Hi Karen - I'm also a new Teaneck blogger and I've been thinking about these same issues.  I'm also a big supporter and fan of the Puffin Foundation and it's mission and would be more than happy to include links to the Puffin Foundation in my blog, as well as references to upcoming events, etc. 

My blog is called Teaneck Progress.  (teaneckprogress.blogspot.com)  I started it after the recent nasty election in Teaneck and as a counterpoint to another new blog called Teaneck Blog (teaneckblog.blogspot.com) which approaches local issues from (dare I say?) a conservative position.  Take a look at both of them and perhaps we can find a way to collaborate.  At this point, I seem to be getting about 50+ hits a day, so there is a hunger in Teaneck for a discussion of local issues.

"how do you transform a completely offline organization into an organization with an online presence and how do you convince offline people to want to get online?" -- you do it the "organic" way. Nothing will turn off your staff to tech faster than forcing it on them. They are overworked and program-focused -- for most nonprofit professionals, all this talk of networking tech is just another headache for them to deal with, another huge task on their already over-filled plate. Respect that, and introduce any tech tool in the simplist way possible -- and as slowly as possible, so that people can adapt it as they want to.

The trick is to introduce tech tools in such a way that it's seen as a great way to work/communicate, not as just the latest tech craze. So, DROP the jargon. With many people, forget using the word "blog", for instance, because it just reeks of tech jargon (I've heard many a nonprofit person say they are "sick of that blog word"). Instead, talk about "an online magazine or newspaper with articles published weekly or daily," that has a more informal voice than most publications, and which sounds more like the writer is talking rather than "addressing." Show examples of what you might mean to those you would want to write these.

Also, how involved are staff in publishing currently on your organizatin's web site? That always tells me a lot about why staff is tech-phobic -- if there is a webmaster who is acting as gatekeeper, who determines what does and doesn't go on the site, that's a problem! Each staff person should have input into the web site, and different departments should control different parts of the site. If this isn't happening, then this is a good place to start to change things -- when those who manage volunteers, for instance, get "ownership" of a part of the web site where they can recruit new volunteers, sing the praises of current volunteers, and offer support materials to current volunteers, those staff members will become huge advocates of tech in your workplace.

Like most nonprofit folks, I have to see it to believe it. So talk one-on-one with people about ONE specific tech tool adoption idea you have, and have lots of information on what adoption would look like. How much more work for that person will this result in? What will their responsibility be? What will the benefit for that person's job be? What does whatever your talking about really look like in practice? (have examples ready to show).

"With this project hopefully we will establish a presence in the online non-profit, social justice community." Well... "If you build it, they will come" works for mythical baseball fields, but not with technology. So think about how you are going to reach the nonprofit, social justice community, both online and offline, regarding your online activities. It will take a strategic, continuous campaign to do so. We're all on information overload -- remember that when conducting your outreach.

Hi Karin,

Maybe the trick is not to think about how to get your offline community online, but how to let your offline community know you have unique content that is only available online, and to attract new community members who are already comfortable in the online world who in turn may convert people in your offline world for you.

Once you start blogging, adding a blogroll, linking to other blogs and listing your blog with search engines, you will begin to attract an online community, who may or may not be from the offline community you already have.  For your existing offline community, you figure there are going to be some people who will jump online right away, some who will need convincing and some who will never do it.  All the eager folks need is a notice in your print and e-newsletters that you've started a blog.  For your folks who need convincing, you need to repeatedly mention that you have an online presence in your conventional marketing materials and advertise different kinds of content (i.e. interviews, numbered lists, FAQs, testimonials, surveys, opinon pieces, personal reflection, diary of a program, awards, contests, calls to action) to see 1. what your audience is interested in, and 2. to attract people with a variety of interests.

Britt Bravo
Community Builder
NetSquared • A Project of Tech Soup
www.netsquared.org
bbravo@techsoup.org
(510)757-9684
Skype:bebravo
AIM:brittbravo