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Praise across cultures for making small changes towards beating debt.

photos by austinkleon, royblumental, eric731 and globetoppers.

Whether it’s a new bed-and-breakfast venture, travel to far-off lands or devoting your energy to a charitable organization, retirement is one of the best times for you to pursue your true passion.

But how do you identify your passion?

Read more from Kiplinger’s…click here for link.

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photos by ginnybrady and calaggie

When have you ever heard about a Credit Union being fraudulent or manipulative in its financial dealings?  When have you ever heard that a Credit Union served the interest of investors first then the people they served?  The answer is probably never.

There are several reasons that Credit Unions as banking institutions have been successful in this manner.

Credit Unions are nonprofits

Credit Unions were created with a core mission to meet the needs of people and/or entities that meet a specified criteria.  A core mission to serve a targeted group.

Credit Unions only have its members benefiting from sound financial practices as a banking institutions.  It is not beholden to any stock holder, hedge fund or any type of investor.

If you want to feel safer with your money try your local Credit Union.  Education yourself and your local officials about the positive sound business practices of credit unions.

Photos by theopportunityagenda

I attended a conference on 9/26/08.  One session was on how not to put your 501 c 3 at risk.  The one important aspect that I learn is how much more nonprofits and any company can do in getting people to register to vote without effecting the organization.  Nonpartisan voter registration is not considered political lobbying.

Getting people to participate in the election process begins with registration.  This nonpartisan effort allows individuals 18 years of age and older to be heard.  Whenever a person contacts their elected officials one of the first things they do is to check if the person is registered to vote in the district.  The second reference check is whether and how often a person votes.

The more that individuals affiliated with your organization participate in the election process the more likely issues of importance to your organization will be heard.

So get your act together and have register to vote applications available at your operations.

 Photo by lonely angel cp         Photo by Tzatziki

Most organizations, especially nonprofits sometimes think too hard and worry too much about finding the right language.  I would suggest that maybe you have forgotten what makes the organization special. 

Start with these four levers:

1. People:  What is your targeted audience (customers or donors) ready for?
2. Objectives:  What are your goals?
3. Strategy:  How do you want the relationship with the audience to change?
4. Tools: What tools (i.e. technology) should you use to maximize your efforts?

Think of the next three questions as you devise the four levers above.

1. What makes people participate in the first place?
2. What is the participants emotional motivation?
3. What will the participant get out of the participation?

Good luck!!

 Photo by Micala

Photo by Ross Mayfield 

Nonprofits bringing strength to the community.

To build a ground swell of support for a nonprofit organization or a cause takes consistent ongoing effort.    The building of a ground swell of support means that you want to hear from your community otherwise known as the customer.  However, you should be aware that the most successful ground swell involves also reaching those whom want to give you feedback and some of that will be negative.  This negative feedback provides for a means to identify those areas where continuous quality improvement occurs and lets the customers know that your listening.  Therefore, only support ground swell efforts if your willing to say yes to feedback that you share openly. 

You will find that there are three types of individuals that are part of the building of support towards the organizations effort.  The individual whom wants to provide the energy and content for the group, the individual whom will provide feedback either verbally or in person and the individual whom wants to be informed. 

You must assume that 44% of the targeted audience will be inactive.  The 56% of the audience whom are active in some way I will break into the three categories:

General audience who will read communications (48%)

Joiners who will read, vote, provide feedback, and potentially attend events (34%)

Participants who will provide time, effort, and attend the events.  (18%)

Concentrate on the building and linking of relationships to improve the level of success.

photo by Za3tOoOr!

phot by Tracey O

Are actions by the means you communicate whether intentionally stopping individuals and companies from accessing you?  No web site or an non useful web site turns away potential supporters and those whom want to give.  The goal is to always have the easy means for the easy money to flow your way.

PHOTO by mandy maarten

One of the most important goals in communicating is to be able to reach the intended audience.  The web provider DIGG I have found to be a place to find and distribute information.  DIGG For those of you not familiar with DIGG the simple explanation is that it is a social media platform on the web in which individuals share information from other web sites.  To get a better understanding of human nature in communicating I conducted a three day experiment with multiple posts of information.

1.    I found that 35% of individuals relate to information as if a drone.  They will take the same steps they always do when a piece of information shows up.  I confirmed this by specifically asking for an opposite reaction that one would only have done if they read the request first.

2.    I found that 70% of individuals only share what is within the DIGG community already and rarely post original content them selves.

3.    I found that it is necessary to have 51%-75% of the individuals promoting a persons post need to not be mutual friends.  The result is a sight that promotes not associating in public.  It compels a sub society to communicate.

4.    I found that the number of comments increases the likelihood of more people to read the posts.

5.    I found the automatic tracking by mutual friends of the posts could make it harder for posts to become popular because if the mutual friend shows they liked it, it makes it even harder to become popular.

6.    I found promoting posts of information is only best if not done by you.

7.    I found that the DIGG site evolved from seeking friends base on topic area or communities into a grouping of associates whom cross promote.  Thus, the selection of mutual friends is more about keeping them distinct from others.  Common bonds are looked upon with negative reinforcement.  Thus, the importance of sharing information with like minds directly results in a negative action.

8.    I found that separate from the need to understand the need to ignore the stated intent of the web site DIGG, that the title and description of a post can either make or break the information from going popular.
·    The key areas of success are in the many areas of entertainment.
·    Negative information is more successful than positive information.

In closing here a little advice in promoting your cause.
·    Have an eye catching title
·    If it is about being popular keep close friends limited and play the field
·    If it is about promoting a specific place of information or cause and not so much about making it big then have lots of close friends and upcoming information your promoting will get more views
·    Diversity among your audience in a social, geographic and time period will provide a weighted influence on the level of success of the communication
·    The more time you spend promoting the more likely you will find the right options and preferred methods for communicating to the audience you want to reach.

Nonprofits need to adopt their means of communicating on the web.

Photo by Vmaurin

My brother has served the military his whole life and his dedication to his fellow members is of equal respect and to make a difference.  There have been many recent articles and web posts recently about who makes a better Community Organizer.    While one of McCain’s daughter said that no family that comes close to being the military family they are, I would remind her of the families that had every male in their family die for the USA.  I would remind her of the thousands of individual’s whom support the troops no matter where they are station.  I kind of think it will cause a back last since it seems to be an Elitist attitude.  Germany, Japan, Korea, Kosovo and Iraq are four of examples where the military was the Community organizer and built the foundations of their societies of which many function today.

Community Organizers are inclusive not considered Mavericks because Mavericks are loners. The term Community Organizer is about working together, building coalitions and lastly structure.  I am unaware of a historical impact of a Maverick.  However, I am aware of many Community Organizers becoming part of history in making Change.

Do not forget that Socrates was one of the greatest promoters of “Question Authority”.    Community Organizers and Mavericks are both great at questioning authority but only one consistently produces results and shares the honor with all.

Nonprofits are organizing the efforts in communities across America where those whom have served return to provide the support they deserve even if government has not been fulfilling the job.  Community Organizing is not about money but about making a difference in the community in which the effort is being made.  Sometimes the effort is across the country and sometimes it is in one neighborhood.

Take a moment as people debate the issue to honor the efforts in the community you serve.  Nonprofits and individuals need to not be afraid to go in harms way and serve.

Photo by baratunde

photo by abbyladybug

Photo by eightk

THE USA was establish by community organizers willing to give up their life.  I am proud to continue the tradition of caring about my community and being involved.

Two words that will for months be remembered as a turning point in activism; COMMUNITY ORGANIZER and UPPITY.  It is also become a time of real reflection of the role nonprofits.   Through out history where government has failed nonprofits have stepped forward.  Before nonprofits and today community organizing has been the bedrock of helping neighbors.  Katrina was the best recent example of individuals reaching out an organizing a solution.  I am willing to project that “Community Organizers”will be more visible as a solution.  This is an opportunity and time to feel proud that nonprofits are at the front line for change.  Do not let any person, especially government tell you that your work as a community leader is less worthy than a government work.

How expression in an emotional moment can offend people.  How the use of anger should be recognized as real.  It is important to note injustice is real on all sides.  The use of controversy that fuels discussion is good but if it is used to be divisive then it is a failure. During elections various factions or groups will go too far because the emotion of a cause is left unchecked.   So you might ask how does this effect the nonprofit I associate with? The faith base community is the most exposed to crossing the line.  Those working with elected officials are the next exposed.  The best way to avoid the problem is to make sure the education process to the community includes the elected officials.  Leave the names of a party or a candidate out of the content.Let the others make mistakes that you can take advantage of.

Individuals can Stand UP,Feel Proud, and make their voices known.