Opinions Please!

Survey time... it should take you less than 1 minute. Who doesn't have 1 minute to spare?

This summer, OYFP Boston hope to hold a sequence of panels that address interesting issues impacting our communities and provide information on how to become involved in addressing them. Completing this survey will help OYFP achieve that goal.

CLICK HERE.

or here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=RGONqLRiul6EQwLI_2bSZfqw_3d_3d

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about OYFP’s Speaker Series.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving... Solar Power

Recently for my birthday, my honey gave me this device shown here. It is a Hybrid Charger that uses solar power technology to power up your electronic devices(phone, mp3 player, laptop, etc.).

It's really simple to operate, you put a pen or pencil in the center of the device, face it to a window(south facing is best) and it will charge away. So while I was at work, I was storing energy from the sun to use on my electronic devices which I powered up when I was home at night. Talk about multi-tasking!

This is a really cool gift idea because it helps me reduce my use of energy in the house. This of course will save me money and reduce my carbon footprint on the world.

The other reason it is really cool gift idea is because it is an investment for green technology. Instead of receiving some new clothes (not needed, but I do have material desires after all) that would have been used for a couple of years until it was out of fashion and then donated to Goodwill. I received a gift that is a commitment to the future of our world. Hopefully these hybrid chargers will lead to new different green technology which will help us reduce our carbon footprints.

It is certainly going to help me become more green, which is something we all need to consider.

Have you received any cool new gadgets that support green technology?

Related Posts: Composting in an Apartment, The Greenest Generation, Public Transit in Seattle: Solar power!, Adding to the Grid

Composting in an Apartment

You probably think I'm crazy - talking about gardening and composting in the middle of winter. For Christmas this year, I received an indoor composter from my boyfriend, made by NatureMill. So now instead of putting my vegetable cuttings and leftover pasta into the trash, I can put it in this composter where it will turn into usable dirt within 2 weeks or so!

You may think that your trash that can break down into dirt, breaks down once it's in the landfill. Think about this for a minute - what do you put your trash in? A plastic bag. Can plastic bags break down? Not really, not for a long time. Especially considering the fact that your trash bag is piled underneath thousands of other trash bags, away from the sun and air that help the trash break down. So all your trash that could be made into rich dirt isn't.

The composter is about the size of an old school computer tower, and is made out of black styrofoam. (Side note: Styrofoam actually is not that bad for the earth because it is much lighter to transport than paper products.) Compostable items are placed in this metal tray, and it is stirred every few hours. The entire thing is kept at an elevated temperature to rush along the breakdown process. I have to add sawdust and baking soda. I think the baking soda prevents odors.

So far I have one container of dirt. It's so rich (or so the pamplet says) that you can't actually pot a plant in it - Once the compost has "cured" long enough, I'm just supposed to sprinkle it on top of the soil so the nutrients drain down into the roots.

This sort of luxury (composting inside) doesn't come cheap. The thing costs between $199 and $399, depending on your model. And, mine is currently "jammed" even though there is no visible blockage. I've tried everything, aside from a phone call to the manufacturer.

Still, I have hope for my little composter. Soon I'll have fertile soil enough to help start a city garden, all without owning any land! Now that's a technological advance.

Related Posts: Composting in the City; Green tips for the New Year; Make Love, Not Grass; Bee-ware: Where have all the bees gone?; Patio Gardens and City Growing
Photo of landfill courtesy of D'Arcy Norman. Photo of the composter courtesy of NatureMill.

Yes, We Can - Make it a day on

On Sunday, January 18th, in the spirit of the King Day of Service, the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), in partnership with Green Decade Cambridge and with funding from the Massachusetts Service Alliance, will hold a Weatherization Barnraising at The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House and the Cambridgeport School.

Traditionally, a “barnraising” was when a community would come together to help a family build a barn. Using this concept HEET is brining volunteers together to weatherize The Margaret Fuller Neigborhood House and The Cambridgeport School.

HEET has organized expert builders and contractors to lead the weatherization activities. Weatherization is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, predominantly from sunlight, precipitation, wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.

Dr. King’s Day of service aims to make the Martin Luther King holiday a day ON, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to “improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.” For more information about the King Day of Service please visit http://mlkday.gov.

The Home Energy Efficiency Team is raising funds in order to make weatherization barnraisings available to households that cannot afford the cost of weatherization materials. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to support some of our neighbors who are most in need.

Check back for hammer in hand interviews and pictures posted live from yours truly.

Picture from http://www.mlkday.gov.

Rubber Duckies and Global Warming

NASA has polluted the ocean near Greenland with 90 rubber duckies, all in the name of science. They wanted to see where water from the melting glaciers was going, so they put the duckies in and now want to find them so they can learn about climate change.

The major flaw with the plan seems to be that the duckies have to make their way underneath the glaciers and into channels of melting water. The thought is that this water flow is speeding the melting of the glaciers. However, since no ducks have been found, it seems likely that they have all gotten stuck under the ice, along with the football-sized GPS transmitter.

If you do capture one of these wild yellow ducks, be sure to contact the email address printed on the duck. You'll get a $100 prize if you find the first one! And we could all use a little extra cash.

Related Posts: A creeping problem; Earth Hour: Keeping us in the dark; Global Warming Cafe
Photo courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar.

Read the paper!

This is Casey's mom blogging at the OYFP event at Parris - the bar above Ned Devine's at Fanuel Hall. It was hard to find because I didn't know where I was going because I'm not that hip.

When I saw the great photo for this event in the G section of the Globe at 7 am as I turned towards the Bridge column, I immediately called Casey. Conveniently, her phone number was listed in the event description.

In acting before thinking, I realized that it was only 7 am, which explained why Casey sounded like she had just woken up.

"My alarm was about to go off," Casey said, I think to make me feel better.

I wanted her to see the article in the Globe.

I wanted her to buy a copy of the Globe.

I want every 20-something to buy the Globe regularly if they want the Globe to continue as a brand.

But 20-somethings don't buy newspapers, much less have time to read them. When you do, it's online, for free.

The first newspaper was started in Germany in the 1500s to report on how the government was spending tax revenue and if it was going to raise taxes! We need journalism as the fourth branch of government, to comment on our policy makers, to inform, to educate, to entertain.

The Internet is killing journalism. Newspapers used to make a killing on classifieds. It was the only way to buy and sell things and post and find jobs. Now we can do it more efficiently online.

Should newspapers go the way of General Motors, which was once the biggest company in the world? I think GM considered itself invincible and had license to build inane vehicles like the Hummer. Now they're in trouble and I have no sympathy.

Are newspapers in the same trouble? For centuries, newspapers have been the paper of record. We have relied on them as institutions to provide balanced information and commentary on our society.

--Casey's mom, a former journalist

Well, what do you think? Are newspapers in trouble? Some are certainly trying to re-invent themselves with an online presence... but are having limited success. Remember BostonNOW? Yeah... it's gone. Not because it wasn't profitable, but because the corporate parent decided it was a risk they couldn't take. So. Are newspapers going the way of the typewriter - gone, but not forgotten?

-- Casey

Related Posts: BostonNOW is no more; More News about News; Boston Globe and OYFP; We're good enough for.. (1) and (2)

Read Casey's Mom's blog about living the green life, and the mysteries of chickens at Cluck-Cluck-Here.blogspot.com.

Voting Orange

Tropicana sponsored a site that compiles all election-related "tweets" from Twitter (a micro-blogging platform) and graphs them. It's fascinating for two reasons: One, because of the information it's showing about what people all over the world are saying about the elections in real time, and Two because it's a fantastically smart way to take advantage of current events to get your brand name out there.

Adding to the Grid

My former college residence, 320 Hillview, Ithaca, NY, 14850, from 2002-2003, has gone solar! Its completely off the power grid and it actually produces "extra" electricity.

"The Motel," as we affectionately call it has a 100 panel system that provides electricity to 14 apartments at 320 Hillview as well as next door at 514 Aurora Street.

The New York State Electric Gas Corporation (NYSEG) considers this system an independent power provider because after internal consumption extra electricity created is fed back into the towns power supply.

320 Hillview owner, Peter Penniman, said the system of solar panels would not have been a practical option without state and federal aid: a state rebate for 50% of total cost, a federal tax credit and a low-interest loan. After the rebates, the entire system cost Penniman $128,000.

Related Posts: CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) Rock; Bikes Not Bombs; Whazzit Green?; One little drip of water; The Greenest Generation
Photo credit: Stefan "Freedom" Malner.

Flashback - Google like it's 2001

I apologize for the lack of posts lately from me. Life's gotten a bit hectic. 17,000 loads of laundry, sock monkeys, and cousin's wedding hectic.

While we here at OYFP gather our thoughts and prepare them for a blog entry, take a look at the world in 2001, courtesy of Google: Google like it's 2001. In honor of their 10th anniversary, Google has made their page index from 2001 available for searches.

It's always good to get a little perspective. YouTube wasn't around in 2001, nor was On Your Feet Project. I was still in college, doe eyed and dewy lipped, and wondering if Biology Boy liked me or not. Thank goodness I at least had the sense to know (and use!) Google.

Where were you in 2001? And did you know what Google was?

Related Posts: Keepin' it Classy; Delayed Gratification; How YOU doin'?; Super Tuesday Preview; Top 5 New Year's Resolutions

Global Warming Café is Cookin' Up Something Hot.

Climate Change Action Brookline (CCAB) is a group of Brookline residents who actively address global and local issues that are focused on climate change.

In an effort to promote energy conservation Climate Change Action Brookline is inviting everyone to attend a "Global Warming Café" on Saturday, October 4th at the Brookline Public Library Main Branch from 12-3:30PM. This free community event will feature speaker "Mindy Lubber, Brookline citizen and President of Ceres, as well as a workshop on The Low Carbon Diet, a 30-Day Program to Lose 5,000 Pounds to help people lower their carbon emissions by 10% or more."

The meeting will feature educational presentations on geothermal and solar technologies. Guests will also hear from other community members about how they reduced their personal household carbon footprints.

If you would like to join on October 4th just show up! No RSVP necessary. The free program will start at 12:00-12:30PM with a light lunch, and then it will be followed by the speakers and presentations from 12:30-3:30PM.

For more information contact: Mary Dewart or Cass Miller, CCAB Campaign Co-Directors, 617-549-4165.

Picture from: www.climatechangeactionbrookline.org

Public Transit in Seattle: Solar power!

Those of us who live in cities are lucky - there are usually a plethora of public transit options, from buses to subways, trains, or trolleys. Even if you live in a smaller city, there are almost always buses, or you're able to ride your bike around (not that you can't do that in a larger city).

A few weeks ago I was in Seattle for my dear friend Elizabeth's wedding. Seattle's a newer city, but not so new (or, paradoxically, so old) that subway lines were built into it. Instead, lots of roads were built, so the city now depends on an extensive network of very well maintained buses, in addition to personal cars, of course. There's also a somewhat pointless monorail, and a brand new trolley line... which is what impressed me the most.

We chose to stay slightly outside of the main downtown area of Seattle right near Lake Union, both to save a few bucks and because there weren't many rooms downtown. We figured we'd either learn how to take the buses, rely on cabs, or do a lot of walking. Little did we know that there would be a trolley, I mean street car, right outside the door of our hotel!

This thing was fantastic! Think of the Green line in Boston... now think about everything you'd change about it... and you get the Seattle Street car! It runs in the street, but the cars are brand new and the ticket system is simple and even better, solar powered! The drivers are nice, the thing isn't too crowded, and it doesn't stop every 5 feet.

Sign me up for a city with a streetcar any day, though the thing didn't run all that late. We did our fair share of walking all over the place (which was lovely), and even took a few cabs (shhh!).

If you could change one thing about Boston's public transit, what would it be?

Related Posts: Bikes not Bombs; Boston Bike Sharing; Biking to Work in Boston; Was it Green?; The Greenest Generation

Photo courtesy of Casey.. ie me.

Non-Profit Networking Night a Success!

Thanks to all of you who attended last night's non-profit networking night at Kennedy's Midtown. Hopefully you all learned the power of personal branding - just remember, everywhere you go, and to everyone you meet, you are representing your non-profit.

I will be working with Dan to post a list of online resources in the next day or two, and don't forget to look for his book next year! Though he's in the midst of final edits, he kindly took time out of his busy schedule to share his personal branding knowledge with us, so thanks, Dan!

We will also have photos and a video of the event posted shortly. I don't think they will do our jury-rigged presentation set-up justice, though. A hearty thanks goes out to Greg J, who tried to help us figure out the TV at Kennedy's... a helpful hint to anyone planning an event there - bring your own projector and tape a tablecloth to the wall. It will work far better than anything involving their TV.

And finally, now that Dan has shown you the value of social media for branding, connect with OYFP across all of our social media efforts!

• OYFP on Facebook
• OYFP on LinkedIn
• OYFP on Yelp
• OYFP on Flickr
• OYFP on Boston.com's DoGood channel
  
• OYFP's email list
• OYFP's website
  
• OYFP's blog (well, you're on it right now)

Until our next event (Aug 21 at Globe), we'll see you out there in the wild blue yonder of the interweb.

Related Posts: Non-Profit Networking night; Boston Non-profit Networking and Blogging; Good2Gether; Creating your own online community; Social Networking: Is it here to stay?; Get Konnected
Photos courtesy of Ligaya on Yelp.

Networking Night on Aug 13

It's time for the "n" word - Networking! You know it's good for you (just like flossing), but this time it will be both interesting and pleasant - we promise.

The On Your Feet Project Non-Profit Networking night is going down Wednesday, August 12 at Kennedy's Midtown at 6 PM. Dan Schawbel, personal branding consultant and social media savant, will be joining us to share his advice on marketing, blogging, and other social media topics and how they can be used for personal branding.

Not to mention, you'll have the chance to mix and mingle with other non-profiteers, volunteers, and people interested in the non-profit world. The $3 donation is optional, but always appreciated.

Event information is here: http://oyfp.org/BOS/events/view/159/, and you can always email Boston@oyfp.org with questions, or call us at 339-224-0696.

Look, Ma! We're in the Metro!

Related Posts: Boston Non-profit Networking and Blogging; Good2Gether; Creating your own online community; Social Networking: Is it here to stay?; Get Konnected

Photos courtesy of the Boston Metro.

Don't Throw Out Your Old TV

By now you may have heard that Congress is mandating that all televesion stations to broadcast in digital format only, as of February 17, 2009. This means if you have an older TV that recevies broadcasts in analog format you no longer will be able to watch your favoirte shows. TV stations are doing the switch because it will offer more programming choices for viewers with an improved picture and sound quality.

People who have a TV who receives Analog broadcast only, have two choices: Upgrade to a new TV or buy a digital-to-analog converter boxes. These converter boxes will sell from $40 to $70 each for which the goverment is offering coupons to lessen the cost for TV owners.

For more information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit https://www.dtv2009.gov, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).

If your choice is to upgrade to a new TV what do you do with the old one? Unfortunately most people's choice is to leave them for the garbage to live the rest of it's life in a landfill. There are always better alternatives.

My favorite place to figure out what to do with stuff I no longer want/need is earth911.org. You simply type in what you have such as TV and where you live and it gives you options of where to recyle anything. Sometimes you may have to drive a tiny distance to recycle unwanted items but its worth it so it doesn't end up on landfill!

Photo Courtesy of: www1.istockphoto.com

Related Posts: Turn Off Your TV Week; Spring Cleaning, part deux, How you doin?; Clean out your closet for a good cause; Philanthropizza July 16

DWBDG: a case study

Although they're not exactly the company that co-opted the motto "do no evil", Microsoft is channeling it's products toward good causes. From yogurt to magazines, cleaning detergents and Facebook apps, many for-profit companies have begun marketing their products under the DWBDG (do-well-by-doing-good) philosophy.

Microsoft's foray into this venue isn't exactly breaking news (the project began in 2007,) the i'm Initiative promises to donate a portion of advertising profits generated from the MSN Live Messenger and Live Hotmail products to various causes. Users do need to opt into the program in order to participate, and can then select a benefiting nonprofit partner.

Now what's really interesting is the way that Microsoft has begun promoting the i'm Initiative. Under the guidance of their PR/media/ad agency, McCann, a young, hip, urban blogger named "Parker Whittle" has started the i'm Talkathon, tracking the Initiative's progress and offering up success stories and conversation starters.

However, Parker's not a "he". He's a "they."

At the bottom of this deftly produced blog is an upfront disclaimer:

...As you’ve probably guessed, this blog is fictional, but the causes, and the i’m Initiative most certainly are not. The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of the i’m Initiative and the worthy causes it helps. If we rubbed you the wrong way in the process that wasn’t our intention, so “sorry, our bad.”...A herd of well-compensated legal professionals in Redmond, Washington, says we also need to tell you something:

The Parker Whittle character depicted herein is fictitious and his activities are described for illustrative purposes only.

Okay, Microsoft, you pulled a fast one on us again. But knowing how the agency world works, I'm willing to bet that this idea originated in the head of a junior account exec and not within the Richmond city limits. The disclaimer itself is also pretty honest and does somewhat neutralize the blow of yet another manufactured blog/blogger.

Come on, it's 2008. I thought we were over this kind of bullsh*t! I thought we'd learned our lessons, moved on, become more innovative than that! Did they really have to undermine a potentially good campaign with a half-assed effort?

The final question remains, and is re-posed by the Disclaimer, Is the i'm Initiative really helping these partners and causes? A quick look around the i'm website reveals little transparency of the program, including the planned share of donated profits and to-date progress.

GOOD Magazine, on the other hand (to reference a for-profit with a similar initiative,) includes an upfront explanation of their motives and the business logic is sound--it makes sense for a paper publication. GOOD also shows the growth of their contributions on their website, making you feel like part of a greater whole and allowing you the gratification of "seeing" your contribution (extra Smart Marketing points for seamless real-to-digital integration.)

Sigh. Microsoft, Sometimes I want to root for you and I don't even know why I try. Maybe your motto should be "do no stupid."

It's not easy being Green

Well here is just about the craziest idea I offer to our readers. Are you willing to pay more for you energy bill if you know the energy you are receiving is GREEN and supports GREEN Energy?

NSTAR is offering its customers a chance to enroll in renewable energy. Power will be generated from a wind farm located in at Maple Ridge Wind Farm in upstate New York, before traveling into the New England power grid.

Furthermore, once the Kibby Wind Power Project, currently under development in Maine, is finished, more renewable energy will be available to NSTAR customers.

The unfortunate part is that this renewable energy is going to cost you more money (estimated at a few dollars) than your current energy bill.

According to NSTAR, by paying for green energy, it will support the development of new or ongoing development of renewable energy resources in the region. This of course has the added benefit of helping us get off our obsession with gas and oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It may not be the easiest option for you to spend even more money on energy bills, but it will be worth it, trust me! I plan on enrolling once I move into my new place in August, so stay tuned and I will tell you how much more it's going to be!

Related Posts: A Creeping Problem Springtime, Gasoline, and a Solution
Maple Ridge Wind Farm Photo Courtesy of: www.citizenscampaign.org

If you don't have time to volunteer...

Just as the rest of the world is becoming immersed within the golden age of the internet, charities and many nonprofits are doing so as well. In fact, most don’t have a choice. Non-profits are organized similarly to the majority of for-profit businesses and therefore, they must adapt to the new age to survive.

So, how does this affect you? Well, just as everything is becoming easier, most charities now allow you to donate directly online. While most people just assume this to be true, and probably expect it, many people still do not think of this right away.

Take advantage of this simple transaction, as donating to a charity has become as easy as ever. Take a few minutes to search the internet for a cause you feel passionate about, or a specific charity or nonprofit which you have always believed in but done nothing about.

Whether it’s a one time payment, or a monthly donation, there are many alternatives offered that can fit your needs. If you don't have time to volunteer right now, donate instead.

Who knew you could make a real difference without ever leaving your house!


Related Posts: Pick Our New Partner, If I Had a Million Dollars, Sudan-Reach UPDATE – Violence Erupts in Once Peaceful Capital City, Khartoum

Photo Courtesy of http://www.genderworkchicago.org

Creating Your Own Online Community Online - Non-Profits

A few weeks ago, Liz wrote about how in order to be successful and both retain and gain new donors, non-profits need to have a community for their donors. I find this a fascinating topic, and believe it's true. Non-profits typically have events ranging from casual teas to galas, send regular mail, and call their donors in an effort to create and maintain this community.

Much research has been done on why we like communities, and what we're looking to get out of them. Essentially, once our basic needs are met (shelter, substinence, and safety), we look to fulfill our emotional needs, which include affection, understanding, participation, recreation, creation, identity, and freedom (Source: Max-Neef, Fundamental Human Needs). Communities help us fill all these needs, from the basic to the more abstract.

New research from Communispace posits that those more abstract needs can be met by small, highly focused, online communities. Of course, because Communispace is in the business of providing businesses with the software and technical know-how to create their own online communities, so they're no doubt biased.

However, I think they correct. By providing individuals with the opportunities to connect to people who are similar to themselves, share information, and form long lasting relationships, businesses and non-profits are moving above and beyond their traditional role. They are integrating themselves into people's lives - a marketer's dream!

Non-profits do not take advantage of this often enough. Even when researching for this blog post, I had a hard time finding examples. The AARP has message boards (and a strong community), but that's not exactly where I would hang out online. Some non-profits (like us! or Interplast, which helps impoverished people get much needed surgeries) have blogs, which are a step in the right direction... but usually fall short on fulfilling the affiliation/sense of community needs as blogs are more about putting out information, and less about receiving.

So. If you're a non-profit, where do you start if you want an online community?

First, determine what it is you want to get out of the online community. Is it member retention? Donations? New members? Industry recognition?

Next, assess the demographic you are trying to attract. It may make more sense to create a community within another community that has already been set up (Facebook or Bebo, for example) than to create your own. Or, perhaps your demographic is not as comfortable in online communities, and it might be good to start with an email campaign to "warm up"

your audience before launching the community.

Thirdly, list out the necessary resources. Do you need to recruit some IT help - perhaps an intern? Make sure the infrastructure is easy to update, and that you will have access to help in the future.

Fourth - Launch the community internally. Work out all the bugs. Make sure your web analytics system is working correctly. Get some content up there.

Fifth - It's time to set that community free! Launch to all your members. Connect with them in the community - engage them. Interact. You will have to get the ball rolling.

Sixth - Promote the heck out of it. If your goal is to attract people outside of your current donor network, participate in other online communities. Make sure you're adding value to the community, not just spamming them with your promotions, though. Invite noted people in your field to guest post. Discuss events that you attended, and invite those people who attended with you to view the post.

Seventh - Never stop trying. It's not easy. Even a blog takes a lot of effort. But at the very least, in the process you will learn more about your audience, and more about the people you work/volunteer with. I think the OYFP team has gotten more out of this blog than our readers have - our online community was/is intended to engage our members, but has had the side effect of engaging us more fully in OYFP itself, and making us even more dedicated to our cause.

Best of luck out there - your online community is just waiting to be formed.

Related Posts: Non-profit networking Aug 13; Who is Happier?; Eyes Wide Shut

Organize yourself with Gmail

Anyone who knows me knows that in addition to being a huge advocate of puppies and unicorns, I am a huge Google advocate. No, I don't own Google stock. I just appreciate a good tool when I use it... and I use Google a whole lot. As my mother puts it, "Casey works in the internet," so I'm on Google.com or thinking about Google for at least 8 hours a day.

Gmail is one of my most favoritest Google tools. It's similar to Excel: Simple to use, but its capabilities are seemingly endless! Learning how to take advantage of these capabilities can help you become more productive.

Wild Apricot has an excellent "how to" post on Gmail filtering capabilities. It gives detailed, step by step instructions on how to automatically forward emails from a Gmail account to the appropriate recipients (which may or may not be one of your own other accounts). This can be a time saver and will ensure the correct parties get the information as soon as possible.

I know I should have set up a filter so all the "I want to do crafts with kids" emails went from our general OYFP account to our volunteer coordinators. It would have saved me an hour, and ensured our potential volunteers received replies as soon as possible.

The Wild Apricot post doesn't touch on some of my favorite (and more obvious) Gmail features:

• All emails with the same subject line are in the same window. This means when all 17 of your best friends reply to a group email, it's just one line in your inbox.
• You can label (or tag) emails instead of putting them into a folder, and then search by the labels. Essentially you're able to do the equivalent of putting the same email in more than one folder.
• You can direct more than one external email account to the same Gmail account, which can save you the bother of checking more than one email address. I have an OYFP Gmail account that receives email from my personal OYFP email address, a general OYFP email address, and a Gmail account. Talk about time savings!

Do you use Gmail to stay organized, or are you still a fan of another provider?

A screen shot of Gmail's consolidated version of this email chain, which is coincidentally about Google

Use the web to be socially active

Well, what do you know? People are using the internet to express their views! It's almost as though it's the perfect medium for such a thing. Oh wait, it IS the perfect medium. At least in the USA. (Other countries are big into SMS txt messaging - Burma, for example.)

Anyway. If you're into being socially active, want to use the internet, but aren't sure where to start, read Four Steps to Ease You Into Social Web Activism. It will at least give you an idea of some of the technologies out there.

(Source: The Non-Profit Blog Exchange)