I've never been to South by Southwest Interactive Festival or SXSW. Only read about it online wishing I could attend. I wasn't as lucky as Amy Gahran who won the free pass to attend at BlogHer.
So when Ed Schipul invited me to be on a panel with him, Rachel Weidinger, Seth Mazow, and Erin Denny about using social media for fundraising, I decided go for it. The panel selection process is done by vote and anyone can vote. Here's the link. Here's the description:
Pimp My Non Profit
Non profit groups struggle with funding and public support issues on a daily basis. Yet many have overcome the odds and made a splash online and offline by using the latest Web technologies -- for pennies on the dollar. This discussion will center around the stories, strategies, triumphs and challenges of innovative non profits with a passion for change and the cajoles to rock it out online.
Congratulations! What a great opportunity. I will definitely go and vote. SXSW is in desperate need of having more non-profit technology panels. I attended this past year and really enjoyed my experience, but felt that the panelists really lacked knowledge about the non-profit and academic industries. I remember asking a question during one panel that claimed to be about cross-cultural communication about how to manage communities with multicultural participants (e.g. some muslim, some christian) when hate speech ensued. They had no idea how to respond to me as their entire panel was focused on multiracial blogs in the US only. Their suggestion to me was, have you looked at Idealist.com? Um, yes. If you had ever been there, you'd know that wasn't necessarily the right answer to my question, or even close.
After the panel 5 people came up to me to network and find out more about my background as they too had an interest in the international/non-profit usage of web technologies.
Ever since last year's SXSW, I have been trying to think about/round up a group of folks to set up a panel related to non-profit technology, but I wasn't fast enough in getting organized and/or coming up with a topic (there are so many possible ones!).
Hopefully with more time, my ideas will mature and I'll be ready for next year's SXSW. In the meantime, I can look forward to your participation and this great panel!
Going to vote now :o)
Posted by: The Girl | August 22, 2007 at 06:08 AM
I would like to know the procedure to extend my tax exempt ein number to another state after I complete another state non profit articles of incorporation, register with the county. Do I also have to obtain a city business license?
Posted by: Blanche Barnum | January 22, 2008 at 11:29 PM