Free Digital Storytelling Webinars, Online Event, and Challenge: September 30 thru October 21

TechSoup is about to embark on a grand series of events to help nonprofits learn and demonstrate ways to effectively tell their stories. Some of my favorite causes have captured my loyalty and heart strings through amazing use of video and images. Last year, I blogged about what a hoot the AARP voting video was. I not only signed up for their list (even though I'm far from their 55-year-old target age), I also forwarded it to everyone in my address book. I did the same for The Story of Stuff and The Girl Effect, which we've also mentioned on this blog in the past. Elliot blogged about a group that gives cameras to local groups around the world in order to share their stories. Our partner in Canada featured tips on creating digital stories at a recent Net Tuesday event.

The use of telling stories through photos has also been discussed here various times, with tips on different photo-sharing and slideshow tools discussed. All of these are great examples of using video and images to tell compelling, poignant, and memorable stories about the important work nonprofits contribute for the benefit of the world.

These stories don't need to be fancy or expensive. You don't need a professional videographer or even a professional grade camera to capture video or photos. One of our newest partners, Flip Video, joined TechSoup's donation program this week and is offering low-cost, handheld video cameras to nonprofits for this very purpose. Learn how to use them as well as how to craft your digital story, with these three, upcoming webinars. "

These three events are part of the TechSoup Online Digital Storytelling Event, September 30–October 21. For further details about the event activities and the many ways you can participate, please visit the event home page. More details about the webinars are below.

Tools for Digital Storytelling 
Wednesday, September 30, 9 a.m. Pacific

The concept of the digital story is clear in your mind, and you have the staff to create it, but what is the best device to use to film it? How should you upload the visual content? What is the best tool available for editing the story? The experts being surveyed in this round-table style webinar will help you decide what tool is best to create your story and how you can go about having your nonprofit acquire that tool on TechSoup. The individuals and companies surveyed in this webinar will share the tricks and tools of the trade with you, as well as highlight a few case studies of successful implementation of their tools to help your organization creatively express and share its mission. Each expert will speak for ten minutes and the floor will then be opened up to general questions.

Digital Storytelling Expert Roundtable
September 30, 11 a.m. Pacific   

Organizations like Witness, BAVC, and The Center for Digital Storytelling document and show us how you can tell a compelling story and create a dramatic impact, as a nonprofit, with very little resources, time, or skills. We have brought together the leaders from the field of digital storytelling to teach and share best practices and case studies. From showcasing and documenting human rights abuses, to creating a campaign, to increasing your volunteer and funding base, the experts in this round-table discussion will illuminate the ways in which nonprofits can create a story. These stories act as a visual representation of the important work that is achieved by their mission, without seeming like an ordinary corporate video with a talking head. This webinar seeks to illustrate the power of digital storytelling by informing participants of current campaigns, success stories, and must-know tips, from the creators and world experts in this field. 

How to Create a Digital Story 
Thursday, October 1, 9 a.m. Pacific

Ready to give digital storytelling a try, but don’t know where to start? Need some pointers on fine-tuning your photo and video skills? This hands-on webinar will illustrate all the basic elements of a digital story and will provide the participants with step-by-step instructions of what is needed to produce a professional-quality visual representation of your organization’s mission – with great impact and little effort. In this webinar, Kami Griffiths from TechSoup will interview Erika Padilla-Morales from Streetside Stories to learn the basics of digital storytelling. We will follow the process of creating a digital story step-by-step from inception until it is published online. We will talk about the free and low-cost tools available and provide information about training and tutorials.

This will be a basic webinar that is best suited for those who are interested in learning more and creating their own digital story. This is also the webinar that will kick off the digital storytelling challenge, and we recommend that if you haven't made a video or taken pictures for your organization in the past, that you join us for this webinar and learn all you will need to know to submit your digital story to our Challenge.

Digital Storytelling Challenge
October 1, 9 a.m. Pacific through October 16, 5 p.m. Pacific

The community is invited to enter a video-based or photo-based story submission to our Digital Storytelling Challenge from October 1-16. Once the submission period closes, users will be able to vote for their favorite nonprofit or library digital story. Winners will be announced on October 21. Check the Challenge page to learn more and participate!

Join us for these online events and learn how to create your own digital story. If you've already got a digital story to share, please check out the Digital Storytelling event pages to learn more about entering yours in the upcoming Challenge.