Our growing list of tech tool reviews come 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 Meetup?
Meetup.com is an online service that helps you bring people together offline. With over 180,000 monthly meetups happening monthly, the site covers every cause or hobby and takes online groups a step further by creating a real, face-to-face community. As a visitor, you can either locate a group that suits your interests, or start a group yourself; the only requirement is that members of a group gather in-person.
How does Grassroots.org use Meetups?
As an organization, members of our staff are signed up for different Meetup groups within the nonprofit technology category. Being a member of these groups allows us to receive updates via email, participate on Meetup profile pages using message boards and comments, suggest ideas for topics or events and view photos from past events! Our participation at Grassroots Camp led us to sponsor the NY Social Change Camp last fall.
How should my nonprofit use Meetups?
Joining groups and networking is naturally the best way to gain public recognition for your organization. Do a quick search to see what events in your vicinity align with your mission. If you don't find a group that suits your nonprofit, there's always the option to start your own Meetup.
Group events take a lot of coordinating and organizing. So, if your organization holds support groups, a professional Meetup group boosts awareness and advocates for your cause on the web. Meetup provides you access to features like social media integration, a built-in calendar, message boards and multimedia content. All this can serve as a basic web presence for your nonprofit.
How can I signup?
Visit http://www.meetup.com and search for a group to join.
You can also start a Meetup Group; group organizers must pay a subscription fee ranging from $12 to $19/month, depending on the plan you choose.
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