July Nonprofit & Tech Events

Hey friends, there’s lots of great events for the nonprofit tech community. Check ’em out!

UPCOMING NET2VAN EVENTS

Most NetSquared Vancouver events are free or by donation.

Digital Storytelling – Production to Distribution

When: Tuesday, July 7
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/222488397/

Join Michael and the SPARXC team for an overview of Digital Storytelling – from Production to Distribution.

PLUS, learn about the satellite information device and service Outernet. Project member Ben Ennis will show off the service from 5:45 – 6:00 PM.

Digital Makeover: Apply Now for Help From Our Experts

When: Saturday, July 25
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/222488352/

Are you a super-small charity or nonprofit? Our team of dedicated volunteers wants to make you look professional and awesome! We’re seeking small organizations (5 or less staff) who have a very minimal digital presence who will join us to perform an intensive, free one-day makeover of your charity or nonprofit’s online presence.

Apply at https://www.net2van.com/2015/06/digital-makeover-applications-now-open/

Community Manager Camping Trip

When: Saturday, September 12- Sunday, September 13
RSVP: https://www.picatic.com/cmcamping

Camping. For Community Managers! Chill and gossip with your peers at the campfire.

We’re planning a very loosely organized overnight camping trip with your Community Manager pals. Wanna come? We’ll drink, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry and we’ll eat s’mores around a campfire.

VIDEOS FROM THE DIGITAL NONPROFIT CONFERENCE NOW AVAILABLE FROM SPARXC

Disappointed that you missed the 2015 The Digital Non-Profit Conference?

You can still learn from the great presentations because SPARXC recorded the entire event. So it is possible to hear the sage advice of leaders and experts on:

  • How to structure your organizations to make them more effective online
  • How to embed the power of the internet into our daily operations
  • How to use data to make better decisions and be more effective in executing your missions

Very positive feedback from the attendees

Listen to this 3 minute video and the comments from attendees about the presentations.

NET2 Digital NonProfit Conference and Attendee’s Response

If you are a Non-Profit leader, Fundraiser or a Digital Program/Support Staff who wants to more effectively engage your donors and promote your cause, contact Henry Urion at SPARXC, 604 442 6947 or Henry@SPARXC.ca to obtain video recordings of the presentations.

More info about the speakers and their presentations

Vu Le, Executive Director of Rainier Valley Corps
“The role of data in equity and social justice”
The nonprofit sector has seen an increased focus on data, metrics, outcomes, etc. Some of this is due to the complex nature of our work and the difficulty of defining success. The focus on data is an attempt to tame the chaos. However, data can be both very helpful, or very detrimental to the work. The narrow definitions of what constitutes good data and outcomes, for example, can leave many marginalized communities behind. We need to understand how and when to use data, who uses it, and how to apply the lens of equity in looking at data.

Peter Wrinch, Lead Organizer, NationBuilder and former Executive Director, Pivot Legal Society
“Building the Culture to Win: A Deep Look at Non-profit Culture, Structure & Tech – You Always Need to Be Selling”
When Peter Wrinch took over the leadership at Pivot in 2010 the organization was struggling. Despite an incredible vision, a strong community of support, and a great team, the bank accounts were empty, people worked in silos, and the organization was suffering from mission drift. At his first staff retreat as Executive Director, he asked the staff to work with a new style of leadership – one that put each of them at the centre of their own respective areas of expertise. As Executive Director he would supply the tools for their success, but the responsibility for growth, movement, and ultimately Pivot-style social change rested with them. And it worked! Listen to his sage advice on how to sell your organization.

Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director, Frontier Marketing Company
“55 ways to love your donor”
Frontier has recently conducted a study of online fundraising practices among Canadian Christian Charities. They’ll present their findings, which lay out a series of best-practices that can be used to evaluate any charity website, as well as actionable steps to make some of the most critical changes.

EVENTS PLANNED BY OUR COMMUNITY FRIENDS

Ideas Vancouver – Project #1 – Create a social enterprise

When: Sunday, July 5
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1033669733340510/

We will create a social good. It will be a repeating hackathon. It will be a fun project that builds community. We’ll learn, share, and create. Bring some ideas on what we can create, and what you might be able to contribute. It can be nothing to do with your regular job at all. Want to try your hand at marketing? graphic design? programming? customer discovery? The more, the merrier! Everyone is welcome, creativity encouraged.

Board Fundamentals: Not-For-Profit Financial Essentials

When: July 7
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/financial-essentials

The role boards and employees play in not-for-profit financial management is not always fully understood or appreciated. This half-day session will introduce you to a wide variety of financial management strategies and discuss ways to implement financial management tools effectively.

Strategies for Attracting High Performers

When: July 10
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/recruiting-keeps-intensive

In Recruiting for Keeps Intensive you will explore best practices in developing job descriptions, screening resumes, developing interview questions, and conducting reference checks to proactively attract and recruit high performers to your employee and volunteer roles.

Gala Do’s & Don’t’s!

When: Thursday, July 16
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/Association-of-Fundraising-Professionals-Vancouver-area/events/223418719/

The esteemed “Gala”. Many organizations have one, and some have even called it their signature event. A sparkling room filled with glitz, glamour and capacity, all coordinated with impeccable attention to detail.

But with every event, large or small, come successes and challenges. It’s now time to uncover the “Do’s & Don’t’s of Gala Fundraising”! An experienced panel of experts to share their Do’s & Don’t’s when it comes to gala fundraising and coordination!

The Vancouver ExpressionEngine Meetup

When: Wednesday, July 29
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/expressionengine/events/223320504/

Our informal and friendly Meetup offers an exchange of news, tips and techniques for using the ExpressionEngine CMS platform over good food and beer.

Attendees range from brand-new to very well-versed in EE. We also welcome users of other CMSs, such as Craft and Drupal. Even WordPress, sometimes.

Flipside Createathon Application Deadline

When: Friday, July 31
Apply: http://flip-side.ca/apply-for-createathon/

The Flipside team will work 24 hours straight from 8am on Thursday October 22 to 8am on Friday, October 23 to design, write, strategize, develop, etc. for charities who need a bit of marketing support. It’s free. No catch.

Board Fundamentals: Critical role of the Chair

When: August 6
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/critical-role-board-chair–0

Learn key strategies to engage your board in achieving its organizational mission by: gaining a better understanding of the board chair’s role;
exploring how to move your board towards a governance model; and
generating ideas for a Board Chair leadership action plan.

Volunteer Futures Conference

When: September 24 + 25
RSVP: http://volunteerfutures.org/

September 24 & 25, 2015 is Volunteer BC’s annual training event – VOLUNTEER FUTURES

Volunteer and Non-Profit Sectors strengthen and build communities. In order to succeed and make an impact, we must nurture our networks – share our goals and work together. High-impact organizations build networks of allies, share their expertise and talent with their peers. As we progress in the information age,the savvier our stakeholders become – non-profits must also focus on technology to increase their impact.

This is the event to share the voices of your community, find out what’s happening across the province and collaborate with like-minded partners and learn! Anyone from the general public interested in learning more about volunteerism and non-profits are welcome. Join us!

===
Got an event that should be in the next newsletter? Let me know!

Digital Makeover: Applications Now Open

Application deadline: 5pm, Wednesday, July 8

Website Makeover

Are you a super-small charity or nonprofit? Our team of dedicated volunteers wants to make you look professional and awesome! We’re seeking small organizations (5 or less staff) who have a very minimal digital presence who will join us to perform an intensive, free one-day makeover of your charity or nonprofit’s online presence.

Does this describe you?

  • A registered charity or nonprofit
    • That’s either all-volunteer or has less than 5 staff
  • Have no website
    • Or have a website that you’re embarrassed about?
  • Own your own domain name (ie. YourOrg.com)
    • But you’re still using your personal email address?

We will be giving three to five organizations free digital makeovers on Saturday, July 25 consisting of these services:

Services

  • Website makeover – We’ll make your existing WordPress website better! Or we’ll help you build a new, effective WordPress website in a day. These will be easy to keep updated with your most current information yourself.
  • Set up hosted email – We’ll help you set up email addresses with your domain in them so your organization looks professional. We’ll be using donated Google for Nonprofits accounts or the Office 365 system (available with free TechSoup account).
  • Marketing and Copy – We’ll help you write good marketing copy for your website with some starter SEO info to start you on the right foot for good google rankings.

Only need help with one of these things? No worries. Apply and we’ll try to help as many people as we can.

Details

  • When: Saturday, July 25. 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Where: The HiVE in gastown
  • How much: free (but you got to apply to be chosen!)

June Nonprofit & Tech Events in Vancouver

Hey friends, there’s lots of great events for the nonprofit tech community. Check ’em out!

UPCOMING NET2VAN EVENTS

Most NetSquared Vancouver events are free or by donation.

Social Media Tune-Up for Nonprofits (with Hootsuite!)

When: Tuesday, June 9
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/222167146/

Get one-on-one help from Hootsuite’s coaches. They can show you how it’s possible to scale your social media, connect with more supporters and increase the organic reach of your communications.

Digital Storytelling – Production to Distribution

When: Tuesday, July 7
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/222488397/

Your guide to making video happen!

EVENTS PLANNED BY OUR COMMUNITY FRIENDS

Getting Started: Your First WordPress Site

When: Thursday, June 4
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/Vancouver-WordPress-Meetup-Group/events/222653999/

Thinking about using WordPress? Wondering how the heck you even get started? Our June 4th meet-up is a great place to begin. We’ll walk you through the essentials – from installing WP, to picking themes, organizing content and publishing your new site.

Breakfast Event: How to Fundraise with Board & Leadership Volunteers

When: Thursday, June 11
RSVP: http://afpvancouver.org/Upcoming-Events.aspx

An informative panel presentation addressing the challenge of how best to involve board members and leadership volunteers in a charity’s fundraising efforts.

Fundamentals of Fundraising 2-day course

When: Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12
RSVP: http://afpvancouver.org/Upcoming-Events.aspx

This intensive 2-day course provides a complete overview of fundraising for individuals with 0 to 4 years fundraising experience. It is also a great review of fundamentals theory if you are studying for the CFRE exam! The 16-hour program includes case studies and projects for groups and individuals.

Blackbaud is coming to town

When: Thursday, June 11
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/BCBlackbaudUsers/events/222404969/

Highlights from the BBcon conference.

Board Fundamentals: Awesome Board Meetings

When: Thursday, June 11
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/making-board-meetings-effective

What does a great governance conversation look like in a board meeting? Governance happens in board meetings. It’s time to make them engaging and effective.

Vancouver Accessibility and Inclusive Design Social

When: Wednesday, June 17
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/a11yYVR/events/222772788/

Let’s get together in a bit more of a social setting. Steam Works has set aside a spot for us on the evening of June 17th, which they assure me is accessible on the ground floor. The reservation is under Robert Pearson and it’s best to enter off Water Street,

Board Fundamentals: Fund Development

When: June 18
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/board-fundamentals-fund-development

Learn best practices and concrete ideas to support your organization’s fundraising efforts. Boards have a critical role to play in fund development, yet many board members don’t feel they have the experience or confidence to be effective in promoting their organization.

Change Leadership: Getting Change Done

When: June 24
RSVP: http://www.thevantagepoint.ca/content/change-leadership-getting-change-done

This workshop will provide you with a strong foundation for implementing change leadership practices. Learn practical tools to embrace the human dynamics that lead to success or failure in implementing change.

Volunteer Futures Conference

When: September 24 + 25
RSVP: http://volunteerfutures.org/

September 24 & 25, 2015 is Volunteer BC’s annual training event – VOLUNTEER FUTURES

Volunteer and Non-Profit Sectors strengthen and build communities. In order to succeed and make an impact, we must nurture our networks – share our goals and work together. High-impact organizations build networks of allies, share their expertise and talent with their peers. As we progress in the information age,the savvier our stakeholders become – non-profits must also focus on technology to increase their impact.

This is the event to share the voices of your community, find out what’s happening across the province and collaborate with like-minded partners and learn! Anyone from the general public interested in learning more about volunteerism and non-profits are welcome. Join us!

===
Got an event that should be in the next newsletter? Let me know!

Slides and Photos: The Digital Nonprofit

So, that was awesome, eh? Thanks for being part of the second annual The Digital Nonprofit! We’ll be posting videos in the next few weeks, but for now here’s slides from our presenters.

Photos


My thanks to Noah Ferguson for documenting the event.

Slides and Screencasts

We don’t have slides and screencasts for every presentation, but here’s what we’ve got for now. 🙂

The Role of Data in Equity and Social Justice With Vu Le of Nonprofit with Balls

You Are In Sales – The Digital Nonprofit with Peter Wrinch of Nationbuilder

iATS Payments Intro To Mobile Donations

55 ways to love your donors – The Digital Nonprofit with Benjamin Johnson

AGENDA: The Digital Nonprofit 2015

The conference is almost here! What’s the day going to look like? Like this!

AGENDA

9:00 – 9:30 AM: Registration, coffee and snacks

  • 9:30 – 9:40 AM: Introduction and welcome
  • 9:45 – 10:45 AM “The role of data in equity and social justice” with Vu Le

10:45 – 11:00 AM: Coffee break

  • 11:00 – 11:20 AM: “Mobile donation testing “with iATS Payments
  • 11:20 – 11:50 AM “Building the Culture to Win: A Deep Look at Non-profit Culture, Structure & Tech” with Peter Wrinch

12:00 – 1:15 PM: Lunch

  • 1:20 – 1:50 PM “55 ways to love your donor” with Benjamin Johnson
  • 1:50 – 2:10 PM Website reviews

2:10 – 2:25 PM: Coffee break

  • 2:25 – 2:55 PM: Panel discussion: Emerging Trends in Online Giving
  • 3:00 – 3:50 PM: “Telling Stories with Data” with Alexandra Samuel
  • 4:00 PM: Wrap

 

May Nonprofit Tech Events Roundup

Hey friends, there’s lots of great events for the nonprofit tech community. Check ’em out!

UPCOMING NET2VAN EVENTS

Most NetSquared Vancouver events are free or by donation.

CRM for Nonprofits: Salesforce

When: Tuesday, May 5
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/221057249/

We’ll take a look at the Salesforce platform and explore how it can help your nonprofit deliver better on its mission through constituent management, donor management, volunteer management, program management, and more.

The Digital Nonprofit

When: Friday, May 22
RSVP: https://register.canbook.me/digital-nonprofit

Join us for the second annual The Digital Nonprofit to hear from leaders and experts on:

  • How to structure our organizations to make them more effective online
  • How to embed the power of the internet into our daily operations
  • How to use data to make better decisions and be more effective in executing our missions

CRM for Nonprofits: CiviCRM

When: Tuesday, June 2
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/net2van/events/221045212/

Kevin Harding of Incipe Cooperative will talk about CiviCRM, the open source nonprofit-focused CRM. He’ll share stories of how nonprofits are using CiviCRM to be more effective and outline your next steps in starting a CRM implementation.

EVENTS PLANNED BY OUR COMMUNITY FRIENDS

YVR Fundraiser’s Connect: Dealing with Difficult People

When: Wednesday, May 6
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/YVR-Funraisers-Connect/events/222049332/

When You Face Difficult People, What Do You Do? Join us as Sophia facilitates our discussion on how to deal with difficult people. Because, we all want to be treated as people.

Groundswell: The 2015 Showcase Gala

When: Wednesday, May 6
RSVP: http://groundswellcommunity.ca/2015-showcase-gala/

We are very excited to present this year’s ventures, and the amazing group of participants making them happen, at Groundswell’s 2015 Showcase Gala! This is our chance to invite you to support our projects, learn about our work and contribute to the building of a community around an emerging, human centered economy.

Raiser’s Edge: Donor Wall Updates

When: Thursday, May 7
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/BCBlackbaudUsers/events/216592332/

Donor Walls and other recognition platforms/spaces, presention by Tovah & Kim – Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation.

Groundswell Info Session

When: Monday, May 11
RSVP: http://groundswellcommunity.ca/info_session_may_11/

Interested in joining an inclusive community of doers making positive change through social ventures and community projects? Check out what Groundswell is doing with young people in the city to rebuild an economy where people and the planet are put before profits.

===
Got an event that should be in the next newsletter? Let me know!

Social Media Share Kit: The Digital Nonprofit

Help us promote the The Digital Nonprofit. It’ll be more fun with a full room!  You can use the sample tweets and facebook posts, or modify to your tastes.

General Info:

  • Conference Host: Net2Van: https://www.net2van.com/
  • Link to register: https://register.canbook.me/digital-nonprofit

SAMPLE TWEETS

Online fundraising best practices at the Digital Nonprofit May 22! http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx  brought to you by @net2van @NetSquared

I’m attending the Digital Nonprofit May 22, ARE YOU? @NetSquared @net2van #IncreaseYourImpact http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx #tech #nonprofit

The Digital Nonprofit happening May 22 w speakers @awsamuel @pwrinch @mrbenjohnson @nonprofitwballs Get your tix: http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx

I’ll be at the Digital Nonprofit May 22 feat @awsamuel @pwrinch @mrbenjohnson @nonprofitwballs @net2van Deets: https://www.net2van.com/

Get in on the Digital Nonprofit May 22! @net2van @netsquared Tickets are selling out fast! http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx #IncreaseYourImpact #nonprofit #tech

You don’t want to miss the Digital Nonprofit in #yvr May 22! @net2van @netsquared Get your tix: http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx #IncreaseYourImpact

The Digital Nonprofit is May 22! @net2van tickets: http://ow.ly/Lj0Dx #IncreaseYourImpact #nonprofit #tech

SAMPLE FACEBOOK POSTS

Learn online fundraising best practices at the Digital Nonprofit May 22. Stellar line up of speakers: Vu Le from Nonprofit with Balls, Alexandra Samuel from Harvard Business Review, Peter Wrinch from Nation Builder, and Ben Johnson from Frontier Marketing. https://www.net2van.com/
Select The Digital Nonprofit logo as link preview

CALLING ALL FUNDRAISERS! You don’t want to miss the Digital Nonprofit  happening May 22. LEARN HOW to ‘Tell Stories with Data’, ‘Build the Culture to Win’, and ‘What separates charity websites that work’.  https://www.net2van.com/
Select The Digital Nonprofit logo as link preview

INCREASE YOUR IMPACT with the Digital Nonprofit  happening May 22nd in Vancouver. Maximize online giving with practical tools, organization culture, and data informed decision-making. Get your tickets today: https://www.net2van.com/
Select The Digital Nonprofit logo as link preview

Twitter handles:

  • NetSquared Vancouver: @Net2Van
  • Vu Le (Opening speaker): @Nonprofitwballs
  • Alexandra Samuel (Closing speaker): @awsamuel from @HarvardBiz
  • Peter Wrinch (Speaker): @pwrinch from @NationBuilder
  • Ben Johnson (Speaker): @mrbenjohnson from FMC

Sponsors

  • Vancity: @Vancity
  • iATS Payments: @iATSPayments
  • Bgenerus: @Bgenerus
  • BC Technology for Learning Society: @ReuseTechBC
  • Chimp: @WeAreChimp

Free NTEN Digital Storytelling Webinars this May

UPDATE: having problem with the discount code?

The code can be used an unlimited amount of times. NTEN has an issue where if you complete checkout and then try to get the next event in the same session (being logged in) it still sees it as already being applied.

We are now suggesting folks add all events to their cart before completing checkout to avoid this. Anyone that already went through then hit the error would be able to just go back and add the rest.
Untitled

If you received the “already used error”  logging out or clearing cookies should also refresh the code.

Thanks for your patience.

=====================

In May our sponsor NTEN offers a three week series on Thursdays at 11:00 AM PT for our Net2van members:

Bethany Lister, Community Program Coordinator at NTEN wrote: 

We have an upcoming series of webinars we’d like to share with the Tech Club community. We have set up the promo code “NTENStory ” that can be used to get free access to any and all of these events.

Over the last year, The Rockefeller Foundation has teamed up with Hattaway Communications to create Hatch for Good, a new digital storytelling platform designed to help social impact organizations of all kinds use the power of narrative and networks to increase your reach, resources and impact. Learn how to effectively use Hatch for Good with in-depth instructions and prompts to create stories that will inspire and increase impact. Storytelling experts from Hattaway Communications will be available to provide insights and answer questions.

May 7th   – 2pm: Building Your Storytelling Strategy & Capacity

In this workshop, we’ll help you build your “Narrative Framework,” the overarching story that helps provide structure and consistency for all of the individual stories your organization will tell. We will also identify resources and skills organizations require as well as you as an individual need to share your stories.

Key Takeaways:

  • Foundation of your organization’s narrative 
  • Clear idea of the audiences your stories will speak to 
  • Definition of your organization’s (storytelling) goals 
  • Skills and resources needed to become a successful storytelling organization 

May 14th – 2pm: Creating Stories that Capture Interest & Imagination

In today’s competitive media environment, only the most compelling content gets noticed and shared. Storytelling is both an art and a science—and stories for social impact must show people as active agents of change, who play a central role in creating solutions to the problems they face.

In this workshop, we’ll help you map out your story based on a tried-and-true formula seen in narratives across the world.

Key Takeaways:

  • Clear idea of your storytelling objectives 
  • Structured storyline using the Social Impact Story Map to capture your audience’s interest and imagination
  • Setting the right format for your stories 

May 21st – 2pm: Engaging Your Communities & Measuring Impact

In this workshop, you will get guidance on best practices for using popular platforms and social networks for storytelling and setting metrics for evaluating your digital storytelling efforts.

Key Takeaways: 

  • Tips and guides on using popular platforms for storytelling 
  • Setting the voice and tone of your stories on social media 
  • Best practices on evaluating your digital storytelling effort 

Make sure to use the promo code “NTENStory ” 

[Video] CRM for Nonprofits: NationBuilder

What is NationBuilder and what is their unique approach to nonprofit CRM? Check out this screencast from Net2van’s April 14 event.

NationBuilder is a community organizing platform. It allows users to build and manage websites and offers tools to communicate with supporters.

NationBuilder is a unique community organizing system (COS) that empowers you to run your entire site, supporter and prospect database and donor recruitment and finance tracking from one site. You don’t need an extra content management system (CMS) with NationBuilder – it is one, with rich customizable themes that make it like a WordPress for organizing. NationBuilder allows you to quickly build a slick public-facing website complete with blog pages, calendars with Google maps, petition pages, customizable surveys and much, much more. Its got a whole social customer relationship management (CRM) built right in for keeping track of everything from mail and face-to-face contacts to your social media.