Using the social web to market your cause, communicate your services, and interact with your audience is an important part of the communication function for many socially-foucused organizations. One thing that many of these groups have found is that the internet allows us to not only tell our story, but also get an honest understanding of the perception of our organization.  With that in mind, we asked you for your advice for monitoring online feedback as part of this month's Net2 Think Tank:

Receiving feedback from your community is a great way to get them engaged with your mission. Whether it's about a specific task or a larger ideology, feedback allows us to learn and adapt to what our audiences want, need, and think. And, with the increased use of social media and collaborative technologies, we're able to give and receive feedback in real-time often with the choice to be completely anonymous. But what happens when the feedback is negative, hateful or just plain untrue?

Receiving feedback from your community is a great way to get them engaged with your mission. Whether it's about a specific task or a larger ideology, feedback allows us to learn and adapt to what our audiences want, need, and think. And, with the increased use of social media and collaborative technologies, we're able to give and receive feedback in real-time often with the choice to be completely anonymous.

We recently wrapped up the 2010 FACT Challenge, and while working to promote and support the Featured Projects and Winners, we are also looking ahead to upcoming Challenges. As always, we are actively improving the platform, including the Challenge process - the way it works for Project teams as well as the community. During the FACT Challenge, we heard from many community members, provided support when people needed help, and even worked to improve the platform in real time. During the Community Vote, I shared some of the feedback and updates on our work.  Now, we are hoping even more people will weigh in and share feedback!

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback so far regarding your experience voting and participating in the FACT Challenge!  As a community-driven organization, we rely on your input, ideas, and goals to define priorities and drive delopment of our work. We are always the first to admit that our platform isn't perfect; but we are actively working to improve it all the time.  It's Day 2 of the Community Vote for the FACT Challenge and I want to take a few minutes to share some of the feedback and suggestions we've received so far, as well as some updates about our methodology and work.

More ideas to share? You can contact us any time via email or share comments on this blog post!

The N2Y4 Conference brought together innovators and entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations and funders, all to connect with each other and help selected winners in the N2Y4 Mobile Challenge from the cast of 14 Featured Projects.  There were sessions, pitches, how-tos and open space connections.  It was a packed couple days, filled with a-ha moments, new ideas, and open questions to continue exploring after the event had finished.

We're launching the N2Y4 Reflection Forum!  On the second day of the N2Y4 Conference, participants spent time gathering and discussing their "a-ha!" moments and open questions that came out of the previous day and a half of collaboration, learning, and sharing in San Jose.  We gathered all the responses and have aggregated them to keep the conversation going.  Using the N2Y4 Reflection Forum, you can comment on and vote for different ideas and questions—you can even add your own ideas. 

Check out the N2Y4 Reflection Forum and learn more.

• projects
  • HELP
  • Freecycle Network
  • Big Brothers, Big Sisters
    

liveblogging for the social impact track of feedback session 4. I'm switching from the outline format I was using before to a Q&A format, I hope it's more readable:

• evaluators
  • Ginger Thompson - YouthNoise
  • David Sezaki - Global Voices
  • Tate Howsman - dotOrganize
• projects
  • Stop Family Violence
  • Miro
  • MyKenyanSpace
  • WiserEarth
  • Innovatorz

Liveblogging from the social impact track of feedback session 2.

• feedback
  • Micha Sifry (Personal Democracy Forum, Sunlight Foundation)
  • Diana Scarce (Monitor Institute)
  • Alexandra Samuel (Social Signal)
• projects
  • Genocide Intervention Network
  • Nabuur
  • Global Women's Leadership Network
  • Social Source Commons