Guy Kawasaki’s top ten social media tips for nonprofits

The team at Network for Good had a fantastic webinar with technology guru Guy Kawasaki. He provided his top ten social media tips for nonprofits. They are well worth sharing.
If you want to listen to the whole webinar (recommended), simply register here. (It’s free.)

In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of the wisdom he shared.

1. Start Yesterday: Begin soliciting support through social media action immediately. The day you have an idea is when you should start with a tweet or blog.

2. Segment by Service: People use social networks for different reasons. Match your agenda and your efforts to the outlet. Guy identified five “Ps”—
People - Facebook. People go to Facebook to connect with people they know. It’s about pre-existing relationships.
Perceptions - Twitter. Twitter is about sharing perceptions about what’s around us with the world.
Passion - Google+. Guy believes people don’t go to Google+ for the same reason as Facebook - it’s less about who you know and more about sharing your passions widely.
Pinning: Pinterest is for posting visuals. It’s about the medium more than the people.
Pimping: LinkedIn. Guy apologized for the word choice but says he feels LinkedIn is for business connections and finding jobs.
You can have success on any of these platforms, but you need to approach each with an understanding of its culture and purpose.

3. Make a Great Profile: Spend as much time as you can spare developing your nonprofit’s profile, finding great pictures for your avatar (person affected by your cause or an awesome high-res version of your organization’s logo) and generally establishing a compelling, attractive and interesting presence.

4. Curate and Link: You don’t have to do all the work of creating content! Curate and find links to other people’s interesting articles, video and photos that position your cause well. 90% of your posts should pertain to interesting things related to your cause - not simply self-produced self-promotion or self-serving calls to action.

5. Act Like NPR: Guy is a huge NPR fan (and was recently on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, a dream of his). He says that’s why he doesn’t mind their pledge drives. He says if your nonprofit provides great content every day, people won’t mind when it’s time to promote your organization on social media to solicit funds, volunteers, etc. Your nonprofit will have “earned the right” to ask for help. People may even be happy to give!

6. Restrain Yourself: Limit self-promotion to 5% of what you say - the other 95% should be great content. This approach will yield more fans.

7. Add Bling: On every post, include a picture or video (that is properly credited to the person who created it). Visuals matter.

8. Respond: Commenting on what your followers say and joining conversations will take your nonprofit’s social media presence from interesting to passionate.

9. Stay Positive or Stay Silent: Remain positive or at the least neutral. Once negativity is introduced, your social media credibility will diminish. Avoid “trolls” (hecklers and contrarians). Stay relentlessly constructive and don’t go round after round to argue points.

10. Repeat: If the content is truly superior, don’t be afraid to repost and repurpose. People rarely see everything you say or do, so it’s okay to circle back on something special.

I hope these are helpful. And if you have time, I hope you can listen to the webinar. It’s great practical advice on how to take your nonprofit’s social media presence to the next level.


Thanks to Katya Andresen and her blog, Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Northeast Iowa Food Bank will host the annual Combat Hunger at the entrances of 12 local grocery stores beginning on April 5th through April 7th. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.
  
  
• The Grout Museum District needs Girl Scout Fun Days Assistants for "Night Owl Overnight." Assist the scouts by helping them earn the "Night Owl" badge on April 12th and 13th at the Grout Museum of History & Science from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.
  
  
• The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission is seeking volunteers that can help with the heavy lifting of old TVs and computer monitors during their electronics recycling event in Waterloo. Volunteers will also be needed for directing traffic, surveys, and helping unload household chemicals from residents’ vehicles. Volunteers are needed from 7:40 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or 7:40 to 12:15 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.
  
  
• Allen Hospice is offering an opportunity for those who are interested in learning more about serving hospice patients and their families. Volunteers age 18 and over may offer companionship, comfort, respite or office assistance. Orientation will be held on four consecutive Tuesday evenings starting on April 16, from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on the first floor at Allen Hospital.
  


Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Nonprofit Awards Nomination Deadline Extended to Friday (3/29) at noon!

Do you know someone that deserves recognition for their work in the nonprofit sector? Please click here and nominate them!


Winners will be recognized at the Annual Nonprofit Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 12th at noon at the UNI Commons Ballroom.

 

 

To RSVP for the luncheon, email nonprofit.luncheon@gmail.com.

Character Counts in Iowa - Nominate Now!

Nomination Time:
 

Iowans show good character every day, and many times it goes unnoticed. There are countless individuals and organizations whose exemplary character is a model for us all.
 

The Iowa Character Awards highlight the best among us - those who do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Their stories inspire us and provide a renewed sense of pride in our state.

Students, teachers, schools, organizations, sports teams can all be nominated, and we want to make sure we spread the word!

 

All nominations must be received by May 14, 2013

 

Click HERE to nominate someone. 

 

Refugees in the Heartland Conference Invitation

We hope you’ll join us for the Refugees in the Heartland Conference at the University of Iowa, a conference about what it means to be a refugee and making the Midwest home. Panelists and presenters including refugees will share their stories and discuss past and present refugee law and policy in the US and globally.

In addition to public events, there will be specific programming for refugee leaders, writers and service providers that work with refugee communities on April 6. This includes leadership development and advocacy training while creating an advocacy agenda for use at the upcoming UNHCR Refugee Congress in Washington, D.C as well as a memoir writing workshop with Kao Kalia Yang.

Please share this invitation with others in your network. In particular, we welcome your help in reaching out to refugee leaders and writers and in identifying participants that may want to take part in the cultural fair and performances on April 4. Please note that limited funds are available for travel costs for refugee participants. Email amy-weismann@uiowa.edu for more information.

Please visit the conference website for details, including the schedule and registration form.

 

Get Involved – YouTube video contest

We also invite you to take part in a YouTube video contest on the topic of how you and your community can be a welcoming one for refugees. Contest rules are available here. The winning video submissions will be screened during Friday's events.

 

 

 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteers age 18 and older are invited to volunteer for Junior Achievement. Volunteers will meet in classrooms for five weeks for 30 – 45 minutes. This course runs each week from March 25^th – April 29^th.
  
  
• The Salvation Army needs kitchen helpers to assist in preparing and serving the noon time meal from 10:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.
  
  
• Spread The Care is looking for participants to make our world a better place to live in today and for our future generations through random acts of kindness. No random act is too small. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

• VA Voluntary Service needs a van driver to provide transportation to and from the Iowa City VA. Volunteers age 21 and over are needed once per week or as available from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

 

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer! 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteers age 16 and older are invited to volunteer with the Waterloo Leisure Service’s Spring Break Sports Camp. This camp runs from March 18^th – 21^st from 9 a.m. – noon with participants ages K-5th grade.
  
  
• Volunteers age 16 and older are invited to assist with a youth science program on March 23 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium.
  
  
• The JA Financial Literacy Fair is a simulation for 7th and 8th grade students to introduce career exploration, financial literacy, and budgeting through an interactive, hands-on fair. 15-20 community volunteers are needed each 2.5 hour shift on March 28, April 26 and May 10. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• Resident Advocates are needed at Ridgeway Place Assisted Living to escort residents to appointments and relay needed information or documents. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

 

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Fostering Emotional Literacy

By Jenny Friedman, Executive Director – Doing Good Together Newsletter

By helping children to name and understand their emotions, you give them tools to cope with their feelings all their lives. In fact, being our child's emotional "tutor" is one of our most important jobs as adults. Understanding feelings - one's own and those of others - is a critical first step in becoming empathetic and thoughtful. The ultimate goal is for children to learn to conduct themselves appropriately - even when adults aren't around. We provide some fun ways to help kids respond to difficult situations and make sense of their emotional world.

 

Make a Difference.....

You can help your child develop emotional intelligence with these games and activities.

• Play with our Feelings Flashcards from our Big-Hearted Families site. Try our suggested game ideas or make up your own.
• List "reaction" strategies. With your children, list strategies for coping with difficult emotions. Brainstorm activities that might ease an unpleasant feeling without resorting to hurtful reactions. In addition to anger, come up with strategies for dealing with nervousness, anticipation, boredom and more. ("I can stomp my feet when I'm angry; I can draw a comic strip when I'm bored.") You might be surprised at how different family members settle themselves. Keep the list handy for when tough emotions arise.
• Illustrate abstract emotions. Have your children draw what different emotions look like. They might draw forceful red lines for anger, or smooth, wavey lines for calm. This activity can initiate interesting conversations about the power of those big feelings.

Test your instincts. Take this quiz to see how well you read people's facial expressions. This might be a bit tough for younger kids but a fun way to practice.

 

Talk About It.....

The great thing about feelings is that there are so many opportunities for some BIG conversations. While it's good to discuss how your child or another person is feeling in the moment, it is also important to talk about feelings when your child is not caught up in emotion.

• Talk about experiences after they have happened and reflect together on all the ways you and your child responded well, and/or how the situation might be handled differently in the future. If there was a conflict, make sure to acknowledge both sides of the story.
• When reading with your child, discuss the characters' emotions. Ask questions about how different characters might be feeling.

Remind kids (and yourself!) that everyone has different "triggers" that ignite those big feelings. Talk about what sets you off, and what you notice gets others going. It can help us be more compassionate when we realize that we all find certain things a challenge to face.

 

UNI Sustainability Dialog & Action Poster Submissions

Posters are being sought from students, faculty, staff and community members attending this conference which can be informational or research-oriented in nature. Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to; energy, agriculture, business and commerce, building and city design, and ecosystems. These posters should present a clear message about sustainability. Please send a paragraph abstract of your poster for consideration by March 15, 2013 to

UNISustainabilityConf@uni.edu

 

Posters must be smaller than 36wx42h. All accepted applicants are responsible for printing their poster and displaying it at the conference Friday 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on the display boards provided at the CEEE. All applicants will be notified by email if their poster submission has been accepted by March 30th.

 

The 10 Happiest States in the U.S.

Live in Hawaii, Colorado, or Minnesota? Chances are, you’re happier than your brethren in Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia. That’s according to the 2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The yearly report surveys 1,000 people each day for 350 days out of the year, asking them questions about work environment, physical health, emotional health, lifestyle behaviors like exercise and smoking, access to things like health care and food, and overall life satisfaction.


For the past four years, Hawaii has taken the top spot (it came in second in 2008). Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Minnesota have also remained in the top 10 for the last four years. Vermont, Iowa, and Nebraska, on the other hand, have jumped from being moderately happy states (Vermont was ranked at 27 in 2008) to the top 10. The last state on the top 10, Massachusetts, ranks first for basic access--unsurprising considering the state’s comprehensive health care laws. Here is the full top 10 list of the happiest states, ranked by their well-being scores.

1. Hawaii
2. Colorado
3. Minnesota
4. Utah
5. Vermont
6. Nebraska
7. Montana
8. New Hampshire
9. Iowa
10. Massachusetts

In 2011, Gallup used its statistical data to create a composite of the happiest person in the country based on finds about the traits that correspond with happiness. The New York Times reported on what that person would look like: "He’s a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year." Is happiness tied directly to wealth? Maybe not, but it certainly helps.

 

Thank you Ariel Schwartz for this information - Ariel Schwartz is a Senior Editor at Co.Exist. She has contributed to SF Weekly, Popular Science, Inhabitat, Greenbiz, NBC Bay Area, GOOD Magazine and more.

Volunteer Administrators and Leaders United (VALU) - Register Now!

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley (VCCV) invites non-profit member agency representatives to attend the next VALU meeting on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Topic: “Why Every Job-seeker and New Grad Should Volunteer" will be presented by Lauren Finke. The location: Meeting Room 1 at the Kimball Ridge Center.

 

 

VALU is open to anyone interested in volunteer management. Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley member agency representatives attend free of charge. Others may attend for $5 per person.

 

 

This is a "Bring Your Own Lunch" event. Dessert snacks provided. The training will be no longer than 1 hour.

 

 

Call 272-2087 to register.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteers age 16 and older are invited to assist with craft activities on the history of Victorian Easter and take part in Victorian Easter Traditions on March 16^th from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Snowden House.
  
  
• Volunteers age 16 and older are invited to volunteer with the Waterloo Leisure Service’s Spring Break Sports Camp. This camp runs from March 18^th – 21^st from 9 a.m. – noon with participant’s ages K-5th grade.
  
  
• Volunteers are needed to assist youth during the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley’s World’s Greatest Spring Break event on March 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Waterloo Public Library. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.
  
  
• P.E.T. P.A.L.S. volunteers will endeavor to provide opportunities for animal and human interaction in the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities by visiting with approved pets in local nursing homes, hospitals, group homes, schools, and other facilities. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

 

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Meet VCCV Board Member - Tina Hummel

Tina Hummel grew up in Lamont, IA which is a very small town in Northeast Iowa. She graduated from Starmont High School in 2001. Most of her family still lives in that area. Tina moved to Waterloo 9 years ago when she started dating her husband, Jeremy. They were married in Jamaica in 2010 and in April of 2012, welcomed our first bundle of joy, Sebastian Michael. He keeps them very busy and on their toes now that he is a crawler! Tina enjoys spending time with my family, watching Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Bears football, going for walks, reading, shopping, watching movies, meeting new people, and just relaxing at home with her husband and son.

In September of 2012, Tina accepted the retail manager position at MidwestOne Bank in Waterloo. She comes from a financial background as was employed with Iowa Community Credit Union for 8 years. Tina graduated from Kaplan University in 2010 with her bachelors’ degree in Business Administration/Human Resources.

Tina is looking forward to being on the board for the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley and meeting all kinds of new people!

UNI in Top 20 for President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

The 2013 Honor Roll recipients were announced at the American Council on Education’s 95th Annual Meeting Leading Change on March 4, 2013, in Washington, DC. The 2013 Honor Roll finalists include the University of Northern Iowa in addition to the following:

2013 Presidential Awardees

La Sierra University

Nazareth College

University of Connecticut

Georgia Perimeter College

Gettysburg College

Honor Roll Finalists

California State University, Dominguez Hills

California State University, Monterey Bay

Defiance College

Empire College

Florida Stetson University

John Carroll University

Kalamazoo College

Mississippi State University

Paul Quinn College

Spelman College

University of Northern Iowa

Widener University

Congratulations to the students and colleges honored.

Thank you to the CNCS for providing this information.

President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

The 2013 Honor Roll recipients were announced at the American Council on Education’s 95th Annual Meeting Leading Change on March 4, 2013, in Washington, DC. The 2013 Honor Roll includes Iowa students from:

·        Central College, Pella, Iowa

·        Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa

·        Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa

Congratulations to the students and colleges honored.

Thanks to the Corporation for National and Community Service for sharing this information.

Service-Learning at Kittrell Elementary

Fourth and fifth grade students in the Expanded Learning Program at Kittrell Elementary School chose to create a service-learning project that educates others about the plight of abandoned animals. Knowing they had many questions concerning abandoned animals and knowing they first had to learn more about the scope of the problem, they invited Linda Nebbe from the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project to talk with them. Mrs. Nebbe and her two owl assistants amazed and awed the students with information. 

After much discussion and deliberation, the students opted to do two projects for the animals. One project is a drive to collect items needed for the survival of the animals. They are asking their fellow students to bring items such as dog food, towels, nuts, and pet supplies to school during the months of February and March. The items will be presented to Mrs. Nebbe for Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project.

Another group of students have produced a power point presentation about the proper care of animals and are presenting it to the other classrooms at Kittrell Elementary.

The 4^th and 5^th grade students in Mrs. Loes’ ELP class truly are passionate about the care of animals.  They want to make sure that their peers are also.

To learn more about service-learning, contact Jean Seeland, Program Coordinator, by calling 319-272-2087.