VOICES SELECT | TECHNOLOGY COMMENTARY

Susan Ellis of Energize Inc. has put together a great little article on how Non-profit's can use technology. The benefits of Flickr, podcasting, blogging and the use of social networking spaces are well encapsulated in one article. Well worth the read.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE GIRL SCOUTS?

The Girl Scouts are going digital with website promotion for their annual cookie drive. Here's the perfect example of how a Non-profit organization can wield the power of the Internet to reach their audience, drive traffic and make money for programs. The Girl Scouts have created a website girlscoutcookies.org and have used YouTube, MySpace and Friendster to reach out to people who want to purchase Girl Scout cookies. They've even created a little cookie movie from old archived commercials. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Girl Scouts are also operating cookie academies, where girls 11 and older are learning how to create business plans, manage money and attract larger customers for bulk orders. One Girl Scout said it really helped her to better understand business practices. And that’s exactly what it should do, according to Katherine Cloninger, the Girl Scouts chief executive, who says cookie selling fosters independence, self-esteem and confidence.

Anyone for just one thin mint? Search by zipcode to find where you can get your box.