Blogs, Facebook and Twitter - who is using these
Connecting leaders, volunteers and donors with each other is one strategy that can enhance the quality of volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring programs, and help build collaborations that provide funding and volunteers.
I use a blog, a Facebook, a Twitter and a Ning to reach out to diverse groups. I host links to other places where I network on the Tutor/Mentor Connection site.
What about you? Can you share information on where you network and connect with others?
Good Afternoon,
Circle of Hope Mentoring Program is based out of Milwaukee and has just started to enter the world of social networking. I am currently an Americorps VISTA with the program and will be exiting out the the program soon hoping to leave the social networking sites as a great way to keep growing knowledge of our program.
These are the online tools are are using:
- Myspace page yet no activity
- Facebook- not having the best success. We have people joining out group yet no real investment. (we have a group)
- WikiSpaces- Just started, i have a webinar on how to fully stayed use this site. Any suggestion on how to use this more effectivly.
- Google Sites and all Google related Applications - This has been a great success for our program.
I am intereted in any other suggestions as well. I know that our small staffed office is very confussed with Twitter so we have not done that yet. Also most of the sites that we have mentioned are blocked from out work computers. Does anyone know of a way to manage them with out being on the actual site!
Thanks everyone,
Since you are in Milwaukee, I encourage you to attend the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference on Nov. 19 and 20, and bring some friends. One workshop will focus on uses of social media. Another will talk about Social Network Analysis.
You can find details at http://www.tutormentorconference.org
I just started a blog a couple of weeks ago, http://kinshipconnections.blogspot.com/. As someone that enjoys writing, I've found it a good outlet.
With the glut of information on the internet, etc, my big question is why might someone want to read my blog or even find it in the first place? I have started referencing the blog address in my emails, with my signature line. I'm thinking that we will start linking the blog into our website and electronic newsletter, which might help to cultivate some interest.
It is still early in the game, time will tell if it will be an effective communications tool. Blogging on.... DJ
Dan, I've been using my blogs for a few years as part of an integrated strategy of creating visibility, sharing ideas, and drawing volunteers and donors to our site.
In fact, I have everyone on my staff, and some of our kids and volunteers, also blogging. They all add a different perspective, and they each draw the attention of people from their own networks.
You can see links to our staff blogs at http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com and on my http://tutormentor.blogspot.com you can see how I link to blogs written by staff, and by others.
I became part of a Non Profit Blog Exchange a few years ago and try to connect with others around topics that are important to our work. This link shows some of the articles, and some of the people, who I've connected with. There are about 60 posts, but if you scroll quickly through them you'll see a) a focus on specific activities at key times each year; b) an effort to educate donors to seek us out and support us for workforce development reasons.
In August every tutor/mentor program in the country will be ramping up communications to recruit volunteers. Underneath that will be an equally important effort to find dollars. If you and others write about this on your own blog, and point to other blogs who are telling the same story, we can create a mentoring blog exchange and try to draw more attention to all of us.
Here's an example of what someone wrote about the Tutor/Mentor Connection as a result of a blog exchange.
If we can get other people writing about the work we do, and the resources we need, then we're better off than if we're just trying to do this on our own.
Blogs can provide tips on fund raising, marketing, and inspiration for education, tutoring, mentoring.
Here is a section of the Tutor/Mentor Library with blogs that you might find valuable. Many of the blogs I post in the library have links to additional blogs on their own sites.
http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/LinksLearningNetwork/LinksLibrary/t...
Is your mentoring program part of a high school drop out prevention strategy? Do you have business support because of the experiences volunteers have in your program, or because they value the way your volunteers influence student aspirations?
These are blog articles I've written that relate to the high school drop out crisis.
Are you writing similar articles on your own blogs? What tutor/mentor programs are using blogs to educate their volunteers and donors?
We are considering starting an NMC Twitter or Facebook, but at this point, we are trying to talk ourselves into it.
One thing that might be useful to programs is knowing about Drupal, which is a relatively new website content management tool. Drupal makes it really easy to host things like blogs, polls, and other interactive and social media features on a program website. It's really versatile and is free! It can be a powerful, yet easy, way of engaging a client base online. In fact, these Mentoring Forums were built in Drupal!
You can learn more about Drupal here: http://drupal.org/.
This is a nice overview of what it does: http://drupal.org/about.
Mike Garringer
Mentoring Forums Administrator
503-275-9747