What are people saying about you online?

The Social Media Policy Toolkit You’ve set up your Facebook page and Twitter account, maybe a Tumblr, pinned your interests on Pinterest, and connected with the professional world on LinkedIn. How do you make sure that once your presence is out there, it doesn't get you into any trouble? That’s where a social media policy can come in handy. A social media policy is a document that outlines for you and your entire staff what belongs on social media--and what does not. No matter what size your organization is, developing your own policy can be an extremely worthwhile exercise, but there are a lot of questions to ask, and it’s often difficult to find the right answers on your own. Let us help. A well-defined policy can help you better understand your social media presence, create a voice that exemplifies your organization’s values, and protect you from questionable content. Starting February 19, we are offering The Social Media Policy Toolkit, a three-week course designed to help you create a social media policy in real time with plenty of support from Idealware’s experts. Over three weeks, we’ll break down all the critical elements of a social media policy and help you create your own. We’ll take our time discussing how you can create a policy that suits your organizational values, what to do if someone says something negative about your organization online, and how you can navigate that tricky intersection between the personal and professional that is a reality for the social media environment. Along the way, you’ll use Idealware’s Nonprofit Social Media Policy Workbook to make sure your policy is comprehensive and easy to use. At the end of the class, you’ll walk away with a clear vision for your organization’s online presence, and have a document to show for all your hard work. Want to hear more about the course? Check out this promotional video with your teacher, Andrea Berry, discussing a few topics from the session. Watch the video here>>> Ready to register? Click here. This course is our lowest cost intensive toolkit of the spring, and there's never been a better time to check out our online seminars. ________________ You received this email because you signed up for Idealware updates. If you are no longer interested in hearing from us,click here to unsubscribe. Idealware | 1 Pleasant St., Suite 4E | Portland ME | 04101

Tumblr: When You Work at a Nonprofit

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New Webinars to Start Summer Off Right from NYCON

April Showers Bring May Flowers and lots of NEW Webinars! New Webinars All Month Long!

Know Thy Self: Assessing Organizational Readiness When Taking on the World of Restructuring [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Doug Sauer, CEO,  New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Tuesday May 7th, 2013    11:00am to 12:30pm    Register Now      Affiliation discussions are a discovery process - uncovering and clarifying motivations, interests, organizational facts and circumstances, strengths and weaknesses. It is a process where potential partners learn about each other and yes, learn about themselves as well. Successful affiliation talks depend largely on each party being prepared, as transparency starts internally first. The more clarity your board and staff leadership can get as to the organization's true operational, fiscal, and "mission" health, the better positioned the organization will be in type of restructuring or collaboration. This webinar, led by our seasoned restructuring expert, Doug Sauer CEO, will guide attendees as to the questions that you should first ask yourselves and then extend to your potential partner.  Register Now Flexible Spending Account Program Through NYCON New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Tuesday May 9th, 2013    11:00am to 12:00pm    Register Now      Did you know that an  FSA (Flexible Spending Account) is a great way for you can help your employees  save money on day care and health care services as well as over-the-counter items for themselves and their family members. When you put an FSA in place at your organization, your employees can contribute money deducted from their salary, before taxes are withheld and use this money to pay for eligible expenses. This also means that your nonprofit pays less in payroll  taxes along with the wonderful benefit to your employees. Join us on May 9th to hear more about how this benefits your nonprofit, including all the plan details, the process of enrollment, plan features - including debit card, and more about NYCON's services as administration Register Now NYCON Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar] Good for Prospective, New & Returning Members! May 17th or June 14th - Your Choice Register Now  In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE.  We will be talking about these benefits. Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance  Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits The Nonprofit Voice in New York State    Register Now  Life Insurance Program Through NYCON Presented by Eric Laughlin, Licensed Representative, Council Services Plus The New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Tuesday May 23rd, 2013    11:00am to 12:00pm    Register Now      NYCON is pleased to bring an affordable, accessible Life Insurance option to the employees of our Member organizations through MetLife. MetLife is the leader in Group Life Insurance and is in a unique position to help provide the right plan for you as employers - not just today, but over time - to meet the changing needs of businesses and your employees. Many employees purchase life insurance through their workplace, it's a critical part of a company's benefits package - helping employees achieve financial security for their families. You can help employees feel that security by adding Life insurance to their suite of benefits.Join us on May 23rd to hear more about how this benefits your nonprofit, including all the plan details, the process of enrollment, cost and more. Register Now Social Media Myth Busting: If You Build It, Will They Come? [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Andrew Marietta, Regional Manager, Central NY Office, NYCON and Valerie Venezia, Vice President, Membership & Marketing, NYCON June 14th, 2013 11:00am to 12:30pm  Register Now  Sometimes it seems like there's a new hot social media tool launched every day of the week. Figuring out what these tools do, how our nonprofit should use them, and frankly, if you need to use these tools can boggle anyone's mind. As busy nonprofit staff and board members we need to know what specific tool do we use for our specific goals? How do we measure success? This webinar will help cut through the clutter of social media mayhem and help you simplify, refocus, and target social media tools based on organizational needs and a focused message (and maybe even some actual metrics!)   Register Now

Ideal Ware:Best February 2013

Best of the Web: February 2013

The Idealware “Best of the Web” is a monthly roundup of the top nonprofit resources from the Idealware blog, our Facebook page, and our Twitter feed to help you make the right technology decisions.

Infographic: Social Media’s Impact on Giving in 2012 (Nonprofit Quarterly) 

A look at how social media has affected online giving.

How-to: Quickly Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices (NTEN)

How do you get the most bang for your buck when investing in the mobile web?

On Demand Tactical Technology Planning (Idealware)

All your tactical technology planning needs in one on-demand package to solve your organization's current problems and avoid future issues.

Secrets to Finding Out What You Need - Good Questions to Ask During a Technology Assessment (The Data Bank)

When you start by asking the right questions, your organization will be in the best place to plan for the future.

Getting Started With Data-Driven Decision Making: A Workbook (Idealware/NTEN)

Could you use more help thinking through how to use data to help your organization make decisions? This workbook Idealware prepared for NTEN is the perfect place to start.

I Could Be Your Next Monthly Donor. So Call Me, Maybe? (NTEN)

Tips on how to recruit, retain, and upgrade monthly donors.

5 Smartphone Apps for Nonprofits (About.com)

Use these apps to keep up with the rapid growth of mobile.

The eMail Guide Email Marketing Glossary (The eMail Guide)

The 325 email marketing terms everyone needs to know.

Power through schedules with 21 Google Calendar tricks (PC World)

Save time and increase your organization's productivity by becoming a Google Calendar whiz.

A Guide to Synagogue Management: Research and Recommendations (Idealware)
We looked at a variety of donor and constituent management systems to create an overview for a complex and niche market

Pew Report: How internet and social media have transformed the arts

How internet and social media have transformed the arts
By: Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger

Social media has become a new way for arts organizations to promote their work, attract new audiences, as well as advertise themselves. Audiences have become more diverse, attracting younger people to the organizations.

For the full story click here

Idealware's Upcoming June Trainings: Covering technology and social media tools and more!

June 2012

Idealware's Upcoming Online Training

Have you heard about "the Cloud" but don't know what it is? Or are you just not sure how it compares to traditional software? Idealware has you covered with TWO seminars this week. Tomorrow, Idealware and NTEN present the findings from their "2012 State of the Nonprofit Cloud" report in a free seminar, The State of the Nonprofit Cloud. On Thursday, delve deeper into online software and see how it stacks up with Comparing Google Apps to Outlook. 

Later this month, expand your tech knowledge with some Idealware crowd favorites. Learn how to monitor your website traffic with Google Analytics, AWStats and more in Introduction to Website Analytics, or learn the best practices of creating online surveys with the free Online Survey Tools and Techniques seminar.

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TOMORROW: The State of the Nonprofit Cloud: Results of the Study
May 30, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
Consultants and advertisements alike are urging nonprofits "to The Cloud," but how many have heeded the call? Are organizations actually using it? To answer these questions and more, NTEN and Idealware surveyed 780 nonprofits nationwide about how they used hosted software.
Read more or register > 

THIS WEEK: Comparing Google Apps With Outlook
May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
Google Apps provides a compelling set of features -- from email to calendars to a organizational portal to shared documents -- that gives Outlook a run for its money at a fraction of the  cost. We'll demo the main components of Google Apps, talk about administrating it as an organization, and show how it compares to Microsoft Outlook. This session is geared for those familiar with Outlook who want an introduction to Google Apps.
Read more or register > 

Choosing a Volunteer Management System
June 7, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you keep track of your volunteers? Do you still use pen and paper? Should you buy a new tool for tracking volunteers, or use one that you already have?
Read more or register > 

FREE: Online Survey Tools and Techniques
June 14, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. $0.00
We'll talk through the tools (and demo a few) that can help you create online surveys, from low cost options to more robust ones. We'll wind up with best practices on designing a solid and reputable online recruiting participants and analyzing the data.
Read more or register > 

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Have you been asked to take a lot of online surveys and always thought you could make a better one? Learn how with the free seminar, Online Survey Tools and Techniques.

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Branding Through Social Media
June 21, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
In this session we will dive into the concept of branding through the lens of social media. Taking a detailed look at how you can create, refine and manage your brand message and personality through social media, this class will explore how what you say and how you say it impacts people's impressions of your organization.
Read more or register > 

Introduction to Website Analytics
June 28, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How many people visit your Web site? What are they doing there? Through demos of AWStats and Google Analytics, we’ll look at what analytics packages can tell you about your site.
Read more or register > 

Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Videos
July 12, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. $40.00
How do you convey the great work your organization is doing with blogs, photos and videos? These tools are powerful ways to share the difference you're making in the world.  We’ll cover the principles of good storytelling, look at examples and research about what’s working for nonprofits, and then discuss the tools that can help you put them online.
Read more or register > 

Deadline is Dec 1 for Knight News Challenge media innovation contest

If you have an innovative media technology idea, you might be able to get funding from the Knight News Challenge contest.

Run by the Knight Foundation, the grant competition awards up to $5 million annually for innovative projects that use digital technology to transform the way communities send, receive and make use of news and information.

More info can be found here: http://newschallenge.org. The site includes application information, as well as details about past winners.

This year's application deadline is December 1. The News Challenge is looking for applications in four categories: mobile, authenticity, sustainability and community. All projects must make use of digital technology to distribute news in the public interest.

The contest is open to anyone in the world.

A simple description of the project is all you need to apply. Submit a brief pitch to http://newschallenge.org. If the reviewers like it, you'll be asked to submit a full proposal later.

Survey: CFOs have mixed feelings about employees using social media

About half the CFOs in a new survey said their “greatest concern” about employees’ use of social media was wasting time on such sites during business hours.

Accountemps, a division of Menlo Park, Calif.–based Robert Half International, released the survey Thursday. Robert Half International specializes in the placement of skilled administrative professionals.Besides those concerned about workplace use of social media, another 18 percent were worried about employees behaving unprofessionally while using sites such as Facebook or Twitter. The survey also found 11 percent were worried about employees posting financial or confidential company information and 10 percent were concerned about employees posting negative comments about their firm.

When asked about the greatest benefit for a company of employees’ use of social media, 28 percent said it’s a way to provide better customer service. Another 22 percent saw it as a way to enhance the company’s reputation.

International Communications Research, a Media, Pa.–based independent-research firm, conducted the survey through telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

by Eric Reinhardt, from Business Journal

Two FREE Idealware Seminars

NYCON endorsed vendor, Idealware, is pleased to announce three free seminars in the month of July!

Website Domains: Getting, Keeping and Working with a Website Address
Thursday, July 22, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern. FREE!
In this free one-hour seminar, we'll talk through the important things you need to know about setting up and maintaining control over a website domain, as well as how to use it for your website and email needs. This seminar is funded by the Pierce Family Foundation.
Read more or register >

Raising Your Network's Technology IQ
Thursday, July 29, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern. FREE!
Are you a membership organization, grantmaker, or affiliate group? Are you trying to figure out affordable ways to help your network use technology more effectively? We'll talk through the types of technology support your network is most likely to need, and the methods -- from free to inexpensive to more comprehensive -- that are likely to help.
Read more or register >

Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends

This new book, “Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends,” was co-edited by Dr. Steve Yuen, a professor of Instructional Technology at The University of Southern Mississippi and Professor Harrison Hao Yang at the State University of New York at Oswego and is published by IGI Global.

As education continues to integrate technological advancements into learning and instruction, a resource dedicated to the latest findings and implications becomes necessary. The Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends provides academicians, researchers, and practitioners with a comprehensive view of the historical, conceptual, theoretical, and practical perspectives of conventional e-learning and innovative e-learning 2.0. Presenting cutting-edge research, case studies, best practices, and pedagogical approaches and strategies, this defining reference source incorporates the latest and most discussed Web 2.0 technologies in educational learning and practice.

Preface
Learning has been dramatically influenced by information and communication technology (ICT). There is no doubt that ICT keeps bringing new excitement into learning and communication. Multimedia on the Internet, telecommunications, wireless applications, mobile devices, social network software, Web 2.0, etc. are all radically redefining the way people obtain information and the way to learn and communicate. Consequently, electronic learning (e-learning) has become one of the most exciting, dynamic, and yet challenging fields that we have been facing. What is the history of e-learning? Where are we now? What will the future bring? What are the key elements of e-learning we need to focus on? Where has progress been made? How will we face and rise to new opportunities and challenges? How do we analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate e-learning? In order to shed light on these questions, we have taken a comprehensive view and looked at e-learning and innovative e-learning 2.0 from historical, conceptual, empirical, practical, and vocational perspectives. The result is this book, entitled Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends.

Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends is written for broader audiences including educators, trainers, administrators, and researchers working in the area of e-learning or distance learning in various disciplines, e.g. education, corporate training, instructional technology, computer science, library information science, information technology, and workforce development. We hope readers will benefit from the work of authors who range from cutting edge researchers to experienced practitioners regarding the research and practices in e-learning. The book covers focal points of e-learning and is organized into five parts of e-learning: Chronical and Conceptual Perspectives (Chapters 1-4); E-Learners (Chapters 5-9); E-Learning Environments and Communities (Chapters 10-14); Professional and Disciplinary Implications (Chapters 15-19); and Pedagogical Design and Implementations (Chapters 20-29). Read more about the book here.

Free Social Media Forum Set for September 22 at Cohoes Music Hall

The Business Review reported that an Albany, N.Y., social networking company will host a forum this month to help businesses make better use of social media.

The free forum will be held Sept. 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Cohoes Music Hall. The forum’s host, iZoca Inc., said the event will help companies discover ways to use social media to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and potential clients as well.

“In addition to traditional marketing, business leaders must now utilize social networking Web sites to stay ahead of their game,” said iZoca president and CEO Jeffrey Goronkin. “At the same time, professionals are struggling to figure out which ones are most effective for their needs.”
Among popular social networking Web sites are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. IZoca, a 2-year-old company, distinguishes itself from other networking sites because members create their own groups.

For more information, call 867-7940. The event is being organized at www.izoca.com/groups/albany-social-networking-for-professionals, and also at www.meetup.com/albanysmb.

Small Business Administration Offers YouTube Channel

The Central NY Business Journal reported that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced the launch of its channel on YouTube, the popular video-sharing Web site."

With millions of visitors, most of them under 35, YouTube offers a prime opportunity to use current technology and the appeal of a popular online platform to further promote the agency's programs and services," SBA Administrator Karen Mills said in a news release.

The SBA hopes to reach this audience with its message of entrepreneurship, the importance of small business to the nation's economy, and information on the agency's programs and services.

The SBA YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/sba) debuted with a 60-second introduction to the agency, its programs and services, and a 10-part "Delivering Success" series co-produced with the U.S. Postal Service.

Future content will cover how small businesses can take advantage of the loan programs in the economic-stimulus package, government-contracting opportunities, exporting to increase market share, and counseling and training on how to start and grow a small business, according to the agency.

Social media is new pulpit for preachers

The Times Union featured the following story about NY Council of Nonprofit's very own, Valerie Venezia and a specialized training about social media she presented to local churches.

The article relates: When Pastor Dan Rushing hits the streets of Albany to do ministry work, church members can track his movements from their home computers.

Rushing spreads the word of Jesus and his church, New Beginnings Fellowship, then types the details of his evangelism into his Blackberry and sends his GPS location to his Web site. He's mixing his preaching with social media — Web sites where users create and control content — to connect to existing and potential church members.

"Social media allows you to connect to people that you normally wouldn't be able to connect with," Rushing said. "There are a lot of people out there that the only way you're going to connect with them is these tools."

New Beginnings has a Web site where sermons are broadcast, a Facebook group page, a Twitter page and a MySpace page.

More churches are starting to use the Web sites to connect to their members in more ways, said Valerie Venezia, of the New York Council of Non-Profits, which has helped organizations enter the digital realm. Today she will be leading a workshop at the Capital Region Theological Center to help churches get started with social media.

Venezia will show church leaders and representatives from the Capital Region the building blocks for increasing their online presence. Participants will learn to use social networks, blogs and how to post videos or audio podcasts of sermons.

Venezia said organizations sometimes don't understand how the services would be of use to them.

"People will ask me 'Why does anyone care if I'm eating a ham sandwich?'" said Venezia of Twitter, a service where users post short 140-character messages to answer the question, "What are you doing?" "Well that's not what it's really about. It could be about crystallizing a thought about a sermon and sharing that with others."

Faye Bailey, church moderator at Emmanuel-Friedens Church in Schenectady is going to the workshop to see what services they can use. The church recently got its own domain name after being on a Times Union community page for years, and Bailey is looking for ways to let members connect outside the church and get more information.

But some members aren't too eager make it onto the Web.

Emmanuel-Friedens is divided into two groups, she said: An older legacy crowd and a much younger crowd that recently joined. When the new Web site went up, the older members voted against posting the newsletter, as they didn't want their full names posted for everyone to see, Bailey said.

So Bailey hopes to see what other churches have done and learn what measures can be taken to ensure privacy.

"Different people have different sensitivity levels with the Web," Bailey said. "So we have to be careful with that, yet, move forward. And younger people connect this way so we have to find a way."

With so many avenues for ministry, it's important to just keep focus, said Rushing, a self-proclaimed techie pastor.

"I think it's important not to replace what we have," said Rushing, asserting in-person preaching is still important.. "We have to be careful that the medium isn't the only message. That we're not seeing social media as the way they worship. We use social media just as the tool to get the message out."