Since that time, I’ve certainly mellowed. I long ago traded my combat boots for heels, and my dreams of changing the world morphed slowly into a commitment to raising a healthy family and creating a business that does its best to support organizations that do good in the world.

But the recent successes of social media-fueled protests have brought joy to this former-hippie’s heart. The Arab Spring, of course. Then SOPA and PIPA. And now the Susan G. Koman Foundation’s reversal of their cowardly decision to throw Planned Parenthood under the bus.

It’s true. When the people speak, the world listens. And we are so fortunate to live in an era when we all have a megaphone at our fingertips.

Yes, social media can give us endlessly boring updates on what Justin Bieber ate for breakfast. And yes, bullies and brutes can use it in ways that are unconscionable. But what wonderful things can happen when the voices of the people are heard!

– Barbara, February 3, 2012

Our consultancy originally consisted of:

• Analyzing their current social media presence
• Crafting the voice and online brand of the program
• Providing recommendations for achieving specific goals in social media
• Ongoing support and guidance for social media campaigns

In addition, we were able to redesign their homepage, create a great video (below) and help design some really fun campaigns.

After completing a final report of the results of the last 10 months, we see that DefeatDD now has an enthusiastic and growing audience.  On Twitter their audience has grown by about 1,000 people and the number of real conversations they are having has risen significantly.  Part of this is due to the Poo Haiku contest they held through Twitter.

On Facebook, the program started at zero and grew an audience of 2,200 and counting.  While neither of these growth numbers are staggering, they represent a natural aggregation of friends and followers who are actually interested in helping children by preventing and treating diarrheal disease.

It’s been great working with the Poo Crew. We wish them the best!

The BeHive Austin changes the lives of low income children in cities across the United States through unique and effective afterschool and summer programs.  We are proud to call them a client and we’ve really enjoyed working with them.

Their new site uses a Content Management System (CMS) called Joomla that enables them to update text, photos and videos on their site themselves.  We built the site on this platform to help keep future costs low and provide a website that can dynamically adjust to their needs.

If you would like to speak to us about developing a new website for your organization, please call (520) 318-0828 (Tucson) or (512) 637-6333 (Austin).  Or you can always email our CEO, Peter Bramley at pbramley@ridgewoodpr.com

While the video was in post production, the devastating hill country wild fire broke out. Fortunately, the camp was spared from the 34,000 acre blaze and the camp will be around for children to enjoy next summer.

Here is what we came up with for the project. What do you think?

There are several other changes the company has made. They are highlighted in the video below and more information can be found on the Facebook Blog.

The Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) has just opened the 2011 NTC Scholarship Silent Auction and hopes you will participate.

NTEN is a membership organization of nonprofit technology professionals.

The group aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions.

The members share the common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively.

NTEN enables their members to strategically use technology to make the world a better, just and equitable place.

Your bid goes to a great cause!

Every year, NTEN tries to raise $10,000 to send staffers from small nonprofits to the Nonprofit Technology Conference.

Every dollar is matched by Convio, allowing them to send up to 57 people this year.

This year NTEN is celebrating the collective awesomeness of the NTEN community.

Do you like the idea of sending deserving Nonprofit Techies to the greatest nonprofit technology conference on Earth for free? Then the 2011 NTC Scholarship Silent Auction is for you!

You can bid on nearly 100 items in their first silent auction. Getting something great for yourself and supporting the campaign at the same time is easy.

You can bid on items like the following.

Two Hours of Social Media Consulting

Get two hours of social media consulting with industry leader Sarah Vela. Sarah is the CEO of HelpAttack.com and has over a decade of digital strategy experience.

The minimum bid for this auction item is $200.

Or you can bid on the Social Media Bootcamp 101 for 10 People.

In this half-day workshop, the Ridgewood Team will help you understand the game-changing innovations that are occurring in the world of communications.

This workshop will give you the tools, skills, and confidence you need to tell your story through social media. You will learn how to attract attention in the competitive space of social media and produce content that gets you noticed.

This class is taught in Austin or remotely by Webinar.

The minimum bid for this auction item is $200.

If you’d like to bid on these or any of the other many amazing items, here’s what you need to do:

• Create an account at the auction site using their link to register.

• The system will send you a confirmation email you must respond to before you can log in for the first time.

• When you see an offer you want to bid on, click the “I want this button” in the upper right hand corner of the item. You should also choose to “Follow” any items on which you bid.

• Each day, all auction items will be updated with the latest bids so keep an eye out to see if you’ve been out-bid.

• Bidding closes at 5pm Pacific on February 11. NTEN will contact winners and arrange for payment then.

• Sharing auction items with your friends is easy via the handy Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and e-mail integrations built right into each listing.

And you don’t have to be an NTEN member or attend the NTC to make a bid and support the campaign!

You can also support the 2011 NTC Scholarship Campaign by donating an item to the auction. It’s not too late! Just submit your item today.

After being homeless, Jill found a home, only to lose it in a fire.

Jill is a single Mom who lost her home and then her daughter.

Jill has been through some really tough stuff but she continues to give back to others.

Watch Jill’s story below.

This month Love Drop is giving back to Jill and her family.

Love Drop’s motto is ‘Spend a Dollar, Change a Life’.

Love Drop is a micro-giving network of people who unite as a community to help one person or family a month.

By subscribing to the team for as low as $1.00, they make it easy for their members to change lives in a fun and tangible way.

Each month Love Drop delivers a unique combination of unexpected financial gifts, personal encouragement and the support of local and online communities.

Every month the Love Drop community comes together to raise as much support and awareness as we possibly can for someone in need.

It all starts on the website and gets spread across their entire network of blogs.

The message then continues through the forums where all of their members are brainstorming and finally lands on the front steps of their recipients, literally.

At the end of every month Nate and J. Money show up in town to drop some love.

Then they deliver the money, the gifts, the services, everything!

It’s all on film, and it all ends with an amazing outpouring of love. And then it starts all over again the next month.

Help them and their flagship partner Kona Grill make this drop in Chicago amazing!

Here’s what you can do to make the first Love Drop special for Jill and her family:

• Become a member of the team by paying whatever you want, even $1.00.

• Join their blogger network and blog about our Love Drops once a month! It’s easy, it’s rewarding and it really helps spread the word.

• Give a gift or provide a service - Gift cards, household goods, football cards or jerseys for the boys, web design services, pampering gifts for Jill, etc.

Only one day is left in January to help out Jill and her family in January but make sure and check out the website to see who you can help drop some love to in February.

Join the team today and help make the world a better place by dropping some love.

On February 9th, 2011, the Ridgewood Austin Team is conducting a Social Media Bootcamp for Nonprofits at The Greenlights for Nonprofit Success office here in beautiful Austin, TX.

Greenlights serves as a catalyst for extraordinary nonprofit performance and vision in Central Texas.

No doubt about it – social media is rapidly changing the way we all come together and communicate.

If your nonprofit is new to the world of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms, you won’t want to miss this fun and interactive day of training.

The Social Media Bootcamp will quickly bring you up to speed on the many game-changing innovations that are occurring in the world of communications.

The training will provide you with all the tools skills, and confidence you need to tell your story in social media.

You will also learn how to attract attention in competitive social media spaces and how to produce content that gets your nonprofit and its great work noticed.

Register today and fast-track your social media success in 2011!

When: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM on 2/9/ 
2011

Cost: $95.00 for Greenlights Members, $125.00 for Non-Members

Instructor: Aaron Bramley, Director of Digital Media, Ridgewood: Ingenious Communications Strategies

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ridgewood : Ingenious Communication Strategies is looking for a web developer to be a part of our fun team at our Austin office.

Ridgewood is a full service Digital Solutions and Strategic Communication Company.

We primarily work with government agencies, school districts, non-profit organizations and many other small businesses in Tucson, Denver, Austin and across the nation.

We do our best to make this world a better place to live for our clients and those who they serve. We are looking for a full time programmer who wants to join us in this mission to change and challenge the world.

We offer excellent health and retirement benefits, a very cool South Austin office (located minutes from downtown and across from Uchi), and a relaxed work environment.

We are the past recipients of ‘The Best Place to Work’ – Copper Cactus Award.

Company: Ridgewood : Ingenious Communications Strategies
Position: Full time
Title: Web Developer

Eligibility:

• This position requires a Bachelors degree in Computer Science. (Masters’ preferred)
• Minimum two years related professional experience. Higher education could be substituted.
• Proficiency with relational database development, especially SQL Server and MS Access.
• Knowledge of computer networking principles and Web server maintenance.
• Knowledge of designing algorithms to show information flow and component interaction.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of information architecture principles and computer programming languages, such as ASP, .Net, HTML, Java, PHP and Joomla.
• Ability to demonstrate proficiency in computer languages such as: ASP (versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 and 3.5) and .NET Framework.
• Ability to organize time and work on multiple projects.
• Assists in physical and logical database design.
• Creates prototypes for client engagements.
• Designs, codes and tests technical solutions..
• Knowledge of written and spoken English, including proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to communicate clearly with a diverse group of clients, vendors, professionals and non-professionals.
• Ability to adapt to, manage and facilitate change.
• Ability to attend to details.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• To work as part of a team to assist in the design and development of Web sites and other information systems to meet clients’ needs.
• To program Web sites, including development of database applications and forms.
• To test Web sites for usability, identify problems and develop solutions as necessary.
• To maintain and secure information on client sites.
• To solve problems related to existing client and agency sites.
• To conduct research through Internet searches and other means.
• To construct web pages/sites including incorporating graphic user interface (GUI) features and other techniques.
• To maintain and provide ongoing changes of websites, adding promos, ad banners and seasonal content as needed.
• To troubleshoot issues with existing or developed systems and work with the appropriate resources to resolve them.
• To perform related duties as requested or as situations dictate.

Pay: Salary based upon experience.

Location: 708A S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704

Contact: Please forward your resume along with salary expectations to Sulochana Konur at skonur@ridgewoodpr.com or call at 520-318-0828 or 520-245-2432.