Posts tagged "Rondee"

5 Tips to Improve Your Environmental Non-profit Organization

Non-profit groups come in quite a few stripes. Take, for example, environmental advocacy. It encompasses both safeguarding the public from environmental threats and securing our natural resources.
As with all advocacy groups, there is an increasing recognition that future success will be tied to improving use technology and best practices.
Managing a firm focused on environmental issues can be extremely challenging. Persistent lack of resource means that many organizations rely on part-time or volunteer team members. Yet, there are a number of best practices and tools that can help such organizations address these challenges.
1. Increase collaboration
California alone has hundreds if not thousands of environmental advocacy groups. And in the last several years, there has been increasing levels of collaboration between environmental advocacy groups across states.
One driver of this pattern may be lower cost airfares, a trend that is now intensifying as fuel costs continue to drop. Another driver is the expansion of communications resources.
This trend can clearly be seen in the growing adoption of conference calling services that provide teleconferencing solutions to such organizations. Many such conferencing services are now offer free conference calling which has further increased the feasibility of collaboration without expensive travel required.
2. Use networking tools
The most successfully managed advocacy groups generate networks of supporters. These networks can take years to build. Whereas the conference calling tools described above are facilitating teleconferencing and collaboration, the new networking tools are facilitating an ongoing sense of feeling connected. Web based resources for networking have now become ubiquitous.
The trick is realizing that online networking is about more than creating a profile. It is about using the whole range of tools including automated updates, blogs, bulletin boards, and photo sharing. These networking tools also help members share the emotional support which is so crucial to sustaining enthusiasm.
3. Remain focused
The best managed environmental groups are ones that stay clearly focused on their mission and do not allow themselves to become distracted. Many environmental advocacy groups are resource constrained. For that reason, committing to five goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to tackling ten goals, with one tenth the effort for each goal.
4. Use Desktop Sharing
Some advocacy groups have far flung leadership teams, and it is difficult to have face-to-face meetings. Conferencing can only achieve so much. People often say they want the visual connection. Video conferencing has still not yet seen wide adoption but video conferencing is not the only way to generate a visual connection. Another solution is to use a desktop sharing system
Whether it’s broadcasting a PowerPoint document showing the group’s development efforts or a spreadsheet showing volunteer recruitment stats, desktop sharing can effectively bridge the gap of time and space.
5. Leveraging academic resources
Some people believe that academia is too far removed from environmental politics to be useful. However, many campus programs now offer training in environmental stewardship, policy or advocacy. Such programs are building blocks in the preparation of future leaders and grassroots organizers.
Students who are enrolled in these courses are good candidates to volunteer or lead efforts for your organization. Another effective approach is involving faculty or staff members who can provide perspective and advice. Students come and go but faculty generally remain.
The ideas are not expensive to carry out. Whether its better use of networking tools, free conference calling systems or desktop sharing, the cost of these resources is generally minimal in comparison with the expected benefit.

Fundamental Techniques to Augment the Effectiveness of Your Environmental Lobbying Organization

Environmental advocacy is a diverse area. It involves both safeguarding the public from environmental hazards and protecting the resources of nature. As gains have been secured at the local, state and national level, there is a growing awareness in the field that further gains will be contingent on developing the same professional skills as private and government organizations that encapsulate best management practices.

When you read about successfully launching an environmental lobbying organization you might find some good advice in the literature. Yet the ongoing actual management of such advocacy groups is another matter. That is why many environmental lobbying groups labor to effectively manage. This article shares several insights from the field.

Collaborate with other environmental lobbying organizations

The State of New York alone has over 400 environmental advocacy organizations listed by the Environmental Conservation Department of Environmental Conservation. And in the last five years, there has been increasing levels of collaboration between geographically diverse environmental lobbying groups.

One underlying reason for this trend has been lower air travel costs – a trend that may now be reversing with skyrocketing fuel costs. A separate driver is the availability of free conference calling services such as Rondee.com.

All of these companies work on the same central principle: they provide you a personal access number and a toll number to dial. If all participants dial the same number and enter the same PIN code, they are put into the call together.

Involve academic experts

A frequent erroneous conception is that campus curricula is too far removed from the realities of environmental politics to be meaningful. However, programs such as that offered by New England School of Law provide graduate level training in environmental advocacy as wells as organizing. Indeed, they train young campus leaders for careers as advocates and community organizers.

Students at these programs are great candidates to be inspired as volunteers or leaders for your organization. Also consider seeking the involvement of a faculty or staff member who can offer perspective and advice to your group. While students arrive and depart as the years go by; faculty tend to remain.

Stay well focused

The most effective environmental organizations are ones that stay clearly focused on their mission and do not allow members or leaders to get enmeshed in peripheral goals. Virtually all environmental lobbying organizations operate under significant time limitations. Focusing on three goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after nine goals at 33% effort.

Augment your network

The most successful lobbying organizations create networks of supporters who share their philosophy and goals. While the word networking frequently gets a bad connotation, the simple fact is these networks can provide substantial support and members can keep connected more effectively through conference calling systems. Indeed, associations provide the emotional support which is so critical to maintaining enthusiasm among group officers and members.

Use technology strategically

Some environmental advocacy groups have distributed leadership teams, and it is impractical to expect in person meetings. One solution is to use an application for desktop sharing.

Whether it’s sharing a PowerPoint presentation illustrating the group’s fundraising initiatives or a spreadsheet showing the tracking of volunteer participation, desktop sharing can be extremely useful for not a few advocacy groups.

The silver lining in all this is that these suggestions are not expensive. Environmental advocacy groups can improve their performance through these techniques.