Social media is enabling an incredible online conversation amongst nonprofit thought leaders and innovators.
To stay relevant, nonprofits need to listen to the conversation and, at some point, join it.
My preferred listening tool is .
Every time new content is published from a source I want to listen to, Google pulls the content into my reader so that I don’t have to visit multiple websites.
[Which I totally appreciate.]
This short video provides an overview of how works.
For an in depth, step-by-step tutorial on setting up a Google Reader account read this short “how to” post.
Once you have created a account, you’ll want to subscribe to the blogs and other news sources that you want to read regularly.
[You can subscribe to this blog right now by .]
For step by step instructions on subscribing to the RSS feed of any blog or news source, read this.
Consider bookmarking your Google Reader Page so that you can access it easily every day.
You can use your Google Reader to listen for key words and phrases as well by signing up to recieve .
With Google Alerts, you can be notified whenever key words or phrases are mentioned on the web.
I have a Google Alert set up to notify me every time my name is mentioned on the internet.
[And this is how I keep tabs on the fit, young woman who shares my name and runs triathlons in Hawaii. Bonus!]
I also monitor key phrases like “volunteering;” “volunteer leaders;” and “HandsOn Network”.
You can set Google Alerts to feed into your e-mail inbox or into your Google Reader.
I like the alerts sent to Google Reader because I am overloaded with e-mail already.
For a detailed tutorial on setting up Google Alerts, click here.
Now that you have an introduction to Google Reader and Google Alerts, you can start listening.
If you don’t know where to start, here is a list of blogs that I follow. Feel free to subscribe to any that sound interesting.
You can always “unsubscribe” if you don’t like the content.
If you have suggestions about additional blogs and news sources to follow, please leave them in the comments section of this post.
Blogs I follow:
501derful.org
David Neff is a Teacher, Speaker, Blogger, Network Weaver, and Social Media Scientist. This is his blog.
Allison Fine
Allison Fine explores the ways that digital tools, particularly social media, are enhancing our connectedness to one another and our ability and willingness to work for the collective social good.
If you are managing your organization’s Facebook presence or a fan page for a program, this “how to” blog will keep you up to date on how to make the best use of Facebook.
Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech
Amy is dedicated to supporting and educating organizations, community groups and the wider social change sector about evolving technologies that cultivate and engage communities.
Beth’s Blog
Beth’s Blog is the epicenter of social media and social good.
Brian Solis
Solis is globally recognized for his views and insights on the convergence of PR, Traditional Media and Social Media.
Cause Global
Ms. Stepanek is an award-winning journalist and the founding Editor-in-Chief of Contribute Media, a New York-based news and information company that covers the new people and ideas of giving.
The Center for Future Civic Media supports research at MIT to innovate civic media tools and practices and test them in communities. Bridging two established programs at MIT—one known for inventing alternate technical futures, the other for identifying the cultural and social potential of media change—the Center for Future Civic Media is a joint effort between the MIT Media Lab and the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program.
Community Organizer 2.0
Community Organizer 2.0 is a forum for discussion and opinions on web 2.0 and non-profits. This blog considers social communities, tools and communication in the websphere.
Conversation Agent
Valeria Maltoni built one of the first online communities associated with Fast Company magazine. A brand strategist with 20 years of real-world corporate experience, 10 of which online, she’s worked with Fortune 500 and small start up companies in 5 industries. She specializes in taking companies to what’s next in their business cycle through marketing communications, customer dialogue, and brand advocacy.
CSRwire is the world’s number one resource for corporate social responsibility news as well as the hub for an influential community that has realized the value and necessity of Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability.
Our mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire viewers by providing video interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, & personal profiles of social entrepreneurs & extraordinary people who are changing the world.
Frogloop
Online nonprofit marketing blog.
Issue Lab’s Comprehensive News Feed
IssueLab’s mission is to more effectively archive, distribute, and promote the extensive and diverse body of research being produced by the nonprofit sector.
Jayne’s Blog
Jayne is an independent consultant that has supported numerous organizations in communications, community/volunteer involvement, staff capacity-building, organizational management and fund-raising.
Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog
Katya Andreson’s personal blog on Robin Hood Marketing—the concept of stealing corporate savvy to sell just causes—and my life as a marketer, from Washington DC to Madagascar to points in between.
Logic & Emotion
A senior vice president at Edelman Digital with 14 years experience in the industry writes Logic + Emotion what Advertising Age calls one of the top media + marketing blogs.
Midcourse Corrections
Midcourse Corrections is about annual meeting improvement, association meetings and education, and the convergence of Web 2.0, social media, meetings, events and education.
Nonprofit Tech 2.0
Nonprofit Tech 2.0 was created and is managed by Heather Mansfield f DIOSA Communications. Fueled by a strong passion for the Internet, Heather spends her days [and some nights] helping nonprofit organizations utilize the Internet as a tool for social change.
NTEN Blog
NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions.
Philanthopic
A blog of opinion and commentary from Philanthropy News Digest.
Re imagining CSR
Jessica Stannard-Friel explores innovations and trends in corporate social responsibility, with an emphasis on initiatives that serve both a social impact motive and a profit motive.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of Confidence and SuperCorp.
Selfish Giving
Joe Waters talks about cause marketing.
Uplifting news.
Conversation on digital marketing
Social Citizen’s Blog
This blog is for anyone who’s energetic and passionate about social causes; who brims with new approaches and ideas for problem-solving; who’s disposed toward sharing the responsibilities and rewards of affecting change in the world; and who’s equipped with the digital tools and people power to make it happen.
Social Innovation Conversations
Social Innovation Conversations brings you the voices of the people at the forefront of creating social and environmental change in the world. Their goal is to allow you through audio lectures, panel discussions, conference recordings and audio interviews to hear what these individuals have to share, discover the models they are creating, and build on the lessons they’ve learned.
Social Media Explorer
A social media educator, a social media strategist and a public relations professional helps companies understand the social web and show them how engaging consumers online can help their business.
Socialbrite
Socialbrite is a learning hub & sharing community that brings together top experts in social media, social causes and online philanthropy. We’re here to share insights about the tools and best practices that drive the social Web and advance the social good.
Think Social
ThinkSocial is a new non-profit initiative dedicated to advancing the use of social media in the public interest.
Wild Apricot
This blog is for volunteers, webmasters and administrators of associations and nonprofits. They discuss issues and trends in web technologies that help your organization do more with less.
Working Wikily
The purpose of this blog is to provide practitioners in the social sector with a filter for the events that are pushing the field towards a more networked form of work and a perspective on how and why those events are unfolding.
HandsOn Network Blogs
A Lifetime of Service
The official blog of AmeriCorps Alums
HandsOn Corps
Here you will find great stories, shout outs, and happenings from HandsOn Corps – HandsOn Network’s AmeriCorps Members.
Civic. Energy. Generation
The official blog of the 2010 National Conference on Service and Volunteering
Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties
New York Cares
Volunteer Center Bergen County
Volunteer Center of Story County
Allison & Associates
(Okay so this isn’t a HandsOn Network blog, but Allison is the founding Executive Director of our Phoenix affiliate and so we think of her as family.)
