Transmission Project - tools

1st Chicago Neighborhood Digital Excellence Conference And Technology Fair

Belinda Rawlins — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:32:29 +0000

What is “digital excellence”? What does it mean for community and economic development, job creation, and connecting neighborhoods in Chicago? How do we create a “culture of use’ for digital tools and resources driven by “digital excellence”? What does “digital excellence” mean for how you and all of us work with each other in a city that wants to be a global player in the 21st century digital world?

Join us for an info-and-discussion packed one-day conference at DePaul University Egan Center. You’ll meet lots of knowledgeable, active people and learn about “digital excellence” and how we can all work with the concept “digital excellence” in defining our city’s future.

Investing in Impact

Ben Sheldon — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:07:09 +0000

The Center for Social Media and The Media Consortium have a released a new report on the necessity of evaluating public media, entitled “Investing in Impact: Media Summits Reveal Pressing Needs, Tools for Evaluating Public Interest Media”:

Needs include:

1) Getting on the same page: Developing shared categories of impact assessment
2) Following the story: Tracking the movement of content and frames across platforms and over time
3) Contextualizing the anecdotal: Refining methods for analyzing shifts in public awareness, deliberation and
behavior
4) Understanding our users: Creating more sophisticated profiles of audience demographics, habits and concerns
5) Moving beyond market assumptions: Defining the uses and limitations of commercial metrics schemes for
assessing public interest media

Proposed tools to help public interest media makers assess their impact include:

1) Putting it all in one place: Building a unified social media dashboard
2) Chasing the frame: Building a social issue buzz tracker
3) Telling your story of impact: Developing model formats and processes for strategically communicating outcomes
4) Asking the right questions: Creating common survey tools for evaluation and audience assessment
5) Identifying networks: Creating a suite of tools that track the growth, health and effectiveness of networks

Last, but not least, we outline why funding for joint impact assessment projects is the true “killer app.”

The report also makes a great statement that echoes the Transmission Project’s priority of community engagement over community awareness:

To be clear, effectiveness is not synonymous with advocacy. Traditional journalistic values include holding the powerful to account, engaging users in dialogue about issues, and delivering timely, relevant information—all outcomes that can be tracked. Shifts in technology and user habits mean that old assumptions about what constitutes impact must be reconsidered. Simply reporting on an issue or community is no longer the final outcome in an era of multiplatform, participatory communication.

This report developed out of a series of Impact Summits held around the country, in which our Director Belinda Rawlins participated.

Boston Email Fundraising Bootcamp

Belinda Rawlins — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:33:22 +0000

Idealware and Third Sector New England are thrilled to host the Boston Email Fundraising Bootcamp! The Bootcamp will be an intensive, activity-packed day to help you jumpstart your email fundraising efforts. Whether you are new to the world of email fundraising or just need a refresher, join us to hear from experts from Idealware, Firefly Partners, and Database Design Associates and get hands-on help from peers and consultants in designing your own email fundraising strategy. With a cap of 45 participants, everyone will benefit from individual advice tailored to their own organization.

You will learn how to:

* * Develop the appropriate strategy for your email campaign
* * Target the right audience and build your email list
* * Craft the right messaging to inspire people to take action
* * Write effective emails
* * Avoid spam filters
* * Choose broadcast email and online donations vendors
* * Develop an online donation landing page
* * Track your success

By the end of the day, you will be prepped with everything you need to know to launch your own email fundraising campaign in time for year-end appeals!

Idealware Software Tip of the Month - Creating Online Charts

Belinda Rawlins — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:17:27 +0000

There’s a reason they say pictures are worth a thousand words. Graphical depictions of data on your website can help your audience understand complex information and move them to take action. Thanks to a set of newer, mostly free, online tools such as Google Docs Spreadsheet, ManyEyes, and Swivel Business, creating online charts has never been easier. http://www.idealware.org/tips/0910_onlinecharts.php

Assistive Technology Manual, DISKovery Center

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:53:23 +0000

The Assistive Technology Manual describes not only tools and products to aid people with disabilities, but also has etiquette and advice for respect in communications with a variety of impairments. This manual was developed by Anita Lie at the DISKovery Center in Los Angeles, CA.