A little over a year ago, I gratefully accepted the position of Community Manager of the Nonprofit Commons, a community which I have long viewed as one of the best examples of how virtual worlds can benefit real lives and the real world we live in. As a longtime member, volunteer, organizer and friend of the NPC, being paid to support this unique space was an enormous privilege.
So it is with a heavy heart that I inform you all that this is my last week as Community Manager of the Nonprofit Commons.
As many of you know, I have a number of hats that I wear: virtual producer for Global Kids, founder and editor of the virtual worlds blog Betterverse.org, and digital learning educator at the California Academy of Sciences. My work responsibilities at my other positions are going to be ramping up very quickly in the next months, making my ability to effectively serve as NPC community manager impossible. So rather than short-change this community that I love, I am passing on the reins to others who can carry the mandate forward.
In future communications, we will be giving more details about the transition plan. But rest assured that the position is going to be in more than capable hands.
In addition, I think that my departure from the role is a good opportunity for all of us to think about what future we would envision for the NPC. Because while we have had a remarkable run, we also have faced some tremendous challenges in our five years. At the next NPC meeting, I would like us to have an open and frank discussion about where we would like to take the community into the future to ensure its continued growth and vitality.
As a beginning of the conversation, I will present the findings from our recent survey of our members which hopefully you have filled out. After that, we will talk about some of ways that TechSoup would like to see the NPC reach larger constituencies, be more visible to the general public, and be better integrated into the larger constellations of nonprofits around the world that we work with. We are counting on you to help us re-vision the Nonprofit Commons for the next five years.
As for myself, I would like to offer my appreciation to all of you who have been my allies , co-conspirators, advisors and volunteers over the past year. You are the reason I took this position, and what make it so difficult to leave.
First and foremost, thanks to Susan Tenby / Glitteractica Cookie for first approaching me about the position. And to the rest of the Community Team at TechSoup, it has been a real joy working with all of you. Parhelion has borne the brunt of the technical needs of the community, making my job so much easier. And the Mentors have been an always reliable response team for any needs that might arise in our community, well beyond their original mandate.
I hope to participate as I am able in future NPC activities, as time permits. And of course I will be following all of your events, activities and successes via Twitter, Facebook, and on the blog. So I won’t be a complete stranger!
Let me close by saying that I’m still optimistic about the potential of these virtual tools to connect people together, to enlighten and educate, and to inspire actions that better our world. Hopefully my small efforts as the Nonprofit Commons community manager have helped make that potential become reality. It’s been an honor and a pleasure.
P.S. For any questions or concerns about this transition process, please be in touch with us at nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org.
Written by: rikomatic