Google for Nonprofits Newsletter - April 2011

[Anna Bishop]

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Google for Nonprofits Newsletter - April 2011

Your monthly round-up of the latest news and notes from Google for Nonprofits.

April 29, 2011

In this issue By the way What's new Tools in action Expert corner Connect

By the way TOP

Happy Spring from the team at Google for Nonprofits! April is always an eventful month here at the Googleplex, and this year was no different: We kicked things off with a host of hijinks on April Fool’s, celebrated 8 years of Google Grants, honored Earth Day, and kept things fun with Google games galore. We hope you find the following tips and tricks useful as you continue the great work you’re doing to change the world!

What's new TOP

Introducing the new Google Docs app for Android Take your work documents with you using the brand new Google Docs app for Android. Find or begin a new document, jump straight into editing mode using the online mobile editors, and easily share items with your colleagues right from your phone. You can even turn photos with text into editable Google documents using your phone’s camera! Google I/O livestreaming May 10th from San Francisco If you have developers on staff, be sure they tune in May 10-11 for the first-ever livestream of Google I/O, the annual gathering focused on building the next generation of web, mobile, and enterprise applications. I/O Live will bring all of the excitement to our website, where the keynotes, sessions and Developer Sandbox will come to life for audiences all over the world. Recipient suggestions graduates from Gmail labs! “Don’t forget Bob” and “Got the wrong Bob?” are Gmail Labs features that help prevent you from making two common mistakes: forgetting to include someone on an email, and sending a message to the wrong person with a similar name to the person you meant to email - like emailing Bob (your boss) instead of Bob (your friend). Check out these newly-graduated features and potentially avoid some sticky situations — before you hit send. Add your local knowledge to the map with Google Map Maker, now available in the US! Whether your organization works overseas or right in your community, accurate and up-to-date maps of your area are crucial. We believe that you know these areas best, and that’s why we recently added the United States to the existing 183 countries open for user editing in Google Map Maker. Add your expert local knowledge directly and improve the map for the community you serve! Goo.gl URL shortener gets new features If you’re a heavy user of URL shorteners for social media campaigns, be sure to check out new features from Goo.gl. Now you can more easily copy new short URLs to your clipboard or remove items from your dashboard, and we’ve made even more improvements to the speed and reliability to ensure your links and metrics are fast and informative.

Tools in action TOP

Kiva, an innovative microlending organization, recently shared their story on how Google’s tools for nonprofits helped them connect with lenders, visualize their impact, and raise awareness. Check out this short video to hear how they used Google Grants, YouTube, and Maps to scale their impact. “Without Google, we would be a small organization doing noble work and helping out a few people. But Google has drive the traffic to our site, such that earlier this year we hit $150M in funded loans.” - Buckley White, Marketer, Kiva.org

Expert corner TOP

This month, we’re introducing a new monthly feature in our newsletter where you’ll hear directly from the product managers and engineers who develop some of our most popular tools for nonprofits. To kick things off, we sat down with Peter Birch, Product Manager for Google Earth, to hear about the latest and greatest from that team.

Q: What are some new features in your product that nonprofits should know about? We recently introduced integrated Street View and 3D trees as part of our latest release, Google Earth 6. Not only has this added a new level of realism to cities, it has also provided an opportunity to highlight our threatened forests. Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai's Greenbelt Movement used Google Earth to tell their story of reforestation in Kenya, where they have planted over 40 million new trees. CONABIO, Mexico's biodiversity commission, was able to draw attention to coastal mangrove trees in Mexico, which provide unique habitats for wildlife and which need urgent attention and protection. Q: Can you share any cool stories of organizations using your product? There are so many great organizations, it is hard to choose. One long-time user of Google Earth is Appalachian Voices, which is an organization which has been very effective in using Google Earth and Google Maps to educate the public about the devastating impact of mountaintop removal mining practices on the Appalachian environment. Another example is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has used Google Earth to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Q: Where can nonprofits go to find resources and support for Google Earth? From the Google Earth Outreach website, organizations can browse the showcase to see how other nonprofits have used Google Earth as a tool to bring their causes to life. There are also a great set of tutorials, from beginning to advanced, specifically tailored to the non-profit community. Speaking of community, the site is also a great place for non-profits to connect with like-minded organizations.   Q: Do you offer Google Earth Pro free to nonprofits? Yes, through the Google for Nonprofits program, qualified nonprofits can apply for free licenses for Google Earth Pro, which is the professional version of Google Earth. This tool allows you to import large GIS files, as well as make high-quality movies of your tours. We also provide Maps API Premier and SketchUp Pro at no cost for nonprofits.

Connect TOP

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