We are testing a new tool this week: Storify is in beta, allowing us to weave together our social media and stories into one embeddable file for the web. Tell us what you think of this tool and format!
Written by: InKenzo
Weekly Update from Nonprofit Commons
Events this week:
Free Webinar on Tuesday 9/21 at 11AM PST:
Social Media Decision Making http://bit.ly/cdzj5N
Online Community MeetUp Wednesday night 9/22, 7PM PST in San Francisco
Hope you can join us in person, online or via Second Life inworld at the Plush Nonprofit Commons:
http://www.meetup.com/octribe/calendar/14233243/
8:30AM PST Friday meeting at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre
Join us this FRIDAY AM for Meet Your Neighbor and other nonprofit technology leaders at http://bit.ly/nonprofitcommons
Last week at the NPC:
* Ana Farber, a PhD down at University of Texas, Austin has invited us to participate in the SLActions Conference, abstracts are due by September 30th at www.slactions.org with chapters all over the world.
* Jenelle Levenque shared the Transgender American Veterans Association: http://tavausa.org/ educates government agencies on the needs of their transgendered constituents. Scheduled office hours inworld are Fridays from 0730 to 0830 and Murray or Alana Haefnir are also inworld to take your questions.
* Penguin (Megan at TechSoup Global) shared the FORUMS and here’s a full list of topics: http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/forums/default.aspx?GroupID=15 All are invited to participate online and share their knowledge! Ninlil (Layal) also made a video tutorial on how to do this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgyD5Opxwg
TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours
TechSoup has answered the community’s technology questions via telephone, email, and on TechSoup’s forums. This has also begun to occur on TechSoup’s social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook groups. In keeping with this tradition, we have decided to experiment with TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours inside Second Life to include all sorts of social media & technology questions.
Times are Tue 4-5pm, Wed 4-5pm, Thu 5-6pm, all times are Pacific.
We are also open to your recommendations, please read more information about: http://bit.ly/TSHelpDesk
Reminder: Submit your Projects to the FACT Social Justice Challenge at NetSquared
The French American Charitable Trust (FACT) and NetSquared are pleased to announce the second annual FACT Social Justice Awards. Submissions are now open for your innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies to foster collaboration around social justice issues. Learn more about the Challenge and how to participate here: http://netsquared.org/challenges/fact-social-justice-2010
From Laura at Horsenet in MD: Our rescue is taking part in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge. Shelters with the most votes are eligible for grants. Please help us win by voting daily from today through 12/19. Go to http://bit.ly/horsenetvote and search “HorseNet Horse Rescue” in Mount Airy, MD to vote.
An Easy Inworld Tip:
There are tons of classes on building, scripting, machinima production, even working with the new meshes that Second Life is now releasing for fully sculpted objects that look more real than ever before. For more detail on Linden Lab’s progress on MESH SUPPORT that will allow imports from 3D design programs, see this blog post: http://changingworldsbuildingdreams.com/the-status-of-mesh-support-in-se…
Every week inworld we share these links to our community sites:
Nonprofit Commons blog & wiki
http://www.nonprofitcommons.org/
Twitter:
@npsl http://www.twitter.com/npsl
Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/TechSoup-Second-Life
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/nonprofitcommons
LinkedIn:
http://linkd.in/NonprofitCommons
Weekly Networking Event: Wharf Ratz, Aloft every Tues., 8PM SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aloft%20Nonprofit%20Commons/162/236/2
Monthly Networking Event: The first Thurs. of every month, at Common Ground, Plush, 5 -7PM SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/128/220/26
Avatars United:
http://www.avatarsunited.com/groups/nonprofitcom
Thank you for your contributions to the Nonprofit Commons! Stay in touch: nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org
Written by: InKenzo
NPC Opportunities: Weekly Update from Nonprofit Commons
Weekly Update from the Nonprofit Commons
Events this week: 8:30AM Friday meeting at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre http://bit.ly/nonprofitcommons will give you a direct teleport to our main gathering area
Wharf Ratz happens Tuesday nights at Aloft Nonprofit Commons, northern side wharf with Brena Benoir and Coughran Mayo!
WEBINAR: Online Collaboration Tools Thursday, August 26, 11 am Pacific time at the Plush Amphitheatre
It doesn’t matter if your organization is large or small, or if you have a complex network or have no server at all. Knowing about online collaboration tools can help organizations and individuals be more effective, for less money, especially when your staff is not located in one central location.
In this free webinar, Kami Griffiths will interview Jon Warnow from 350.org to learn about the tools that they use to accomplish their mission specifically Google Apps, Skype and Salsa Labs-Democracy in Action. We’ll also hear from Jay Boren, from Google, who will provide more information about Google Apps and the ways that nonprofits and libraries can take advantage of this suite of free tools.
Last week at the NPC:
Megan at TechSoup (Penguin Kuhn inSL) announced changes to the blogging system on www.nonprofitcommons.org and invited our tenants and community members to get involved as bloggers. Talk to Megan if you would like more information on how to become a blogger!
Layal (Ninlil Xentiltat inSL) shared progress with the Community Gateway project, soon to be installed but also decommissioned as an official gateway as Linden Lab is discontinuing the focused orientation program.
Evonne (In Kenzo inSL) introduced the estate managers on each sim and opened the door for new estate managers to join our team on ECO Commons. We are working with the Anshe Chung team to place new estate managers on Plush while updating our lists for the NPCHelp Desk.
Jessica (Kali Izdiak inSL) introduced the Field Trip idea for visiting other sims with our community, a mix of good building inspiration and fun exploring new places.
Glitteractica Cookie will be away for a few more days and Kali, InK, Ninlil and Penguin can assist any tenants by emailing nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org
Submit your Projects to the FACT Social Justice Challenge at NetSquared
The French American Charitable Trust (FACT) and NetSquared are pleased to announce the second annual FACT Social Justice Awards. Submissions are now open for your innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies to foster collaboration around social justice issues. Learn more about the Challenge and how to participate here: http://netsquared.org/challenges/fact-social-justice-2010
Classes: August 26th at 1PM with Builders Brewery: 1:00 PM SLT
PUTTING IT TOGETHER WHEN BUILDING A HOUSE (or office)
Instructor: Auryn Beorn at Builders Brewery, Dockside
When we build a house, it’s common wanting to add some nice features, as doors that open/close remaining linked to the main build, having a controller that allows us to tint the windows or setting lights ON/OFF. So let’s put it all together in this class, and build a fully featured house. Class length: 90 minutes. Prerequisites: Editing and linking prims, editing scripts.
In case you missed: The Digital Catalog was released by TechSoup Global recently featuring all services and stock available to nonprofits! Visit the Digital Catalog at http://home.techsoup.org/pages/catalog.aspx
Thank you for your contributions to the Nonprofit Commons! For questions contact nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org for fastest response.
Written by: InKenzo
Weekly Update from the Nonprofit Commons
Weekly Roundup from the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life
Upcoming events @NPSL
Friday meeting 8:30AM every week at the Plush Nonprofit Commons (NPC) Amphitheatre
Weekly Tuesday night social meetups are happening on Aloft NPC at Wharf Ratz, 8PM
Grace Culbertson is hosting a discussion and prayer group at the National Day of Prayer/Tennessee office on Aloft on Tuesday at 7PM.
Events streaming at the Plush NPC Amphitheatre:
July 27th at 11AM: Microsoft 2010 Assistance, learn more about Office 2010: http://bit.ly/Microsoftwebinar
July 28th at 7PM: Online Community Managers Meetup with Ben Rigby from the Extraordinaries live @TechSoup in San Francisco: http://www.meetup.com/octribe/calendar/13319849/
Self-Guided Tour Text Needed!
If you have not submitted your tour text please email nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org
with:
Sim Name (Aloft, Plush, Health or Eco)
Office Number (if you don’t know it please leave blank and we’ll find it for you)
Avatar Contact information (in world name and possibly email address)
NPO Name
Website URL
Purpose or Mission of your org
Please keep text to three sentences and send this in by Tuesday July 27th for this update!
Last Friday’s meeting:
Amy Sample Ward (Amytron Helendale inSL) came to share about the Netsquared network connected to TechSoup, including local meetups in many cities and innovation challenges for social benefit organizations. To find a local meetup visit http://netsquared.org/local
Jori Clarke (Mali Sunflower inSL) who met Susan Tenby (Glitteractica Cookie inSL) at Games for Change, shared her work providing safe online spaces for kids with KidsCom.com across game worlds and virtual spaces, her slides are available online at http://bit.ly/KidsCom.
Sapna Cheryan (Marie Dirval inSL) led us through her research on stareotypes in Second Life as we looked at ways in which race, gender, age and other distinctions affect our inworld relationships: her slides can be viewed at http://bit.ly/DebunkTypes.
Volunteer questions and ideas please email nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org or find Layal Rabat (Ninlil Xentiltat) inworld. For mentorship needs please find Sandra Andrews (Ozma Malibu inSL) at the NPC.
Featured Org of the Week:
Steven Toussaint of the Alzheimer’s Association of New York has been building a new office on the Health Commons sim where he will be focusing on Alzheimers education. Please welcome him to the hilltop! For more info visit http://www.alznyc.org
Community Gateway:
Brena Benoir and Ninlil Xentiltat are working with our amazing volunteers at NPC to redo our community gateway, updating lessons for Viewer 2 and streamlining the orientation process for new avatars. Please contact Brena or Ninlil to assist in this endeavor on Aloft.
Event Listings:
Avatars RevCheryl Swansen and Jaywick Forcella will be sharing more with us on event listings in our upcoming meeting. Visit the NPSL event calendar at http://nonprofitcommons.org/content/event-calendar
Learn to do more in Second Life!
There are many classes every week inworld that can help you improve your skills at scripting, building, hosting events and creating unique interactive experiences.
Builders Brewery – Seamless Textures
Jul 28, 2010 6PM: www.buildersbrewery.com
Instructor: Avatar Robin Sojourner at Builders Brewery, Dockside
This class shows how to make seamless textures in Photoshop. Examples are given in PS, but the theory is good for any graphics application.
It is always good to see you at NPC for events, collaboration and common causes! If you have specific questions for our team or would like to be added to the agenda for an upcoming meeting please email nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org. Thanks for your volunteer service!
Written by: InKenzo
Webinar: Using Second Life to Collaborate and Connect
Date: Thu, May 13, 2010
and the
Time: 11:00 AM PDT
Some of you may have heard of Second Life before, while others may have not. Join us for an upcoming webinar that discusses the 3-D interactive environment of Second Life.
Basically, this webinar will demystify the use of Second Life for social good, and allow you to explore the benefits of using Second Life for nonprofits and libraries.
From the registration page:
Hear from Susan Tenby, Jessica Dally, and Renne Brock-Richmond who will:
• discuss best practices,
• give examples of how nonprofits and libraries are using Second Life,
• help you understand how your organization can utilize this powerful tool,
• create social change while collaborating within this innovative platform,
• and show you how to join our large community in the virtual world.
Go here to register for the Using Second Life to Collaborate and Connect Webinar:
http://bit.ly/SLWeb
You will be using this link to view the webinar, and you will be provided with telephone conference information so that you can hear the audio.
The second option for attending this webinar is the simulcast inside Second Life, so if you have never been inside Second Life, contact us at nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org and we will assist you in setting up an account and installing the software so that you may experience Second Life as you learn about it.
After you have set up your Second Life account and software, attend the webinar by clicking here: http://bit.ly/bq4leY and then allowing the link to launch Second Life for you.
Both options will give you the ability to listen to the speakers, view their slides, and ask questions.
If you have any questions about nonprofits in Second Life, post them for our presenters and they’ll address these: http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/forums/t/30342.aspx .
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Written by: Layal
Events at Nonprofit Commons: Webinars, Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day from the green fairy of NPC! Over the past few months it has been a great honor and pleasure to host events at the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life, from informational webinars to celebrations of great organizations and emerging new success stories. We have some of this ready for you now at NPC in Second Life:
WEBINAR TODAY at 10AM: Listening Stations!
Join us at the Plush Nonprofit Commons amphitheatre to participate virtually in this event.
EARTH DAY: Friday April 23rd Celebration at ECO Commons
This Friday morning from 8:30 – 11AM PST at the ECOCommons in Second Life the Nonprofit Commons will be celebrating the one year anniversary of this earth-friendly collaborative effort within the virtual workplace. Avatar volunteers, organizational leaders, committed earth stewards and caregivers will join gardeners, green technology speakers and the nonprofit avatars of the NPC for this special Earth Day celebration. Teleport to http://bit.ly/ECOCommons to join the celebration!
Morning speakers will include gardeners, urban chicken caregivers, virtual workplace efficiency experts, organizations making the most of green materials and methods along with international nonprofits sharing their sustainable outlook for future collaboration. A networking party will be hosted from 10-11AM where guests new to the Nonprofit Commons can take a tour on a flying eagle while exploring the open lands of ECO Commons in Second Life.
For the last four years nonprofit leaders from technology to conservation have been meeting at the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life and activating new endeavors through @NPSL and the NonprofitCommons.org blog and website. Nonprofits can earn a free virtual office space within the commons in exchange for their participation as educators, volunteers, organizers and thought leaders within this dynamic international community. Over the last four years our resident avatars have logged thousands of hours of virtual work within our community, collaborating across borders without the cost of travel, conferences and summits while exploring the efficiencies of virtual work.
For more information browse through our site here and follow us on Twitter @NPSL for frequent updates from our avatar changemakers.
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Written by: InKenzo
Facebook Webinar 10am Pacific time Thurs 03/11
I’m excited to tell you about this Facebook Webinar as I love joining the fan pages of NGOs to keep tabs on their news and how I can help them. If you’re a part of the Nonprofit Commons community, we have many upcoming opportunities for you to help us with greeting at one of these webinars, so let me know if you are interested by contacting nonprofitcommons(at)techsoup(dot)org! If you aren’t yet, then feel free to join the Techsoup.org group in Second Life.
If you’ve never been into Second Life, please feel free to sign up at SecondLife.com and then sign into it, and click on the link below to teleport to the correct location, and someone there will help you from there.
From Kami‘s Post:
“Is your nonprofit or library interested in using Facebook to interact with your constituencies and reach new audiences? Are you unsure of the best way to get started on this hugely popular social networking site?
Attend this free webinar next Thursday, March 11 at 10 a.m. Pacific time and hear social media consultant John Haydon walk through the essential steps to establishing and managing a successful Facebook presence for a nonprofit or library. He will provide several examples and be available to answer questions.”
Click here to register or follow the link after the webinar to access the recording. There, you can watch the slideshow and the webinar chat portion, and get phone access information.
and/or
Attend in Second Life at the Plush Nonprofit Commons amphitheater and participate in the SecondLife chat while you hang out with the Nonprofit Commons crowd.
To see who else is using Facebook, read and post to this discussion forum.
Written by: Layal
Free Online Event and Webinar with SL broadcast Feb. 18 : Straight Talk About Telecommunications for Your Organization
Don’t know your VoIP from your POTS or even what these acronyms mean? Scratching your head on all the phone system options out there? Then this event is for you.
Join us Thursday February 18 at 11 a.m. Pacific for an informative webinar and forums event to help you avoid the buzz-word marketing and get the real picture on telecommunications.
We’ll be joined by telecommunications expert and longtime TechSoup star and forums moderator, Chris Shipley of Nutmeg IT and Kevin Lo, Lead Technology Analyst for TechSoup Global. Our hosts will address the various voice communication options (VoIP, PBX hardware, voicemail, etc.) available and how these differ. We’ll explore the pros and cons of different solutions, cost considerations, and examine what kinds of organizations would best benefit from different systems.
This live webinar kicks off the official launch of TechSoup’s new Telecommunications discussion forum. After the webinar, our hosts will continue the conversation in the asynchronous (not live) forums event. We’ve gotten the conversation rolling with topics like how telecommunications is changing nonprofit work, Google Voice, and what VoIP services organizations are using. Head on over and post your questions and get expert advice on your telecommunications needs!
Here are all the ways you can participate in the event! Feel free to take part on any and all of these channels:
- Register for the live webinar, Thursday, February 18, 11 a.m. Pacific time
- Post your specific questions in the new Telecommunications forum and get expert answers. The discussion is asynchronous (not live), so show up any time and post
- Follow the action on Twitter: hashtag: #techsoup and via TweetChat
- Listen on the live web stream
- Participate virtually in the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life (slurl to location in Second Life). You can see a step-by-step guide for how to participate in Second Life
If you have any questions, please email community@techsoup.org.
Spread the word via Twitter and other social media sites by copying and pasting the following:
Join in free #techsoup forums event & webinar: Straight Talk about Telecommunications, 2/18:http://bit.ly/d0QfsP
Image credit: Peter Kamaninski via Flickr
Written by: penguin kuhn
TechSoup Global’s free Digital Storytelling Online Event and Community Challenge, September 30-Oct. 21.
Every organization has a story to tell. But yours doesn’t have to be a bland, corporate-sounding video or canned sound bite. Even with limited resources, time, or skills, your nonprofit can tell a compelling story that captures the importance and impact of your cause — and we’ve got an event that will show you how!
Mark your calendars for TechSoup Global’s Digital Storytelling Online Event! This free event will take place across three separate platforms: webinars, forums and the virtual world of Second Life. The webinar portion will take place over two days: Wednesday, September 30th and Thursday, October 1st. The Digital Storytelling Online Event’s discussions will occur in the TechSoup forums with expert hosts from the webinars. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and engage on a deeper level with the event hosts.
Visit the event webpage. Register to receive email announcements about the event.
How Can You Participate?
There are a number of ways that you can engage in the free Digital Storytelling Event. You are welcome to join any or all avenues listed below:
* Join a webinar
* Enter the Challenge by creating a story, and be in the running to win one of our many fabulous prizes including: a Flip Video camera, Adobe software, mp3 players and more!
* Engage with the experts in the TechSoup Forums
* Follow the action on Twitter #tsdigs
* Attend the Challenge Screening and Awards party at TechSoup Headquarters in San Francisco or from Second Life
What do we mean by Digital Storytelling?
According to Wikipedia, “Digital Storytelling refers to using digital tools so that ordinary people can tell their own real-life stories.” Nonprofits are among the storytellers who are using digital tools to tell compelling stories, showcase their work, engage their constituents, and spread awareness.
At our Digital Storytelling Event, our nonprofit partners and partner companies providing digital storytelling tools will show you step-by-step how to tell your story as a captivating, sensory, visual, and audio experience and showcase inspiring nonprofit case studies to demonstrate the power of digital storytelling in engaging your audience. Whether you’re a nonprofit video veteran or you’re just starting to share your mission through online images and audio, the Digital Storytelling Event will provide you with information about the latest digital storytelling tools and how to acquire them at a discounted nonprofit rate through our TechSoup Stock program.
Event Schedule:
9/30: Event Day 1 – TechSoup Forums,event discussions, and expert webinars
10/1: Event Day 2 – TechSoup Forums event discussions and “How to Create a Digital Story” webinar
10/1: Digital Storytelling Challenge kickoff
10/1-10/16: Digital Storytelling Challenge submission period. Expert digital storytelling hosts will be available in the TechSoup forums to answer your questions
10/19-10/20: Challenge Submissions Judging
10/21: Winners announced and movie screening party in the virtual world of Second Life and live from San Francisco at the TechSoup headquarters
Our Partners
We are thrilled to be partnering with some of the most knowledgeable and cutting edge nonprofits and companies in the digital storytelling realm. The following partners have confirmed participation in the event:
* Adobe
* BAVC
* BayCat
* Center for Digital Storytelling
* Flickr
* FlipVideo
* GoldMail
* Lights Camera Help
* Randal Moss, TWMDC
* ReadyTalk
* That’s Not Cool
* See 3 Communications
* StreetsideStories
* Witness
* Youth Radio
* YouTube
How to Stay Informed and Contact Us:
Stay tuned on the event website, register to receive email announcements about the event, and follow the action on Twitter #tsdigs. If you would like to get in touch directly feel free to reach out to the TechSoup Team: tsdigs@techsoupglobal.org.
Written by: Genesis