Infographics–essentially any combination of information and
image used to tell a story by visually representing data–help us
make sense of all the data we’re tracking and share the
conclusions we draw with others. Sometimes an infographic can
present your argument in a more appropriate way than a report, an
email, or other written communications.
Seeing
is Believing, Resource Media’s new best practices guide on
visual storytelling, gives you the latest research and tools to
address this communications blind spot. Download the free guide
to learn how you can put pictures to work for your organization
or your cause.
The California
Cultural Data Project (California CDP) is a powerful online
management tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural
organizations. This project gathers reliable, longitudinal
data on the sector.
Infogr.am is a free web-based
data visualization tool that allows users to upload data files to
create interactive charts and tables that you can embed on a blog
or web page. The site is extremely easy to use, with Facebook and
Twitter sign in and a simple user interface that gives you the
ability to create a variety of professional-looking line, bar and
pie charts. In addition, the tool provides five standard
templates for displaying your charts in an infographic format.
Who can live without social media today? This interesting annual
“state
of the media” report explains how we are using and
interacting with social media today.
There are plenty of images online that your organization can use,
but how do you find the best ones for your website, newsletter,
or annual report? And how do you know if you need permission to
use the images you find?
This free practical guide to social media for charities and
social enterprises comes from UK based Unity Trust Bank and
Social Misfits Media. They offer their social media
expertise with a UK flavor.
This mini-guide from Network for Good offers sound advice on how
to keep the conversation going with your supporters. It’s
full of great tips and ideas, and it’s free.
These
social media opportunities go well beyond the typical ones
with which we’ve all become familiar. Read them, learn them and
take advantage of them. Recommended by Idealware.
As the world has seen in the grassroots revolutions of 2011,
online social media can be powerful tools for social change.
Nonprofits large and small are increasingly taking advantage of
such tools to advance their causes. But as with all new
societal advances, social media also pose many risks if not
used properly. As your nonprofit organization grows its social
media presence, be sure to take steps to avoid the many
potential legal traps in the online world, which should include
formulating a social media policy to guide your employees on
acceptable online behavior.
A good social media policy will provide clear guidelines as to
what staff should and shouldn’t do when posting and interacting
with the community on a day-to-day basis.
The New Media Toolkit
is a curated collection of online tools, tutorials and resources
is designed to help nonprofits and ethnic and community news
organizations navigate the often intimidating and ever-evolving
new media landscape. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you will
find valuable information on the technologies and best practices
you need to tell a community’s stories in compelling ways; engage
new audiences; optimize your website; and measure online impact.
Watch GuideStar’s
video about the new and improved design of their nonprofit
reports. Based on what donors want to see it focuses on
impact and transparency to help people who research nonprofits
make better, more educated, and more confident decisions.
For an example of this new format, visit GuideStar’s own
nonprofit
report.
Storytelling Best Practices: Websites by Andy Goodman is a new
free e-book that showcases the best in online storytelling by
nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, educational and
cultural institutions.
Here are seven tools ranging from social media policy and advice
to video distribution to managing your social media presence to
charting your social graph.
The Smart
Chart, developed by
Spitfire Strategies, guides users through six steps toward a
successful communications plan. It’s available in English and
Spanish, as a free, interactive Web-based tool.
Clearly, social media can be useful to nonprofits. The key
question is, how useful? What can an organization reasonably
expect in terms of results and benefits, and for what investment
of time and effort? This Decision Guide helps answer those
questions and more by walking you through a combination of
information, research results and a workbook. All together, these
resources will help you think through your own needs
step-by-step.
Cause Communications is a nonprofit organization that shares and
elevates best practices from all sectors and explores how to
apply them effectively in the social sector.
Founded to help nonprofits recruit, propose, persuade, and
present more effectively. Offers free-range thinking™ a
free monthly newsletter of communications best practices and
resources.
We express our gratitude to Wells Fargo for providing the funding
for our new website. The goal of this project has been to create
a highly accessible resource for all nonprofit organizations in
the region, providing information at the fingertips of executive
directors, staff and board members.
Wells Fargo has been a partner in the project from the beginning,
helping us to leverage the website grant into a regional resource
hub, and we appreciate their dedication.
Infographics for Outreach, Advocacy and Marketing: From Data to Design
A new report from Idealware
Infographics–essentially any combination of information and image used to tell a story by visually representing data–help us make sense of all the data we’re tracking and share the conclusions we draw with others. Sometimes an infographic can present your argument in a more appropriate way than a report, an email, or other written communications.
Seeing is Believing
Best practices guide on visual storytelling
Seeing is Believing, Resource Media’s new best practices guide on visual storytelling, gives you the latest research and tools to address this communications blind spot. Download the free guide to learn how you can put pictures to work for your organization or your cause.
California Cultural Data Project
The California Cultural Data Project (California CDP) is a powerful online management tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations. This project gathers reliable, longitudinal data on the sector.
Data Visualization Tool
Infogr.am
Infogr.am is a free web-based data visualization tool that allows users to upload data files to create interactive charts and tables that you can embed on a blog or web page. The site is extremely easy to use, with Facebook and Twitter sign in and a simple user interface that gives you the ability to create a variety of professional-looking line, bar and pie charts. In addition, the tool provides five standard templates for displaying your charts in an infographic format.
State of the Media: The Social Media Report
Who can live without social media today? This interesting annual “state of the media” report explains how we are using and interacting with social media today.
How to Attract Customers with Twitter & Vine
How to Attract Customers with Twitter & Vine, a 61-page free ebook, promises to help you:
Finding and Using Images from the Web
There are plenty of images online that your organization can use, but how do you find the best ones for your website, newsletter, or annual report? And how do you know if you need permission to use the images you find?
let’s dabble
Empowering nonprofits through video
let’s dabble offers an instructional video series that teaches nonprofits how to make web videos for marketing and fundraising.
About that First Tweet
Free booklet
This free practical guide to social media for charities and social enterprises comes from UK based Unity Trust Bank and Social Misfits Media. They offer their social media expertise with a UK flavor.
Smart Chart 3.0
An interactive tool for making communications choices
The interactive Smart Chart 3.0 is an online tool that can help you make and assess strategic decisions if you are:
Free for all nonprofit organizations.
Date Your Donors: Woo & Wow with Socia Media
A mini-guide to sharing and socializing
This mini-guide from Network for Good offers sound advice on how to keep the conversation going with your supporters. It’s full of great tips and ideas, and it’s free.
Tech Soup’s Social Media 101 YouTube Guide
Learn how to create and share YouTube videos
22 High-Impact, Low Cost Social Media Opportunities for Nonprofits
All About Marketing
A comprehensive set of links to articles and advice about marketing topics.
Legal Risks in Social Media Use by Nonprofits
The Nonprofit Social Media Policy Workbook
A good social media policy will provide clear guidelines as to what staff should and shouldn’t do when posting and interacting with the community on a day-to-day basis.
Social Media Toolkit
Online tools, tutorials and resources
The New Media Toolkit is a curated collection of online tools, tutorials and resources is designed to help nonprofits and ethnic and community news organizations navigate the often intimidating and ever-evolving new media landscape. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you will find valuable information on the technologies and best practices you need to tell a community’s stories in compelling ways; engage new audiences; optimize your website; and measure online impact.
Is Your GuideStar Report Up To Date?
Watch GuideStar’s video about the new and improved design of their nonprofit reports. Based on what donors want to see it focuses on impact and transparency to help people who research nonprofits make better, more educated, and more confident decisions. For an example of this new format, visit GuideStar’s own nonprofit report.
Storytelling Best Practices: Website
Learn from the best in this free e-book
Storytelling Best Practices: Websites by Andy Goodman is a new free e-book that showcases the best in online storytelling by nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, educational and cultural institutions.
7 Social Media Resources & Tools
From John Kenyon nonprofit technology consultant, educator and author
Here are seven tools ranging from social media policy and advice to video distribution to managing your social media presence to charting your social graph.
Communications Plan
The Smart Chart
The Smart Chart, developed by Spitfire Strategies, guides users through six steps toward a successful communications plan. It’s available in English and Spanish, as a free, interactive Web-based tool.
The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide
from Idealware
Clearly, social media can be useful to nonprofits. The key question is, how useful? What can an organization reasonably expect in terms of results and benefits, and for what investment of time and effort? This Decision Guide helps answer those questions and more by walking you through a combination of information, research results and a workbook. All together, these resources will help you think through your own needs step-by-step.
Cause Communications
Cause Communications is a nonprofit organization that shares and elevates best practices from all sectors and explores how to apply them effectively in the social sector.
Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog
A good beginner’s guide to nonprofit marketing.
The Goodman Center
Founded to help nonprofits recruit, propose, persuade, and present more effectively. Offers free-range thinking™ a free monthly newsletter of communications best practices and resources.
2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report
Learn how nonprofits are succeeding with social networks
2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report. 4th annual report on nonprofits & social networks.