This is Rachel Weidinger of Common Knowledge liveblogging the Ask Your Lawmaker, Volunteer Now, CorpWatch project session.

[Now updated with corrections from Ian at Corpwatch. Thanks Ian!]

Project 1: Volunteer Now! By Mobile Phone

Howdy. This is Rachel Weidinger of Common Knowledge. I'm liveblogging the impact-measuring session led by Scott Moore (schwablearning.org).

Schwablearning.org 's theory of change: we want to allow for the life-long success of a child with learning or attention disabilities We wanted to create change through:

• Quality, research-based information

• Reduce feelings of isolation

• Change attitudes about success with a learning disability

• Taking action

My colleague, Jeff Patrick, is presenting a free webinar hosted by Kintera on a topic near and dear to all of our hearts: Web 2.0 & social networking for nonprofit fundraising. This two-part series, Next Level Online Communities, offers a 101 version next week, and a more advanced 201 version in April.

Next Level Online Communities 101:Foundations for Community
Wednesday, February 13 at 1:00 pm PT/ 4:00 pm ET
(and the same thing offered again)
Thursday, February 14 at 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET
Register here

Anyone planning on (or considering) attending SXSW Interactive in Austin? http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/

I'll be presenting, and would love to meet up with fellow nonprofiteers.

Email me if you’d like an invite to the SXSW Interactive Nonprofiteer google group, where we’ll plot plots of goodness! rweidinger at commonknow dot com

Sessions by topic here: http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/programming/panels_by_category/

A few presentations I thought might interest this list:
Friend Me! Vote for Me! Donate Now! (Julie Barko Germany)
Lost in Translation? Top Website Internationalization Lessons (Stephanie Booth)
Top Ten Lessons Learned in E-Commerce (Tony Hsieh)
Wireframing in a Web 2.0 World (Richard Rutter)

This past summer, I helped three park groups place community public art in their parks. A few neighbors near one of the parks had concerns about homeless people sleeping in/near the sculpture, and it became necessary for us to generate and document overwhelming community support to obtain the required city permits.

I used Google Maps to see where the neighbors actually lived in relation to the proposed site, typing in each of hundreds of addresses by hand using the Google Maps "My Maps" feature. Recently, some awesome Google maps have been created about the So Cal fires.

Where o where is the app that imports a spreadsheet of addresses, lets you choose the markers and visually illustrates community support?

Posted here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p7Ll8s5O1dQieNPVfXSNpWw

Use as you wish...intended to allow anyone to make their decision process a bit less painful. :)

The first three bold categories are the criteria listed on the 11th-to-the-last page of the larger crazy-patterned book with 1-page profiles of each projects. I'm going to rate projects in some of the categories listed here on a 1-5 scale (5 being best) and tally the results to help me decide.

 If you'd like to suggest additional criteria, post it in the comments and I'll add it. Thanks to the Meebo'ers for a fab lunch and input @ the fountain!

I am a hope shelterer.  As a management and marketing consultant to social entrepreneurs I focus on sustainability, both as an issue and as a philosophy. My current projects include the Black Rock Arts Foundation’s ScrapEden and managing the large-scale green public art project Mechabolic (NYT article). Past projects include directing ScrapHouse, audience development and sales strategy for Copia, earned revenue strategy for Computer Using Educators, and growth strategy for Teachade. I’m on a hunt for the interest-based online social network that makes changing the world much faster and am pleased to be here as WiserEarth’s champion.