Author: Eli

New Meetup: Vancouver Salesforce nonprofit user group

Please join me at the first gathering of the Vancouver Nonprofit Salesforce User Group.

RSVP http://salesforcevancouver.eventbrite.com

This group is for anyone at any level using Salesforce in the nonprofit, education or social entrepreneur sectors.
Or even for those are aren’t using it yet, but are merely curious. We’ll be talking about CRM (customer relationship management) issues in general too.

This is your meetup, so the first meeting will be an informal discussion that will allow us to figure out the needs of the nonprofit community and determine what you want from a Salesforce meetup.

And while you’re waiting for the meetup to start why not apply for the Salesforce Foundation software grant?

We encourage neophytes to seasoned developers to share information with the larger community.
What’s working for you? What’s a struggle? What would you want to get out of a Salesforce meetup?

P.S. We’ll supply snacks courtesy of the Salesforce Foundation. (yay!)

RSVP http://salesforcevancouver.eventbrite.com/

DATE AND TIME:
Thursday, September 29, 2011 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

LOCATION:
The HiVE
210 – 128 W Hastings St

 

Net Tuesday: Flexing Facebook’s Civic Muscles with Susanna Haas Lyons

RSVP

Meetup.com OR Facebook

LOCATION

W2 Media Cafe

111 W Hastings, Vancouver, BC

DATE AND TIME

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

  • Doors at 5:30 PM
  • Starts at 6:00 PM
  • Wraps at 7:30 PM (but stay for drinks!)

Governments around the world are experimenting with social media as a site of civic engagement. Online public participation is a young field however, and little is known about the benefits or limitations of these projects. Key issues that must be considered include anonymity, privacy, government activity in privately operated spaces, demographic diversity, delineating between crowd-appropriate and expert-appropriate tasks, community building and more.

Vancouver was recently the home of an innovative Facebook based public conversation. Hundreds of Vancouver residents and commuters participated in a July 2011 Facebook conversation about the City of Vancouver’ Transportation Plan. Using a uniquely developed Facebook app, this ground breaking social media conversation asked Vancouverites to share their own commuting stories, learn about key issues, propose transportation recommendations to the City. This project was both an innovative engagement exercise in partnership with the City of Vancouver and it was the focus of Susanna Haas Lyons’s masters thesis research with the University of British Columbia.

The City has already written a response to recommendations resulting from the conversation, and these ideas will be considered for integration into the City’s draft transportation plan. Results of the research are emerging.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER

Susanna Haas Lyons is a public engagement specialist who develops strategy and provides training for better conversations between the public and decision makers. Bridging online and face-to-face methods, Susanna has worked on some of North America’s largest and most complex citizen engagement projects. Currently, Susanna is researching collaborative policy development, with a focus in digital engagement practices, at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, the Environment and Sustainability. She is also a senior network associate with AmericaSpeaks, a global leader in large-scale public participation. Previously, Susanna was project coordinator with the British Columbia Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Mohn Prize. She holds a certificate in Public Participation from the International Association for Public Participation, and is an advisor to the Alberta Climate Dialogue project.

OUR SPONSOR

Net Tuesday is thrilled to have the W2 Media Cafe as our venue sponsor for the 2011-12 season. They do cool things. Check them out!W2 Media Cafe

Net Tuesday: Redesigning Your Website? What You Need to Know | With Lauren Bacon

We’re thrilled to have Lauren Bacon of Raised Eyebrow web studio presenting the October 2011 Net Tuesday.

Net Tuesday Vancouver

RSVP

Meetup.com OR Facebook

LOCATION

W2 Media Cafe

111 W Hastings, Vancouver, BC

DATE AND TIME

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

  • Doors at 5:30 PM
  • Starts at 6:00 PM
  • Wraps at 7:30 PM (but stay for drinks!)

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When it’s time to overhaul your website, the task at hand can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? Content, functionality, and design are all vying for first place, and everyone in your organization probably has a different idea of what’s top priority.

In this one-hour session we’ll share tips for how to corral your team, clarify your needs, and set the stage for a successful redesign project. Our specialty is working with nonprofits and public sector organizations, so we will bring that focus to this session.

You’ll learn: 

  • Key questions to ask yourself & your team
  • Who within your organization to involve in the process
  • How to write a better RFP

ABOUT LAUREN BACON

Lauren is a veteran web designer, who co-founded Raised Eyebrow Web Studio, Inc. with her business partner, co-author, and all-around right-hand woman, Emira Mears. The two have been in business together since early 2000, and are advocates of values-based business and of sustainable growth. From humble beginnings in a corner of Lauren’s bedroom, to a small office in Vancouver’s historic Gastown district, Raised Eyebrow has expanded gradually to include a staff of five.

OUR SPONSOR

Net Tuesday is thrilled to have the W2 Media Cafe as our venue sponsor for the 2011-12 season. They do cool things. Check them out!

http://www.creativetechnology.org/

OpenMedia event: Film screening of “Article 12: Waking Up in a Surveillance Society”

I’m a big supporter of the work of OpenMedia.ca. You may know them from their very successful Stop the Meter campaign earlier this year, or the most recent Stop Spying project. They’re part of a film screening this Thursday, and while I’ll be out of town, I encourage you to attend if you’re in Vancouver.

Monthly donors to OpenMedia (like me!) get in free.  Hint hint!

-Eli

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Is our Digital Future In Jeopardy?
Check out the Vancouver premiere screening of “Article 12: Waking Up in a Surveillance Society”

As you probably know, the government is about to ram through legislation that will force every phone and Internet provider to surrender our personal information to “authorities” without a warrant. (details of this situation can be found at:http://stopspying.ca/). Join us in watching this new documentary about the state of invasive and expensive digital surveillance and stick around to talk about the pressing Canadian context with a panel of experts.

MORE DETAILS: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127118750720442

DISCOUNTED ONLINE TICKETS: http://mddarticle12screening.eventbrite.com/

*Entry is FREE for OpenMedia.ca monthly donors. If you haven’t joined yet you can do so here: http://openmedia.ca/sustainer

//Q&A PANEL EXPERTS//

  • Micheal VonnBC Civil Liberties Association
  • Vincent GogolekExecutive Director, BC Freedom of information and Privacy
  • Kate Milberryfounder of Geeks and Global Justice (geeksandglobaljustice.com/)
  • Dr. Michael MarkwickSchool of Communication, SFU

*Stop online spying in Canada by signing the petition at http://stopspying.ca/

//SPONSORS + Partners//

  • OPENMEDIA.CA
  • W2 Community Media Arts Society
  • MEDIA Democracy Day Vancouver
  • GEN WHY
  • rabble.ca
  • OpenFile Vancouver
  • The Tyee
  • JUNCO Films
DOXA International Film Fest

Darren Barefoot at Net Tuesday: Word-of-mouth marketing

Darren Barefoot presented at the September 2011 Net Tuesday and he killed. The kid’s a pro. He generously offered his slide deck and allowed us to record the session.

P.S. Darren and Julie Szabo also offer a Social Media Marketing Bootcamp. The next one is on October 21.

The slides

How nonprofits win with word of mouth marketing [slideshare id=9156501&w=425&h=355&sc=no]

The Video
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guOprYhxzJs]

What’s Eli up to?

The blog’s been dead recently, but I’m not dead yet.

Here’s a quick summary of my work life over the last six months:

The day gig

I’m the Creative Services lead at the David Suzuki Foundation. Shockingly (to me) I’ve been at the Foundation for over 4 years now. Who knew that I’d settle down? I guess I’m not immune to being in my 30s.

Events

I’ve been working as a consultant to Constructive Public Engagement. We’ve done two events:

It’s great to organize events and run around with an army of volunteers again. It makes me nostalgic for my years at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Public speaking

Now that I’m old and wise and have done some stuff I’m being asked to do some public speaking. Some recent gigs include:

I’ll also be leading a workshop on word-of-mouth marketing using social media at the IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership (a mouthful!) in Guelph this September.

Volunteering

I’ve been the organizer of Vancouver’s Net Tuesday for the last two years. Yowza! This monthly meetup connects nonprofits with their allies in technology and marketing.

I’m also exercising my Salesforce and fundraising muscles by volunteering with OpenMedia.ca and recently helped the Vancouver AFP chapter by facilitating a session to help focus their social media strategy.

In summary: fun!

I’m recruiting two interns for my team at the David Suzuki Foundation

I’m looking for two interns to join the David Suzuki Foundation Creative Services team.

  • Print designer (4 days/week)
  • web developer (2 days/week)
These are paid positions based out of the Vancouver office.
The application deadline is Sunday, August 28, 2011.
The gig is super fun and I’ll feed you cookies unless you’re all gluten-free.
For more details please go to http://davidsuzuki.org/about/employment/

Net Tuesday: How nonprofits win with word of mouth marketing with Darren Barefoot

This is the year I get off my duff and put some effort into my Net Tuesday meetups.
I’ve committed to one per month for the year, and I’ve brought on an organizing team to help. I’m super jazzed for the first event of the season:

=========

Darren Barefoot
Photo: "Scott Beale / Laughing Squid"

How nonprofits win with word of mouth marketing with Darren Barefoot
with Darren Barefoot

RSVP

Meetup.com or Facebook

If you only engage in ordinary outreach activities – petition asks,
email marketing and Google AdWord buys – you won’t get noticed in a busy landscape where every nonprofit is vying for attention and support. Why? When everyone does the same thing, no one organization shines.

Truly remarkable organizations get their marketing done for them – for free – by their most excited, committed, passionate and devoted fans. They earn it by providing exceptional member experiences, by being unique, bold and creative. Word-of-mouth isn’t just about one-off gimmicks or “viral” campaigns. It’s an overall approach to movement building based on a new online reality where everyday people have become the most powerful marketing department on the planet.

In this session, we’ll discuss how nonprofits and charities are creating
remarkable online campaigns based on the theory and philosophy of
movement marketing. You’ll learn from experienced practitioners how to augment limited budgets with creativity and technology that will help your nonprofit get talked about.

DATE: Tuesday, September 6
DOORS AT 5:30 PM
EVENT STARTS AT 6:00 PM
LOCATION
W2 Woodwards
#250 – 111 West Hastings
Vancouver, BC

RSVP

Meetup.com or Facebook

ABOUT DARREN BAREFOOT
Darren Barefoot is internet famous. He has an honest-to-goodness wikipedia page.

He likes to play on the internet. He’s tweeted more than 17,444 times and it has been suggested that he’s Reddit’s biggest booster. Plus he’s co-written several books, the latest of which is Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook.

For the official bio: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/about.php

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

The venue is generously provided by W2 Community Media Arts. They’re lovely!

Net Tuesday meetup July 5 – Managing volunteers with software and soft skills

Volunteers are awesome. So the July 5 Net Tuesday is gonna focus on volunteer coordination.

Volunteers are awesome, but the relationship between a nonprofit and a volunteer can be tricky.

VOLUNTEERS: Maybe the nonprofit never got back to you? Maybe the job they offered kinda sucked?

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS: Are your volunteers creating a ridiculous pile of administrative paperwork and overhead? Can you find volunteers with the right skills? Why is this so hard?

Net Tuesday can’t solve all your volunteer-related challenges. We aren’t MAGIC.
But we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves that might help. Check this out:

DATE: Tuesday, July 5
TIME: Doors and (cash bar) booze at 5:30pm, Speakers at 6:00pm, Ends at 7:30pm
LOCATION: Pull Focus film school. 306 Abbott St (upstairs)

RSVP:
On Meetup or Facebook

WHO’S TALKING? ABOUT WHAT?

ITEM: Volunteers for Salesforce

Elijah van der Giessen (Net Tuesday and David Suzuki Foundation) gives a demo of a free (for charities) application that helps manage volunteers and their hours, and creates forms to allow volunteer and job signup on your website.

Learn more:
An overview of the software: http://groundwire.org/labs/volunteers-for-salesforce
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZm7osRj3lY
21 volunteer management systems compared: http://www.idealware.org/volunteer_management
Do you need an integrated database? http://www.idealware.org/tips/tracking_volunteers

But technology can’t solve your problems. It just makes you more efficient!

The secret to a strong relationship is a hot three-way. Sweet love betwen you, the volunteer AND the organization. Sound tricky? Sometimes it can be. That’s why Net Tuesday is bringing in Trina Isakson, a consultant with both professional and academic expertise in volunteers.

ITEM: Trina Isakson on how technology can help or hinder effective volunteer engagement

Trina Isakson recently completed masters research that examines effective leadership of volunteers, and is excited to discuss how technology can help or hinder good volunteer engagement. She is passionate about non-profit capacity, engaged citizenship, community development and education. Through volunteer activities and consulting and training work with 27 Shift, she helps non-profit organizations and universities strategically engage their next generation of employees, volunteers and donors.

Says Trina:

For the research, I interviewed a series of nonprofit staff/board members who had been identified as effectively engaging volunteers. None of the orgs had any problems (or even made much effort) recruiting volunteers, and more likely had to restrict the number of volunteers.

While the final results of my paper focused on leadership, the themes that arose from analyzing the interview transcripts I think are most interesting. Examples include:

  • volunteers were seen as peers and professionals, not subordinates
  • volunteer engagement was seen as everyone’s role in the organiztion (i.e. not just for a ‘volunteer coordinator’)
  • the organizations and individuals had a strong culture of learning and change
  • while they had volunteers that had to leave their roles/didn’t show to meetings etc., interviewees accepted this as a reality of the volunteers’ busy lives and adapted their volunteer engagement practices/scheduling to plan for this

OUR SPONSOR

They’re giving the event a home, and allow the meetup to be free. Plus they make awesome videos.
Pull Focus Film School
On Facebook and Twitter!

306 Abbott St (near Cordova)
Vancouver, BC V6B 2K9

See you on Tuesday!

—
Eli
Net Tuesday Vancouver