NetSquared

A new generation of online tools is making it easier than ever for nonprofits to collaborate, share information, and mobilize constituents. Blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts, and other tools allow organizations to connect and find support, often with little technical expertise or financial investment.

NetSquared, a project of TechSoup, works to inspire and assist social-benefit organizations in adopting these social Web tools through various programs, including its Web site, meetups, and an annual conference.

This year's conference, taking place May 27 and 28 in San Jose, California, will challenge organizations to invent innovative ways to present and share their data — and offer a share of $100,000 in funding to the projects with the most potential. Learn more about the NetSquared Mashup Challenge.

Ways You Can Use NetSquared

From the NetSquared Web site to in-person gatherings, NetSquared offers a variety of ways you can learn more about how to use emerging technologies to further your cause.

Learn about the Social Web
Head to NetSquared's Community Blog to learn about and discuss ways nonprofits are using the Web to further social change.

Connect with Others
Appropriately, members of the NetSquared community can be found all over the Web, on sites like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Second Life. Check out these hotspots and meet developers, activists, and social media mavens from all over the world.

Meet Other Nonprofits in Person
NetSquared's monthly Net Tuesday events, held in various locations around the United States, give you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with NetSquared community members and sustain the kind of personal relationships that make online connection meaningful.

Join the Challenge
The third annual NetSquared Conference is looking for a few good mashups. If you don't know what a mashup is, fear not — this challenge is not for techies only. In short, we are looking for people and organizations who have ideas for how to use the Web to make information more accessible, and more easily used for social change.

Do you have a great idea about using your organization's disaster data to create interactive online maps, but aren't sure how to accomplish this technically? Are you chomping at the bit to create a collaborative database of homeless shelters for your community, but have no idea where to start? Enter the Mashup Challenge, and bring your ideas to the next level. Find more information on the NetSquared Mashup Challenge.

Not Ready to Dive into NetSquared?

You can also find plenty of social Web resources right here on TechSoup.

Emerging Technologies Forum
Get the news on recent developments in technology, and discuss Web 2.0 tools and other new technologies with nonprofits and technology experts in TechSoup's Community forums.

Web 2.0 Toolkit
Your guide to blogs, RSS, video sharing, and other social networking and collaboration tools that are helping nonprofits operate more efficiently, generate more funding, and affect more lives.

Should Your Organization Use Social Networking Sites?
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Why Nonprofit Managers Must Use RSS — And How to Start
If you're a nonprofit manager and you're not using RSS, you may be falling behind. Learn how you can go from zero to RSS expert in three easy steps in this guide from DemocracyInAction.org.

A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook
Facebook is catching on with nonprofits and advocacy groups. Learn how your organization can get started on the popular social networking site.