Google for Non-Profits Newsletter - July, 2008

[Galen Panger]

Google for Non-Profits Newsletter - July, 2008

We hope you enjoy this update from the Google for Non-Profits team.

--

Discussion group
Google Webmaster Central
Interview with John Lyman from Google.org
Outside-the-box activism on YouTube
Google Africa blog
Google Mobile

--
Discussion group

The Google for Non-Profits Discussion Group officially kicked off two weeks ago and several interesting conversations have begun. Here's a sample of one exchange we found interesting:

Steve says:

I want to run [my NGO] like a Web 2.0 company, a profitable (in terms of satisfaction) business for the team and the "customers." ... So here is where I need your input. Do you believe that donors will come to my site (when operational) and give money without doubting the seriousness of the website (even if I have all the approvals, stamps, and certifications)?

Anna Maria replies:

I believe when you are starting something new (I am starting a non-profit to deliver healthcare to the uninsured in the US), your personal network is much more important. After all, technology is a tool not a means. I am personally trying to meet people and tell them what we are building together. Then we will build a page and a blog but first you need to build your credibility "in person."

Check out the rest of the conversations here and jump in with your own ideas and experiences.

--
Google Webmaster Central

Google has a number of tools available to help you make the most of your presence online. You've probably seen tools like Google Grants, Blogger, and Google Checkout on Google for Non-Profits. But there is a whole suite of tools and resources available that let you see how Google is indexing your website, for example, or that let you test different combinations of content on your site to see what works best for your visitors.

Over the coming months, we hope to share some resources to help you delve more deeply into some of the tools you may not have had a chance to experiment with yet. For now, Google Webmaster Central is your place for getting the most out of your online investment.

--
Interview with John Lyman from Google.org

John Lyman from Google.org recently sat down with NetSquared blogger Jed Sundwall to talk about Google's outreach to the non-profit community through programs like our new Google 101 trainings offered in Washington, D.C. and in other locations around the world.

"I think there's a big demand for [these trainings] for two reasons. The first is that all the products are free, so there's no barrier to entry. ... Our goal is really for non-profits to have access to the same technologies that Fortune 500 companies have. ... And the way that you do that, basically, is you make the same technology available to everyone, which is what Google has done. The second thing is that ... some of [the tools] are very intuitive, but some of them you actually do need a little bit of help with."

Click here to read more from the interview.

--
Outside-the-box activism on YouTube

Who would have known a video about testicular cancer could go viral? On a recent "Trendspotting Tuesday," the YouTube team highlights unconventional activism on YouTube, a trend that many non-profits could take a cue or two from.

"You're probably well acquainted with the average activist -- the demonstrator, the lobbyist, the boycotter, the PSA-junkie...In this week's Trendspotting Tuesday, we're pleased to introduce you to a whole different kind of activist animal -- the unconventional activist -- whose creativity knows no limits when it comes to raising awareness about their pet issue."

Check out some of the more creative examples in the blog post.

--
Google Africa blog

This month, we launched something new and exciting for those of you whose work touches the continent of Africa: the Google Africa Blog. Recently, we've been ramping up our presence in Sub-Saharan Africa with offices now in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and we've started our work in these new locations by asking ourselves some very challenging questions. From the blog's innaugural entry:

"Google's aim is to democratize access to the world's information. But clearly we (along with other companies) face significant challenges in Africa in making the Internet available to as many people as possible. How do we help the hundreds of millions of people who are illiterate? How do we make the world's information available in African languages (about 2000 languages are spoken on this continent)? How do we support online access for people who live in rural environments without electricity? How do we make African content more widely available - not only in Africa, but around the world? How can we get more people connected, and make access faster and cheaper?"

Each entry on the Africa blog is published in both English and French and we've posted a link there to our job listings in Africa. We hope you'll check in frequently to see what we're up to on the continent.

--
Google Mobile

Our mobile phones go with us everywhere, and Google has long been active in developing free mobile applications that allow you to take our products and services along with you. From basic question-and-answer functionality over SMS to rich applications for smart phones, chances are there's a Google application that helps you stay better connected to important information while you're away from your computer. With the launch of the new Google Mobile site, you can now explore the applications that work with your specific phone, complete with video demonstrations of top functions.

One exciting application that works with all phones is GOOG-411, which allows you to search for local businesses for free, simply by speaking into your phone. Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 and say what you're looking for.

--
That's it for this month's newsletter; please send any suggestions for the site or the newsletter our way.

Thanks for reading.

Galen from the Google for Non-Profits Team