Flash Mobs for Fitness

Looking for a novel way to get communities fired up about tackling obesity? Consider a flash mob. What’s a ‘flash mob’? Well, for LiveWell Colorado it’s a creative way to draw much needed attention to the problem:

… the campaign kicked off with a flash mob in three cities across the state (see above). In Denver, Greeley and Grand Junction, more than 100 people stripped down to retro, 1980’s-inspired work out gear and performed aerobics, leaving passersby engaged and amused.

You can see video proof of the impromptu workouts here.

Tweet Congress

Are members of Congress hip to Twitter? You bet! The folks over at tweetcongress.org built their site to open up a direct line between twitterers and their elected officials in Washington. Their mantra:

We the Tweeple of the United States, in order to form a more perfect government, establish communication, and promote transparency do hereby tweet the Congress of the United States of America.

See how democracy is functioning in 140 characters or less (with nifty stats and charts, too).

How does your Facebook page compare?

How does your Facebook presence stack up to other nonprofits? How much staff time do other nonprofits dedicate to social network upkeep? Now many nonprofits are using Twitter?

Our friends at NTEN surveyed over 900 nonprofit professionals about how they’re using social networks and then compiled the results into an easy-to-read report. (Note that you have to provide some basic contact information to download the report, but it also signs you up for NTEN’s free newsletter, which is full of helpful tools and info. And don’t forget – you’re an NTEN member!)

Building Relationships with Lawmakers

"In reality, successful influencers are... methodical. They are humble. They are patient."

Check out this exerpt from Amy Showalter's book about how underdogs (us) can build relationships with the Big Dogs (lawmakers) they hope to influence. Interesting reading...

http://www.innovatetomotivate. com/reports/ASAEUnderdog809. pdf


This abridged excerpt was published by The American Society of Association Executives Associations Now magazine.

Twitter 101 for business

Despite all the talk and hype about Twitter, do you still feel like you missed the first day of class?

This link will take you to a great guide- provided by Twitter- about how businesses are using the tool and maximizing their relationships with customers. There are sections on getting started, learning the lingo and even best practices. Plenty of relevant information as we think about how we can effectively use Twitter to engage with advocates.

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

Getting the most out of your NTEN membership

First- did you realize you have an NTEN membership? You do! We have an AHA membership that extends to all our grassroots staff. You should have received a welcome message way back at the end of 2008. You'll need your email address as your log-in name, and you'll click 'forgot password' to get started. Contact Danielle Grooms if you need assistance getting up and running on the website.

If you do know about your membership... Do you take advantage of the many free or low-cost webinars and conference calls hosted for members? They're a great way to get and stay connected with others in the advocacy field- and to learn how they're using various technologies in their work. I love their 'Ask the Expert' series!

Visit http://www.nten.org/ right away to get acquainted with the Nonprofit Technology Network. You'll be glad you did!

Tabbloid Reading

Have trouble keeping up with all your favorite blogs? Do you run out of time or forget to visit some of them? This is a great resource!

Visit http://www.tabbloid.com/ to set up your own daily paper. You simply enter the urls, set the schedule and let the website do the work. They'll send you a daily paper that includes all the recent posts from your favorite blogs.

Check it out! No need to spend your entire morning clicking from site to site...