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