Web Watch : Dipping Your Toe Into the Blogopool

OK, that’s a made-up word. But, still, the Internet is full of helpful blogs for fundraisers.

Most of the nonprofit techies I know have a laptop appendage — an extra (digital) limb, of sorts — attached to their bodies. Not so with fundraisers. As a breed, fundraisers are "people people" — they spend their time cultivating relationships by phone and face to face. Sure, you know how to use a computer, but when it comes down to the big ask, you've got to get out from behind your desk, right?

At Fund Raising Day in New York this year, there was something new in the air: a greater-than-ever acknowledgment that the future of fundraising is online. Like it or not, it's the place to be.

Development directors and consultants were chatting about online resources, trying to figure out how to leverage social media for fundraising and debating the relative merits of Twitter. The more wired fundraisers swapped blogs they read, while the less wired struggled over terms like RSS.

With that in mind, I thought I'd devote this month's column to fundraising and the blogosphere.

If you're totally new to all of this, it might be helpful to learn that "blog" = "Web" + "log." Blogs are free online journals offering useful content in smaller, more snackable chunks.

There are countless bloggers writing excellent stuff about fundraising online. Here's a quick overview of the ones I think are most valuable for fundraisers.

The Agitator
Tom Belford and Roger Craver's excellent blog is a must-read. They cover valuable, new research and deliver pithy insights daily via e-mail or RSS feed. theagitator.net

Donor Power Blog
Jeff Brooks' excellent insights for fundraisers who get it. Smart and fun to read. www.donorpowerblog.com

Giving in a Digital World
If you're struggling to make sense of all this Web 2.0 stuff, this blog will help you get a grip and stay on top of the tidal wave of technology — all from a fundraising point of view. givinginadigitalworld.org

Online Fundraising Blog
FirstGiving's blog spotlights what organizations are up to and features best practices. It's a nice way to see who's doing what. onlinefundraisingblog.com