About two months ago, I was contacted by my colleague Leif Utne. He and Jon Warnow – both Web of Change alumni – have started an experiment in crowd-sourced funding for an incredibly important technology project: WiserEarth. I signed on immediately.

Here’s an e-mail from Leif about the project:

WiserEarth is an amazing resource, a global index of over 110,000 NGOs (and growing). But it sorely needs an API so we can all develop apps to display and interact with that data through our own sites.

That’s why Jon Warnow (of 350.org), myself, and nearly 2 dozen other progressive technology and activist leaders have launched this effort to crowd-source the $10,000 WiserEarth needs to finish developing their API. Just 1 day into this campaign we have $875 from 18 donors.

Can you or your organization make a donation today at http://openwiser.org? Give whatever you can, even if it’s small. And spread the word.

A WiserEarth API would benefit the entire progressive movement. Let’s help make it happen!

cheers,
Leif

p.s. Neither Jon or I work for WiserEarth. We’re just big fans who want to see the site succeed. And we believe a robust API is key to that success.

I hope you might take a moment to join me in supporting the initiative.

Recently, I was asked about the current availability of technology solutions for social service organizations. It's been a while since I've been asked such a general question, so I had to actually give it a bit of a noddle before I could respond (responses past the jump).

Back in 2003, when I was getting Community Bandwidth off the ground, the non-profit technology landscape was still pretty small. And, in 2006, when I was finishing up some reports about the non-profit technology sector in Canada for the Ministry of Citizenship, it was still pretty nascent. So... how's it doing today?

As the software landscape shifts from installed software to Software as a Service (SaaS), and as “support” for those services moves from asking a question on a mailing list to professional support teams — the one thing that is sometimes lost is that sense of connection to other people using the software. So, when I see innovative software providers like Democracy in Action launching a full-fledged networking and collaboration platform for their user community — I’m left inspired by what’s possible when engaged people put their minds to it.

Dear technologist,

May I have a moment of your time? If so, I would like to know if you have ever asked yourself, “What are the consequences of the advice I’m giving?” Or, let me ask, would you have the nerve to stand over the grave of a once-great social-benefit organization and say, “I did this. I am to blame.” If not, I plead with you, please keep your magic and “next big thing” in the corporate sector, or — better yet — use some of that glib approach and bravado to start your own company. Just stay away from our social-mission sector; it’s fragile enough on its own.

Just after the new year, Kim Elliot sent me a link to an interview with Michael Albert about the much-delayed re-launch of the whole Z communications family of Web sites, including Znet, Zmag, etc. The interview made my heart sink. In summary, Z communications — the 20-year-old media group with contributors like Noam Chomsky, Robert Fisk, John Pilger, Howard Zinn, Edward S. Herman, Eleanor Bader, and Barbara Ehrenreich — learned the hard way that large technology projects are not easy or without significant risk.

Have you ever seen one of those pyramids that describes food choices? Well, if you’re a “good vegetarian” like me, then you’ve probably seen your share, or have mentally created a few of your own. You might have even caught yourself thinking “Is a conventional vegetable within walking distance better than an organic one that I have to take public transportation to get?” — before realizing how circular those questions can be. That said, over the last couple of years, I’ve been thinking how helpful a software pyramid would be… as the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words.

Do me a quick favour. Take a moment and think of the exact opposite of a traditional Web portal — conjure up something like AOL or, in the non-profit space, something like TechSoup — and then think of the opposite and tell me what comes to mind? If you come up with something concrete, pop your thoughts in the comments below.

Freshly back from the biggest Web of Change event ever, I’m excited to get some thoughts out of my head and into the noosphere.

This year it was my great pleasure to facilitate the ever-popular “speed geek” (think speed dating). With almost 100 people in the room, the energy and excitement was palpable. And ten passionate presenters managed to deliver their four-minute demos to ten small groups that rotated around the room. Undoubtedly, it was the most information packed 55 minutes of the entire event.

Over the last couple of weeks, I was thinking a lot about “network leadership,” and the role of innovative technology, and how it all becomes part of a movement here in Canada that could change the field of innovation. The last burning question for me is: How can Canadian grant makers play a bigger role in catalyzing the necessary networks, and helping innovators build the necessary relationships?

Lots has already been said about the opportunities for a more holistic approach to financing non-profit technology initiatives. So, when it comes time to explore new ways of financing social innovation, I hope that foundations and grant makers will invest some time to integrate the “old” ideas too. But, when I return to the question “how can Canadian grant makers play a bigger role in ensuring that technology projects are successful and sustainable,” I always come back to the same conclusion: the funding model needs to be innovative too.

One of the questions that I’ve struggled with over the last couple of years is: What systemic changes are necessary to help catalyze innovation around social technology? I came back to this question the other week as the conversation swayed toward the opportunity for progressive organizations — and social innovators — to integrate social software, social networks, and the ideas of Web 2.0 into their work. I think for most of us who work in the non-profit technology space, the sparkle is off the Web 2.0 starburst, as we see organizations struggle to fully “get” what this new technology movement is all about.

What I do think is cool about Web 2.0 — especially when it comes to non-profit organizations and social innovators — is the operational style (business model if you must). Having a usable, interactive, data-exposing, read/write Web site is, in my opinion, more a function of a new approach to problem solving than a tectonic shift in the way the underlying technology works.

Photo of Kirsten Jordan (Taking IT Global) and Andres Dussan (Askoka) by Michael Lewkowitz

How often have you sought to answer questions like “how can new technologies support social change that has impact, durability and scale?” or “is it possible to foster collaboration, sharing, and even co-development of technology solutions rather than everyone building their own or working in isolation?” Well, last week, I was surprised to find myself in a room with some of Canada’s brightest minds when it comes to social innovation and social technology (that is: technology in support of social innovation). We gathered early in the morning on July 26th at MaRS to do some brainstorming on how best to support innovative organizations to leverage appropriate technology, execute technology projects successfully, and how to build capacity for ongoing innovation and sustainable technology operations.