I am saddened by the news and images coming from Haiti after the devastating earthquake that hit on January 12. The question on my mind and many of yours is where and how can I help? With a few quick searches on Google and Twitter, there is no shortage of options from tweeting to texting. I've compiled a short list below, and it is by no means complete. Please check back regularly as we will be adding organizations that are providing relief to Haiti. Charity Navigator, the nation's largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, has a tip sheet for donating during times of crisis that is a great reference when making a decision to give during this tragedy.

You can also follow #haiti #haitiquake #helphaiti #haitirelief on Twitter to find out where to donate or text “haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts.

Please note: this list is incomplete, and we are regularly updating this post. If you have another resource that you would like listed, please leave a comment or email blog@convio.com and we will make updates accordingly.

Whether personal or professional, New Year’s resolutions represent a fresh start, and are made to help you reach your larger goals. I make resolutions every year, some I keep, some I screw up on January 2, but I find the process of making them refreshing, and it gives me a chance to reflect on what I’ve done well in the past and the things I need to work on in the future.

For organizations, it’s the same exercise but even better, because as you set your 2010 initiatives you have a whole team of people buying in on “resolutions” that will make your more successful in the New Year. For the second year in a row, Convio is hoping you'll share your nonprofit's initiatives or resolutions that will help you achieve goals and become more efficient and effective in 2010. This spurs an interesting dialogue, and provides insight into the needs and challenges that you as nonprofit professionals face every day.  At the Convio Summit a few weeks ago, we asked several of your peers to share their resolutions on camera – check out the below video and I am betting a few of them might ring true for your organization as well.

Join the discussion and share your 2010 resolution at www.convio.com/resolve2010 and pre-register for the Nonprofit Resolutions Guide that will be published in early January. The guide will outline many of the common challenges and needs that nonprofits experience, and will have tips and best practices from industry experts that will help you overcome obstacles and fulfill your resolution. 

Yesterday, I spent the morning out of the office (yay!!) attending Mass Comm week at Texas State University and of course checked out the Social Media for Social Good panel presented by Kerri Qunell, VP of Communications at Capital Area Food Bank, David Neff, Director of Web, Film and Interactive at American Cancer Society, and Jordan Viator, Interactive Communications Manager at Convio. I was energized by the conversation, the enthusiasm of the Texas State students, and just overall being on a college campus again.

The panelists touched on topics ranging from online video, to using social media as a critical component of integrated marketing campaigns, leveraging blog content, career advice and more. But through the myriad of points, one thing is loud and clear… the importance of social media in a nonprofit’s marketing mix. The benefits go on and on… using Facebook and Twitter as listening mechanisms and affordable focus groups, for building communities of like-minded people that care about a cause, an efficient and cost-effective way to engage younger audiences that will be future advocates, donors and volunteers, and much more. I am not even close to doing the conversation justice, but you can see the full presentation here. Although, I am a tried and true Texas Longhorn, I extend huge kudos to Texas State for providing their Mass Comm students with this type of educational experience.

After the panel, I had the opportunity to catch up with Kerri to ask her about a new initiative of the Capital Area Food Bank. They are currently running an integrated marketing campaign to elevate the visibility of hunger in Central Texas. Kerri shares with me how the campaign came about and how they are using television, online, and social media to drive traffic to www.hungerisunacceptable.com. Check out the 2:05 video below to learn more.  

I wanted to share a great write-up in Smashing Magazine about nonprofit website best practices and 20 examples of organizations that are doing it right (several on the list are Convio clients!).

The best practices listed are fundamental, but its always important to remember the basics and revisit from time to time. Here's a quick run-down:

1. Make Your Site Donor-Friendly
2. Make Your Site Media-Friendly
3. Make Your Site Volunteer-Friendly
4. Make Sure Your Organization’s Purpose is Immediately Apparent
5. Make Sure Your Content Takes Center Stage
6. Make Sure Your Website is Consistent with Your Other Promotional Materials
7. Know Your Site’s Purpose Up Front
8. Include a News Section or Blog

Take a few minutes to read the full article, and click-through to see the example nonprofit websites. You might discover some ways to improve your own site. If you have something to add, please leave comments!

I am posting this on behalf of our very own Jennifer Judkins who attended the Amazon Payments session at NTC 2009. Having posted earlier this week about Amazon Payment's offerings and their upcoming webinar on May 19th, I thought I'd share her comments on the service...

"I heard that Amazon is now offering Amazon Payments for nonprofits, so thought I’d check out their Product Spotlight session at NTEN’s NTC. It’s pretty cool. It reminds me of the last time I shopped online at Target.com. When I went to check out, the site asked if I’d like to pay using my Amazon.com account. Why, yes, thank you. In fact I would. And, I did. Because the payment process on Amazon.com is just easy. And, they already know me. And, I trust them. It’s “friction free” as Amazon calls it.

So, that’s the idea behind Amazon Payments for nonprofits. As a nonprofit, you can easily set up Amazon payment processing to take donations on your website and leverage friction free donation processing.

At the session, I also learned that folks who shop on Amazon tend to be more affluent, well-educated, and have children. Hmmm. Sounds like people who buy stuff on Amazon also tend to be the types of people who often donate to nonprofits. Nice overlap.

American Red Cross was at the session and talked about how they’ve tried out Amazon Payments and they’re happy with it. Convio’s Dave Hart also was there, showing how Convio’s working on integrating Amazon Payments into its next major product release.

And, that leads me to the factoids:
• Amazon Payments has a transaction-based fee
• They’re offering a “fee vacation” for nonprofits April 30-Sept 30 (great time to try it out)
• More information at: www.amazonpayments.com/nonprofits "

Thanks for the feedback Jennifer! Comment here if you have feedback or questions, and we'll be sure to get back to you.