15 Free Tools for Web-based Collaboration

Oct 31 2008 by Jacob Gube | 143 Comments | Stumble Bookmark

No man (or woman) is an island – and this statement can’t be any truer if you’re a designer or developer. Though paid/subscription services like Basecamp and Zimbra are great, individuals strapped for cash have a ton of alternatives that provide similar (if not better) features.

In this article, you’ll find 15 free tools to help you facilitate remote/web-based collaboration. Whether you need basic whiteboarding/brainstorming tools or fully-featured project management applications – you should be able to find a tool or two that’s worth checking out.

Google Docs

Google Docs is an excellent application for collaboration. You can share documents and spreadsheets and collaborate with your team/clients in real-time. Being a browser-based application – the requirements to get up and running is very minimal. Storing your work online means they’re readily available anywhere with an internet connection.  Check out the user examples of Google Docs to gain some ideas on how to use Google Docs.

Stixy

Stixy is a flexible, online “bulletin board”/drawing board. There’s little structure and it’s up to you how you want to use it, so it’s a great whiteboarding application. One of the useful ways to use Stixy is mocking up or wireframing web pages – your team member or clients can then go in and modify the design or post notes on particular aspects of the design.

Project2Manage

Project2Manage is a fully-featured, free, hosted solution for project management and collaboration (similar to Basecamp). You can set up different roles and permissions to limit what each  team members see, write in your milestones to show everyone your goals, and be able to manage unlimited projects.

bubbl.us

bubbl.us is a free, web-based application for collaborative brainstorming. You can create beautiful mind maps that you can share with team members. You can save, email, and print your mind maps or even embed them directly onto a web page.

Dabbleboard

Dabbleboard is a robust, online whiteboard that’s easy to use. Use Dabbleboard to create wire frames of your user interface, draw flow charts, and create network diagrams, among other things. You can create Toolkits (a set of reusable drawing objects) or use pre-made Toolkits.

Protonotes

Protonotes is a free annotation widget for your HTML prototypes. All you need to do is plop in a JavaScript onto your web page and voila – it just works. Usability testing, design critiquing, and quality-assurance testing are just some of the things that you can use Protonotes on. To get alerted when a new note has been posted, you can subscribe to your team’s notes RSS feed. You can export your data (your “protonotes”) as a CSV file which can be opened by spreadsheet applications like Google Spreadsheets or Excel or even use your own MySQL database to store your data.

ProjectPier

ProjectPier is a self-hosted, open-source, PHP-based project management application. Manage your tasks, team members, and projects under one interface. The interface is very simple and lacks the “whiz-bang” features of other solutions, but its does project management and collaboration quite well. If you need more convincing, read the 10 reasons for using ProjectPier straight from the creators.

Twiddla

Twiddla touts itself as a free, web-based meeting playground. Twiddla is an exceptional, no-hassle whiteboard solution for collaborating online. You can browse websites and draw on them, share files, and chat with your team. There’s even an “audio” option so you can communicate verbally (great for people who don’t draw well). Whether you’re critiquing a design or surfing the web for design inspiration, you’ll definitely find a use for Twiddla.

Wetpaint

Wetpaint is a freeform collaboration application that brings in features from wikis, blogs, forums, and social networks. Because it’s simple to use and requires no technical expertise, it’s an excellent platform for generating content from different sources which you can use “as-is” or on your website.

Skype

If you’ve been a web worker for a significant period of time, there’s little chance that Skype has evaded you. In case you haven’t heard of it, Skype is an application that allows you to make telephone calls over the internet (the technology is called Voice over Internet Protocol – or VoIP). You can make free calls to other Skype users and toll-free numbers, and even landlines/cell phones for a small fee. Aside from its VoIP feature, there are also built-in features for instant messaging (IM), video conferencing, and file sharing.

Thinkature

Thinkature is an excellent, free web collaboration tool. You’re given a workspace to help you visually communicate via chat, drawing, or grabbing content from around the web. Its flexibility allows you to dictate how you want to use it.

Spicebird

If you want to manage projects using a desktop application to conduct your remote/web-based collaboration, check out Spicebird – a robust, open-source platform for all your collaboration requirements. It has a built-in instant messaging chat system, a group calendar, an address book to place your team’s contact information, and much more. View the video demonstration to get a feel for what Spicebird is all about.

Mindquarry DO

Mindquarry DO is an open-source collaboration application written in Java (J2EE). They’ve discontinued the Mindquarry GO which used to be an online version of Mindquarry, but Mindquarry DO is still available for download. Check out the requirements specifications to make sure your server has what it needs to run Mindquarry.

Vyew

Vyew is a web-based conferencing application that’s free to use for up to 20 participants. You can share your desktops, use the built-in screen capture tool to save sessions, customize your Vyew by adding your company logo, utilize useful plug-ins like DiagramVyew to create diagrams to share with everyone, and much more.

Writeboard

Writeboard by 37 Signals is a simple, web-based collaborative writing solution that’s free and easy to use. You start by creating your own Writeboard, invite your team members (if you want to collaborate), and then just start writing. People can see updates, edits, and changes in real-time. You can save, track revisions, create versions, and roll back to previous versions of your Writeboard.

What’s your web-based collaboration tool?

Is your free project collaboration tool/app not on the list? Share it with us and tell us why we should check it out in the comments!

| Free Download | IQ Matrix Gallery | MasterMind Matrix | FAQ |

Introduction

Mind Mapping is a visual information management tool that enables us to structure, organize, memorize, arrange, brainstorm and learn information in a highly specialized way. In fact, the last 10 years have brought us amazing insights into the human mind and our limitless capacity to think, comprehend and store large reservoirs of information. If anything, these studies have proven that our capacity to think effectively and quickly is very closely tied to our imagination and our ability to create associations between information chunks.

Mind Mapping has come a long way since the early days when Tony Buzan introduced it to the world. It is now on the brink of becoming a mainstream tool that enables academic students, business professionals and many other individuals to tackle and take control of the overwhelming amount of information that we are forced to absorb every single day. Moreover, Mind Mapping is changing shape and form, turning into a Visual information management tool that brings with it a vast amount of flexibility and affordability.

Visual Mapping has come into its own over the past 5 years. There are now more Visual Mapping software applications out in the market than can be counted on our fingers and toes. The world of Information Organization is definitely changing course, and Visual Mapping is quietly becoming the revolutionary tool that will enable the few early adopters to gain a foothold and advantage within their industry. The question is, “Are you on board YET?”

This article post will introduce you to the principles behind Visual Mapping from a “beginner’s” perspective. It will also present you with several Visual Mapping examples utilizing different Mind Mapping software programs; to enable a visual comparison of the features and graphical appeal of each tool. The bulk of the discussion will however be built around the IQ Matrix Mind Map presented at the top of this post. This IQ Matrix is available as a free full color pdf download from the IQ Matrix Shop.

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix provides a definition of Mind Mapping. The 2nd Branch delves into the benefits of Mind Mapping. The 3rd Branch describes a variety of uses for Mind Maps. The 4th Branch identifies the industry accepted process of drawing a Mind Map. And finally, the 5th Branch breaks down the rules of Mind Mapping. These Rules are expanded in greater depth and detail within each of the computer generated mind map images presented towards the end of this post.

Defining Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping is a method of storing, organizing, prioritizing, learning, reviewing and memorizing information. It effectively presents an overview and summary of a body of knowledge that fuses words and pictures; helping simulate logic and creativity for proficient and effective thinking practices involving the 5 senses.

The Benefits of Mind Mapping

The benefits of Mind (visual) Mapping are extensive and far reaching in that it naturally expands our biological thinking capacity and ability to think laterally in any given situation.

Here are some of the prolonged benefits experienced by “serial” Mind Mappers (those who regularly utilize Mind Maps to clarify their thinking and organize their ideas):

• Improved capacity to see the bigger picture.
• Improved capacity to see detailed information.
• Improved capacity to remember complex information.
• Improved capacity to remember related chunks of information.
• Improved capacity to cope with mental clutter.
• Improved capacity to cope and manage periods of information overload.
• Improved imagination.
• Improved memory and retention.
• Improved levels of concentration.
• Improved note-taking ability.
• Improved level of interest in the content or subject one is studying.
• Improved problem solving ability.
• Improved management of study and revision time for Academics.
• Helps unlock hidden understandings within information chunks.
• Helps unlock unexpected creative insights and ideas.
• Helps save time.
• Helps make learning fun.
• Clarifies goals.
• Clarifies plans of action.
• Clarifies ideas.
• Clarifies habitual patterns of thinking.
• Triggers creative associations.
• Triggers comparison of facts, stats, data and ideas.
• And much more that is based upon personal experience, need and ability.

All the benefits presented above are of course open for discussion and interpretation. However, keep in mind that the true benefit lies in committing yourself to the act of utilizing Mind Maps for a period of at least two weeks, and measuring the results for yourself.

Remember that you don’t necessarily need to be a visual thinker in order to benefit from this process. Visual Maps after all don’t require the use of images, and can in fact be built entirely around key words and phrases in a somewhat linear fashion. Either way, they will assist you to better organize and manage the ever growing amount of information that comes your way every single day.

Using Mind Maps

Since the dawn of the Internet age, Mind Mapping has been growing steadily as an accepted means of storing and organizing information. Over this time, many people have shared extraordinary tales of how they utilize this Visual Thinking medium to organize, manage and improve their lives.

Mind Mapping for Work Productivity

Here are some ways people utilize visual mapping at work:

• Planning sales strategy.
• Planning marketing strategy.
• Organizing and managing projects.
• Organizing and managing meetings.
• Preparing for networking.
• Preparing for interviews, and conducting interviews.
• Business planning.
• Research and development.

Mind Mapping for Academic Success

Here are some ways students utilize visual mapping at school:

• Learning languages.
• Learning grammar.
• Preparing for examinations.
• Preparing structure for essays.
• Preparing presentations.
• For teaching purposes.
• Brainstorming ideas.
• Problem solving.
• Thinking creatively and critically about topics.
• Memorizing subject notes, books and materials.
• For general study and revision of information.

Mind Mapping for Life Management

Here are some ways people utilize visual mapping to manage their life:

• Managing time.
• Managing events.
• Goal setting.
• Keeping a diary.
• Holiday planning.
• Financial planning.
• Tracking important dates, events and information.

What can be achieved, and the amount of information we can manage at one time using visual Mind Maps is absolutely extraordinary. And this list only scrapes the surface of what is possible.

Drawing Mind Maps

Drawing a Mind Map is a rather simple process once one has a grasp of the basic structure. It’s in fact a process that requires very little step-by-step explanation. For that reason I will present it here as briefly as possible.

Here are some quick guidelines to help you draw your first Mind Map.

• Take a large sheet of paper and place it horizontally in front of you.
• Draw a reasonably sized (colored) memorable central image that represents the topic you are going to be mapping.
• Draw at least 4 thick organic looking branches radiating outwards from the central image. Make sure to use a different color to represent each branch.
• Write “key topic” words along these branches that represent the central image and the topic you are mapping.
• Draw additional branches that extend from your main branches. The words on these branches are essentially sub-topics of the words you wrote on your main branches.
• Keep expanding the Mind Map outwards with additional sub sub-topics / key words and branches.
• Refer to the Mind Mapping Rules presented within the next section to help improve your memory and recall of the information contained within the Mind Map you are creating.

For more information about drawing a Mind Map step-by-step see Drawing a Mind Map from Start to Finish.

Mind Map Rules

The content of this section is built upon the Mind Map software examples presented within the next section. You will gain significantly by downloading these images and referring to them as you move through the content presented here. These Mind Map software screen captures will also provide you with a visual representations of the key points of emphasis discussed below.

In order to improve your memory and recall of the Mind Map you are drawing, it is important to utilize a number of imaginative tools that will help stimulate deeper associations. Keep in mind that it’s not necessary to use all these suggestions, however by incorporating them, you will build a strong long-term memory of the information you are learning.

• Use symbols to classify different types of thoughts and ideas.
• Use “key words” on lines. Short phrases can also work well.
• Use multi-headed arrows of varying color, size, style and dimensions.
• Use codes to help draw your attention to specific sections of the map.
• Use good spacing between topics to separate your ideas.
• Use stimulating images and colors throughout the map.
• Use images to represent words in a metaphorical, “sound-like”, or direct manner.
• Create boundaries and borders to draw attention to specific branches.
• Create linear hierarchies of ordered numbers, lists and letters.
• Create “line” hierarchies; radiating from thick to thin lines.
• Create “word” hierarchies; varying “word sizes” to emphasize importance.
• Create memorable central image and associative pictures.
• Draw different shapes to represent ideas and segments of the map.
• Draw multi-dimensional words and objects.
• Draw thick branches that radiate outwards away from the central image.
• Vary “word” case. Use UPPER and lower case to emphasize importance of words.
• Vary font styles to separate ideas and topics.
• Vary branch colors in order to separate topics.
• Vary branch endings in order to emphasize words or phrases.
• Vary branch thickness in order to highlight specific ideas.
• Vary image / picture colors, emphasis, and size to enhance memory and recall.

Drawing Mind Maps in this way helps to stimulate imagination while at the same time creating strong associations. And it is these two factors - imagination and association - that stimulate long-term memory and recall of information.

Below is a Mind Map drawn by Paul Foreman presenting the above mentioned Mind Mapping Rules in a visually stunning graphical format.

| View Large Image | Paul Foreman’s Blog |

Drawing Mind Maps in this way allows for greater flexibility and freedom, while providing your mind with avenues for creative expression.

To see more of Paul Foreman’s ever growing collection of creative and inspirational Mind Maps; visit his Mind Map Inspiration Blog. Paul also has a very unique Drawing Tips for Mind Mapping ebook where he teaches his readers how to create Mind Maps from scratch.

For further insight into Paul’s drawing and Mind Mapping techniques, have a read of How I Drew My Mind Maps ebook. Here Paul discusses how he draws his Mind Maps step-by-step in a simple and easy to follow manner.

Comparing Visual Map Software Applications

There are several dozen Visual Mapping software applications available today. For links and information about these software applications, please read Advanced Mind Mapping Study Skills.

Below I have presented the Mind Mapping Rules (discussed above) within 4 leading Visual Mapping software applications. Each one represents this information in a slightly different fashion. A short explanation of each software’s unique features is presented under the images. These images will provide you with a good point of reference of the capabilities of each software application. However, keep in mind that each software also has other additional features and tools that you can only come to appreciate through use and application.

Tony Buzan’s iMindMap

| View Large Image | Download Trial of iMindMap |

iMindMap is a cartoon-like Mind Mapping software applications that most closely resembles the process of hand-drawn Mind Mapping presented by Paul Foreman. This software is designed and created by Tony Buzan the world renowned author who for many years has been a pioneer within Mind Mapping circles.

The software is relatively simple to use, allowing each user the ability to draw and extend branches with their mouse or a computer pen. Content is added to each branch via the keyboard once that branch (line) has been selected. Colors, fonts, images, symbols, and discrete notes can also be added to each branch as required.

The software is quite pleasing on the eyes from a graphical perspective, and is probably most suited to young children and those who are just starting out with Mind Mapping. However, iMindMap does lack quite a number of business, productivity and “information organization” related features that can be found in the other software packages presented within this post.

Personally, I utilize iMindMap to present simple snippets of information in a creative and visually appealing format.

Mindjet MindManager

| View Large Image | Download Trial of Mind Manager |

Mind Manager is a feature rich Mind Mapping application that structures content and information in a very systematic and organized manner. Predominantly utilized for business purposes, Mind Manager is today gaining inroads into educational institutions and the home environment.

Mind Manager provides the user with great flexibility to organize, arrange and categorize information in a variety of ways, while providing seamless Microsoft Office and Outlook integration. The software also allows the user to attach discrete notes to every branch, to insert symbols, images, web-pages, file shortcuts and folder links. The recent version of Mind Manager now comes with an integrated browser and enables users to save their Mind Map creations in an interactive pdf format that can be shared with others who don’t have access to the software application.

I have personally utilized Mind Manager extensively for the past 5 years. I plan out my blog posts, set goals, organize my time, manage the information I am learning on a daily basis, brainstorm ideas, and much more. My life would no doubt be very cluttered without it

NovaMind

| View Large Image | Download Trial of NovaMind |

The Visual Mapping market is very broad, as each software application positions itself within the marketplace somewhat differently. At one end, we have the cartoon-like layout of iMindMap. While at the other end of the spectrum there is the very structured layout of Mind Manager which is primarily utilized for business mapping purposes. There are also 3D applications such as Topicscape which is discussed a little later.

NovaMind seamlessly blends the features found within iMindMap and Mind Manager and improves on them in several respects. Within NovaMind you have the ability to position the branches exactly where you want them (which you can’t do in Mind Manager), while at the same time having the ability to create different branch styles (which you can’t do in iMindMap). On top of this NovaMind also provides the use of many different layout options like the rainbox coloring, FlexiBranches, attached graphics and text, reflections, glassy styles, and high quality images in the graphics libraries, all of which enable the user to make absolutely stunning Mind Maps easily.

NovaMind also allows the user to edit the outline of the Mind Map on the same screen as the Mind Map itself – something that can’t be done within Mind Manager or iMindMap – which helps people who like to work backwards and forwards between the two representations.

NovaMind is great for teaching and learning, as it provides a number of unique and helpful features like the Suggesterator which suggests new ideas related to what you already have on your Mind Map. There is also the BranchStorm capability which helps you blast ideas out very quickly, while providing the user with the ability to print out Mind Maps without text on the branches to assist with note-taking, memorization and revision.

NovaMind also has specialist features for Screenwriting, presentations, and project management, as well as a long list of import and export options, including the NovaMind Connect social Mind Map sharing website.

I’ve only recently been introduced to NovaMind, and on first impressions its ease of use and features have surpassed my expectations. It’s definitely a Mind Mapping software application for the creative mind, and for those who seek a feature packed flexible solution for information management purposes.

Topicscape

| View Large Image | Download Trial of Topicscape |

3D Topicscape is different from all other Mind Mapping software tools, and was included here to show the broad diversity of Visual Mapping software applications.  It is designed to help people who want to organize very large collections of computer files and notes in a Mind Map format, but find that most Mind Mapping software soon runs out of steam.  With large bodies of information, such software easily becomes overburdened, and the screen is so full of information that it is crowded and unusable.

Topicscape takes a different approach.  It builds a landscape that uses the Mind Mapping paradigm, but allows rapid zooming and flying.  You can take a broad overview, instantly zoom in on an area for more detail, and just as quickly zoom back if that’s not what you were looking for.

Thousands of files can be associated with one landscape and Topicscape’s very extensive searching capabilities makes handling these easy.

The Mind Map shown here was imported directly from a MindManager file and in Topicscape terms is very small.

I personally utilize Topicscape when I have vast amounts of information I want to collate, arrange and organize into a simple cataloged format that’s easy to refer to and work from.

To view more images of this Topicscape map, please refer to the Gallery Images presented at the top of this post.

Final Thoughts

I hope that this introduction to Mind (visual) Mapping has helped answer any questions you might have had about the tool that is gaining momentum within both Academic and Business circles. If you haven’t as yet utilized Visual Mapping at home, school or at work, than the chances are that over the next 5 to 10 years you probably will.

Mind Mapping is growing in popularity every single day and gaining an ever greater foothold within niche specific industries where information management is of critical importance. As a result, it will continue to grow and expand as the software tools evolve and adapt to our ever changing needs for information management.

How to Mind Map Video

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• Drawing a Mind Map from Start to Finish @ Mind Map Inspiration
• How to Make a Mind Map @ WikIT
• Learn How to Draw Mind Maps @ Mind Tools
• How to Mind Map @ Squidoo
• How to Mind Map @ Buzan World

Mind Map Software Applications

• Topicscape: Free Trial
• NovaMind: Free Trial
• Mind Manager: Free Trial
• iMindMap: Free Trial

Recommended Books

• Drawing Tips for Mind Mapping by Paul Foreman
• How I Drew My Mind Maps by Paul Foreman
• The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential by Tony Buzan & Barry Buzan
• Mapping Inner Space: Learning & Teaching Visual Mapping by Nancy Marqulies & Nusa Maal
• Idea Mapping: How to Access Your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More, and Achieve Success in Business by Jamie Nast
• Mindmapping: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity & Problem-Solving by Joyce Wycoff
• Mind Maps at Work: How to Be the Best at Your Job & Still Have Time to Play by Tony Buzan
• Visual Thinking: Tools for Mapping Your Ideas by Nancy Marqulies & Christine Valenza
• Thinking Visually: Business Applications of 14 Core Diagrams by Malcolm Craig

If you would like to download a copy of the free IQ Matrix Mind Map presented at the top of this post, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.

If you're new here, you may like to subscribe to the IQ Matrix RSS feed to receive email updates.

A former colleague of mine, William Davis, understands what a “web first” workflow is, and has made it happen through software at his newspaper in Maine.  The Bangor Daily News announced this week that it completed its full transition to open source blogging software, WordPress. And get this: The workflow integrates seamlessly with InDesign, meaning the paper now has one content management system for both its web and print operations. And if you’re auspicious enough, you can do it too — he’s open-sourced all the code!

The video embedded above is a screencast from Davis, which outlines the new editorial workflow.

 A truly web-first workflow

1. Reporters and editors compose all stories in Google Docs. Using labels and native commenting, the stories get sent through the editing process.
2. When a story is ready to publish, it gets sent from Google Docs to WordPress with one click.
3. In WordPress, editors can publish the story to the web, then set up a print headline and print subhead.
4. The story then appears in inDesign, where print designers can lay out the print newspaper.

“WordPress drives both our website and our print edition — you can’t put an article into the print edition of the paper unless it’s been put into WordPress,” Davis, the online editor of The Bangor Daily News, said.

No more copying and pasting, hallelujah!

Prior to implementing the new system, The BDN was using an ATEX system called Dewarview for print and a proprietary Web CMS called Creative Circle.

“We would have to copy and paste from Dewarview to Creative Circle, and our bureau reporters didn’t have access to Dewarview so they would have to e-mail their stories in,” Davis said of the clunky, disconnected workflow.

It’s basically free

Rather than having to pay a licensing fee to a company that runs your content management system, what The BDN has set up is essentially free to run. Of course, there were upfront costs involved with paying freelancers to help write the plugins, and each month the website has to pay hosting fees, but the rest of the tools they use are free for everyone. WordPress is open source software that anyone can download and use. Google Docs is also a free product if your organization is small enough.

You can do it, too!

The beauty of open source is that everyone can contribute freely to the source code, making it that much more stronger and useful. Because Davis understands this, he’s open-sourced all of the software he used to build the new system and documented most of the other processes involved (like transferring archives, for example). The only real hurdle goes beyond technology — you’ll have to get your whole newsroom to adopt the process.

“A lot of what took us so long to roll this out has been because of the complexity of the site, not the complexity of the setup. We started using the system in September and slowly moved over desks until they were all on Google Docs,” Davis said. “What was really time-consuming was rebuilding our site, which is incredibly expansive and has a lot of moving parts. We’re open-sourcing most of our work, so I really think it’d be pretty simple for another paper to adopt the same workflow.”

Davis said that for him, adoption was mostly pain-free.

“The reporters here understand what we’re trying to do and why it’s important to get the news out as quickly as possible,” he said.

Ready to get started?

If you want to take a stab at your own similar setup, here’s the baseline set of plugins to install:

• The Zoninator, which allows you to order content on your website by hand instead of chronologically.
• Edit Flow, which allows you to manage your workflow within WordPress through custom roles, statuses, and a ton of other features.
• Co-Authors Plus, which allows you to set multiple authors per post.
• Media Credit, which allows you to natively set the credit for images, instead of including the information in cutlines.
• CP Redirect, which allows you to remap URLs from your old site.
• XML import, for importing your archives into WordPress.
• Docs to WordPress, which allows you to send your Google Docs to WordPress.

Correction: An earlier version of this post said that advertising was integrated into the web system. In fact, that process is still in the works.

Full disclosue: As I mentioned at the start of this post, William Davis is a former colleague of mine from CoPress, where we worked together virtually in college to help transition college newspapers to open source software.

44 Ways to Turn Your Supporters into Fundraising Superstars

Posted by Mike Snusz on May 25th, 2011

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Yep, that's a real person. One that's passionate about a cause and ready to be a fundraising super star!

Turning your everyday supporters into fundraising superstars isn’t easy. It requires the right combination of fundraising expertise, engaged staff members, and savvy technology.

When done well, the results are impressive. Supporters raise significant amounts of money and bring new donors to your organization. For example, The Ride For Roswell event has seen an increase from $330,000 to $2.8 million raised annually since 2004 by helping participants become fundraisers.

As Steve MacLaughlin recently mentioned, health organizations that turn supporters into fundraisers continue to be leaders in online fundraising, and this growth is now an important contributor to their overall revenue.

So, how can you help supporters become fundraising superstars? Below are 44 tips I’ve learned, organized by topic and ordered from easiest to hardest to implement.

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Our November Report on the Career Path of the Corporate Social Strategist (it helps to have read that first) yielded some surprising findings: these business decision makers are struggling to scale to meet the growing demands of customers and internal business units –while maintaining a very lean team.

One stark reality we learned about the compounding demands is that Corporate Social Strategists are now realizing that they cannot scale: in fact every time we respond to customer complaints in social channels we reinforce that they can get our attention by ‘yelling at their friends’ in public.

They have no choice but to quickly develop scalable business programs, which we call “Escape Velocity” or be rendered in a role that is responding to every fire, and cleaning up messes from ill-fated programs started by Business Units (BU) that lack experience in what is called the dreaded “Social Media Help Desk”.

...

We all know how valuable photos are to telling our nonprofit stories. And decent point-and-shoot cameras are so affordable that we can do much of this photography ourselves. But then what? How do you organize your photos so you can actually find what you need?

I asked one of my favorite nonprofit photography and storytelling teams, Throwing Light, to share their ideas with you. Here’s what Leah and Andrew Hood advise . . .