Michael Stein: Internet Strategy for the Nonprofit Sector

10 privacy settings every Facebook user should know

A recent favorite blog that I've been reading is the AllFacebook.com blog, which provides an independent view of all things Facebook.  A recent post covered 10 privacy settings every Facebook user should know and I strongly recommend this to all my Facebook peeps out there, especially the newbies.  Here's what this post covers in detail:

• Use your friend lists
• Remove yourself from Facebook search results
• Remove yourself from Google
• Avoid the infamous photo/video tag mistake
• Protect your albums
• Prevent stories from showing up in your friends' news feeds
• Protect against published application stories
• Make your contact information private
• Avoid embarrassing wall posts
• Keep your friendships private

Read 10 privacy settings every Facebook user should know

WeAreMedia Live: Intensive Face-to-Face Workshop Feb 12-13

NTEN's We Are Media will be coming to San Francisco, live and in-person on February 12 and 13! This workshop is designed for small planning teams from nonprofit organizations ready to roll up their sleeves for two days and dive deeply into understanding how to craft a social media strategy and to experiment with tactical approaches.  Throughout the workshop, they'll walk through important topics like:

    * Social media readiness
    * How social media fits into your communications plan
    * Implementing social media tactics
    * A look at the tools you'll use

Take a look at this lineup of instructors: Beth Kanter, Holly Ross, Nina Simon, Rachel Weidinger, Britt Bravo, David Cohn, John Kenyon, JD Lasica.

Learn more or register

Building your donor base on Facebook: The Nature Conservancy

My friend and online alter ego Michael Stein (yes, there is another!) offered a useful write-up way back in July 2008 about The Nature Conservancy's use of Facebook for fundraising.  Michael writes:

There's been a lot of excitement in the last year about social networking in general, and about Facebook in particular. And a lot of talk about the value of social networking for non-profits. But is there really a return on investment for non-profit participation on these sites? Here's a success story.  The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a 501(c)3 organization that works in the U.S. and over 30 other countries to protect ecologically important lands and waters. Using tools readily available on Facebook, the organization has raised almost $48,000 in the first six months of their social-networking effort. They did this by creating a Cause and a Fan Page for the org, and by forming a relationship with an ecology oriented game on Facebook, (lil) Green Patch. Six months later the (lil) Green Patch application is one of the most popular on Facebook, with over 6 million users!

Read the full article

Two good articles on online social networks

In my continuous quest to learn how best to use (and advise my clients to use) online social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, here are two good articles that were published recently on the subject.

The first is Should Your Organization Use Social Networking Sites? written by Brett Bonfield and published by Idealware.  I like the way this article is divided into two parts, beginning with a discussion of why online social networks may not be a good fit for an organization, and then moving on to a second part that discusses opportunities of this new medium.

The second article is Eight Secrets of Effective Online Networking - Tips, tricks, and tools for using and managing your social networks wisely written by Beth Kanter.  What are Beth's eight secrets?

• Invest Time in Your Network
• Test the Waters with an Individual Profile
• Establish a Routine
• Don't Spread Yourself Too Thin
• Share the Workload
• Keep It Personal
• Befriend People Strategically
• Use a Few Good Time Savers

Using Facebook and MySpace for advocacy and fundraising: The Humane Society of the United States

The good folks at Wild Apricot have published an excellent interview with Carie Lewis of The Humane Society of the United States on their use of Facebook and MySpace for advocacy and fundraising. At the time of interview, HSUS had been using online social networks for about three months, so it's especially interesting for organizations that are in start-up mode and wanting to compare notes with another nonprofit. Don't miss reading through the Comments, as additional material is revealed in answer to questions.

Here are Carrie's five top lessons learned on running a campaign on Facebook:

• Participate in the causes application by creating campaign-specific causes instead of a cause for your organization. People relate better to specific issues or campaigns that they are passionate about.
• Take the time to keep your content fresh and updated; don’t just create a group and walk away.
• Monitor what people are talking about and use the group as a forum to express your organization’s stance on certain issues. They will usually respect and appreciate your authority.
• Respond to everyone, no matter what the question or issue. People love having an actual person to connect to from an organization, and two-way communication is what makes social networks so successful.
• Scour Facebook for people that are interested in your cause or issue, and then personally message them. The viral aspect of getting one person involved who has hundreds of friends can be a huge payoff.

TechSoup.org is now on Facebook

TechSoup.org has announced that it is "jumping into Facebook and using this opportunity as another way to connect and network with the global TechSoup community."  They created a Facebook "Group" and have started inviting people to join (149 members as of today). It'll be interesting to see what they're able to do on Facebook that would complement their already rich content channels of email, web portal, blog and discussion boards.

Online fundraising on Facebook

This week, I'm trying to understand the pros and cons of using the different online fundraising applications on Facebook.  I'm reviewing:

• Facebook Cause application developed by Project Agape
• ChipIn Facebook application
• FirstGiving Facebook application

Got experience comparing these?  Drop me an email or leave me a Comment.

Facebook Profile URL in my email signature file

Maybe it's a sign of the times, or just me giving into the Facebook addiction, but I decided to add my Facebook Profile URL to all my email signature files.  I'm also now more habitually looking up work and personal email correspondents in Facebook and LinkedIn, the two social networks that I inhabit.  Of course, you must have your own Facebook account to be able to see my Profile page, which is just one of the many things that makes social networks what they are.

Facebook: From interruptive technology to online tool for social change

I've spent the last few days investigating in greater depth the power and potential of Facebook as an online tool for social change.  I've often dismissed Facebook as nothing more than an "interruptive technology" which fractures my attention span. As if email, RSS and listservs aren't interruptive enough in my daily routines, here comes Facebook with 30 million members, complete with friend requests, notifications of all sorts, and causes seeking my attention.

My opinion about Facebook's potential has been shaped by the work of Ivan Boothe at Genocide Intervention Network who writes about his experience with Facebook in a recent article for Idealware.  Likewise, I've watched organizations such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and author Paul Rieckhoff use Facebook to stir and broaden support for important social issues.