7 Ways to Change the World: Nonprofits Enter to Win!

Since Windows 7 launched last week, there has been a flurry of activity from nonprofits and libraries looking to start using the new operating system. TechSoup has written a bunch of articles, blog posts, and forum threads to help people figure out whether to upgrade and how to do it. One thing we haven't really mentioned here yet, is the cool contest that Microsoft is hosting right now — specifically to benefit nonprofits and other social benefit organizations.

Organizations are encouraged to create a short video submission to tell the world how Windows 7 could help them change the world. For example, if you've got smoother running systems, maybe that leaves more time for you to do your real work of providing domestic violence counseling to women, children, and families in need. Or maybe upgrading the public computing lab you run for local lower-income community, will help people access job-hunt, language learning, and healthcare information easier. Whatever it is, tell your story. Here's more, direct from Microsoft: 

Participating in the competition is easy. Submit a short video explaining or illustrating how you would use Windows 7 to help a community organization. The 7 people with the best submissions, as chosen by our judges, will each win a new PC running Windows 7. Each winner 's chosen eligible community organization will receive a $7,000 grant.

Now who couldn't use a new PC with Windows 7 and a $7000 grant? The deadline for submitting your video is 11:59 p.m. Pacific on November 11, so get moving so you can win some useful technology and much-needed dinero to support your work. Check out the full contest rules here and feel free to watch the video that TechSoup created, for some inspiration. (Also, if you need help figuring out how to tell your digital story, take a look at a variety of how-tos and resources from our recent Digital Storytelling Online Event!)