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INTRODUCTION
Before I came to NTEN, I was a consultant who helped nonprofits with their technology needs. My big lesson from those years was that technology consulting is 90% therapy, 10% technology. I am still amazed at how often relationship or therapy metaphors apply to our work -- whether we are talking about a new server installation or a new e-marketing technique. That's certainly true in this issue of NTEN Connect, which collects wisdom from some of the most highly rated speakers at the 2008 NTC; I think you could apply the principles included here to your marriage as easily as your work. Brian Reich talks to us about being authentic in our communications, Charles Lenchner urges us to be honest about our motives in advocacy campaigns, and Katya Andresen & Mark Rovner remind us to do unto our stakeholders as they would like, not as we would have done to ourselves. Also, NTEN board member Lauren-Glenn Davitian has advice about which love potions work best for those of you looking to woo new supporters in the shiny world of social media. So read on, and if you feel compelled to email us a love poem when you're through, don't be shy! And don't forget that the 2008 NTC Session Materials are now available on our website! Best, Holly
If you are in charge of marketing, recruitment, engagement, or fundraising for an organization, you spend most of your time looking for some tiny advantage -- something to generate buzz and differentiate your offering from the crowd of other organizations. There are, after all, thousands upon thousands of not-for-profit groups doing excellent work in local communities around the globe. Too often, the decisions that organizations make when it comes to online marketing, especially non-profits, are dictated by "shiny object syndrome", a terrible affliction that results in a marketing path based on whatever is newest or generating the most buzz of the moment, instead of what will truly be effective. To be successful, organizations need to share, clearly and consistently, the societal impacts of their efforts. They need to provide hands-on experiences that the user can explore and understand, and they need to demonstrate their commitment over time.
Some very human principles make or break the success of absolutely everything you do online. These are the kinds of truths Buddha or Freud –- explorers of the deepest recesses of the human mind -- talked about. To achieve true marketing "enlightenment," you need to tap into fundamental human needs with your technology rather than hoping technology can inspire alone. There are at least seven of these fundamental needs:
Lauren-Glenn Davitian, CCTV Center for Media and Democracy
While mainstream media remains under the control of a handful of giant corporations, you no longer have to own a printing press to reach a dedicated audience. Building on traditions of public access, independent media and peer-to-peer networks, we now communicate, "many to many", across phone and internet networks with affordable and high powered laptops, PDAs, phones and gaming devices. In this major step forward for free speech, the “network centric” age enables us to "be the media", tell our stories, and make social change happen. But what media and communication tools will make the biggest impact and have the farthest reach? Whether you are planning a demonstration, a print campaign, a web site, a viral video, or a mobile action, you need to start with a goal and a strategy. To help, we’ve compiled many of the rich resources available to the nonprofit community in a few basic steps to strategic communications. 
Charles Lenchner, DemocracyInAction
Online advocacy at its best is about giving more citizens more power to act together in creating social change. At its worst, online advocacy is a fundraising technique and promotional strategy that can work, while generating some very negative inadvertent outcomes. Organizers working for the common good need to do a better job of articulating good online advocacy strategies and resisting demands that our work be measured in dollars raised or a higher public profile. What we have at stake is not (just) the integrity of our cause or organization, but the effectiveness of our mission. The conflict between the different ends of the online advocacy spectrum can be captured in a phrase: Mission over Membership. When we focus on mission, we can sleep well at night, knowing that the actions we request from our supporters will in fact lead to the change we want effected. If, on the other hand, we use the language of change primarily in support of fundraising and organization building, we run a serious risk: that online advocacy messaging becomes devalued, along with the emails from our organizations.
Your guide to the resources that will help you put technology to work for your cause, this month with an environmental focus. Earth Day may have passed, but that's no reason not to try a little harder every day. Think of what will happen when everybody does.
Determine Your Impact > It seems that if you run an environmental website, you need to offer a calculator of some sort. For overall carbon footprint, we liked the offering from Redefining Progress best -- and not just because it said we would need only 2.2 Earths if everybody lived like us, as opposed to the 2.7 reported by Earth Day Network. That's half an Earth! If you're short on time, Zerofootprint.net wants to organize the like-minded, social network style, but you can just use their One Minute Calculator. > Then there are the more specific calculators. The Sierra Club lets you determine not only how much fuel, but how much money you would save if your current car met proposed new standards. There's even a Call to Action after you use it, so it's a good model, as well. And if you're concerned about your diet, you can score it for Health, Environmental Impact, and Animal Welfare. Just be warned that, apparently, eating anything at all is bad for the environment. > Need more environmental calculations in your life? Suite101.com has a long list. Use Less Energy > After using those calculators, you may be a little concerned -- that's the sensation they're supposed to inspire, after all. 2.2 Earths? That's at least 1.2 Earths too many -- and even then, Shanghai, Houston, and Mexico City will still be smoggy. > So, let's do something. Greener Choices breaks down household energy use by function. The Department of Energy has a list of ways to cut those numbers down, while Energy Star's site helps you find new, more efficient products. > One of the hobgoblins of energy waste is Phantom Power Drain (which even sounds like a hobgoblin's name). If you walk into your living room at night and see blinking lights or the steady glow of LEDs, you're losing power, up to 15% of your total bill. Belkin's new Conserve power strip -- it comes with a remote control! -- can help stop PPD. Make Every Day Earth Day > Getting a new computer at work? Congratulations! Now, recycle that old one. Earth 911 and the Environmental Protection Agency both have information on how to keep your old compy from being dumped on India like a tech support phone call. > You should also check out GreenPrint. Their software promises to eliminate "unwanted pages saving paper, ink, money, and millions of trees." 2.2 Earths worth of trees, we hope. > Closer to home, you can get ready to ride your bike to work with these tips. Going out for sushi (on your bike)? Don't forget this wallet-sized list of seafood you should avoid. Oh, and: pack a lunch! Take-out litter generates 1.8 million tons of trash every year in the U.S. THINGS WE LIKE
A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources. Read more posts on our blog.
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NONPROFIT BENCHMARKSM+R Strategic Services and NTEN are excited to announce that we’re releasing an updated eNonprofit Benchmarks Study for 2008. We’ve analyzed online messaging, fundraising, and advocacy data from 21 leading nonprofit organizations. And you, dear reader, can be one of the first to get your hands on a copy by joining us for the release of the report on April 24th. RATE YOUR CMSIf you've ever used a Content Management System, we want you to share your opinion. Building on the success of our 2007 CRM Satisfaction Survey, NTEN is gathering information from the NPTech community about CMS providers. Bonus: if you take the survey -- and, of course, give us a way to contact you -- you'll get a free copy of the results. MEMBER DISCOUNTSYour NTEN Membership lets you save on a host of products and services: HighRoad Solution Talance UPCOMING WEBINARS
NTEN members save up to 50% on our topical online classes. Upcoming webinars include:
JOIN NTENIf you're still reading our side block text, and you're not yet a member of NTEN, we're pretty sure you're now obligated to join. |
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NTEN CONNECT is the monthly e-newsletter of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN). |
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Brian Reich, 
