Archive for November, 2009

Published by Kerry on 18 Nov 2009

WiserEarth Editor Spotlight: Eric Olson (GreenEric)

GreenEric

If you’ve spent any time on the WiserEarth events, groups, or resources sections, it’s likely you’ve run into GreenEric. He’s the ‘Water guy’, always posting the latest activity, primarily on more efficient uses of the stuff. So who is he? What drives him? Could his answers to these questions inspire you to take a closer look at one of our most precious resources on earth? › Continue reading…

Published by Angus on 16 Nov 2009

Great design rules for online groups

GroupScreen

We are sharing some of our standard advice for designing an effective online group. We believe the key to any effective group is simplicity. Relatively few key topline messages, a lack of clutter, and relatively little functionality. Do you have any ideas to share? › Continue reading…

Published by Peggy on 11 Nov 2009

Help make WiserEarth Multilingual

Funders Network

Over 60% of the people using WiserEarth are coming from outside the US. They are from 231 countries and speak 172 languages! But the majority of our members are still English speakers. People have been asking us for WiserEarth in their own language. Can you volunteer or chip in some funding to help us do this? › Continue reading…

Published by Working Wikily on 05 Nov 2009

Networks for social impact: making the case

Funders Network

Over the past 6 months, I’ve had the pleasure of facilitating a community of practice for funders supporting networks. The question that keeps coming up is: how to make the case that working through and investing in networks will produce the intended social impact? At the same time, the belief in network impact is becoming more widespread–-the potential for organizing without organizations, the power of developing a strategic understanding of webs of relationships, and the promise of openly sharing both data and new knowledge. There is more and more experimentation with network models for social impact. › Continue reading…

Published by Kerry on 04 Nov 2009

Joe Solomon on the collaborative frontlines of Climate Change

350 Girl

The climate change movement has been gaining momentum in recent months. We’ve felt it building at organizations like 350.org in preparation for the major UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen this December. We had a call with social media coordinator Joe Solomon of 350.org to get a sense of what it’s like to be in the middle of it all, and his thoughts on how to effectively network for a cause. › Continue reading…

Published by Kerry on 03 Nov 2009

WiserEarth Editors’ First Face-to-Face

owl

Last Monday, WiserEarth hosted its first ever face to face gathering of our volunteer editors. Seven California-based editors plus a few staff met to discuss the role and future direction of editors. We didn’t just talk, but engaged in a friendly game of four-square. How does your organization take volunteer moderators to the next level? › Continue reading…