I almost didn’t go to the NetSquared conference this year. Big mistake, I’m glad I went.

Two years ago I attended NetSquared (which that year was a learning conference about how nonprofits could use social media tools). I, like most people attending, heard about YouTube and Facebook for the first time. And more importantly, I learned how to launch a blog... Read more: http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/05/netsquared-and-philanthropy

NetSquared recently received a $600,000 grant over three years from the Surdna Foundation, a long-time supporter of TechSoup. While at NTEN's 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference in March, I sat down with Vince Stehle, the Program Officer for the Nonprofit Sector Initiative at the Surdna Foundation. We talked about philanthropy, nonprofit technology trends, and Surdna's support of NetSquared.

I know, I know, its been 4 days since I spoke at Net2 Houston www.netsquared.org--Thank you so much for the opportunity!! Since then, it's apparent that we need some help understanding the value current donors have to really help npo's.

My schpeel was very simple:

1. Businesses, REALLY support your non-proft by placing an "Our Cause/My Cause" page on your site in the navigation bar, complete with why you support them, how they've impacted your life and any content the cause has (readily available) to distribute. And: New Idea--Add the Causes FEED to your Company RSS reader.

You may know her as the author of the NpTech Tag Sumary, but the Connecting Up Conference calls Beth Kanter, "the undisputed ‘queen’ of the US Not for Profit technology scene." La Solidaridad describes her as, "a premiere nonprofit technology consultant," and Podnosh Blog has bestowed her with the title of, "queen of online fundraising."

Appropriately, Beth is celebrating her 51st birthday by participating in the Case Foundation's Giving Challenge and raising money for the Sharing Foundation.

Find out more about how she is celebrating her b-day plans on her blog post: Beth's 51st Birthday Challenge: Can I get 51 people to donate $10 to the Sharing Foundation for my birthday? (It's on Jan. 11th).

Photo Credit: Beth's Peas.

Last month, Change.org launched a new service to allow nonprofits to create their own branded social networks on its platform. This month they've teamed up with Network for Good. The partnership will allow nonprofits that receive donations through Network for Good to create a branded social network on Change.org, and nonprofits that receive donations through Change.org to use Network for Good’s giving system to track donations, email supporters, and manage donor data.

Nice teamwork!

Everyone's buzzing about the Case Foundation's America's Giving Challenge and the Causes Giving Challenge. Want to help out your favorite cause? Here's how:

How to Join America's Giving Challenge (December 13, 2007-January 31, 2008)

• 1. Go to the America's Giving Challenge page in Parade Magazine.

• 2. Click on "Get Started."

• 3. Choose a cause you care about in the U.S. or Abroad.
  

This month's Net2ThinkTank question is: How Can Nonprofits Use the Social Web During the "Giving Season"?

Ten members of the Net2 Community weighed in with their answers:

Julius Huijnk started things off with a bang with a comment on the original post by writing:

Last month, Lucy Bernholz of Philanthropy 2173 wrote about the Giving Season, the time between now and New Year's Eve when nonprofits head full force into campaigns for holiday and end of the year giving.

I'm sure there are tons of nonprofit/NGO Development Directors and Executive Directors out there asking themselves for the first time this year, "How can I use 'Web 2.0' tools to raise money for my organization?" They need your tips, advice, dos and don'ts.

Network for Good has produced a new study, "The Wired Fundraiser: How Technology is Making Fundraising 'Good to Go.'" The paper is based on Network for Good's first hand experience with widgets, the benchmarking study about group fundraising campaigns by Peter Deitz of About Micro-Philanthropy, and Care2's analy

October 24 is the deadline to nominate your favorite nonprofit for the the Sun MIcroSystems Foundation's Global Giving Drive.

To nominate an organization, post the organization's name and an up to 200 word description for it on the Friends of the Sun MicroSystems Foundation Facebook page. Sun Foundation Ambassadors will choose the ten organizations to receive the proceeds from the online drive.