Grassroots.org

What kind of service is YouTube?

Created in 2005, YouTube is the first mass video-sharing website to rank among the top 5 most visited on the web. YouTube hosts a variety of user-generated content including video blogging clips, TV and movie clips and other self-recorded videos. Users are required to register for an account in order to upload content and customize their own "channel,” or page. Viewers can then rate/comment on user videos and share the viral-worthy ones with friends.

How does Grassroots.org use YouTube?

Grassroots.org's YouTube channel hosts our overview slideshows, ongoing Faces of Change video series and past webinars. The ability to embed video on our site is a key component of our multimedia strategy. In 2008, we were accepted into the YouTube Nonprofit Program, which resulted in increased channel and video view count. Since then, we have been able to connect to members and share our mission via premium branding features only offered to members of the program (channel banner, longer videos and a Google Checkout button to drive fundraising).

While there are perks to the Nonprofit Program, without information on viewer interest it’s impossible to improve our video content and campaigns. Much like Google Analytics, YouTube’s Insight section eases this concern by reporting on video traffic and ranking your top videos each week. These detailed statistics helped us locate new sources for potential members, donors and volunteers.

How should my nonprofit use YouTube?

All nonprofits should register for a free YouTube account and start uploading videos! An organization’s ability to produce compelling video content generates interest and followers. Both new and pro YouTube users should consider applying for the YouTube Nonprofit Program to join their active list of nonprofits.

How can I sign up for YouTube?

Visit YouTube's signup form to create a free basic account. Then, head over to the Nonprofits Program page to read more and apply!

The Grassroots.org Toolbox is now available to nonprofits in Africa! We realize that plenty of nonprofits outside of the U.S. and Canada are doing great work, which is why we are expanding membership to include African nonprofits and NGOs.

Membership grants organizations access to the Grassroots.org Toolbox to start a website and develop their nonprofit strategy free of charge. Currently, over 70 of our member organizations have missions based in Africa. We plan to welcome more African nonprofits during our mission to go global!

Fill out an application (be sure to indicate your African country) for free membership! If you know an organization in need of free web and business services, help them get started by passing the news along or ask them to learn more by watching the video below!

As Port Au Prince residents grapple with the aftermath of its Jan. 12 earthquake, one of our members is making sure the nation’s kids get to cut loose, at least a little.

The Haiti Soccer Project, based in Long Island, NY, supplies leagues across Haiti with soccer balls, uniforms and cleats. After the quake, the need for consistency and a few endorphins is even greater, said Lesly Williams, founder of the project.

“The people of Haiti have endured the worst disaster in their history…” Williams said. “Over the past few days, as we have seen on television, some kids have resorted to something they are very passionate about — shooting a soccer ball. We’re committed to supporting the youth of Haiti, as well as assisting in the restoration of some normalcy in their lives.”

The Haiti Soccer Project uses several of our web tools, but ultimately Williams’ commitment to Haiti prompted us to select the Haiti Soccer Project as our January Member of the Month.

“Most Haitian children love the game,” Williams said. “They kick just about anything that resembles a soccer ball. It is everywhere, but despite having the desire to play the game, most children are not able to participate in organized leagues with the proper equipment… Soccer offers unique opportunities to promote health, tolerance, teamwork, fair play, cooperation and unity.”

Welcome to this week's edition of "Grassroots.org Tool of the Week": our growing list of tech tool reviews from Mike Mann's Web Development Best Practices. Check the archives for our previous reviews, and come back next week for more insight on the web’s best tools for nonprofits.

What kind of service is Dimdim?
Started in 2006, Dimdim is a free, open source tool for real-time Web meetings and conferences. Dimdim allows presenters to show rich media: pictures, powerpoints, PDFs, screens, and video to audiences over the internet. Neither Dimdim presenters nor presentees are required to install software on their computers to attend and host web meetings. Attending a meeting is as easy as clicking a link at a scheduled time and waiting for the session to begin. The free version of Dimdim allows 20 participants per meeting. Meeting participants can see live video and the presenter's desktop while hearing multiple voices over IP. Dimdim also includes a free teleconference service, a whiteboard for participants to draw and collaborate, and an instant message chat feature. Both presenter and attendee can share audio and video.

How have we used Dimdim at Grassroots.org?
Grassroots.org staff has used Dimdim to conduct our live Webinar series for our members. During these online seminars we make frequent use of the chat feature, allowing participants to ask questions without interrupting the presentation.

Why should nonprofits use Dimdim?
Because it's free, easy to use and easy to customize. If nonprofits use Dimdim, they have no need for a complicated desktop client and meeting participants do not need to download software. Dimdim has very reliable customer service which includes forums, bug reporting, tracking and 24/7 crisis support.

How can my organization sign up for Dimdim?
The standard version of Dimdim is available for free. You can sign up here. The updated Dimdim Pro allows 50 users and is available for $19/month. Webinar hosting for up to 100 users is available for $75/month.

In September 2000, Africa Solutions, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was established in Minneapolis and Saint-Paul, Minnesota by Dr. Charles Koudou, a U.S. citizen and native of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast. The mission of Africa Solutions, Inc. is to provide sustainable health and development solutions in African communities. Since 2000, the organization has served as an initiator of HIV community forums and provided economic self-sufficiency services to African immigrants. Due to a lack of funding, we shut down during 2007-2008. But we are happy to announce that with Grassroots.org’s help, we have successfully re-launched as of November 2009 with a new vision and strategy, shifting to oversee missions in Africa.

Africa Solutions, Inc. has relied heavily on the free services Grassroots.org provides. Our website, logo, and email graphics were recently designed through the Volunteer Web Design program by Mouse Click Designs. In addition, Grassroots.org completely hosts our email server and website for free! Our future plans for the site include integrating free website translation and setting up our free virtual office.

We hope our new and growing online presence will boost interest in our work. Corporate partners, volunteers, community organizations, business owners, foundations, hospitals, universities, media, and many other institutions will use our organization's website for financial support, partnership, volunteerism, and to assess other nonprofit networks.

Africa Solutions, Inc. is glad to know thatGrassroots.org Toolbox’s services are accessible 24/7 and believe that at least one of the services will benefit every nonprofit. Visit our website at http://africasolutions.org to check out how The Toolbox has helped us expand, and contact us for more information!

If you're an avid follower of the Grassroots.org blog, you know that over the next few months, our staff will review one web tool each week. Each tool comes from this list of Web Development Best Practices from Grassroots.org founder Mike Mann. So check back for advice, insight and information on the web’s best technologies for nonprofits.

What kind of tool is Twitter?
Twitter is a social media tool that relies exclusively on 140-character mini-blogs. Similar to the status update feature on Facebook, Twitter allows users to shout out quick, snappy messages to a set list of followers. It has become a popular tool in most industries, but marketing, media, entertainment and nonprofit professionals have especially latched on to the network.

How have we used Twitter at Grassroots.org?
Twitter's usefulness is threefold: We learn about other organizations, stay up-to-date on nonprofit news and events, and gain exposure.

On a practical level, Twitter is an excellent source for archiving articles and resources. We follow a range of organizations, including marketing experts, start-up nonprofits, and major news outlets. Often, our Twitter feed reads like a mini news page, with links to articles on everything from technology to nonprofit news to humanitarian services.

The most tangible outcome on Twitter is publicity. We've gone from zero followers to nearly 3,000 since joining, and it's helped us gain exposure and connect with other organizations. Our cast of followers is diverse and includes everyone from member organizations to reporters for major media outlets. How does that translate to more publicity? At least 10 new accounts follow us every day, which has made Twitter our top referencing site for Grassroots.org

How should my nonprofit use Twitter?
All nonprofits should sign up for a Twitter account. It's an easy, free and fun way to network and snag some free publicity.

After signing up, search for followers. Typically, it's best to seek out organizations or individuals who identify with your cause. Once you collect a substantial follower list, begin Tweeting. The best way to find followers is to be an active Twitter participant. Re-tweet interesting articles, respond directly to individuals, and write a few messages each day.

As your Twitter presence grows, consider a tool such as Hoot Suiteto manage your account. Hoot Suite lets users connect Facebook and Twitter accounts, schedule Twitter feeds and analyze growth statistics.

How can my nonprofit sign up for the tool?
Go to the Twitter homepage, and start chirping.

By Mike Mann and Grassroots.org

……for your own projects, or to help with ours at listed at http://Aux.com/ and http://MikeMann.com/, in coordination with best business practices from http://MakeMillions.com/audio/

Great tools and ideas are necessary to research and develop for any organization that wants to be successful online — either for profit or for charitable organizations. Please comment on the products below that you've used. Read about, ask about, and test out others over time; tell us what we are missing and what to remove (email me: mikemann at mikemann dot com). Collectively, on this site, we are documenting the best Internet applications to leverage in our respective ventures. Feel free to re-post and link to this document, and use it to get rich. Thanks for helping out in this critical project to change the world.

Project Management
Going Viral
Interactive Marketing
Content Management
Marketing
Marketing Brainstorming
Public Relations
Web Development
Tech

Use Basecamp for 1-79 below. Briefly describe your theory for each test, the testing process, feedback from your trials, and any next steps.

Project Management
1. What special offers are you testing to enhance conversion rates? (Real, high-quality, branded products and services, delivered free or cheap that will convert and go viral. Many ideas tested thoroughly over time.)
2. What are the key metrics you are tracking for your site and company? (For example, web visitors, revenue by service area, new customers, total customers by service area, gross margins, free cashflow, etc.)
3. What are the changes in metrics since last period? Tracking where, deviating where? (Distribute links to your data on schedule via email; automate in analytics software.)
4. Do you have stable HR, legal, and accountancy? New programmers? Employee reporting procedures and reports? New products to train staff on and market to customers and prospects?
5. Can you and all your staff clearly describe the products, services, and up-to-date special offers that your company provides? (Everyone should have an "elevator pitch" for each product. Practice in teams.) Is it clear and simple on your website and all your printed and digital marketing materials, or should the productization marketing text and processes be fixed now so they are the best in your market?

Going Viral
6. Install viral software like Octazen (or competitors), and place viral links at key points in your Web pages, emails, and other user interfaces. Decide on all the best touch points to attempt to make viral linkages: within sign-up pages, emails, internal control panels spots, in newsletters, blogs, unique PPC/SEO landing pages, etc. Associate this viral component with great special offers mentioned above and cutting edge "Conversion Funnel" processes that should be a constant focus of your studies and relationships.
7. How do you or can you leverage Facebook, Twitter, iPhone apps, Blackberry apps, YouTube, LinkedIn,SalesForce.com, Digg, etc.? This encompasses multiple, critical, long-term technology and marketing processes that should be ambitiously evolved and documented in BaseCamp over many line items, whereas some are simpler, short-term ideas. What else are you testing or should you be testing in the social media sharing spaces? Are there any widgets/middleware/APIs that you want to develop for your organization to go more viral?
8. How can you successfully leverage sharing media/blogging? Develop an extensive list of blogger contacts in your market spaces, and get them to agree to redistribute your blogging via RSS. Choose which apps are good for you: Ping.fm, Googlealerts, Splitweet, Sharethis, Addthis, Tweetdeck, Messagepub.com, Docstoc, Docstor, Knol.Google, fliiby, and edocs? Newsletters/VideoBlogs etc. Vbulletin/PHPbb/BlogTV?
9. Using crowdsourcing for crowdmarketing; testing your sites, products, and services; the crowd is "secret shopping" your site and providing valuable feedback, while you are exposing your offerings to their community. For example go to mturk.com, have them do market research on your products and services and provide feedback; maybe some will convert to customers and finance the operation. In any event, the research is quick, cheap and possibly valuable.
10. Try Upsellit and Magento, and optimize if viable.

Interactive Marketing
11. What opportunities and apps are there for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, and Cost Per Action (CPA)? This area of study could create perpetual, huge, and very valuable strategic advantages. Pay attention for the big bucks.
12. What more can be tried with PPC? Why shouldn't you increase your PPC investing? Develop relationships with Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, ReachLocal, ServiceMagic, Oversee, Skenzo, ThoughtConvergence, Parked.com, and others if applicable.
13. Create theories for conversion funnels; test them out. If successful, your cost of new customers should constantly decrease.
14. Try A/B multivariate testing of the SEM, SEO, and LPO strategies that you should be developing.
15. Test and utilize relevant features of these Google tools: Analytics (incl. heat maps), Wave, Insights,Trends,Searchwiki, Website optimizer, Adwords, AdSense. Familiarize yourself with your Google spidering index level (ie Pr5/Pr4)… and plan accordingly.
16. Have you tested the relevant features of these tools? (There are a lot of them, so read reviews, and try the best. Don’t neglect to review things that might add huge value.): Yield Software, Trendeley, BlvdStatus, Quantcast, Alexa, Compete.com, CrazyEgg.com, VerticalResponse, Inquisite, Woopra, AWstats, Comscore, Hitwise, Spyfu, Wordtracker, Clickable, WebsiteOutlook, Kwiclick, SmarterTools.com,Viral Heat, RoiRevolution.com, HosterStats.com, Statbrain.
17. Is your Salesforce.com contact management system integrated with your web site, PDAs, and PCs? (or SugarCRM, IntelliCRM, HighRise, Act)
18. Logo brainstorming and best practices:http://logoblink.com/2008/03/24/explaining-web20-logos/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/stabilo-boss/101793494/sizes/o/

Content Management
19. Crowdsourcing for content, SEO tagging, designs, apps, voice, administrative and data entry. Be creative, this is a whole new paradigm of opportunity. Some sources are: Mechanical Turk, Elance, Rentacoder.com, Crowdspring, Sitebuilder, Sitepoint, 99designs.com, Guru.com, Voices.com, etc. Hire experts on crowdsourcing.
20. WordPress is standard to manage your site and content and blogs, but also review Movable Type, DotNetNuke.com, and Drupal to see what else should be integrated. Study CMS environment options at OpenSourceCMS.com
21. What is your overall content strategy? What is your multimedia strategy, and what applications do you use for web, email, thumbdrives, pdas, DVRs? (Photo, video, music, voice, radio and texts). Your content library should have it all to pull from when needed for web and elsewhere.
22. Content sources to review: Constant-Content, Shopping.com, Associated Content, AffiliateSummit.com, others?
23. Consider other affiliate marketing or content generating ideas with partners; syndicated content; sources for more compelling content to drive traffic and conversions; cross linking partnerships.
24. Productize everything with unique landing pages.
25. Consider a media gallery like Cooliris, which allows for 3D navigation with YouTube and Flickr, etc.
26. Consider these Customer Service tools: RequestTracker, EZ-Ticket, PHP Ticket, Help Desk Pilot, Kayako, and Hdeskonclick, Revelation Help Desk.

Marketing
27. Develop a vision, processes, and controls; establish a narrative on marketing, presentation, perception, and branding, with ties to to-do list and weekly conferences.
28. Report on top new prospects for affiliate channel building to get leverage, such as multilevel marketing. How can you improve old ones, too? Updated marketing material for prospective channel partners?
29. Look into and sign up for relevant affiliate service bureaus like Commission Junction, Linktrust.com, Linkshare, Tradedoubler, and Oddcast.com.
30. Don’t forget professional groups, especially Meetups in your local market! Boards of Trade/Chambers, online groups and associations, local tech events, MindShare, YEO/YPO, AngelCap, Technet.org. Which are keepers? What else is missing?
31. Would GeoIP tagging be useful for your organization?
32. Will using flash cookies/(Local) Shared Objects enhance your visitors’ experiences?
33. Engage these web marketing communities, which are often full of geniuses giving free advice (how can you go wrong?): MarketingSherpa, MarketingExperiments, Makeuseof.com, Mashable, Marketingprofs.com, Digitalppoint, Webtalkforums, Webmaster Forum, Webmaster Forums Online, Warrior Forums, The V7, 5Star Affiliate Forum, MediaBistro.

Marketing Brainstorming
34. Which are useful for your organization? Conferences, communities, groups, profiles, games, comments, messaging, calendars of events, news channel/ticker, video archives, classifieds, search of site, polls/surveys, ecards, secret shopper, gift certificates, contests, sweepstakes, celebs backing site, athlete sponsorships, Groupon.com and collective buying, gift/wish list widget, ad specialty trinkets, print ads, bookmarking site, biz cards with special coupons, wikipedia listings, demographic questionnaires with incentives.
35. How can you leverage webinars like Gotowebinar.com, for example? Other online events?
36. Are you following up by phone from web commerce forms that were abandoned before being completed by potential new customers?
37. Create a flash or Powerpoint product presentation explaining your business to prospective clients.
38. Update a PDF “one pager” explaining your business.
39. Product fulfillment: Drop shipping? One vendor or multivendor xml integration with white label when possible? Or can you own and white label your own brand(s)?
40. Email resources to test: ConstantContact, MailerMailer, and MailChimp.

Public Relations
41. Develop a press plan: Clear messaging globally, special messages for each service and notable timely items, current newsworthy activity.
42. Develop a list of reporters in your market space who will spin your press releases or interview you. Put it in SalesForce.com, and keep in touch with them.

Web Development
43. Ecommerce tools: XCart, Merchant accounts, Pay Pal, PayPal creditcards, PayPalx (x.com), PaySimple, RetailMeNot, Authorize.net, e-checks, Amazon Payment, Google Checkout, Magento, Expression Engine, OSCommerce, Zen Cart, Stormpay, Comodo, RadarBlue, E-Directory.com. Which are keepers?
44. Try UserTesting.com and UserVoice.com. What did they tell you? What similar sites are there to try?
45. Consider: Layout, functionality, wire, framework, ontology, navigation, taxonomy, sitemap, UI, search and browse, administrator modules, control panels, APIs, widgets, design database, timelines, approval processes, and staff assignments.
46. Check cross browser compatibility with Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, iPhone, etc, with varying speeds and technologies, and keep ping on network services.
47. Questionpro.com for surveys.
48. Make it clean and easy for consumers to do what they want, find and buy what they want, when they want, from anywhere, for any product or service.
49. Create flash tour storyboards, flash sites overall, and flash presentations
50. Do you need an investor presentation?
51. What is your mission, audience, and value proposition or your site or organization?
52. What do you want each person to do when they get to your site? What is the end goal of the visit?
53. Integrate charity and partner logos/text.
54. Consider and comment on LivePerson, LiveHelp, and BoldChat.
55. Look into Flash tools for flash site tours and various presentations.
56. Try Animoto for one great, simple flash option.
57. Which sites and forums do you follow for SEO, LPO, Webdev?
58. Crowdsource market research for your product and service ideas in detail with mturk, Facebook,Twitter, your email list, etc.
59. Put case studies, called “Success Stories,” on your website.
60. Develop and post customer and partner testimonials. Try CustomerLobby.
61. Consider the relevance of setting up your platform on Socialengine.com or Ning, etc.
62. "Ize" on the future: Incentivize, Socialize, Optimize, Customize, Localize, Personalize.

Tech
63. Look into a usability review for your website (Benevolabs.com, UserCentric.com, UserTesting, UserVoice).
64. Test telecom related apps, and integrate relevant ones in to your site and business flow: Phone.com,GoogleVoice, Ooma, MagicJack, Iotum.
65. Look into app development tools, such as Codeigniter and Zend LAMP platform.
66. With Webkit your app immediately integrates with iphone, android, Palm...
67. How can you dynamically deliver your site content for varying users and subscribers?
68. In what manner are you deploying LAMP, PHP, Ajax, Flex, Ruby, Dojo, RSS, XML, server side includes, iframes? Other ?
69. Are there Truste/Thawte/Verisign/encrypted pieces of site?
70. What are your long-term plans for hosting and bandwidth, network infrastructures?
71. Do you have backups, redundancy, monitoring, code repositories, version control?
72. PC Management: Backups (Acronis True Image/Carbonite/ BESR/Network Backup)
73. For remote access, visit http://www.zolved.com/remote_control or GoToMyPC - Sharing large files try YouSendit or DropBox.
74. Do you have Virus/Firewall Control or ZoneAlarm?
75. Investigate flash timelines, such as http://www.dipity.com/timetube/YouTube_Nirvana_Videos.
76. What is your document testing methodology, functional, load, performance, stress, volume, security, usability, localization, data migration and automated tests?
77. Is the domain up to date? Are there ancillary domains for protection? Is there any other IP dev or protection?
78. Do you have control and backups of all your code and intellectual property, clear title? Do you have the ability to sublicense or reuse for other sites?
79. Look into Spam Assassin and SORBS lists if you manage a mail server for your site.

We invite you this week to check out 2 member websites created by Grassroots.org volunteers!

Sarah Austin of Mouse Click Designs created a vibrant webpage for Africa Solutions. Africa Solutions is based in Minnesota and promotes HIV Prevention, Education and Awareness.

And volunteer Wanda Thomas designed a website for Grassroots.org member Seven Oaks Community Alliance using the Doodlekit Website Builder tool. Seven Oaks Community Alliance provides educational, social, cultural, and recreational activities for at-risk youth in the northern New Jersey community.

Thanks to both volunteers! Check out the Volunteer Website Gallery to view more designs. And if you or someone you know would like to volunteer your web (or graphic) design skills, please visit Grassroots.org's Volunteer Site.