Four New States & 1 Territory Join the Aidmatrix Network®
Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Oregon recently joined the Aidmatrix Network. Further news includes the signing of our first territory, Puerto Rico as they prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. This brings the total U.S. state governments signed up to 16, plus the numerous other internationals, nonprofits, and donors, participating in the Aidmatrix Network.

View the full list of participants

Spring Storms Prompt Alabama & Arkansas to Activate

During the recent tornados and severe weather, both Alabama and Arkansas activated their portals on the Aidmatrix Network. Both states provide links from their websites as follows:

''Aidmatrix is working with the California Office of Emergency Services on relief efforts for the wildfire victims. The State requests donations be made through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD). Click here to share your support ''

Welcome to the Aidmatrix Network

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please select the organization to give to now.

Loading...Please wait

Convoy of Hope Mercy Medical Airlift (Homeland Security Emergency Air Transportation System)
International Aid Lutheran Disaster Response

AidConnect Newsletter 10/2007
Focus of the Month
The Focus of the Month is an interview “A long way to a smile” with Michael Kreitmeir, founder and president of the Little Smile Association in Sri Lanka. Michael Kreitmeir used his own savings to set up the children's village. Since the tsunami catastrophe, he has all but given up his life in Germany in order to concentrate on the diverse projects. Reading the interview you will learn more about his vision and work - and further more about the problems and chances of "private" development work in Sri Lanka.
If you share similar or contrary experiences in Sri Lanka we would like to encourage you to publish your topic here - http://www.aidconnect.org/topic/default.aspx?location=_Home@_Topic

With all of the new, New, NEW web technology and acronyms flying around, it's easy to lose sight of what the tools really mean to you and your organization beyond just keeping up with the Jones'. Starting with key internal and external goals: programs, outreach, fundraising; learn what bedrock plans and ideals you should put in place and foster before even turning on a computer. This session will NOT teach you how to Blog, Tag, or Twitter but you will leave knowing how to better evaluate and implement your web technology needs and dreams.

What is all the Web 2.0 hype about and how can you get in on the
action? Or is it worth your time? Should you have a blog? Should
you have a discussion forum? Should you try and create your own
social network? Should you spend time on existing ones? I'll try to help demystify some these questions and share some of the lessons we have learned from Care2's online community of about 7.2 million people and after working with over 250 nonprofits to help them recruit new supporters for their advocacy and fundraising. And in the process, I'll cover some of the "Web 2.0" tools and how they're being used for online advocacy, political campaigns and fundraising by some of our clients.

Your Web site serves an essential purpose. You depend on it to communicate your social message, activate constituents, collect donations and distribute news – in short, to carry out your mission. But is your Web site working?

This workshop begins with the premise that when a Web site “works,” it attracts new visitors, communicates your message and provides a quality user experience.

Taking a practical approach, the presenters will illustrate what drives a successful Web site. We will then provide tools and techniques that will help you assess the performance of your website, and improve it.

[Note: this article was written in 2005; while much of it is still valid, OC performed many additional customizations to civic space in 2006, including the development of our own custom theme and a three-tiered menu structure.]

OC began using version 0.8.0.3 of the CivicSpace software in December 2004. We were able to perform basic tasks, like picking an appropriate theme (colors, fonts, spacing) and creating some basic pages/stories. However, due to the general lack of good documentation for Drupal, we didn't really understand the full power of the software until we received some assistance from former members of the Dean campaign web team (see credits below) and some labor activists.

I'm involved in three different groups in the Houston and/or Texas region:

• Progressive Action Alliance
• Progressive Populist Caucus
• Department of Peace

We're all interested in the same thing: getting organized either on specific topics or in general.

We're using Civicspace as our base web tool (CS is based on the DRUPAL Content Management System