Posted by: Taylor Shanklin at 4:25PM EST on July 31, 2008
E-mail is awesome.It
gives us the ability to connect with our constituents on a personal level,
through an efficient means.And, these
days we have the ability to build beautiful, eye-catching, awesome-looking
e-mails.
In e-mail design, a couple of things should go hand-in
hand.You want to create something that
is both visually appealing and accessible across e-mail hosts.
There are a plethora of available e-mail tools and hosts such
as Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook, AOL, Yahoo, Thunderbird, and the list goes
on….With so many e-mail tools available
it is important to keep in mind how your particular e-mail design will function
and appear in those various e-mail tools when your audience views them.After all, you do want all of
your audience to enjoy their reading experience.It seems I've had a lot of recent inquiries about e-mail design best practices. So, I have compiled some of the handy tips I’ve come
across. Here goes:
Use
HTML tables to control the layout of your e-mail, instead of depending
solely on CSS positioning.
Some common table layout elements
include: 1.) A header containing a logo and navigation links – used to
reinforce branding and important links such as “Visit Us Online”, “Tell A Friend”
and “Donate”; 2.) A body containing copy and links to stories, donation forms, events,
and the like, that are on your website; 3.) A footer at the bottom - containing
contact information, an unsubscribe link and links identical to the top
navigation.
When
using CSS, use inline styles to control elements such as colors and fonts.
Watch
the width of your e-mail.It is recommended to stay in the 600 pixel width range when
designing the banner, or masthead, to be used in the e-mail.
Pay
attention to the plain text version of your e-mail.Don’t disregard how it is organized or
looks.Remember those in your audience who receive plain text and make sure they will enjoy reading their
“plain” version, too.
Testing,
1, 2, 3, testing…Test your e-mail in several e-mail tools on various
browsers, such as Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Firefox, and so on
At the end of the day, what is important is that your
e-mails are clean, professional looking, neatly organized and awesome across
various e-mail tools.
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 5:00PM EST on July 30, 2008
Sometimes I feel like my life revolves around social media. As a “digital native”, I live and breath the Internet and also have the privilege to share my knowledge of all things new media with and for nonprofits each day when I come to work. Because of this, I’m often on the prowl for social media tips, tricks and best practices to share with organizations that can help them in online marketing, communications and outreach efforts.
This week, Chris Brogan has yet again provided a great resource for anyone interested in developing a social media presence in his post 50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice. Replace the word business with nonprofit and the word customer with constituent, and here’s a great starting point for any nonprofit organization looking to delve into social media. (It's also a great check list of reminders for all of you who are already in these spaces.)
A few of Chris' points that particularly resonated with me:
To create consistent content, read daily, and not just for your industry. Skim, synthesize, and post.
On all your presence points, be human, and write a human-sounding profile. Use a human-seeming profile picture. (Did I mention “human?”)
Pick 3 social networks to join based on where your customers might be. 3 might sound like too few, but it probably will be too many.
Think about things your customers/stakeholders/prospects might need and write about that, even if it’s a bit off-topic.
Remember to comment on other people’s blogs frequently, and show your participation in the communities where you have presence.
What do you think of Chris' list? What else would you add here?
And for those of you nonprofits already finding success with social media, which of the 50 points do you think is most helpful or relevant to the sector?
Posted by: Robin Anderson at 10:49AM EST on July 29, 2008
I’ll admit it. I tend to stress out – a lot. Recently, I had to take a break and soothe my stressed out soul in a nearby bookstore. I grabbed a book, found a nice secluded spot and plopped down on the floor to lose myself in a story for a few minutes. However, my serenity was interrupted when a paperback fell unexpectedly onto the floor next to me. Now, I try not to take things like this too seriously, but my curiosity got the best of me. I took a deep breath, turned it over and discovered it was David Allen’s Getting Things Done. Creepy. But I was intrigued. I started flipping through it and was impressed. This is exactly what I needed.
So how do you get things done without completely stressing yourself out? I don’t know – I haven’t finished the book yet, but I can tell you this: Get everything on your to-do list out of your head and into a trusted form, preferably electronic (well, I do work for an internet company). Consolidate all of this sacred information into one place so that it is accessible and readily available to you. This is not easy, especially for a semi-control freak like me who’s resistant to change, but the relief is palpable. I find it easier to work up project plans and timelines with my clients – which in turn builds trust and puts them more at ease. I’ve also discovered that this allows my clients the freedom to think creatively about what they want to do with their site and it allows me the chance to focus more on quality rather than on quantity. Which is a plus for me and my clients. They feel more inspired, which makes me feel more inspired. It’s gloriously contagious.
I am still not there yet though. My organization skills still need improving and I still need to finish this book, but I feel like I’ve already made some headway. If you are feeling absolutely overwhelmed and stressed out by everything you have to do, I highly recommend this book. Make it the first task on your to-do list.
Posted by: Chris Bailey at 10:42AM EST on July 28, 2008
The modern concept of branding and word-of-mouth-marketing focuses
primarily on getting customers to become raving fans and talk
positively about a company to their friends and colleagues. In the past
few years, this focus has come to also include the value of getting employees to be raving fans of their own company,
to speak openly and honestly about their company's virtues, and to
share their pride for their own and the company's work. The thinking
goes that if a company employs happy and satisfied employees, then that
adds to an overall positive reflection of the company brand.
Yeah, but what does this have to do with non-profits...or maybe more
importantly, how does this help you achieve your organizational
mission? I'd like to argue that your own staff is the critical, yet
underdeveloped, edge you need to meeting your fundraising, advocacy,
and other goals. You
have powerful resources that extend far outside of your own marketing
department. Here are five steps in figuring out how to use them.
1. Know your internal broadcasters.
Your staff can be roughly divided into two groups: consumers and
broadcasters. Consumers take in content through various channels like
newspapers, blogs, and websites. Broadcasters do all of this and also
create the content. They're your bloggers, Twitterers, Facebookers,
Plurkers, etc. They're the ones who are connecting with others far
outside your particular marketing focus. They're the ones you want to
build your employee brand ambassador program around.
2. Reward your broadcasters.
Broadcasters live for information. They want to know all the cool and
worthy initiatives that are going on in your organization and be able
to share that information with others. Don't be shy about opening
access and sharing this valuable information. And ask for their input
and insight into how to penetrate your organization's messages deeper
into your target communities and wider into new areas.
3. Allow for creativity.
The social media space and branding world evolve at a rapid pace, which
means that your dedicated and passionate broadcasters tend to live at
the cutting edge. Don't make the mistake of binding them or restricting
their platforms. Innovative social media broadcasters are always
finding new ways to use current tools. And for every one of today's
Twitters and Facebooks, there are several undeveloped tools waiting to
be created and used.
4. Show them how to recruit other staff.
Broadcasters shouldn't be an exclusive clique within your organization.
Help them create more broadcasters and new brand ambassadors. Ask them
to do "lunch and learns" about social media. Create knowledge sharing
orientations to help them discuss their brand ambassador work when
asked by others in your organization. The objective isn't necessarily
to get 100% of your staff involved in social media and
branding...instead, show that every individual has an opportunity to
contribute.
5. Keep an eye on the relationship.
I can imagine one objection or question that may be sitting at the tip
of your tongue: how do we make sure that our broadcasters don't put the
organization or our formal branding work in jeopardy? The simple answer
is that you can't and the brutal truth is that you no longer have total
control over the message. Sorry...those days are long gone, which is
why #5 is so important.
It may seem obvious, but in order for your staff to speak openly,
authentically, and enthusiastically about your
organization, they need to be in a positive relationship with your
organization. That means being focused on your staff's level of engagement with their work and tapping into
the pride your staff has working for your organization and it's
mission.
If your organization has had great results from cultivating
organization-wide brand ambassadors, what's your story? Share the
wealth in the comments below.
*Update: You can also find this post on The Leadership Development Carnival #2 which is up and running at Great Leadership, hosted by Dan McCarthy. This month’s Carnival is another great collection of the best leadership and leadership development advice and commentary from over 40 leadership bloggers. Anyone interested in reading more about leadership issues, tips and advice should check out this new resource.
Posted by: Misty McLaughlin at 5:33PM EST on July 25, 2008
Now that we’re down to two (presumptive) presidential nominees, I have a modest proposal for you. It's time for us - all you bloggers out there; my esteemed colleagues; and you, dear reader - to take stock of what our candidates are doing online. How are they presenting themselves, how nimble are their websites in responding to what’s happening day-to-day, how effective are they as engaging us as supporters, donors, voters?
Call to Action! Let’s start a dialogue on how the candidates’ websites stack up on a bunch of criteria that matter to us.
I’ll start by posting scores (forthcoming) on a few best practices in website usability and engaging constituents online - stuff like overall experience, navigation, pathways to action, and quality of content. I'll ask you to post comments on the success criteria that matter to you - let's keep the tally rising.
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 6:48PM EST on July 23, 2008
Many nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups want to embrace online video but don't have the internal resources or budget to do so - or so they think. Again, compliments of Ramya at YouTube, here are a few handy tips on how you can use shoot, edit and successfully incorporate video online without hiring a professional or going over budget.
If you don't have a video pro on staff...
Ask the YouTube community for help. There are lots of people on YouTube who have video production skills and want to do good. Make a call-out video for the YouTube community, asking for help in creating videos for your channel, or search for and contact specific YouTube users in your area who might be willing to help you out. It never hurts to ask…
Delegate to your interns. Many of them are already familiar with uploading content to YouTube, so are comfortable with the process.
Look for production companies or advertising agencies with a social conscience. You might be able to get pro bono services or a lower rate.
Give it a go yourself. Shooting video is easier than you think – and you don’t have to have a glitzy piece to tell a compelling story. Check out the YouTube Video Toolbox for best practices on how to shoot, edit and upload you videos.
Partner with other organizations on YouTube who are working toward the same cause. They may have resources that you don’t, and you can work together to get the right video messages out there that benefit both organizations.
If you’re strapped for cash…
Apply to join the YouTube Nonprofit Program to get increased branding, upload capacity and the opportunity to be featured in promoted areas of YouTube, at no cost to you.
Use a digital camera or even your cell phone camera. You wont be able to store that much footage, but shorter pieces tend to play well on YouTube anyway, as do pieces with “organic” production values.
Think about investing in a Flip Video Camera (~$100), which comes with basic editing and video publishing software. Also, Flip Video Spotlight is a program that gives nonprofits access to Flip Cameras at a discounted rate.
Embed a Google Checkout button on your channel to help drive your fundraising effort. On your channel, talk about specific things that you’re trying to raise money for, like a megaphone for an upcoming rally or video camera to make YouTube videos.
Use digital pictures to make a slideshow of images that make your case and post the piece to your YouTube channel.
Edit your videos at the local cable access station – a small membership fee usually gets you access to some great editing software that’s just too expensive to install on your home computer.
Feature videos on your channel that you didn’t create but that fit your organizations mission. YouTube is chock-full of video content, so highlight pieces that promote your cause. Favorite these videos so that they show up on your channel and create themes playlists to demonstrate the broader communities that are rallying around similar causes on YouTube.
Posted by: Gene Austin at 3:08PM EST on July 22, 2008
From the time we first decided to go forward with our Charter Program for Project Aikido, we’ve spent a great deal of time here at Convio deciding on a significant and meaningful name for our new and first-of-its kind Constituent Relationship Management offering. This new solution has the potential to change the nonprofit space as we currently know it by providing a simple way to access constituent data, a single view of all online and offline information and new levels of flexibility and immediacy never before available to the nonprofit sector. We wanted a name that reflected these novel ideas and the fact that this new product breaks through the boundaries of traditional donor management.
As we researched the various options, one thing became very clear: all organizations want a common ground on which they can work to further their missions.
And so I’m pleased to announce Convio Common Ground ™ as the official name of our new CRM offering. To us, this represents:
• The “common ground” of an open platform versus a proprietary system. We believe an Open platform invites more innovation and more opportunities for nonprofits to make the CRM their own.
• The “common ground” of a solution supported by hundreds of partners and add-on apps versus a single vendor. No vendor can serve all needs, so we believe in working with an ecosystem of experts that can help clients be successful and further improve the product to meet each organization’s unique needs.
• The “common ground” of understanding the full constituent relationship versus just a small slice. Donors are just one slice of your organization and the value of building a central bank of information within your organization for all program functions and constituent development is key to your efficiency and success.
Common Ground will offer nonprofits the choice to adopt an actual open, Web-based CRM solution tailored to the unique needs of nonprofits rather than an older on-premise choice best known for being a “cost of doing business” than a tool for enhancing relationships and driving results. By harnessing the Force.com platform, Common Ground will also allow nonprofits to collaborate in real time and access salesforce.com’s AppExchange. Innovation will come to you not only by Convio, but a whole community of providers focused on the same thing, giving you more choice in deploying solutions. This new approach can help you reduce costs, raise more funds and understand your supporters like never before. That’s common ground that we all share.
Posted by: James Young at 12:28PM EST on July 21, 2008
Because I spend so much work time immersed in this area, I tend to assume that other people I talk with know what constituent empowerment is and why it is important. But then I remember my 8th grade science teacher who has a saying about the word “assume.” He said that when you assume, you make an ### out of U and ME. So, I’m going to stop assuming that everyone knows about constituent empowerment and why it is important, and I’m going to do it right now.
I always say that constituent empowerment is allowing your constituents to do your work for you. That’s the simplified version. The reality, of course, is that you can’t just hand over work. If that were the case, I would never have to take out the trash or fold the laundry (ahhh…a man can dream). No, in order to get others to do your work for you, you need to do a few things first.
First, you need to have a group of people who are at least willing to consider the idea of doing your work for you. I think there are two parts to this. You need to explain why you need help and then you need to watch and listen to identify the people who are sympathetic to you plea.
Second, you need to make it easy for these people to pick up your work and run with it. This means tools that are readily available and easily mastered. No one but the most committed person is going to spend a ton of time learning a whole new skill just to help you out.
Third, you need to make it known that helpers will be recognized. Let’s face it, there is a very short list of people who are completely self-less and do good deeds without any expectation, even at a sub-conscious level, of recognition.
Fourth, to be really successful at this, you need to make sure that people have some choice in what work they take on for you. Nobody, not even in the military, just loves being told what to do.
So, let’s assume you buy into this constituent empowerment fad, and you think you can handle the four criteria above. What is in it for you? Reach and Context.
Reach
Empowering others with your message and the tools to spread the message is the cornerstone on viral marketing. And how quickly can that spread occur? Well, let’s do some math.
Most people have a close circle of people that numbers 12. This extends out to about 40 well-known acquaintances. So, we’ll start with each person being able to reach about 40 people relatively easily.
If each of those 40 people reaches out to their 40 people with the message, roughly 1,600 people have now heard it.
If each of those 1600 people reaches out to their 40 people with the message, roughly 61,000 people have now heard it.
And then 2,370,000 and then 92,360,000.
You get the point.
Context
Have you ever seen one of those commercials where the uptight parent tries to talk to their kids about drugs by performing some very bad rap? As marketers, this is our worst nightmare, right? Trying to reach out to somebody without any clue as to how to deliver the message in a meaningful way is destined to fail.
By empowering your constituents, you have just recruited one of “them” to speak to “them.” You constituents know how to position the message in a way that is meaningful to their friends, because they are friends.
Some organizations will balk at the idea of putting the words into the mouths of constituents, for fear of losing control of the message. All I can say is, unless you know how to clone yourself, there is no better way to reach more people.
Posted by: Sally Heaven at 8:50AM EST on July 21, 2008
I wasn't able to attend Netroots Nation this year, but so many folks were blogging about it and so much live streaming that it was almost like being there. However, there's nothing that replaces the actual experience of being there in person, right?
So if you were there, share with us something cool that you heard about!
(I see that next year NN will be in Pittsburgh, one of my favorite cities - I'll have to make it a priority to attend in 2009.)
Posted by: laceykruger at 10:46AM EST on July 18, 2008
Having recently moved to a new city for the third time in the last 5 years (though I think I’m sticking around here for a while), I’m faced again with finding the perfect volunteer opportunity. I work from home, so volunteering regularly is the perfect way for me to get out of the house, meet new people and of course, do something good for my community. I’ve been lucky enough in my past two cities to find the perfect volunteer commitments but here, it’s been a bit more difficult.
My search began on VolunteerMatch. All organizations that need volunteers use VolunteerMatch, right? Hmm, not so much. Maybe there are other sites or communities where non-profits post their volunteer opportunities or maybe non-profits in my area just don’t need volunteers, because the postings here for my criteria were few and far between.
When that route proved unfruitful, I tried the old-fashioned way and started asking people. I found a few great spots around town that need volunteers and visited their websites. Again, confusion… by the looks of their volunteer sections (if there was one), I’m not exactly sure what their needs are and if I’d fit in, but once I’ve finished my applications, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
So, what are your thoughts on providing ways for volunteers to find you? Are there sites or communities other than VolunteerMatch that you’re using and if not, is there a need for a new avenue for providing this information? And also, once I do find you, what kind of information do you provide for me that will indicate that I can find a great opportunity with you? Are there barriers to that information such as a rigorous application process? Perhaps a follow-up is to come on great volunteer sections so stay tuned…
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 12:18PM EST on July 16, 2008
Finally ready to take the plunge and start integrating video into your online communications strategy? Here are a few basic tips, compliments of YouTube's Nonprofit and Activism Manager Ramya, on what to keep in mind when setting up and using the YouTube Nonprofit Channel.
The Basics:
Reach Out. Post videos that get YouTube viewers talking and then stay in the conversation with comments and video responses
Partner up. Find other organizations on YouTube who complement your mission and work together to promote each other.
Keep it fresh. Put up new videos regularly and keep them short – ideally under 5 minutes.
Spread your Message. Share links and the embed code for your videos with supporters so they can help get the word out.
Be Genuine. We have a wide demographic, so high view counts come from content that’s compelling, rather then what’s “hip.”
Building Your YouTube Presence:
Customize your channel. Deign your channel, add banners and URLs, choose your top video and get donations flowing.
Develop Compelling Content. Create direct dialogue, includes a call to action, tell serial stories, respond to current event and use endorsements.
Network and Distribute. Tag and title well, embed videos on the web, click "subscribe," engage and interact and make Web traffic a two-lane road.
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 2:25PM EST on July 15, 2008
If you work within an active advocacy organization, you probably have an interest in seeing Capitol Hill adopt a new, standardized communications protocol to better allow your organization and constituents to communicate directly with Congress.
For the past year The Congressional Management Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting a more effective Congress, has worked to address the increasing barriers to citizen engagement put in place by Capitol Hill by forming the Communicating with Congress Coalition. After a year of working to find how citizens are communicating with Congress and what motivates them to do so, CMF has now published the initial findings from its nationwide survey, as well as outlined a new model for constituent communications that will enable Capitol Hill offices to efficiently process the large volume of messages generated by grassroots advocacy campaigns in the Coalition’s Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue.
Now it’s your turn to make a difference:
CMF wants to hear your feedback on the Coalition’s survey report and recommendations by filling out the CMF survey by this Friday, July 18th. This input will be used in making the final recommendations to Congress in the group’s next August meeting on Capitol Hill.
Let your voice be heard and help make a difference in the way advocacy organizations communicate with Congress!
Posted by: Quinn Donovan at 9:57AM EST on July 14, 2008
Hopefully by now we all understand the importance of testing before a new email or newsletter is sent for the first time. Testing on different operating systems, multiple browsers, and email applications is the key to ensuring that your email will render properly when opened by constituents. And if you’re using conditional content in your communications, don’t forget about testing each of these versions too.
When you consider all the possible variations of operating systems (PC, Mac, Linux, etc.) and web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, etc) along with the constituents email providers (Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, GMAIL, etc) the number of possible variations multiplies quickly. Of course in a perfect world you would test all the permutations before you hit the send button; but since the world can be a busy place, if you had to prioritize where would you start first?
Looking at 3.5 million constituents records on Convio from a representative cross section of our clients I found the following were the most popular:
Operating Systems
PC 89%
MAC 6%
Browsers
Internet Explorer 76%
Firefox 11%
Mozilla 7%
Safari 4%
I was struck when I met the Big Duck team by how many of them have both deep experience in communications as well as real experience working at (not just for) nonprofit organizations. It’s my opinion that the best consultants are the ones who have been in the trenches, felt my pain, and done my job.
Big Duck Resources
Also, Big Duck produces a ton of resources that add lots of value to what you’re doing – regardless of whether or not you’re a client of theirs. Take a few minutes to check out these two highlights:
Their Webinars
Big Duck’s team offers a monthly webinar series on the rarely covered topics like the “Board’s Role in Brand Refinement.” Coming up this Wednesday, July 16 at 12:00pm EST, “The Art of Storytelling.” Here's the description:
“Want to dig deeper into the art of storytelling? Wondering how to blend social media with traditional outreach like direct mail? Participants attending this webinar will explore the elements of a good story, review examples, and discuss a process for developing stories and choosing outreach channels.”
The cost to attend is $25 and you can register here.
Their Podcast Just like their webinars, but shorter, each installment of the The Nonprofit Jungle podcast provides insight into a theme (like user research and holistic communications). Each also includes some nice, quick-hit things you can do to improve your web site or communications strategy.
Oh, and how did I find out about these resources in the first place? A friend of mine was linked to them on Facebook! Want to see a good Facebook marketing strategy in action? Sign into Facebook and join the Big Duck group.
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 2:04PM EST on July 10, 2008
Emily Riley over at Jupiter Researchblogged today about Video Egg, a service expanding the possibilities around online video advertising, pointing out that new features such as “localized ads, RSS, retail, and many other bells and whistles” have been added recently to enhance the power of the online video tool. She notes at the end that new, interesting video elements “are what will make consumers pay attention.” According to some of Jupiter’s most recent research, internet video audience and opportunity is growing rapidly, which not only provides an opportunity for advertisers and retailers, but also for nonprofits looking to extend their key messages, cultivate advocates and raise funds online.
So what can nonprofits - who oftentimes don’t have the budgets and means to use services like Video Egg that are embraced by brand advertisers - do to drive results with online video? Well for starters, sign up for the YouTube nonprofit channel which is completely free for any nonprofit to create. Ramya, YouTube’s nonprofit and activist manager, has even dedicated an outlet to offer great advice on how nonprofits can get started, what key benefits they receive as channel members and how they can provide feedback to the program to help continuously enhance the features provided for nonprofits on her Agent Change vlog.
A few examples of nonprofits currently using the service to spread their message, initiate conversations with constituents and yes, even raise funds with online video include:
And if you’re looking to incorporate video into a larger social media strategy, take a look at some of the great ideas NTEN and our favorite blogess Beth Kanter are putting together with the new We Are Media Project: The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits which provides great advice on how to start and what other resources are available to the nonprofit community.
Anyone else out there currently using the YouTube nonprofit channel? What advice would you share with nonprofits looking to incorporate online video into their outreach and communications strategy or enhance their current efforts?
Posted by: Jordan Viator at 10:43AM EST on July 10, 2008
We've updated our RSS feed in order to include a few new features our readers have asked for such as emailing and social bookmarking capabilities from within any given RSS reader. So, if you subscribed to our blog before July 7th, please update your RSS subscription accordingly by re-adding the feed to your reader with the RSS button provided here or on our main blog home page.
And for those of you who have asked for email subscription capabilities, we haven't forgotten about you either! We're working to add this functionality and expect to have it available for our readers around the end of summer.
Thanks for continuously providing us with your enhancement suggestions and keep the feedback coming - we love hearing from you!
Posted by: brandyreppy at 12:42PM EST on July 9, 2008
I'm admittedly in the middle of what can only be described as a typical day - feeling basically like I'm in over my head. From putting together site copy to designing an engaging user experience, the highs and lows of working on the web and the immediacy of the information out there is sometimes hard to handle. And wearing a lot of hats at an organization, as most of us do, adds even more complexity to the mix. When you have a job that challenges you, as I am fortunate enough to have, then every day is inherently a challenge. But it's sometimes easy to get discouraged, and to want to do nothing because I can't do everything.
That's why I love the video I saw today from Ira Glass talking about good taste, failure, and learning from your work. While he talks more about storytelling, I think it's relevant for everyone. It was exactly the boost I needed, and one of the many reasons why I love the internet as a medium.
Posted by: Seth Merritt at 6:11PM EST on July 7, 2008
With a little spare time over the holiday weekend I enjoyed reading the expansive essays in Rebooting Democracy, a recent collection of essays from Personal Democracy Forum. As we celebrate the anniversary of our Independence ("booting" the British?), re-engaging with the ideals of our Republic seems appropriate.
The essays are quick reads and provide an array of sometimes contradictory opinions about the future of democracy in the Internet Age. For example, while some like Pablo de Real or Craig Newmark propose technology as a way to reinvigorate our democracy, danah boyd asks why we lack the motivation to engage as citizens, online or off.
On a related note, most of the sessions from the PdF 2008 (Rebooting the System) conference in June, are now posted on blip.tv and worth watching. The PdF website features post-conference feedback, a nice feature for those of us sifting through the posted materials.
Posted by: Peter Genuardi at 5:31PM EST on July 2, 2008
I like to keep my eyes peeled for awesome design resources that save me time. I keep a trove of these not because I'm lazy (I am) but because I figure I'm not terribly smart, original or creative. If I think of something useful, chances are someone's already beaten me to it (see also last five ideas for .com, .org, and .net startups).
Here's how I do it. I use a news reader called PageFlakes, which I load the URLs for Del.icio.us most popular categories for "design" and "web2.0." I look at it once or twice a day and it provides me with the latest things that other, good designers and interactive experts have flagged as having value. I harvest the ones that look useful and toss the chafe aside.
So, as we gear down for a long Fourth of July weekend, I present to you some of the best design resources I've seen. They're guaranteed to save you time, money and headache (guarantee not good in most states).
Generators These will do many of the things desktop software would, back in the web 1.0 days. Now that web 2.0 is here, why pay for and install something you can get on the web for free?
How To's
These will give you an overview of how to do something. Read these before going into a meeting and people will think you know what you're talking about.
E-mail is awesome.
Many nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups want to embrace online video but don't have the internal resources or budget to do so - or so they think. Again, compliments of Ramya at YouTube, here are a few handy tips on how you can use shoot, edit and successfully incorporate video online without hiring a professional or going over budget.
If you don't have a video pro on staff...
If you work within an active advocacy organization, you probably have an interest in seeing Capitol Hill adopt a new, standardized communications protocol to better allow your organization and constituents to communicate directly with Congress. 
A couple of weeks ago I had the good fortune to meet 
