A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. Feeling overworked? Try saying "no" to projects every once in awhile. You'll thank us later.
2. A simple "no", for example, could have saved these companies a listing as one of the "20 worst-named tech products, ever". (Hint: English already has plenty of words.)
3. It's also important to say "no" to reality blurring. All those magazine cover models use Fotoshop by Adobé to some degree. The truth will out!
4. And then there are those Facebook friend requests that push the limits of decency.
5. If you do push things a little too far, or even make a simple mistake, an apology is still appropriate. (New for 2012: now with more scientific backing!)
6. Remember back when marketing was simpler? No? Check out these "Vintage Computer Advertisements from the late 1970s".
7. Okay, we've progressed in a lot of ways. Things change, we adapt. We mean, social media is only a few years old, and we're already shifting our strategies.
8. One thing we can say "yes" to, one constant: cats. Cats remain cute, even as HTTP Status messages. (You may recognize one of them as the star of NTEN.org's updated 404 page.)
9. So, after brushing up on the new Google Analytics features, giving the gift of charity, and pickling your website, why not stop by your local animal shelter?
10. We bet you won't be able to say "no".

The most read items from "Things We Like" in 2011. Yes, NTEN Connect readers do like cat videos!

1. If there was one theme to rule them all in 2011, it was... storytelling.
2. We know! We thought it would be social media again, too. But the only link to crack the top 20 was Event360's look at "LinkedIn for Nonprofit Professionals". Are you getting burned out? Or has social media become such a part of your strategy, you can now ignore the latest and greatest shiny new tool?
3. From visual storytelling to blogging to fundraising, you're clearly looking for opportunities to tell your organization's story in new and impactful ways. And we support that!
4. It's not just because you validate our obsession with maps. From broadband availability to surprisingly beautiful maps of the Internet to climate change, maps make data interesting and informative.
5. But there's nothing more to say about the "United States of Awesome".
6. Nor about our mutual love of cat (and ocassionally, dog) videos. Heck, our friend Dahna Goldstein even mentioned us in a song.
7. And while kittens on turntables and cats and dolphins playing together are cutely ridiculous and ridiculously cute respectively, nothing we saw this year trumps "Catvertising".
8. The DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards – including one of our favorite nominees, "Passover Moses" – amply demonstrated that the sudden ubiquity of cheap, high quality video cameras can be used for more than trying to score a viral hit on the back of your cat; they can, in fact, be harnessed by nonprofits to tell stories in a language we all understand. (Also, don't stand on your cat's back. That could end badly.)
9. So can effective data visualizations, QR codes – and even the good old fashioned report: JGA's look at "Millenial Donors" was one of the most popular links we posted this year. The key is to do it well.
10. Now, since you've already stopped fondling the hammer, stopped treating your web designers like collage artists, stopped treating your e-mail template as something that should just work, stopped... well, you get the picture: tactics are fine, but they need to tie into strategy.
11. We hear you, and NTEN will support that work in new ways in 2012. But for now, let's do another barrel roll, enjoy a little bacon-based art, and affirm that the world is a wonderful place. Happy holidays!

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. Didn't get enough visual storytelling in our newsletter? Big Duck's Rebecca Hume wrote up a nice introduction, and SocialBrite's JD Lasica offers a tutorial in 10 easy steps.
2. We've also got some more great resources on our blog – on how to tell stories with maps, video, even paid advertising!
3. If you like your stories in bite-size, infinitely repeating packages, GIF.tv will keep you occupied for seconds at a time. Lots of seconds. It's like Halloween candy for your soul!
4. At a loss for what to do with QR codes? Wikipedia came up with a great idea, one we encourage you to steal. With all of the free QR code generators out there, you can link to all sorts of resources on your web site. Just watch out for hijackers. #OccupyGooglePlaces
5. Researchers have used Twitter data to suggest "... that our moods are driven in part by a shared underlying biological rhythm that transcends culture and environment." Know what else will drive your mood – upward, in this case? "Darth Vader by Monet, 1875".
6. And if you're looking for a Halloween costume for your pet...
7. Idealware just released their latest "Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide". Dare we say it's awesome? We do. You can also learn about it in person at a webinar series starting November 1st.
8. You can't make your message go viral, right? Right?
9. You don't have to like him, but it's hard not to appreciate the impact Steve Jobs made on the world. By now, you've surely heard his thoughts on death as "life's change agent". But we like to remember him as this young man introducing the original Macintosh. Thanks Steve.
10. To leave you on a happier note, check out this spellbinding set of time lapse videos. Digital storytelling potential a-plenty there.

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. How much money do Americans give online, anyway?
2. It's been a good month for infographics, especially since we discovered the Tenniswood Blog. Check out this visualization of "Who in Washington is Responsible for the U.S. Debt". The only conclusion we can draw: information presented visually is much more compelling than a spreadsheet.
3. While you're on Tenniswood, you might also discover such fantasticalness as Duracell Stormtrooper batteries and some photoshopped kitteh masterpieces. (We're not saying you should, just that you might, should you be so inclined. Please forward any and all design magic our way.)
4. For social media awesomesauce, you may need "The Social Media ProBook". No, it's not yet another Apple rebranding of its laptop line. They only wish Ping had succeeded well enough to justify such a thing.
5. In more recent social media news, Ted Fickes wrote up the lowdown on Facebook's new subscribe feature on the frogloop blog.
6. September 24th is National Punctuation Day. Hooray! But an official meatloaf (pdf)? Hmm... We're not so sure about that; a pie seems more appropriate—or perhaps some cookies. [Ed. note: this "joke" is going on too long for us to let you try to fit every form of punctuation into one bullet point.]
7. Ah, a line late and a hyphen short. If you're short on text for your new website demo, we're pleased that there are now alternatives to the standard Lorem Ipsum generator, including bacon and hipster versions.
8. And – good timing, this – Big Duck recently told us it's okay for nonprofits to harness the power of humor.
9. So, it only seems appropriate to close with Richard Dreyfuss reading the iTunes EULA. We would all be better served as organizations if we read the contracts we sign in full, even if we can't afford vocal talent like that.

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. If anybody's explained the power of video games for social good better than Jane McGonigal, we haven't heard it yet – but Charles Tsai uses Angry Birds to good effect in his piece on gamification.
2. Few nonprofits have created games to engage supporters as artfully as the New York Public Library.
3. Libraries in general have been doing some great work with technology. Check out the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library's ROI Calculator, which shows you how much a tax dollar buys you in library services. Simple, but effective!
4. Google celebrates the films of Michael Bay and other Doodles you'll never see.
5. Did you know that John Huntsman used Twitter to spell out his stance on science? Or that "womenfolk" is still a word in the public discourse? ProPublica's nonpartisan Tumblr page, "Officials Say the Darndest Things", lets you keep up with the best political sound bites, from both sides of the aisle, in just minutes a day.
6. Why social media rockstar Carie Lewis doesn't "like" you.
7. We do hope more folks follow Carie's lead in using something like Prezi to add some dynanism to their presentations. Slideshows needn't remind you of the Internet, circa 1995 (as reported by MTV News, no less).
8. How to get 1.5 million followers for your Facebook page.
9. Speaking of being great at social media marketing, Mashable put together an infographic with some crazy numbers. What can we learn, for instance, from a video of an iPad in a blender – part of a series from a kitchen appliance company – getting 12 million views? [Ed. note: Well, for one, that is an awesome blender!]

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

1. When we performed a Google search on "nonprofit social media integration" to find a few more links for this section, the top results were posts on our blog this month. The formula we used is simple: Good content = good SEO. Watch out for anybody who says otherwise.
2. So, let's formally start TWL with that old techie crutch, Star Wars. Greenpeace created a great SW-themed campaign aimed at improving Volkswagen's environmental record, complete with gaming elements. They must be just fantastically lawyered up.
3. Sticking with the entertainment theme, Event360 has a nice post on "What Event Fundraisers Can Learn from Lady Gaga". Fortunately, it does not suggest you wear a meat suit (Google it, if you must) to a fundraising race – because "Who Let the Dogs Out?" is by an entirely different artist.
4. Know what else can help your fundraising efforts? A good donor management system. Get the skinny in the report we co-authored with Idealware, "A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems", updated for 2011.
5. As fans of crowdsourcing – get your 2012 NTC session proposals in by August 12, before the community vote – we dig the way Blackbaud's Chris Tuttle put together his "20 Tips for Nonprofits Using Twitter".
6. But you gotta be careful on Twitter. A couple of weeks ago, it was widely tweeted that our beloved Oxford (aka serial) comma was being dropped by Oxford itself. It's okay: it's not true. And the kerfuffle does provide a great excuse to link to its proposed replacement, the Shatner comma.
7. You know your website's doing pretty well when you have time to hyper-customize your 404 page.
8. Our obsession with cool maps is alive and well. The latest: The Climate Hot Map, from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which tracks the effects of global warming climate change global climate disruption around the world.
9. Google+. But please, never say "I just plus oned it."
10. We love that longtime NTEN Member David Krumlauf posted a picture of how he was using some NTEN gear. So David, these kittens on turntables are for you. And you, too, blog reader. Thanks for reading all the way to the end.

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

1. For whatever reason, we've seen a lot of great videos this month – most of them even related to nonprofit work. Back in the day – you know, 2009 – we had to search these things out. Now they come to us, through Facebook, Twitter, and email. Keep them coming.
   • Don't say bad things about Grand Rapids. Or do: maybe they'll make another video like this one (complete with integrated marketing channels).
   • Great use of YouTube's in-video linking features in this rather disturbing piece about child trafficking.
   • The story of a street corner in NYC. Talk all you want about your data – in this case, accident rates – as long as you then show it, like this.
   • But how would New Yorkers deal with a "Whole Foods Parking Lot". "I've been on edge ever since they took kombucha off the shelf." Hilarious – and (mostly) safe for work.
2. Want to make your email templates bullet proof (like Neo at the end of The Matrix, since we're getting all metaphorical about code)? @SeanPowell has put together a brilliant HTML Email Boilerplate, wrapped in a nifty HTML5 website.
3. FarmingFirst has also done a nice job packing a lot of information into a small space with some dynamic code. They make learning fun!
4. If LinkedIn remains as mysterious to you as it does to us, Event360 has compiled some great tips on using LinkedIn to promote your organization.
5. You can find tips on just about everything else – from your home page to event marketing to list building – in Network for Good's newly revised "Online Fundraiser's Checklist".
6. While we're on the subject of updated downloads that also happen to be free, we just released a new "Consumer's Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems", in association with Idealware. Oh, and: Convio has a new "Online Fundraising Guide", too.
7. We meant to bring this full circle by linking to a funny video, but couldn't decide between iPad games for cats and live action Angry Birds in Barcelona, so we decided to use a few extra bits to give you both. Yes, some commercials are good enough to make you want to watch them.

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. If you liked our look at the ROI of NTEN's Facebook ads, be sure to check out Groundwire's post on using ads to find likers for your fan page.
2. Why would you want to do that? (Not why would you use "likers" as a noun – why would you want to find more?) Well, we found that when we targeted ads at our fans, they were three times more likely to click than somebody interested in nonprofits in general.
3. Engagement is a positive feedback loop: the more you engage with your supporters, the more engaged they'll be with your cause. Blackbaud even found that using social media can increase your fundraising by 40%.
4. And can we just say how happy we are that the brouhaha over the efficacy of social media in the real world is dying down? We can. And we will. Social media wins.
5. Mobile phones FTW, too.
6. Apropos of nothing, this video of a talking dog has been cracking up the NTEN office for weeks.
7. The 2011 Games for Change Festival sure looks like fun. Just don't go dressed in your Hello Kitty Darth Vader suit. Such a thing could drive one to existentialism (as told through Star Wars, natch).
8. Community – specifically, you. We really need you to give us your opinion on how well we're meeting your needs. Pass judgment on us in the 2011 NTEN Community Survey.
9. After all, where else would you turn to for links to things like van Gogh's "Starry Night" recreated with bacon right next to IBM's report on "The State of Marketing 2011" (pdf)?

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

1. Would you treat your architect like you do your web designer? "My house should have somewhere between two and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms can be easily added or deleted." This would be hilarious if it wasn't so painfully true.
2. And yet, somehow, the Internet ended up looking beautiful. (At least when mapped visually, and from afar. Try not to look too closely.)
3. There are several calls for awards nominations echoing through the crisp Spring air:
   • Ashoka's Youth Venture is looking for the best young innovators from the U.S. using technology to solve social problems. (Deadline: May 9.)
   • Nominations are also open for the NPower Greater DC Region Technology Innovation Awards. (Deadline: June 10.)
   • And, while nominations for the 10th Anniversary of National Capital Philanthropy Day are closed, it looks like it's an event worth checking out.
4. Cats and dolphins playing together? Say it with us: Awwwwww!
5. But even that blast of awesomeness pales in the face of the 8th Annual Games for Change Festival. We mean, games! Creating social change! That's gonna be fantastic, even if it doesn't feature a diorama of Hoth made of LEGOs.
6. The recession. Okay, not really, but the downturn did force a lot of us to take a hard – and necessary – look at our bottom lines. The Nonprofit Quarterly has enlisted Jeanne Bell, CEO of CompassPoint, to explore some lessons learned in a free webinar on May 3.
7. So far this year, mobile traffic has made up about 3.5% of the traffic to NTEN.org. During the 2011 NTC, that rose to 15%. SmartOnline has a new white paper, "A Mobile World: how your supporters are using their Smartphones and why you should care". We clearly need to think about our mobile strategy. You?
8. If you're in the mood to read something on your mobile device, you might also want to check out the "Non-profit Guide to Internet Marketing" from LawHelp.org.
9. Read quickly, though: chocolate zombie bunnies approach on soft, delicious feet.

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources and other goodies. Read more posts on our blog.

1. We had, ahem, a few problems with the wireless Internet at the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference. To try to help mitigate the problem, Holly made a funny video. After it aired on the big screen, even the Washington Hilton IT staff wanted a copy, so we posted it to YouTube.
2. Fortunately, the NTC made up for the connectivity failures with general fabulousness, including the release of two of our favorite reports each year:
   • The 2011 e-Benchmarks Study from M+R found that a high unsubscribe rate is not necessarily bad, among other things.
   • And the 2011 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report found that 30% of the organizations that have raised more than $100,000 on Facebook have budgets under $5 million. Also, 90% of nonprofits reported having a Facebook presence, even after watching The Social Network.
3. Google just consolidated their full line of nonprofit resources -- Google Earth, Google Grants, Google Apps, and GoogleTube YouTube -- into a single application process. Even better, they promise you'll get a response within 30 days.
4. Will Web X-Ray Goggles put "adult" sites out of business? Not unless naked HTML turns you on. Geeky goodness!
5. Sharing.
6. The Case Foundation recently relaunched their video portal, CaseSoup, and it's loaded with tutorials, livestreams, interviews, and even more good things for nonprofits than Maurice Sendak could dream up.
7. You should also check out the winners from the 2011 DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards. (And, while it didn't win, one of our favorites, "Passover Moses", will almost certainly make you smile.)
8. If you care about the future of journalism and public media, check out the National Conference for Media Reform, coming up April 8-10. NTEN Members can get a discount!