Google.ORG struggles to Live Up to its Early Self-Promotion
Stephanie Strom and Miguel Helft have recently written a superb story for The New York Times about how Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org (or ‘DotOrg’), has struggled to live up to its early self-promotion. The story serves as a useful reminder that success in the business world – especially success redefining what success can mean in the digital age – might not mean the same skill set can bring success in the philanthropic world. The vast resources of the internet search company have had a wonderful impact on a few important projects, of course. Nevertheless, the staff of the philanthropic arm of the company have suffered from being a silo-ed community with an uncomfortable relationship with the business body.
| Category Environment, Greening, Healthcare, Public Relations, Technology, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Why Egypt’s Government Shut Down Social Media, Not Land Lines
Image by Mama Qarat
We make no claims whatsoever to bringing any political, religious, economic, or aesthetic insight on the momentous events unfolding in Tunisia, Egypt, and now (perhaps) Yemen. We encourage our readers to go to a few respected news sources to get a better sense of what is going on there, and how these rebellions (the names given to revolutions until the rebels win) might have an impact on the US.
A sub-story is emerging, though, that relates to the ongoing debate about the impact of social media to bring social change – a topic we have often touched upon here. The events in Egypt may or may not be of immediate concern to our readership, but the sub-story might prove to be a micro-experiment in the interplay of social media and traditional media to motivate larger audiences to important causes.
| Category Audio Interview, Campaigns, Communications, Geo-Location, iDevice, iPhone Apps, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Politics, Public Relations, Social Media, Technology, Twitter, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
What is Senior Corps?
Image via Wikipedia
Thinking about making a difference in your community? Want to volunteer but haven’t been able to find the right fit? Over 55? Then maybe Senior Corps is for you.
“Americans over 55 have a lifetime of experience to share, and the desire to make a real difference in their world. They’ve managed households, been business owners and nurses, farmers and salespeople, artists and executives. Now they are ready to put their unique talents and expertise to work in their communities, and enrich their own lives in the process.
Senior Corps connects today’s over 55s with the people and organizations that need them most. The organization helps them become mentors, coaches or companions to people in need, or contribute their job skills and expertise to community projects and organizations.”
Visit the Senior Corps website to find out how (and where) you can volunteer time and expertise.
| Category Aging, Civics, Community, Seniors Life, Volunteerism | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
Jumo Hopes To Unite Facebook Networking And Philanthropic Energies
Chris Hugues, a co-founder of Facebook has taken his experience with the single most popular social-networking site to build Jumo. The site’s ambitions are clearly set out: “Jumo is a social network connecting individuals and organizations who want to change the world. Leveraging connection technologies, Jumo enables people to find, follow and support those working toward solutions on the ground in their community and in regions across the globe.” Though the site presents itself as in ‘Beta,’ it has been up-and-running for a number of months now, and many users are starting to weigh in with their opinions. How is Jumo doing?
| Category Desktop Apps, Donor Acquisition, Facebook, Fundraising, Grants and Funding, Nonprofit, Social Media, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
U.K. Home Care Described as a ‘Lottery’
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
A consumer group says it has found huge discrepancies in the availability and cost of home healthcare in the United Kingdom, based on where people live.
Describing it as a “postcode lottery,” the group Which? found elderly people living just a few miles apart can pay widely differing amounts for home care, which includes help with dressing, washing and bathing, with some couples paying more than $1,400 a month, The Daily Telegraph recently reported.
| Category Aging, Community, Independent Living, Retirement Living | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
#Interview: Cass Naugle, Executive Director of The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter
Alzheimer’s is a word most of us have heard, but how many of us know much about the disease itself?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60. According to recent estimates, as many as 2.4 million to 5.1 million Americans have AD, with numbers expected to grow with the growth of the population. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.
One organization actively working to raise awareness and support for this disease is the Alzheimer’s Association, started in 1980. With a mission to ‘eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all effected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health,’ today, the Association reaches millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s across the globe through its national office and more than 75 local chapters. As the largest donor-supported, voluntary health organization for Alzheimer’s, the Association is a catalyst for advancements in Alzheimer research and care.
| Category Advocacy, Aging, Facebook, Fundraising, Interview, Nonprofit, Retirement Living, Video Interview | | Comments Off
Written by: Cate Neilson
Abigail Disney Can Help Your Organization Attract Big-Name Donors
She is the daughter of Roy O. Disney, the brother and business partner of Walt Disney. She was born to wealth, and her name opened doors most people have to try for years to break through. And she is using those resources not only to strengthen the Daphne Foundation in New York City, but also to bring peace to Liberia in West Africa. She also wants to help your organization expand its philanthropic base by reaching out to the bigger fish on your donor list. So please join Abigail Disney for an online discussion group on Wednesday the 26th of January.
| Category Conference/Congress, Development, Donor Acquisition, Fundraising, Grants and Funding, Major Gifts, Marketing Skills, Nonprofit, Sustainability | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Apple Sued Over Mobile Apps’ Lack Of Privacy-Tip Of The Iceberg?
The turn of the year has not been especially kind to Apple Inc. and its insanely popular (though not ubiquitous) iPhones and iPads. A widely-reported (and satirized) bug in the clock/alarm application meant many millions were not awoken by their alarms in the first few days of 2011, for example.
Yet the bigger problems started a week earlier, when Jonathan Lalo of California filed a class-action, or group status, lawsuit for his complaint that Apple is giving away his personal information without his consent. The lawsuit claims that the transmission of personal information is a violation of federal computer fraud and privacy laws. Apple is not the only target of this suit, as Pandora, Paper Toss, the Weather Channel and Dictionary.com, are listed as defendants as well.
The concern over privacy and the use of mobile devices could be one of the hot topics of 2011, as mobility apparently means transparency.
| Category Advertising, Apple, Communications, Geo-Location, iDevice, iPad Apps, iPad/Tablet, iPhone Apps, Marketing, Social Media, Technology | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Fall Prevention Programs in Maryland
- Image by Samuel Mann via Flickr
Falls are a major cause of injury for older adults in Maryland and studies show that one in three people age 65 and over fall each year. Recent data for Maryland showed that falls were the leading cause of emergency room visits and accounted for almost one quarter of the 500,000+ emergency room visits for 2010.
For some people, falls result in serious injuries like hip fractures, which can mean long-term hospital or nursing home stays, or even death. Seniors who fall are two to three times more likely to fall again and seniors who fall once are likely to restrict their activity level for fear of falling again, which can reduce their quality of life.
Safe Steps for Seniors: A Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults is a mini-grant program through which the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene provides funding for county-level fall prevention programs aimed at adults age 65 and older.
Contact Jade Leung, Injury Prevention Coordinator, at 410-767-2919, or email [email protected] for more information about fall prevention programs in Maryland
| Category Aging, Community, Education: General, Fundraising, Grants, Resource, Retirement Living | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
Resources That Will Build Your Nonprofit
Image via Wikipedia
Today we present one of our periodic omnibus entries that includes a number of resources, updates, and seminars that have come our way – and that we believe are of particular value to our readers. The turning of the calendar inspires many of us to resolve to improve personally and professionally. Here are a few tools that could do both.
Boston University and The Chronicle of Philanthropy are hosting a webinar entitled “2011 Fund-Raising Forecast:
Trends and Techniques You Need to Know.” And who doesn’t need to know how to fundraise in an economy that remains dormant?
Nonprofits are about to begin their fourth year of raising money in an economic downturn. Join The Chronicle’s veteran fund-raising reporter, Holly Hall, and two other nonprofit experts to learn the trends and techniques nonprofits are using to bolster their donations, even in these challenging economic times, and what you need to stay ahead of the curve. Among the topics we’ll explore:
- The winning techniques from the crucial year-end giving season
- How best to attract donors at all income and age levels―and what turns them off
- Low-cost ideas that will help you get strong returns
- What tax-law debates and changes mean for donors in 2011
- How new research on donors and giving trends can help steer you to success
The seminar runs on Thursday, January 27, 2011 – 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Eastern time. Registration is done online, and The Chronicle suggests registering as an office/group, and turning it into a staff training session.
The folks at GlassPockets.com have updated their interactive map of foundations and grant providers searchable by metropolitan region. Pick your closest city (or the one you are in) on the map, and start finding those donors!
And finally, The Foundation Center has provided another of its occasional lists of online resources for nonprofits. The six provided most recently focus on web/communications technologies and nonprofits. Look into some of the great resources by clicking here.
As we move into the second half of January, let’s revitalize those New-Year Resolutions about growing our good works and expanding our fundraising opportunities!
| Category Community, Development, Donor Acquisition, Fundraising, Grants, Grants and Funding, Major Gifts, Nonprofit, Research, Resource, Seminar | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#Aging: New Housing Trends Update Analyzes 55+ Senior Housing Market
Steve Gurney posted information about the latest MetLife/National Association of Home Builders study to the ProAging blog recently. The report should be essential reading for any organization or consultant involved in the provision of goods and services to the 55+ demographic.
Steve states that “the study analyzes where 55+ household owners live, the characteristics of their homes and communities and the level of satisfaction they have with them. The report also looks at why people move, motivations of buyers and renters, the characteristics of new construction, and how new homes are financed.”
Download the latest update of this ongoing study here.
| Category Aging, Communications, Community, Publications, Retirement Living | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
Happy Martin Luther King Day
Martin Luther King Day was signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1983 and first observed in 1986. Either in the spirit of nonviolent protest encouraged by desegregate public transportation in Birmingham Alabama in 1955, for example. But many still challenge his stand against corporate capitalism.
| Category Community, Development, Fundraising, Grants, Grants and Funding, Nonprofit, Resource, Thought for the Day, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
New Technologies for 2011: Therapeutic Robots & Improved Spoons
Which products will be big winners in 2011?
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wound down in Las Vegas last weekend, and numerous news and tech outlets have been commenting on what was seen there, what was discussed there, and what did not happen there. We made note of the early proceedings last Friday, and this week we wanted to highlight a few technologies that might prove especially valuable to our readers. But when thinking of technological developments in 2011, we all have to think beyond the ‘electronics’ in the name, because candy is apparently a technology as well.
| Category Aging, Design, Hardware Review, iDevice, iPad/Tablet, Nonprofit, Technology, Web and Print | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Gray is Good: Hollywood Finally Embraces Aging
Jim Broadbent as Tom and Ruth Sheen as Gerri in the movie "Another Year." (Simon Mein / Sony Pictures Classics)
An article in the Baltimore Sun (Jan 9) looks at a crop of movies where the characters are older, wiser, and more rounded individuals. Could this be a new trend or simply a bump in the road?
“What many of the newer films have in common, on the other hand, is a willingness not only to delve into the texture of the senior experience but to upend conventional notions of older age. “Hollywood used to treat older people as dead ends — at best they sat in a chair and provided wisdom to a younger generation,” said Bill Newcott, the entertainment editor at AARP The Magazine and founder of its Movies for Grownups awards program. “There’s a much more well-rounded vision of older people now.”
Click here to read the full story.
| Category Aging, Movie Review, Retirement Living, Reviews, Storytelling | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
Charities Must Increase SM Outreach As Email Becomes Obsolete
Most of our readers (and certainly this writer) can probably well remember our first forays into email. Mine began on the blue-and-grey screen and terminal command line of my university’s PINE email system. The development of graphical interfaces via AOL, then Yahoo! and the like meant (pretty) free and (fairly) instant communication across the street or around the world. But that wondrous technology is already sliding toward extinction. It is too slow for the under 30s who could tolerate texting from a phone keyboard, but not waiting a few hours for a response.
If email is your organization’s way of reaching out to your constituents, the technology is probably suiting you fine – for now. If you are thinking of moving your charity or mission-based business toward the next human generation, though, you should consider the next communications generation.
| Category Campaigns, Communications, Direct Mail, E-Mail, eNewsletter, Facebook, Fundraising, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Public Relations, Social Media, Technology, Twitter | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
The Latest Technologies for Senior Living @ CES 2011
Steve Gurney’s “Everyone is Aging” blog has some great reviews of the latest technologies aimed at seniors at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. His focus is on healthcare and senior living solutions, in particular.
Watch the video to find out more:
| Category Hardware Review, Retirement Living, Software Review, Technology, Video Interview | | Comments Off
Written by: Marco Kathuria
#Philanthropy: Apple’s Lack Of Charity Still Squeezed In Blogosphere
Nick Aldridge Weighs InAs Well
Apple Inc. has a wonderful record of making innovative products that can be both cutting edge and easy to use in the same moment. The corporation has striven to green its production and shipping practices as well. Steve Jobs’s famous keynote presentations stir the geek world and Wall Street alike. He is often treated as the guru rather than the mere CEO.
And yet, the groundswell of interest in the ‘Fake [Twitter] Steve Jobs‘ has caused the company to pressure Twitter either to label the unknown satirist’s work as satire (guaranteeing no one will read it) or to suppress the account as ‘confusing.’ Moreover, and more importantly perhaps, Apple and its helmsman have been chided for years about their unwillingness to get involved with charity work or at least make some corporate donations. Did the holiday season lift Apple’s philanthropic spirits?
| Category Apple, Fundraising, iPhone Apps, Nonprofit, Opinion, Public Relations, Twitter | | 4 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Tell Better Stories, Capture More Hearts
Image via Wikipedia
Need help turning your good works into great stories? Here’s help: Professional copywriter Rachel Foster has penned an e-book called Storytelling for Nonprofits: How to Craft Stories that Inspire Donors, available free on her website. (Thanks to Wild Apricot blog for the lead.)
For a fine example of good storytelling, look no farther than Baltimore’s Public Justice Center, which explains a complex legal victory in terms of a single combatant, Earline.
Guest blogger Don Akchin writes frequently about marketing and philanthropy at donakchin.com.
| Category Communications, Cross-Post, Fundraising | | Comments Off
Written by: Don Akchin
#Tech: Consumer Electronics in 2011 – Tablets, Pads, Phones
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been the starting line for a myriad of technologies over the last forty three years, some of which have, of course, failed to make inroads in the consumer electronics market (My car still doesn’t fly). All the chatter this year seems to be on the fact – the fact – that consumers want tablets and smart phones that will pretty much be their computers. The real battle is over whose tablets/pads/genius-phones will win out in the consumer market.
| Category Advertising, Apple, Hardware Review, iDevice, iPad/Tablet, Marketing, News and Current Affairs, Reviews, Technology | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Microdonation At Each Transaction?
Make A Purchase, And
A Micro-Donation?
Given the state of the world’s economy, charities have been struggling to keep up a steady flow of donations. Yet, much of the good work of those donations means the difference between survival or failure for millions of people caught in the economic fallout. The mega-donations in 2010 largely went to institutions that both were already viable and were largely designed to perpetuate the economic class that could afford the mega-donations. How might smaller charities keep up? One way is through micro-donations that, thus far, have been made via the millions of mobile devices that folks use every day. Another way might be to offer opportunities to donate pennies or pounds each time we engage in a transaction.
| Category Banking & Finance, Design, Education: General, Fundraising, Grants and Funding, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Nonprofit, Politics, Public Relations | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#Aging: Oldest Baby Boomers turn 65: Whose Generation?
People try to put us down
Just because we get around
Things they do look awful cold
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old
The Who, “My Generation“ (1965)
Even if a single song could define a generation, the sentiment did not come true for many born in 1946. As of 1 January, the Baby Boomer Generation born after World War II officially begins its inexorable move into retirement throughout the industrialized west. According to the Pew Trust, “On Jan. 1, 2011, the oldest Baby Boomers turn 65. Every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 more will cross that threshold. By 2030, when all Baby Boomers will have turned 65, fully 18% of the nation’s population will be at least that age, according to Pew Research Center population projections. Today, just 13% of Americans are ages 65 and older.” The impact of Boomers moving beyond 65 will be stunning and predictably unpredictable.
| Category Aging, Community, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Politics | | 2 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Even In Charity Work: It Takes Money To Make Money
Don't Fear The Overhead
Raising money for your charitable organization takes money. And time. These commodities (along with the office lease and the electric bill and the sticky notes…) are often lumped into the category of ‘overhead.’ Moreover, the category ‘overhead’ is often presented as the antithesis of the charity’s good work for its constituents. But, the Red Rooster Group argues, such self-imposed categories do a disservice to the very charities claiming they have a handle on lowering their overhead for the sake of their charitable work.
| Category Advice, Blogs, Campaigns, Development, Fundraising, Grants, Grants and Funding, Marketing Budget, Marketing Skills, Nonprofit, Public Relations, Sustainability | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Gift-Giving Champions’ Table Follow-Up
The economic malaise that has gripped the country for the last few years continues to have an impact on charitable giving, according to Maria Di Mento of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The downturn in big-gift giving is striking: “The 10 biggest gifts donated by Americans in 2010 totaled slightly more than $1.3-billion, compared with $2.7-billion in 2009 and $8-billion in 2008.”
The downturn is likely not newsworthy/surprising in itself, but Ms. Di Mento also points out the unsettling fact that the biggest donations are going to well-established institutions, not to those truly needing help to overcome the same economic crisis that has curtailed charitable giving.
| Category Education: General, Fundraising, Grants and Funding, Major Gifts, News and Current Affairs, Opinion | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
Gift-Giving Champions’ Table For 2010 Posted
Happy New Year to you and yours. As we all move into 2011, the best of/worst of/biggest of/etc reports of 2010 are coming at us thick and fast. For example, the Chronicle of Philanthropy has posted its table of the biggest donations for 2010. The list has 293 as of our posting, with the largest being an anonymous donation of $200 million given to Baylor University (Waco, TX). Indeed, only six of the top 25 gifts went to non-educational institutions. As we have discussed recently, universities and arts foundations are by far the greatest recipients of big-money donations because of their abilities to develop long-term relationships with gift givers. But other organizations made the cut as well.
| Category Donor Acquisition, Fundraising, Grants and Funding, Major Gifts, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD