TA Tuesday (February 27, 2018)

Here's your weekly dose of TA. Enjoy.

Tools and Resources

  • Thanks nonprofit hub for the storytelling infographic!
  • Not sure how to use a particular emoji? Go to Emojipedia.
  • If you need to create an online group, Groupbox may be for you.
    You can share photos, discussions, links, videos, or host live chats within groups. You can start a group on any topic and easily control who can join and who cannot.
    . . .

    Groupbox is a safe way to start your own, free, online community.
  • If your organization is on Instagram, you might be interested in How Nonprofits Are Using Instagram To Tell Their Stories In A New Way.
  • Is Canva not your thing? Canva Alternatives: 8 More Simple Graphic Design Tools has some options.
  • GraphicHub is a cool, free online tool to create fabulous graphics for social media.
  • If you've not visited Biteable recently, you're in for a surprise. They've been busy adding retail, fruity, warm weather, and high tech templates.
  • M+R's Social Media Content Generator is pretty cool. Press the button and immediately a content idea will appear. Super helpful when the creative well is dry.

At work

  • Study Finds Postcard Writing a Powerful Political Engagement Tool in Virginia's 2017 House of Delegates Elections is a must-read for those interested in change. Postcards4VA (a grassroots Virginia group) and CitizenBe (behavioral science research firm) were interested in the "impact of writing postcards on the civic engagement of the writers." Study participants were asked, among other things,
    1. whether they wrote postcards alone or with others (such as at postcard writing parties)
    2. the positive emotions they felt during postcard writing
    3. their perceptions of how impactful their efforts would be in having an impact on the political system
    4. level of self-identification with political participation
    5. their intentions to engage in future political actions

    The findings according to BlueVirginia: "the social and emotional elements of writing postcards can increase civic engagement in terms of emotional outlook, scope of involvement, and likelihood of continued participation."
  • SPARKS is a new website and it is "devoted exclusively to social change quotations. . . It seeks to amplify the voices of women, Indigenous people and those who experience disability." Find quotations to use in your materials and add those which are missing.
  • Decision making in your organization: Cutting through the clutter. Read now.

Learn something

  • Resetting Development: Highlighting The Bright Spots is something. The bottom line:
    Our exploration suggests that what's needed is a mindset shift; a deeper change in the way organizations approach development and that breaking the vicious cycle of chronic fundraising problems will take more than new tactics or tools.
  • Transition Launch Online Training, Thursdays, March - May: Learn "everything you need to set-up and run a Transition or other community resilience-building initiative right where you live."
  • Synthetic Drug Threats in the United States: 2018 Update, Wednesday, February 28, 2:00-3:30 pm. This NDEWS Presents monthly webinar features a presentation by Jill M. Head, Supervisory Chemist, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Special Testing and Research Laboratory, DEA Emerging Trends Program. Free. Register.
  • 10 Ways Universities Can Use Facebook to Market to and Connect With Students offers advice many organizations can use. Read, learn, implement.

Good reads