Contest Aims to Harness Digital Sensing to Aid Poor
Unicef and ARM, a British firm that makes widely used microprocessors for smartphones and tablets, are leading a new effort to develop high-tech personal devices that could improve health and education for poor people around the world, The New York Times writes.
7 Ways to Get Staff Support for Technology Projects
New tools work only if employees actually use them. This checklist provides steps to get staff members on board with new technology.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Oxfam Aims Nepal Appeal at Big N.Y. ‘Net Conference
With Nepal reeling from another major earthquake, the aid charity is looking to maximize relief giving with mobile advertisements targeting some 50,000 digital-savvy participants at a New York tech gathering next week, Mashable writes.
Tech Investors Back Nonprofit Aiding Low-Income Students
An education nonprofit supported by an array of Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists is connecting disadvantaged students with opportunities to attend top colleges, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Facebook Donate Button Raises $15 Million for Nepal
Facebook also committed up to $2 million in matching funds, meaning $17.4 million will go to International Medical Corps.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Colbert to Fulfill All S.C. School Requests on DonorsChoose
Comedian Stephen Colbert, in partnership with the Morgridge Family Foundation and tech firm ScanSource, will pay $800,000 to cover nearly 1,000 grant requests that public-school teachers in his native state of South Carolina have posted on education crowdfunding site DonorsChoose.org, the Greenville News reports.
Former Kiva.org CEO Starts Mobile Microfinance Effort in Kenya
Matt Flannery, the co-founder and ex-CEO of nonprofit microlending site Kiva.org, announced Wednesday that he has raised $1.4 million in seed funding for his latest social venture, a mobile-based microfinance firm serving smartphone users in Africa, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Crowdfunding for Disaster Aid Hits New High With Nepal Quake
The Nepal earthquake has given rise to an unprecedented surge in small online fundraising campaigns, focusing attention on the efficacy of such crowdfunded charity, NPR reports.
Opinion: Research Sheds Light on Tech World’s View of Needy
Social-science experiments on wealth and empathy might help explain Silicon Valley’s “wayward moral compass” when it comes to giving, a New York Times tech columnist writes.
Charities Can Now Get Dot-NGO and Dot-ONG Web Addresses
Charities that register can create profile pages in a new directory for nonprofits, where they can also accept online donations.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Half of Colleges and Private Schools Use Social Media to Raise Money
The amount raised that way is small, but colleges are experimenting with new ideas to increase the numbers.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Rachel Micah Jones’s small charity is helping laborers fight back online against exploitation.
By Edward Ericson Jr.
Contributor
Online Fundraising Trends to Watch
Improvements in mobile payment system plus the rise of crowdfunding are among key changes that could spur online fundraising.
Pay attention to mobile devices, match your online and offline design, and more advice from organizations seeing success.
Take-Action Buttons Turn News Readers Into Activists
Foundations and other organizations are supporting creative efforts that make it easy for journalists to steer people to charities worth supporting.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Online Giving’s Time Has Come, Like It or Not
Many nonprofits see online giving as little more than a gimmick. But it may hold the key to strengthening ties with donors.