It seems like one of the biggest challenges nonprofits have with blogging is coming up with content to write about. I'd like to start a discussion about this topic.

What type of content do you write about on your organization's blog? What type of content can nonprofits write about?

Here is my response:

I'm going to come at this from a different angle, but one I think will provide value. I am completely and totally sickened by the negativity and utter crap the mainstream media, and even NPR at times, is putting out these days. There are so many wonderful, amazing, inspiring things going on in this world, and we need to hear more about them! Sure our credit rating has been downgraded as a country, and we're in multiple wars, and the neighbors dog just will not shut up at 3am. But do I really want to know every single detail on a daily basis about how bad the economy sucks right now? NO!

So the thought I had in response to your question is this, we need stories about victories and reason for hope! We need them for ourselves to keep passionate about our work, we need them for supporters to keep hope alive, and we need them for the public which is desperately seeking outlets to address the challenges we face as a community, country, and planet. We need to hear about funding being well used and groups that are meeting their mission. Blogs with deep heartfelt emotional stories about individuals and communities served (of the type of The Story with Dick Gordon on NPR), and posts with real data showing what is REALLY happening in the world.

In my mind, the goal of a blog post is to engage the reader:
1> as a member of the conversation (it's a dialog, not a monologue)
2> as another member of humanity (we all want to belong to something bigger, and something meaningful)
3> as a potential supporter (we want to contribute to causes that make our lives of significance)
4> as a potential donor (when we are too busy, or the cause is in trouble, we throw money at it, it's just who we are)

And my naive, optimist, head in the clouds belief is that when we succeed at 1 and 2, 3 and 4 follow naturally. I think a decent blog post about a tragic story with a happy ending due to a nonprofit's actions is the kind of post that could spread through Facebook and the rest of the web like wildfire. And that means the org gets exposure, and the public gets hope and faith in the nonprofit sector to create a better tomorrow.

So my recipe in short:
1> make them cry
2> make them laugh out loud
3> fill their heart with joy
4> gain a loyal supporter

And my process for this is also important. Posts need to be from the heart, with some post-writing head filtering. I know two ways that work well for me in creating such content.

Approach Number 1
1> I sit down and meditate for about 5 minutes
2> I continue meditating but add thoughts of the content area I want to address (homelessness, malnutrition, genocide, etc)
3> I also add music, and for me that is a VERY powerful piece of the puzzle. Especially music with a strong emotional connection such as works by Chopin, and often music from movies (the orchestral music, not the pop stuff). Really powerful music that tags my soul even when I'm not meditating.
I always have to follow what poors from my soul with a round of editing for other humans to understand/connect with, but that doesn't take much time at all.

Approach Number 2
The second approach I like to refer to as verbal thinking. I have ADD and I've found that when I discuss something with another person or small group of people, it helps harness my thoughts into coherent and useful communications. Having coffee with someone and discussing the ins and outs of genocide and our role in it for example, usually allows me to tap into my passion, courage, and commitment to creating something of value, while also bringing all the major issues into my mind.

One of my favorite approaches is to sit and chat with someone, and then we both whip out the laptops and start writing. Some of my best work has come from that approach. Plus, with nonprofits, it has the added benefit of building the relationship of the staffers or even inter-agency folks that do the session together.

The most important piece for me though, is that is absolutely must be a positive and building conversation (like brainstorming). We focus on points of agreement and we focus on solutions and victories. I don't think I'm alone in my disdain for negative information right now. There's a LOT of crap going wrong in the world, but there is also a lot of good. We can serve two purposes as bloggers, build our orgs base of supporters, and provide positive news and reason for hope as well.

Does your organization have a license to solicit contributions in North Carolina? Is your license current? If you're exempt from licensing, have you let the N.C. Secretary of State know?

The Secretary of State is undergoing a compliance outreach project and will be contacting nonprofits in the coming months to make sure active organizations have a license or exemption from licensure if they are soliciting contributions in North Carolina.

Here's what you can do now: 

1. To confirm that your organization is in compliance: http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/csl/Search.aspx. You should either have a current license or an exemption.
    
2. You may find licensure forms and instructions at:  http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/csl/Download.aspx.
    
3. If you have any questions, contact the Secretary of State's Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division at 888-830-4989.

If you are a 501c3 nonprofit, Salesforce.com offers a free, 10-user license of the Enterprise Edition software for your use. This is an enterprise database system used by Fortune 100 companies such as Dell and Starbucks, that provides secure, scalable, and reliable data management, and integrates with many popular applications and mobile devices.

The standard system combined with free add-ons available through the AppExchange will allow you to handle all of these needs in one place:

- Contact Management

- Relationship Management

- Donor Management

- Event Management

- Volunteer Management

- Internal and External Communications

- Grant Management

For a 30-day trial, to apply for a donation, and to learn more, visit the Salesforce.com Foundation Website.

And for more input from the nonprofit community, be sure to check out these great articles and reports:

Idealware.org: A Few Good Donor Management Systems

Idealware.org: Back Away from that Spreadsheet: Why Excel Isn't a Donor Database

NTEN.org: Salesforce.com + Google = Improved Productivity

NTEN.org: Free as in Kittens: CiviCRM and Salesforce

Let's start with Laur, who is one of the few people that can handle a four hour conversation with me, and actually enjoy it! We have such great shared energy and empathy. When one of us is in a place of wanting to complain, we both complain. When we are in a place of celebration, we celebrate. Everyone should be so lucky to have a friend that is so connected and empathetic.

Then let's look at my new living situation. From one point of view, I'm moving in with a 60 year old women in the middle of the ghetto in Durham. From another, I'm moving into a transitional neighborhood that offers a unique mix of people in need, and people who want to create a better neighborhood. And I'll be living with one of the most loving and compassionate human beings I've ever met. Upon reflecting on the past few years I realize how many gifts I have been blessed with. I remembered how my obsession with cycling began with simple walks around the block with Pam, which led to longer and longer walks. I remember how one day she suggested we ride our bikes on the American Tobacco trail, and how I fought up and down with her about it. Until finally one day, she just said, hey, lets just try it one day, and if we don't like it, we never have to do it again.

I fell in love with the trail instantly, and have been a serious biker ever since. Now that I'm back in the triangle, I can't wait to get back on the trail. And living with Pam has been a joy so far, and it just keeps getting better.

So here's to non-traditional living arrangements and amazing friends!!

The Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

A New Addition: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hN8CKwdosjE

I consider marketing using techniques to help people find products and services to meet their needs. It’s not about “getting people to buy things they don’t really need”, it’s about helping people with needs understand those needs and how to meet them. And in particular, the people whose needs could be met by my product or service. In the case of nonprofits, some core groups that marketing is used for are:

• Potential Donors
• Potential Funders
• Potential Volunteers
• Potential Supporters
• Potential Members

Each of these groups, and the many more that exist, have some needs they are trying to meet. Volunteers may want to be of contribution, be appreciated, and feel a sense of community. Funders my want to create connection, respect, and understanding. The important thing to note is that by focusing on the needs of these groups, we can determine how to meet the needs of the potential stakeholders and focus on that, rather than what we want from them. This results in us having an opportunity to give to the potential stakeholders, increasing their quality of life, while also creating the opportunity to get our needs met.

Seven Questions I Ask Myself About Current and Prospective Stakeholders:

1. What need(s) is this person/organization trying to meet with the role they are seeking to fill/are filling (donor, volunteer, etc)?
2. Is that role the best way for them to meet their needs as part of my organization?
3. Why would they be interested in being a stakeholder in my organization?
4. How can I be of support to them?
5. Once we have connected, how can I continue to increase the quality of their experience?
6. If I would like them to be more engaged, what needs of theirs could I do a better job of meeting?
7. Would asking them any of these six questions directly be more effective than asking myself?

What are your thoughts on how to meet the needs or your organization and the needs of prospective stakeholders?

Because of her bountiful gift, it is a joy to do things for her. Today I cut up some brush that was too big for the yard waste container, cut the grass in front of the house, and raked and swept the sidewalk in front of and leading up to her house. I also swept off the front porch which is quite large. It was very satisfying to be out in nature, doing something for someone I care about, getting exercise, and seeing the results of my work real time.

Now I’m getting back to a couple of database projects I’m working on, both of which have a deadline of tomorrow for completion. I’m nervous about meeting the deadline, but I think I can do it with a lot of focused work. I’m grateful for the patience my clients have shown me, and the assistance my former employer has offered in keeping the project moving forward. As stressed as I am right now, I get to remember how many good things I have in my life as well!

I’ve been a long time supporter of BP as one of the better oil companies. If you check out the Better World Handbook, you will see that BP is the second best choice for environmentally responsible gas/oil companies. (http://www.betterworldhandbook.com/gasoline.html)

I am opposed to a boycott of BP. If we boycott BP, we are HELPING Exxon and other companies that are doing far worse things to the environment than BP. BP messed up huge here, I don’t deny that. And they need to be held accountable. They also need our support in showing other oil companies how to properly deal with this kind of situation, and prevent it from happening again.

As I see it, our choices are to either stop using gas and petroleum products (aka PLASTIC!), or support the companies that do the best job of being environmentally sustainable, or both.

I don’t think it’s about hurting the oil companies, I think its about voting with our dollars and encouraging them to do the right thing, while assisting them in doing it. When we try to “hurt the oil companies”, we don’t succeed. They have too much money and power, that WE GIVE TO THEM! We keep them going because we are dependent on fossil fuels. We need to focus on shifting our culture and supporting the companies that are the safest environmentally at the same time. Let’s empower those working to do the right thing, and encourage more of that, rather than punish those doing the wrong thing, and encourage them to just find another way to do it that we agree with or don’t know about.

My Recipe for Effective Revolution

1> Let’s be intelligent in the long term by supporting the companies with the best record, rather than being reactive and punishing a company with one of the best records for decades over one event, and simaltaenously supporting (inherently) companies that aren’t investing anywhere near the time and energy that BP and Sunoco are in being environmentally safe and sustainable.

2> Let’s reduce our dependence on oil, starting with those absolutely HORRIBLE plastic bags at the grocery store, which yes, are made from petroleum by-products. Here’s a great list of ten realistic and doable things each of us can do: http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/ten-ways-to-reduce-our-dependence/

3> Let’s call for and encourage companies to innovate new solutions. The gas/oil companies like BP sell Energy and materials for creating consumer products. They don’t sell gas or oil or plastic bags. Let’s focus as a society on what we want (such as transportation, energy, and a way to carry groceries), and encourage companies like BP to see that is what they provide. Then they can innovate other methods for meeting our needs, that don’t involve oil!

4> Let’s keep the conversation going and talk with our friends and neighbors about reducing our dependency on oil by carpooling, using public transportation, riding bikes, and other alternatives. Learning and sharing ideas, knowledge, and experience with others is our best offense to shift the way things are. Pick one thing you can do different starting today, just one, and focus on that for a month. If it works, then pick another. Don’t try to do it all at once, and don’t do nothing at all. Find a way to be of contribution that fits your lifestyle so you can make a real and lasting difference.

Your thoughts?

What are your thoughts on how we can encourage sustainability and reduce/eliminate oil dependency?