A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies.

1. 'Tis the season: the season for Google Flu Trends to demonstrate the power of aggregated search data.
2. So, if you were procrastinating on getting that flu shot, well... maybe procrastination isn't such a bad thing. But please, at least wash your hands.
3. Have you ever tried doing nothing for 2 minutes? It's hard!
4. Not as hard as raising money through social media, though. But it can be worth the effort, according to a new white paper.
5. And reaching folks on mobile? Phew, that's tough. But with 85% of American adults now owning a smart phone, how can we not try?
6. Unless you're one of those "This too shall pass" folks. In that case, you may be pleased to hear that we're approaching the end of the smartphone era. Yes, that does mean something else is coming, but it will totally justify your lack of a mobile website in the short term.
7. Besides, Idealist is looking to snap up all the great web developers. (It could be you!)
8. We would like to take issue with whoever created Instant Google Street View. Yes, it's awesome -- but if you type in NTEN HQ's address, you get stuck in a curio store. Forever! If you find a way out, please let us know. We do have a conference to plan, after all.
9. Did you see the short documentary about a piano left on the street in New York City? It's just a series of still images, but it's almost heartbreaking. Just a reminder that the technology is there; you just need to make effective use of it.
10. But you know us, we can't leave you on a down note. Here it is: possibly the Best. Use. Ever. of an ABBA song. And a nonprofit made it. Thanks SPCA!

In the annual letters from Bill and Melinda Gates which was released today, measurement takes center stage.  In case you weren't yet convinced, I imagine this clear declaration -- which ties the concepts of business innovation like incremental improvement of steam power to making vaccine delivery more effective -- will move the needle for you.

Here is a snippet from Bill Gates:

Of course, the work of our foundation is a world away from the making of steam engines. But in the past year I have been struck again and again by how important measurement is to improving the human condition. You can achieve amazing progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal. . . .This may seem pretty basic, but it is amazing to me how often it is not done and how hard it is to get right.

The primary components of the message, which discusses the areas of innovation and work that the Gates Foundation invests in, can be summarized as:

You probably already know that Google Grants gives out free AdWords accounts to nonprofits. With an account, if somebody searches for info on, say "polar bears" -- and your organization is trying to ensure there's an ice cap left for them to do polar bear-y things on -- you can use AdWords to try to steer them to your web site. (The searchers, not the polar bears. If polar bears learn to use the Internet, we're all in trouble.)

Yes, you too can try to attract the attention of folks looking for specific information with 3 lines of text next to Google search results. But it can be hard to get started, and even harder to optimize and track.

That's why we're excited to offer you a new webinar series, "Online Advertising Power for Nonprofit Organizations".

Learn more and register today >>

[Editor's note: The following is from the December 2012 issue of NTEN:Change, NTEN's quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders. Read the complete issue on "Collaboration" when you subscribe to the journal for free!]

By Debra Askanase, Community Organzier 2.0

This spring, the New York City Elder Abuse Center (the Center) began its journey from a traditional, “non-social” organization to one that uses and embraces social media in both its communications and internal processes. Established in 2008 as a collaborative response to the growing number of complex elder abuse cases in NYC, the NYC Elder Abuse Center helps professionals, organizations, and systems prevent elder abuse and improve their response to it.

The Center wanted to expand its reach, connections, and impact using social media and received grant funding in 2011 for social media planning and implementation through 2012. The Center staff includes just five staff members (four full-time) plus one very part-time social media manager at five hours a week. In order to accomplish the goals of social media strategy, Deputy Director Risa Breckman knew that 1.) work must be spread among staff 2.) she had to delegate others to take the lead with social media and 3.) everyone will need training in order to realize efficiencies and goals.