If you haven't already watched this video on YouTube, I recommend you do if you're a nonprofit manager considering how to create one for your orgnaization.

Not only does it have a nice message about saving the world one girl at a time, but as a former nonprofit manager trying to come up with sticky viral campaigns, I think this video does a great job. And the part I like best about it, is that the message is clear and simple.

If you haven't already gotten on the YouTube bandwagon, they're working hard to give nonprofits little reason not to jump into video. Added a few days ago, is a new video from YouTube's dedicated Nonprofits in Activism Manager, Ramya. She highlights the services and benefits the YouTube Nonprofit Program is expanding for it's nonprofit users.

Better late than never, so the saying goes. This "live discussion" with author and social marketing guru Seth Godin was posted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy a couple of weeks back.

The outcome of the conversation between Seth and the varied nonprofit org participants revealed some true nuggets of wisdom on how nonprofits can better use marketing (both on- and offline) to harness new audiences and rejuvenate the existing ones.

The questions ranged from tips on nonprofits entering the world of social networking to using cell phones to send text messages about action campaigns. Godin has a fun, to-the-point style in fielding them with zingers like this:

The ultimate spam is cell phone spam. If you send me an unanticipated, impersonal, irrelevant ad on my cell phone, I will hate you forever. On the other hand, if I sign up, if I raise my hand, to hear from you with alerts, then it’s hugely effective.

You have to be vigilant that your team doesn’t cross the line. Just because it’s important to them doesn’t mean it’s important to me!

The third annual NetSquared Conference at Cisco Systems in San Jose, CA, is in full effect! My brain is buzzing with all the interesting ideas and projects I've learned about and the innovative and passionate folks that I've met here. But if you're not here in person, there's no reason you can't take part in the action!

TechSoup's online event: Online Activism: Social Media Tools for Social Change this Wed. sparked all sorts of discussions about how to use social networking tools effectively for your organization's goals. Hosts Heather Mansfield and Carie Lewis offered their experience and expertise on best practices for using a variety of different social networking sites from Change.org to MySpace to Facebook.

TechSoup’s free day-long online event is coming up this Wed. May 14th: Online Activism: Social Media Tools for Social Change in the TechSoup online forums. 

M+R Strategic Services and NTEN are about to release an updated eNonprofit Benchmarks Study for 2008. The study analyzed online messaging, fundraising, and advocacy data from 21 leading nonprofit organizations. The report will be released at a special event in Washington, D.C .on Thursday, April 24 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.  The event will also be Webcast live. 

During the release event the authors will:

While it's nice to have a great mission statement and a lot of earnest copy and graphics on your nonprofit Web site, there's nothing like a clever or fun hook to get people to engage with your cause in a creative way.

Last weekend I conducted a workshop on using social media tools for activism for groups of college student activists. These select students came together as part of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)’s Youth Advocate Leadership Training (YALT) conference. Top promising activists were selected from colleges around the country to take part in a weekend of strategizing, networking, and developing action plans for social change.

Voting ends Monday, March 24, for the NetSquared Mashup Challenge. Choose from five to 10 of the 122 submitted projects from around the world, which outline plans for "mashing up" online data for social change. The 20 projects winning the most votes will be featured at the 2008 NetSquared Conference May 27 and 28, where they will receive a share of $100,000 in prize money.