K Street Cafe

Organizations talk about social media with the same obsession and confusion as Donald Trump’s hair. But to what extent are they using it and how effectively? A new survey asks 11,000 non-profits and professional associations just that.

The study, conducted by the Nonprofit Technology Network, Common Knowledge, and Blackbaud, looked at organizations of all types and sizes. Nonprofit Technology Network executive director Holly Ross tells us one of the most common questions she gets is “Can I raise money with social media?” The survey found that 46% of organizations are raising $1 to $10K through social networks—up from 38% the year before. Only 0.4% of organizations raise more than $100K per year on social networks. But not all of these “Master Social Fundraisers” have giant budgets. In fact, nearly a third have budgets of less than $5 million. What they do have in common are massive followings. The average Facebook following of a “Master Social Fundraiser” is nearly 100,000—more than 15 times the average non-profit. In addition, 30% have at least two staff dedicated to social media, compared to 2% of the sector as a whole.

Holly tells us a new breed of non-profit is emerging that exists almost exclusively in the social media space. These groups sometimes don’t have traditional websites, but rely on Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and YouTube. She recalls meeting a guy from one such organization who was talking about e-mail as the “traditional” form of fundraising. She had to correct him to say that traditional fundraising was actually done with direct mail. Holly says it’s all tied up in a larger trend of what it means to be a non-profit. Social entrepreneurs and mixed models of business and charity are changing what it means to do good.

To read the entire article on BisNow, click here.

After catching the last flight out of my hometown of Nashville last May before torrential downpours forced the airport to close, I was heartbroken when I returned to DC and learned that family and friends were under water. They were up the creek without a paddle, only the creek had come to them, and it was still coming.

A new documentary short from the folks at The Tennessean shows how social media helped the middle Tennessee region come to grips with the crisis, and ultimately rebound from it:

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Peter Slen of C-SPAN’s The Communicators filmed the segment below at the State of the Net Conference on January 27, 2011 — in it, Ambassador Philip Verveer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and U.S. Coordinator for Communications and Information Policy, and Ed Felten, Chief Technologist at the FTC, talk about their agencies’ roles in crafting official U.S. and international information and communications policy, particularly regarding social media, free expression, and online privacy:

The video is almost a half hour, but it’s an interesting pair of interviews — they also address recent political upheaval in Tunisia, censorship in China, international copyright and other property rights protections, cloud computing adoption across the federal government, and other global economic issues tied to the free flow of information.

Today at noon when the U.S. House of Representatives convenes, you don’t need to be in front of a television to watch what’s happening. For the first time ever, Americans can see the proceedings on Facebook — and use the popular social network’s interactive features to discuss and debate.

It’s happening on the GOP’s Pledge to America Facebook page. The action begins at noon ET and includes the swearing-in ceremony and remarks by Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio).

With an increased emphasis on digital media, Boehner is setting the tone for the 112th Congress. New rules emphasize transparency and employ technology to make the House more open and accessible to the American people.

Among the other things you’ll see change today, according to Don Seymour, Boehner’s deputy communications director:

• On Twitter: @SpeakerBoehner – Of course Boehner isn’t the only Republican in Congress to have a new Twitter handle. Majority Leader-elect Eric Cantor (R-VA) will take over the @GOPLeader account and his press team will Tweet from @CantorPress. Majority Whip-elect Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will use @GOPWhip. You can find and follow more Republicans on Twitter via TweetCongress.org.

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How Social Media Is Making Veteran Service Organizations Better (Mashable)
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have changed the way the VA and traditional veterans’ service organizations reach both the newer and older generations of veterans.

Wikileaks’ “War Logs” Prove a Boon to Researchers Allowed at Them (Tech President)
Wikileaks’ “Iraq War Logs” of military action have been brought up as part of a long-running debate amongst advocates and academics.

Did Facebook Just Sound the Death Knell for Groupon and Foursquare? (Fast Company)
Facebook recently stepped into the space previously dominated by Foursquare, Gowalla and Groupon.

YouTube Withdraws Muslim Cleric’s Videos (The New York Times)
After pressure from American and British officials, YouTube has taken down hundreds of videos featuring calls to jihad.

Facebook is getting into the spirit of Election Day with a poll locator widget along with an “I Voted” button that you can post on your page which includes a tally of those that clicked the button.

On the U.S. Politics on Facebook page, they have a post which tallied the number of Republicans, Democrats and Independents that have voted. I presume this information is coming from their members who have self-identified themselves politically and have clicked on their “I Voted” button.

This got me thinking… could a social media widget like Facebook’s help create a larger wave of voter intensity, given that most people friend those they know and share common interests and values with? And what is the impact of one politically savvy friend on Facebook?

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WPP Partners With Buddy Media to Take Social Media Management Global (Mashable)
WPP is making a $5 million investment in Facebook management platform Buddy Media.

Twitter Is Adding A Spectacular 370,000 New Users A Day — But Mostly Outside The US (Business Insider)
In the past two months Twitter has added 30 million new users.

All Online Politics is Personalized, Or May Soon Be (Tech President)
With companies like RapLeaf, campaigns can target real names and addresses from what can be gleaned about users from the web.

Facebook Lacks Friends in D.C. (Politico)
Facebook has one of the smallest policy and lobbying shops in the Capitol.

Are Social Media and Politics Hitting the Mark for Young Voters? (Know)
A look at the effectiveness of using social media to influence younger demographics at the polls.

Facebook, Amazon and Kleiner Perkins Start $250 Million Fund for Social Innovation (Mashable)
Investment partners recently announced the creation of the sFund, which will support social innovation.