Crowdfunding is one of the biggest buzzwords today. It is the concept of putting an idea out to the public, perhaps targeted at a narrow community, and asking the public to donate money that will provide funds needed to make the idea a reality. It’s grown in popularity the past few years thanks to online systems like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which provide a platform to promote an idea or product, and collect donations online.

Nonprofit Giving Days

Despite the buzz, the idea of crowdfunding is nothing new. Nonprofits have been doing it for years: build a community, create a great project and ask the community to donate. This year, nonprofits are exploring new ways to drive crowdfunding for their projects: Giving Days.

Giving Days are 24-hour-long fundraising competitions that incorporate gaming and social interaction to bring a community together for a cause. In November of last year, giving day platform provider Razoo partnered with Minnesota’s GiveMN to break a world record by raising $16.3 million for Minnesota charities in just 24 hours. The effort was a huge success, with 53,000 individuals contributing to 4,300 nonprofits and schools received critical funding.

Source: PhilanthroTech: How Nonprofits Are Using Crowdfunding

A blog is one of the easiest ways a nonprofit organization can provide its members regularly-updated information. Short for “weblog,” a blog is an online journal that is updated frequently. Typically, they reflect a personal voice but are directed at external audiences. And because they update frequently, blogs are good fodder for search engines looking for fresh content.

Making a Blog Work for Your Nonprofit

Blogs usually feature brief entries that are just a few paragraphs long, which are posted in chronological order with the most recent listed first. Entries typically feature lots of links to other resources and online material, and many blogs include photos with their entries.

If your nonprofit is considering creating a blog, here are suggestions to help you get started:

• Summarize other articles online that are relevant to your audience.
• Start a conversation with your audience on critical topics.
• Invite industry experts to contribute as a guest blogger.
• Share timeline information, such as real-time reporting from an industry event.
• Cross-promote and re-use content from your print materials and web site.

Source: Should Your Nonprofit Launch a Blog?

Earlier this year, Google announced it is shutting down support for the CalDAV API, its calendar syncing protocol, in the Fall. In the announcement, though, the search giant advised that several developers are “whitelisted” and will continue to develop for CalDAV. Industry pundits are speculating that Microsoft may be one of these whitelisted developers.

Windows Phone Sync Protocols

Microsoft has neither confirmed nor denied whether it’s Windows Phone team will continue with CalDAV and CardDAV, Google’s calendar and contacts sync protocols. Google, meanwhile, has confirmed that dropping CalDAV in favor of Google Calendar API will not impact it’s agreement with Microsoft.

No word yet from Microsoft regarding updates to the Windows Phone 7.x or 8 operating systems to include support for CalDAV. Experts expect to see an update released this summer, which may include CalDAV support.

Source: Microsoft in the clear to add Google CalDAV support to Windows Phone

Social media has become an integral part of all organizations marketing and communication efforts. The fast-changing nature of social media, combined with the need to genuinely connect, has meant many businesses needed a dedicated social media team. Yet few organizations have the resources and time to make the proper investment in their social media. Increasingly, though, nonprofits are turning to volunteers to help with and even lead their social media efforts.

Tips for Engaging Social Media Volunteers

• Make your expectations for volunteers clear from the very beginning by answering who, what, why, where and how.
• Treat the volunteer project like any other project by tracking impact, measuring results, and adjusting when necessary.
• Show volunteers you appreciate them by recognizing their contributions with perks and words.
• Provide comprehensive training about the policies and practices at your nonprofit.
• Establish clear, open two-way communication so volunteers can feel free to ask questions and you can feel free to provide feedback.
• Have an established crisis management plan in place.

Source: Tech Across Your Org: Risks and Rewards of Combining Volunteers and Social Media

According to a new report from Nonprofit Montgomery, there are a number of myths that persist about nonprofits. Nonprofits aren’t just “do gooders” that help the sick and poor. Nonprofits are business-minded, mission-driven organizations that drive community and economic growth. Consider some facts from the report, which dispel these common myths.

5 Nonprofit Facts

1. Nonprofits employ 10% of the US workforce, representing 13.7 million Americans.
2. If the nonprofit economy were a country, it would be the 7th largest economy in the entire world.
3. While nonprofits range in size and shape, the majority are small and focused on the needs of their immediate communities.
4. Better than any other industry, the nonprofit sector has weather our recent recession well, showing consistent employment growth.
5. The nonprofit workforce is better educated than for-profit, with almost 45% of nonprofit workers earning an advanced degree.

Source: 5 Nonprofit Myths