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NTEN just released their survey results from the 2008 Content Management System Satisfaction Survey. The report is free to NTEN members and it’s available for $50 to non-members. They also provide a sample of the report on their site. Their purpose for publishing the report was to help non profits in their CMS decision making process. “Once you have identified two or three systems that meet your organization's needs, this report can help you to make your final decision as to which system is right for your organization.”

Over 1000 people took their survey. This caught our attention at Green Moon Solutions because we have implemented and recommended Drupal in the past, and we wanted to see how it fared when compared to their competition consisting of other opens source software, such as, Joomla! and Plone.

We’ve analyzed the report, and we agree with how our peers have rated Drupal. We’d also like to add that from our experience as Drupal novices, we found Drupal to be easy to use once you familiarize yourself with their terminology, and of course, nothing beats trial and error. For example, Drupal uses the terms “taxonomy” and “nodes” which mean classification and a unit of content, respectively. We won’t lie, there was so much information on Drupal.org that it did seem overwhelming at first, but if you keep peeling back the layers you’ll be extremely satisfied with your results. Here is a glossary for important Drupal terms.

A tip for Drupal newcomers: buy a book on Drupal. It’s a wonderful resource, and there have been several published since we developed our first Drupal website. Additionally, reread the book about six months after you have your site up and running. You’ll have a greater understanding and more hands-on experience with Drupal, and you will find more nuggets in the book that may not have pertained to your initial set up. Online handbooks are also a great reference tool.

Some of the best features of Drupal are the support and contributions from the Drupal community. Not only does the community contribute updated versions of Drupal, it also adds new themes and updated modules. They even produce several Drupal podcasts on iTunes. The Art Lab produces Drupal School, and for the most up-to-date Drupal information, look into Lullabot’s audio and video podcasts. Whether you are new to Drupal or looking to add more modules to you site, it’s helpful to view all the resources that are available to you. With the active Drupal community, there are always new and exciting updates and modules being generated.

Basically what we’ve learned from our experience is that Drupal is a great piece of software that’s constantly evolving and it is well supported. The best part is that Drupal works well on many levels. NTEN survey results bore out those conclusions.

What web 2.0 tools should you be using now and in the future? The answer is simple: Many.

Why?

Your site needs to be diversified in order to appeal to a variety of people. The readers that may not read your blog may be interested in taking an on site quiz or adding their own volunteer experiences to your site in your testimonials or on your forums.

A website that effects people’s emotions will be effective at drawing your readers in and it will have them coming back for more information and stories. The example used by John Kenyon at the 2008 NTEN conference, stated that the website that has a short one minute video describing how of a former homeless person that your organization helped to get a job, and he expresses what your organization did for him, is a lot more effective then you writing his story and posting it on your site. Video touches people and puts faces with the story.

Use flickr to pull in photos for your site, or have a youtube channel for your nonprofit. There are even online games that teach people about social issues like Darfur at darfurisdying.com The future for new online social media tools will continue to grow. If you start now to build your online networks, known as “friends”, it will be easier for you to jump into the new Web 2.0 tools that will be here before we know it.

Start small and keep building. You don’t have to add six different features to your site at once. I’m just seeing the value of Twitter, but it took me almost six months to see it’s capabilities. (But I’m old school and I still text or even call my friends.) I truly understood the value of twitter at the NTEN conference as it was being used in full force, and it was both valuable and fun. For instance, during the second day plenary talk, a lot of us couldn’t hear the speaker, and several people posted their concern on Twitter and it was taken care of within a few minutes. Also, when the speakers were talking about how we could all help with the issues involved in rebuilding New Orleans several people sent “tweets”, a.k.a. messages, with links to our government officials so that the audience could take action.

How do you judge the effectiveness of your Web 2.0 endeavors?

Frogloop.com has an extensive ROI calculator has you put in your variable to determine the effectiveness of you Web2.0 endeavors.

There’s no doubt about it, partaking in the various Web 2.0 techniques takes time. When you put time and effort into anything you want to have a positive return. Beth Kantar spoke about building your online presence through “Network Weaving.” You must follow the 3 R’s listed below to have a positive ROI on your Web 2.0 efforts.

Network weaving:

• R = Relationship Building – you don’t get immediate results from the time you spend on Facebook and posting comments on colleague’s blogs, but you have to have faith, and trust that it works.
• R = Rewards – write post about others on your “friends list” and people will give back to you. Ask people to spread the word about your cause, and give them ideas and talking points to help get them started.
• R = Reciprocity - give to others who give to you, you can’t ask everyone you know to donate money to your cause, if you don’t donate to their cause.

Being a friend online is really not any different than being a friend in person. It’s still networking, but the tools are just different. I think we all know that they will be changing and growing each year.

Speaking of networking, Beth pointed out that it’s still important to keep in touch and use the older forms of networking used by our parents. She calls it the “Little Ladies with Tennis Shoes.” These ladies have a lot of networks established through the church and civic groups. When you’re looking for donations or volunteers you have to tap into those circles as well. Just because many of us are networking online you there it still doesn’t’ take the place of the traditional networking done at lunches, PTA meetings and on the golf course. It’s necessary to tap into all resources available to us when we have an important message or cause.

List of Current Web 2.0 options:

This site, judybrown.com, provides a list and brief description of the latest Web 2.0 possibilities, and they even break them down into areas of interest.

Bottom Line

The game is the same, but there are new and exciting tools that you should take the time to learn and to explore while not forgetting about the old school techniques.

Carve a little time every few days to build and grow your online networks. Although we don’t know what the future holds in web 2.0, we can be sure that it will change and grow.

The NTEN Conference (Nonprofit Technology) is in full force.

I've already learned a lot in the first full day of sessions, including why we should all be using Google Analytics, and how to determine the ROI on the latest Web2.0 techniques. I've also learned about the new, at least to me, open source tools available.

All of these topics, and more, will be discussed in my upcoming blogs.

Stay tuned...

Check back later this week for live updates from the NTEN Conference in New Orleans.

I'll be discussing the latest ideas and tools that will help your nonprofit succeed.

Customer feedback is a key element in any business. Online surveys are a great tool for obtaining valuable information from your clients, In this blog I’ll review three online survey sites, including, SurveyMonkey, SurveyGizmo and Zoomerang. I chose these three survey sites because they are all popular sites, and SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang have been in business since 1999. I decided to also review SurveyGizmo since lately they have been getting a lot of good press, so I wanted to see how they would measure up to the tried and true survey sites.

All three sites offer a free version of their product which includes basic survey features. Each of the company’s basic service has their own set of limits, so I’ve outlined them below so that you can quickly analyze their features. For the research purposes, I created a survey on each site with the same ten questions. All three sites are user friendly, and it only takes about twenty five minutes to set up a quick survey that you can post as a link on your website or send out in your emails. I also reviewed what discounts each survey site offers to nonprofit organizations, and I provided links to each sites subscriptions rates and features.

Squidoo put out their list for 2006 listing the 50 Smartest Online Nonprofits. So what can we learn from the best of the best? Is there a common thread between the diverse group of nonprofits? How does your nonprofit’s online activity compare to the top fifty? You can view the article at the end of this blog.

The article states, “These charities were chosen for their excellence in online storytelling and collaboration with their donors. We didn't play favorites to one cause over another, nor did we look at their fundraising goals or number of members. Instead, these organizations are winners because of their web 2.0 smarts and a willingness to engage their constituents far beyond asking them to dig into their pockets.

These are organizations that give their volunteers and members a voice and get out of the way. They're pros at mobilizing awareness online. They're experimenters. Innovators. On a mission. They're fearless.”

What can we learn from the Best? Listed below are four common tools that the “smartest” using on their websites.

1. Why are they considered the “smartest?” They are creative and current, they keep their goals and ideas fresh and change as new technology and new tools emerge. You don’t have to be a large nonprofit organization to be successful. Take for instance #6 on the list, Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. They are using the web to generate awareness and interest. Their site is interactive with a discussion group, and they use entertaining fundraising tactics, such as a Bowling Benefit and they host gift wrapping at a local bookstore during the holidays. They advertise their Ferrets Unlimited Mall on their homepage, and their director writes a blog to keep their readers up to date on their foundation’s latest events and concerns.
2. Blog. Why should you have a blog? It keeps interested parties informed and it draws readers back to your site. All of the successful nonprofits are blogging. It’s not as though someone is telling you to jump off a bridge, so if someone tells you should have a blog, maybe you should listen, and I promise, it won’t hurt! Here’s a few of the “smartest” who maintain a blog:
   • #5 World Changing
   • #9 Doctors Without Borders
   • #17 Rainforest Action Network
   • #30 Interplast
   • #33 TakingITGlobal
   • #36 Center for Church Communication
   • #56 CivicSpace
3. Use Online Social Media sites to generate donors, volunteers and awareness. MySpace, YouTube and similar sites have created specific areas for nonprofits. It’s time to add your organization on their sites. Here’s a list of the “smartest” that’s using online social media:
   • #8 ASPCA
   • #17 Rainforest Action Network
   • #19 Ad Council
   • #40 PETA
   • #47 Grameen Foundation -Fighting Poverty with Microfinance
4. Podcasts, Radio Shows and RSS Feeds are another way to keep your site engaging and current, which in turn has your readers coming back for more information and ideas. Listed below are the “smartest” organizations that are having success with these types of web 2.0 format.
   • #31 World Vision
   • # 37 Sierra Club
   • #42 Mayo Clinic: Medical Treatment and Research Centers
   • #46 NPR’s Science Friday

   If you are already using blogs, RSS feeds, MySpace and podcasts you can still learn from the “Smartest 59 Online Nonprofits.”

   Below are listed New Tools and Ideas that are being used by a few of the “smartest.” You never know when someone else has already figured out the latest and greatest online tool, so it’s a good idea to explore other nonprofit’s websites for new ideas.

   • # 55 PledgeBank – a project of mySociety.org – “a new marketing tool that allows people to pledge online and take action to make a difference, but only if others will also agree to take action.” For example, “I’ll pledge to volunteer at my local soup kitchen for 8 hours a month, if six other people agree to do the same.” It reminds us of our youth, and “I’ll do it if you do it.” It also reminds us that it’s nicer to have a friend join us in our adventures.
   • #35 Bookcrossing – “At BookCrossing, you can register any book you have on the site, and then set the book free to travel the world and find new readers. Leave it on a park bench, at a coffee shop, at a hotel on vacation. Share it with a friend or tuck it onto a bookshelf at the gym -- anywhere it might find a new reader! What happens next is up to fate, and we never know where our books might travel next. Track the book's journey around the world as it is passed on from person to person.” It combines recycling with a treasure hunt.
   • #44 Share Our Strength – They hold volunteer events throughout the country to raise funds to end hunger in America. Their next big event is The Great American Bake Sale where anyone can host a bake sale and send their proceeds to Share Our Strength. This year’s bake sale will launch on March 1, 2008. Any individual or group can participate in the Bake Sale. This event is a creative spin on the timeless idea that focuses on, and if we all work together for a common goal we can be successful.

   I hope you are inspired to add a few new tools to your website. Ask for feedback from your readers and staff, and you never know, your site might be listed on next year’s “Smartest 59.” We have also learned that new ideas are sometimes creative twists on old ideas.

   What will they think of next?

   Do you want to add the list of the top 50 to your website? Just click on the link to the article and then click on “grab the list” to make a widget or to add the RSS feed on your website. Here’s what the widget will look like:
   Click through to see the plexo

With the spirit of good will all around us during the holidays, it seems fitting to write about making charitable donations. Times sure have changed, and our donations don’t only consist of putting our spare change in the Salvation Army’s red bucket outside our local grocery store during the months of November and December. Thanks to creative new ideas, the internet has become a great resource for finding new donors.

You can help your favorite charity year round by placing a charity badge on your website, which is a catchy name for a widget on your site that lets others who visit the site have the opportunity to donate the charity with just a few clicks of their mouse. Network for Good explains a charity badge by saying, “A Charity Badge allows you to raise awareness and money for any cause you care about with a badge on your blog, social networking site or web page. You can personalize the badge with a photo, video and/or text and then link to the charity that you want to support. The badge tracks in donations in real-time.”

Where to start:

Locate a Free Charity Badge Site: There are several sites that make developing your own Charity Badge simply. They also show you examples of badges.

• Network for Good has partnered with Yahoo! for good to offer badges.
• SixDegrees.org
• ChipIn.com
• Care Badges - Care Badges are used on websites, blogs and social networking sites, but they cannot be used in emails. Care Badges are free to obtain, but they do ask you to donate $2, $5 or $10 for a more visually appealing badges. The free badges only let you use the default colors in your badge.

Visit Green Moon Solutions' Charity Badge that benefits the Center for Educational Design and Communication to see how a badge looks when it's displayed on a web site.  It was set up in five minutes using SixDegrees.org.

Helpful Tips:

Make it Personal. SixDegrees.org lists the following tips that are essential in building a great badge:

Personalize It:

A great a badge has to stand out and grab the reader. Network for Good suggests that you add a photo or a video link to your badge. This allows you to show and to tell your readers why you think your charity deserves their donation. Does your niece, nephew or neighbor suffer from an illness, or has your hometown been hit with a natural disaster? If so, add a photograph or video so that you can put a face with the charity.

Donate:

“People like to feel they are part of a larger effort. It’s not inspiring to see zero donations on a badge, so donate to your own badge to get fundraising momentum started for your cause.”

Post:

Add your badge to your website, email signature, MySpace page, blog, etc. The more people who see your badge, the more donations your favorite charity will receive. Invite people to make their own badges. Let viral marketing work in your favor and more importantly, your charities favor.

Link:

Send the link to your badge to your contacts in your email address book, and ask people donate and then forward your badge to their friends. And so on, and so on. Do you see a pattern developing here?

Reach Out:

“Ask Bloggers to Join Your Cause. Go to Technorati.com and search for blogs that are focused on your issue. Tell bloggers about your campaign and ask them to post on your efforts. They have a circle of active readers who are likely to care about your cause.”

Let Organizations Help You to Help Your Cause:

Collecting the most money doesn’t always win, sometimes you just have to be creative, or use all the resources that are available to you.

SixDegrees.org and Parade Magazine is currently collaborating to provide a great resource. They are having contest, entitled “America’s Giving Challenge” to help people get excited about their charity and to promote awareness. Your charity can receive $50,000. Parade is giving away a total of $500,000. As long as you’re a U.S. citizen who is over thirteen years old, you can participate in the challenge. You just have to develop creative ways to find donors. Their challenge runs until January 31, 2008 at 3:00 pm.

Here’s more information from their site:

“With our partner the Case Foundation, Parade Magazine is presenting America’s Giving Challenge and awarding $500,000 to charities whose supporters have attracted the most unique donors to their cause using new and innovative online tools.

Who can participate?

Anyone with access to the Internet, a willingness to try something new, and the passion and commitment to advocate on behalf of a cause they care about. The entire Challenge is designed to take place online, involving the use of such everyday activities as e-mailing, blogging, and social networking.”

See their official rules.

Build your badge today. It only takes a few minutes, and let the spirit of the season help you be a champion for your cause.