEN team: John Kenyon. It’s likely that his name rings a bell for you.

John has been with NTEN since the early days when we were just 200 members. He has worked to shape the nonprofit technology sector over his career of 20+ years of working with and educating nonprofits to use technology strategically. John authored the chapter “Effective Online Communications” in the NTEN book Managing Technology to Meet your Mission (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2009). The commitment and dedication John has to the nonprofit technology sector is tremendous -- from his work on the very first Nonprofit Technology Leadership Series to the one-on-one work he has done with many nonprofits.

NTEN is pleased to bring John’s enthusiasm and experience to the Educational Program Manager role to deepen and expand NTEN’s program offerings.

Please join us in welcoming John to the NTEN team in the comments, below or by tweeting @jakenyon with the hashtag #welcomejohn.

Activating Your Base of Supporters (with Evan Bailyn)

Submitted by Brett on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 5:30pm

Evan Bailyn, our presenter for "Activating Your Base of Supporters", has more 112,000 fans on Facebook. In his just-released book, "Outsmarting Google", he details how he attracted more than 50,000,000 visitors in a year. That's a lot, so he's doing something right.

In our next webinar, he'll explain how to use Calls To Action to activate potential donors when they're most energized and willing to give.

By the end, you'll know which social media practices are a valuable use of their time and which should be avoided.

> Learn more and register today!