Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Converging Campaigns panel discussion held at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Convio and ViaNovo made the event possible.
The Converging Campaigns panel discussed how the Internet, social media and technology are changing the worlds of philanthropy, advocacy, and politics. A significant amount of useful information was communicated during the hour and a half. I shouldn't have been surprised, because the speakers were top leaders in their field.
The speakers were:
- Tucker Eskew (Moderator) - Founding Partner, ViaNovo
- Adam Conner - Associate for Privacy and Global Public Policy , Facebook
- Heather Smith - Executive Director, Rock the Vote
- Brian Rubenstein - Associate Director, Nationwide Grassroots, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- Nicco Mele - Progressive Online Strategist, EchoDitto
- Patrick Ruffini - Conservative Online Strategist, Patrick Ruffini
- Vinay Bhagat - Chief Strategy Officer and Founder, Convio
It was exciting to meet several new people at the event who are working in the philanthropic arena. in addition to the traditional media, I talked with representatives from nonprofit organizations as well as representatives from technology and service companies supporting nonprofit organizations.
Jessica Hood and Jordan Viator were a couple of the first attendees I met. They both work at Convio. Jordan is a fellow blogger and the one who sent me a personal invitation to attend. My thanks to both of them for making the experience a great one.
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The panelists covered several topics throughout their prepared speeches and answers to questions. The topics included:
- Engaging current and potential supporters
- Need for micro-campaigns/micro-targeting
- Importance of an effective online presence
- Use of multi-channels
- Empowering constituents and volunteers
- Value of mobile technology
- Power of young people
Over the next few days, I'll be writing about some of the interesting things I heard at the event. Be sure to return to the Everyday Giving Blog to learn more about the future of philanthropy.
