Ali Levine, NTEN Special Projects Fellow

Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful communications strategies, but many nonprofits become so focused on providing facts, figures, and statistics that our communications and marketing becomes dry and tedious. We forget that what we really need to do to get people excited about our cause is to start with a compelling story. One session (materials here) at the NTC focused on the art of storytelling and how to do it well. Although many of the same rules apply, not all storytelling techniques are in a text-driven, once-upon-a-time format.

For example, there is something about maps that makes sense to the human brain. A good map has the power to get across a huge amount of information in just a few seconds, quickly and effortlessly giving a sense of scope and context. Interactive maps create a visual story and give an easily accessible starting place from which users can explore at their own pace based on their own interests. Many nonprofits have caught on and are telling their stories with online mapping tools like Google Earth.

News and buzz from people and organizations in the nonprofit tech sector.

And the Prize Goes to...

Beth Kanter! Beth is the winner of the very first NTEN award, given for fantasticness in the nonprofit technology community. Congratulations Beth, and thanks for all that you do! You can read what one of Beth’s colleagues has to say about her and watch two video interviews to find out what inspires her.

Journal of Information Technology In Social Change Available

The first issue of this peer reviewed journal has been released and is full of great articles on ICT in the global south, lessons learned reporting in humanitarian work, the challenge of data integration, and more. You can order a copy here.

Take the Stockholm Challenge

If you’re involved in a project that uses technology in innovative ways to advance human development and bring about social change, apply for the 2008 Stockholm Challenge Award.

New Version of Ubuntu System

Congratulations to our colleagues at Canonical who have just released Ubuntu 7.0.4, a new version of the free Linux operating system. Rumor has it Michael Dell (yes, from Dell) is even testing it out.

Votes Are In for NetSquared's Featured Projects

The competition was tough, but NetSquared selected 21 outstanding nonprofit technology projects to honor and help bring to the next level. Go on over and see the amazing work your colleagues are doing. There has been some controversy about the voting and there is a lively discussion about it over at the Netsquared blog and in the NPTech Pipe.

Know of something happening the community that we missed? Post it in the comments.

• Find out how to reach out to users of that other social networking website in Using Facebook in Your Nonprofit.

• Learn how to successfully use social networking communities for your cause in Christine Herron's article 7 Tips for Successful Social Network Campaigns.
  

• Think blogging is passe, or just not for you? Read Jeff Brooks’ Nine More Good Reasons to Blog before you make up your mind for good.
  

• David Brazeal gives the five most common reasons why nonprofits don’t follow the web 2.0 hype, and then tells you how to lead them back to it.
  

Telling Your Story

• Telling the why behind your organization is one of the best ways to gain support. Tech Soup’s Eight Tips for Telling Your Story Digitally tells you how to do this online.

• Some nonprofits are already telling their stories online, and using maps to do so. The Story Mapping Blog, a creation of the The Center for Digital Storytelling, has great examples of digital story maps.
  

• See what the reps from Free Range Studios said about online storytelling at the NTC and what advise they gave for telling your story using different new media tools.

Video is a powerful way to communicate your message and cause. More and more nonprofits are using video to tell the story of their cause.

The NTC Video contest showcased some of the excellent videos out there urging people to act for social change.

Hats off to the Avaaz.org, the winner of the NTC Video Contest for this powerful video asking you to help “Stop the Clash of Civilizations.”

You can watch all the finalists’ video on DoGooderTV, and many of the great videos we received here.

Thanks to See3 for sponsoring the contest!