Social media and charities can be a powerful combination to inspire social change.

Social media is a great way for charities to turn their supporters into ambassadors, since the best advertising is based on world of mouth. That’s why a successful social media campaign should be focused around generating discussion on your issue.

Posting controversial headlines on the topic is one way to grab attention and encourage readers to learn more. Many older charity directors are having trouble understanding how to use social media, but mastering it is essential to capturing a new generation of supporters who relate to this form of media more than most others.

Social media should not be looked at as an afterthought, but the priority you put on it will depend to a degree on the demographics of your target audience.

Related posts:

1. Tips on Blogs for Charities
2. How Social Media has Positively Impacted Non Profits
3. Fashion Charities Website
4. Why Small Businesses Should Support Local Charities?
5. Facebook Marketing for Charities

Non Profit Tech 2.0 is an online social media blog that is created and managed by Heather Mansfield. She is the author of Social Media for Social Good: A How-to Guide for Nonprofits, as well as the owner of DIOSA Communications.

Heather is deeply involved in the nonprofit social media world, thanks to her dual passions of internet technology and charity. She is dedicated to helping nonprofits to benefit from internet technology and use it to promote social change. The latest post on Non Profit Tech 2.0 is about Google + Best Practices for Nonprofits.

The site also features a link to webinars by Mansfield on topics relating to social media and non profits. Topics include how nonprofits can get the most out of Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare and other social networks, as well as how they can use the latest mobile technology to their advantage.

Related posts:

1. Social Marketing Media Guide
2. Non Profit Online Marketing Guide
3. How Social Media has Positively Impacted Non Profits
4. Challenges with For-Profit and Non-Profit Social Enterprises
5. Nonprofits and Social Media Opportunities

DoSomething.org is a great example of online advocacy which is targeted at a young audience. Over 1 million young people this year have taken action for social causes through the website, which encourages teenagers and young adults to launch social cause campaigns on issues they are passionate about.

DoSomething has become the largest cause-related site for young people in the US, currently featuring over 30,000 different campaigns founded by young people. The success of the site can be attributed to different factors, including the fact that they do a great job of lowering the barriers to entry for young people by making it easy for them to participate via their mobile devices.

They approach charity in a fun way that speaks to young people through social networks, which also encourages their friends to get involved.

Related posts:

1. Charity Online in India
2. Online Charity Scams
3. How a Blog Can Help a Charity Website
4. 4 Tips For Getting a Job in the Humanitarian, Development & Charity Fields
5. Best Charity Blogs

Luminate is a new, cloud-based solution that makes online event marketing for nonprofits easier than ever. The innovative solution combines successful online fundraising techniques with a powerful CRM platform and cutting edge analytics to meet the demanding needs of large nonprofits.

Luminate allows organizations to develop targeted campaigns which incorporate multi-channel marketing to get results. Specifically, the solution integrates direct mail and other traditional campaign approaches with mobile, social and online technologies. The advanced analytics allow users to make customized reports to track the effectiveness of each piece of the campaign strategy and how these interact.

The software includes TeamRaiser, which is designed specifically for online event fundraising applications. It allows nonprofits to tap the personal networks of their top supporters and easily mobilize volunteers online. This software is currently used by the largest charity events in the United States to raise over 70% of their online funds.

Related posts:

1. Online Video Marketing for Nonprofits
2. Cause Marketing Online
3. Online Marketing for Fundraising
4. Software for Online Fundraising for Nonprofits
5. Social Marketing Solutions for Branding

1. Books on Social Entrepreneurship By David Bornstein

How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein is one of the most influential books on social entrepreneurship.

Published in over twenty countries, it’s become the Bible for social entrepreneurs. It profiles men and women from around the world who’ve found innovative solutions to a number of social and economic problems.

From those working to deliver energy to Brazilian villagers to those improving access to college in the US, readers are sure to find inspiration in the stories of these social entrepreneurs who are changing the world for the better.

The book features many surprising facts about social entrepreneurship, including the fact that 97% of Gen Y say they are looking for work that allows them to have an impact on the world.

2. Books on Social Entrepreneurship By Tania Ellis

One of the more recent books on social entrepreneurship is The New Pioneers: Sustainable business success through social innovation and social entrepreneurship by Tanya Ellis.

The book is a practical guide that will appeal to both capitalists and idealists by offering ideas on how to navigate in the new economic world order. The book focuses on the social megatrends that are shaping our lives in new ways and creating anew face of capitalism.

The pioneers who are paving the way for the new business revolution are the social entrepreneurs, and Ellis asserts that they are this century’s generation of visionary leaders. Through their work, they are proving to hardcore business people that they can increase their profits by incorporating social responsibility into their business models. At the same time, idealists are realizing that the use of market methods helps them to meet their social goals more successfully.

3. Books on Social Entrepreneurship Around the World

Books on social entrepreneurship around the world, such as International Social Entrepreneurship: Pathways to Personal and Corporate Impact by Joseph Mark Munoz, explore the current definitions, concepts and methodologies pertaining to social entrepreneurship on a global scale.

The Munoz book showcases real-life cases and stories of individual social entrepreneurs and the companies they’ve founded which have made a positive impact in various parts of the world. The book will be very attractive to students with an interest in global development because of its academic nature.

Despite the growing interest in social entrepreneurship there are a limited number of academic materials on the subject, and this book is one of those resources. The book identified and discusses viable strategies for both students and executives who want to harness the forces of globalization for social good, and provides fresh insights on eh meaning of citizen ship in a global environment.

Related posts:

1. 2 Social Entrepreneurship PDF You Should Read
2. FREE iPhone/iPod Touch App to Help You Read eBooks on the Go
3. Recycling Your Old Books
4. Better World Books Online Bookstore With Soul
5. Book on Social Entrepreneurship Ideas

1. Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition

The Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition at the University of Washington in Seattle awards more than $30,000 in prizes each year to winning GSEC teams.

This cutting -edge international social venture plan competition gives an opportunity for interdisciplinary student teams from around the world to propose creative, commercially viable businesses aimed at reducing poverty in the developed world.

GSEC business plans have covered a broad spectrum of industries and ideas, from solar-powered modular power generators in Papua New Guinea to prickless anemia scanners in India, and mobile wind turbines in Khazakhastan. These are just a few examples of the power of business to create sustainable, positive solutions to co some of the world’s most challenging social problems.
Each year, GSEC brings a select group of semi-finalist teams from around the world to Seattle for GSEC Week.

2. 100k Social Entrepreneurship Competition

The Tufts Annual Social Entrepreneurship Competition is part of the school’s annual 100k Business Plan Competition. The Tufts program in entrepreneurial leadership has a primary goal of educating students and the competition is a way of extending that education to a broader audience and educating on a deeper level.

Since 2004, the Entrepreneurial Leadership program at Tufts has sponsored the annual business plan competition that awards a total of $100,000 in cash and in-kind services, including legal and advisory, to the winning teams. Participants can choose to compete in the Classic Competition or the Social Entrepreneurship Competition, and anyone who is part of the Tufts community is eligible and encouraged to enter and take action on their ideas for business or social ventures. Recent winners were Roof for Two in the classic competition and Sanergy in the social enterprise competition.

3. Villanova Social Entrepreneurship Competition

The Villanova Social Entrepreneurship Competition offers $150,000 in prizes to student entrepreneurs with ideas that could change the world.

The competition organizes students into teams, where those with ideas can register a team and those who want to participate but don’t have an idea can browse the ideas on a forum site and choose a team to join. Up to 5 teams will be selected to compete in the VSEC Final Competition, where they will compete for over $150,000 in grants and in-kind services.

The VSEC competition is a program for students to develop social venture plans for creative, commercially viable businesses aimed at reducing poverty and helping those in need. VSEC teams have developed some innovative ideas, including micro-hydro turbines designed to power rural villages and develop commerce, to SMS-based text messaging services for identification and treatment of diseases in isolated areas.

Related posts:

1. Annual Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition at UW
2. 3 Examples of Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition
3. Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition
4. LGBT Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition
5. Social Entrepreneurship Competition in Kenya

Even though the social media trend continues to sweep the world, nonprofits and social media have not had the closest relationship.

Many nonprofits still don’t recognize the opportunity they are missing by neglecting to engage with the social media world. According to a recent poll, this is a big mistake because 80% of all web users participate in nonprofit groups compared with 56% of non-Web users. For users of social networks the numbers are even higher.

What’s more, the research found that Internet users were more actively involved in nonprofit groups as well. One example of a charity which gets the power of social media is Charity: water. The charity even has a Director of Digital Engagement, who notes that the charity has always been focused online from the beginning, and that it’s the best way to target their base.

Related posts:

1. How Social Media has Positively Impacted Non Profits
2. How to Use Social Media for Nonprofits
3. Non Profit Tech 2.0 Social Media Guide
4. 3 Ways to Use Social Media for Marketing for Businesses & Nonprofits
5. Online Event Marketing for Nonprofits Solutions

When considering how to use social media for nonprofits, looking at an example can be useful. The recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were fueled by social media messages on sites like Facebook and Twitter, which shows just how powerful these new mediums can be for sparking social change.

In the area of advocacy, the secret to using social media successfully is to match online campaigns with organized physical action. A website alone is unlikely to create broad-based change, but it can serve as a rallying point for action. A good example of this is the charity called Invisible Children, which posts videos it creates on sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to rally students across the US in opposition of child exploitation in Africa. The group organized a protest in 2009 outside Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios which significantly raised visibility for their cause.

Related posts:

1. 3 Ways to Use Social Media for Marketing for Businesses & Nonprofits
2. Social Marketing Media Guide
3. Social Media is Useless for Social Enterprise… I Don’t Think So
4. How Social Media has Positively Impacted Non Profits
5. 2 Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Organizations

Hey there,

My name’s Matthew and it’s a pleasure to meet you.

I’m excited that you’re here because for most of my life, I’ve been trying to answer the question: “How can I change the world?”

Now, I think I have the answer…

I started up this website because I believe that it’s through business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs and passionate people like yourself who will truly change the world. I can’t do it myself.

So I created this website in order to support you…

I want to help you with GOOD business ideas and I mean that in 2 ways:

1. Firstly, I believe that you projects and business should be GOOD in the sense that they are profitable, sustainable and scalable.
2. Secondly, I want to help your business skills in a GOOD way in the sense that your businesses, projects or non profit startups actually make a positive difference in society through the value that it delivers.

   While you’re here, be sure to sign up to the mailing list. You can also share and comment on some articles and blog posts.

Oh, and give your opinions in the polls.

Stay in touch, and Change the World =)

Related posts:

1. How to Start an E Marketing Strategy for a Good Cause Business?
2. Social Business Ethics & the Question of Good and Evil
3. Trendy Website Design Idea for Good Websites: Replace Splash Screens
4. 10,000 Projected Monthly Page Views for MatthewAlberto.com!
5. Bank of America Donates $1 Million for Sustainable Business Ideas

Skoll Foundation’s Social Edge

Social Edge is a program of the Skoll Foundation that was inspired by Jeff Skoll’s commitment to connecting people with a shared passion for social entrepreneurship.

It is a global online community where social entrepreneurs and other practitioners in the social benefit sector can connect, learn, inspire and share resources. Social Edge is sponsored by the Skoll Foundation, but has no connection to its grantmaking programs. Thus, participation in Social Edge is not considered as a factor in the Foundation’s grant decision process.

Social Edge first launched in June 2003 with the mission to connect social entrepreneurs, foster frank dialogue and promote learning from the best and the most disastrous practices. Every week, the site hosts two online discussions moderated by experts in the field. The site also hosts blogs ranging form the inspirational to the practical, and offers podcasts from leading social entrepreneurs.

Social Edge Blogs

One of the blogs linked on the Social Edge site is called Advancing Social Impact. This blog is where leading practitioners share actionable, insightful tips that are intended for immediate use by organizations to expand impact and achieve their mission.

The blog is a companion resource to the handbook Nonprofit Management 101, which highlights easy to implement solutions and related resources on critical issues like fundraising, earned income, social media, marketing, PR, events, board and volunteer engagement, lobbying and advocacy. Another blog that’s linked from Social Edge is called Africa’s Moment. The author of this blog, Magogodi Makhene, was born and raised in Soweto.

Her goal is to help create Africa’s missing middle-class through business innovation. To this end, she recently founded Zenzele Circle, an angel investment network linking sub-Saharan African startups with seed and growth capital and strategic partners.

Social Edge Opportunities

The opportunities section of Social Edge can be thought of as the “watercooler” of the site, where people can share the latest buzz on current events and opportunities. An example of recent posts to this section includes the 11Eleven Film Project. The idea behind this project was that on 11th November 2011, people from all over the world who have access to a film/video camera, photo camera and recording device were invited to capture this day in their lives.

The footage was then be submitted, where it will be collated and used for a 2 hours cinematic documentary, photographic book and world music album. 11/11/11 is a nonprofit venture which aims to raise money for organizations supporting the UN Millennium Development goals, and to bring people from around the world together through film, music and art.

Related posts:

No related posts.