Non Profit Blog Exchange, Round 3

This is the third time in the past year that I've participated in the non profit blog exchange at http://nonprofitblogexchange.blogspot.com/

This time I was assigned The Camp ASCCA Journal at athttp://www.mail2web.com/cgi-bin/redir.asp?lid=0&newsite=http://www.campascca.org/journal/.
I'm very impressed with the work being done by Camp ASCCA. Their Mission is to help children and adults with disabilities achieve equality, dignity, and maximum independence through a safe and quality program of camping, recreation, and education in a year-round barrier-free environment.

They have developed a very innovative use of blogs to tell their story. This is an important example for organizations who may want a web strategy, but may not be able to build a traditional web site. This site looks pretty sophisticated, but many of the pages are interactive blog pages that enable members of Camp ASCCA to post up-to-date information about the work they do, and about work other environmental organizations are doing. I encourage you to visit the site.

In addition I was invited to write about the blog at http://www.christine.net . I visited this blog and was pleased to learn that the writer is part of the http://www.omidyar.net/ organization. I'm one of more than 10,000 people who have become a member of O-Net. I don't see the same focus on non-profit issues on this blog as I have in others listed on the non profit blog exchange, but the site provides links to other technology related blogs for anyone interested in learning more about various communications technologies.

I participate in the blog exchange as part of an on-going effort to build a "network of purpose". What is this? Read the ppt essay titled Creating a Learning & Collaboration Network of Purpose which is located in the Tutor/Mentor Institute section of http://www.tutormentorexchange.net.

Or join me next week (May 2-5) at http://www.socialedge.org/ where I'll lead a discussion about building networks of purpose. This is the first of several on-line forums that the Tutor/Mentor Connection has organized for May and June networking of non profit tutor/mentor leaders and their supporters.

The blog exchange is building a network of groups focused on sharing information about non profits. One hundred blogs are now listed at http://nonprofitblogexchange.blogspot.com/ I've visited many and have posted links to some of the best in the LINKS section of http://www.tutormentorconnection.org. As non profit leaders and supporters link to each other and build relationships, some will begin to work together to help non profits get the resources each needs, but which the all compete with each other to get.

The way non profits are now supported is a dysfunctional system. It does not work effectively. The competition of hundreds of non profits for scarce resources is a huge waste of manpower and dollars. Imagine if we could reverse the process and by working together, motivate donors to go to our web sites to see what we do and decide if they want to help us.

Is this possible? Let's talk about it.

Dan Bassill
Tutor/Mentor Connection