Aspiration 2014 Summer Newsletter

Hey friends,

As summer ends, we're getting ready to host our favorite nonprofit events, launch new training and learning resources, and co-create the next nonprofit techie fashion trend! Let's find out how we can work together.

• CA Tech Fest: share ideas, make friends, and build capacity
• Brand-spankin' new nonprofit trainings and resources
• Call for creative insight: the new Aspiration t-shirt
• Twenty tactics for creating engaging online content
• On the horizon and in the rearview mirror

CA Tech Fest: share ideas, make friends, and build capacity

We believe that nonprofit capacity is as much about growing ideas and friendships as it is about skill-building. On September 25-26, the California Nonprofit Technology Festival in Richmond, CA will bring together folks from around the state for critical dialogues and collaborative workshops. No keynote speakers or PowerPoints will be admitted—just participant voices, skill-sharing, and friend-making. We need YOU there to make it happen. What you (actually) get out of #CATechFest: Three things we hope to leave in your figurative gift bag. Meet Al Grano Talks, who will join us as a community partner in Richmond! Al Grano creates spaces for Latino organizers to talk about their ideas, passions, and experiences in social change work. Register for CA Tech Fest, taking place Sept 25-26. Sliding scale registration is available. Get in touch with us: richmondtechfest@aspirationtech.org. Want to facilitate a session? Join our open call on September 23 for tips and feedback on ideas. Special thanks to CCPF for supporting us in making convenings like this possible.

Join us

Brand spankin' new nonprofit trainings and resources

We've started launching our learning and training resource pages for nonprofit organizations! Here, you'll find templates, slidedecks, guides, and webinar recordings in an easily accessible and shareable format.

Here are some examples of what's currently online:

• Coordinating social media for impact: includes tools, templates for audience evaluation, and more


• Building Online Campaigns and Advocates: includes tactics, listening tools, and more

We've got a no-cost webinar coming up! Tune into The Art of the Ask on Tuesday Sept 30 at 11am PT to learn how to better engage your stakeholders.

Call for creative insight: the new Aspiration t-shirt

Our annual Nonprofit Technology Development Summit is happening in Oakland, CA on November 17-19. But here's the deal—we need a new Aspiration t-shirt! We'd love to get ideas and suggestions from y'all to make this one a collaborative effort. Click here for more info.

Got an idea?

Twenty tactics for creating engaging online content

Read blog

On the horizon and in the rearview mirror

On the horizon

• Our favorite nonprofit technology festival starts in two weeks! Sign up for the CA Nonprofit Tech Fest to join us in Richmond on September 25-26!


• We're hosting #MakerParty at our San Francisco office with EPIK Hub. Join us for this Minecraft Java Workshop at 10am PT on September 27.


• As huge fans of Mozilla, we're stoked to be part of the organizing team for Mozfest, which will bring together over 1,000 people in London to build the future of the free and open web on October 24-26.


• We'll be co-organizing the next Responsible Data Forum in Budapest along with the engine room. Join us to discuss the implications and ethics of data-driven advocacy on September 30-October 1.


• We're thrilled to discuss technology's role in community rights in Bogotá, Columbia at the World Resources Institute's Fifth Global Gathering of The Access Initiative, taking place on October 29-31.

In the rearview mirror:

• We were delighted to be invited into Stanford's Ethics of Data Conference on September 15-16. Read Heather's experience from the event.


• We've been to the land of D.C. and across the great pond to Berlin to collaborate with the passionate work of the Open Technology Fund. We were humbled by the energy coming out of the annual summit in D.C. earlier this month, as well as the Whistleblowing Roundtable in Germany on July 17-18.


• In the spirit of teaching the web, Jess and Misty hosted a Maker Party for HTML Newsletters on August 14.


• We were grateful to facilitate the HOT Humanitarian Open Street Map board meeting to discuss human rights and mapping on July 25-27.


• In continuing efforts with the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, we're collaborating on an ongoing webinar series, including a webinar on Digital Security Essentials for NGOs on July 23.


• Joining forces with our friends in the neighborhood, Misty and I ventured to Mozilla's SF office to facilitate an engaging dialogue about digital privacy at the Maven Youth Summer Camp on July 11.


• Jess took to the airwaves to facilitate a six-part webinar series on strategic online communicatons.


• We're proud to have facilitated TorDev in Paris on June 29-July 4.


• We humbly joined the Benetech DIAGRAM community meeting near D.C., where we discussed literacy tools for increasing accessibility on June 24-25.

Say hello

Autumn is a busy time for Aspiration, but we're excited for the opportunitiy to connect with y'all at our events, trainings, or even online. If you're ever in San Francisco's Mission District, stop by the SF Nonprofit Technology Center for some coffee and conversation.

take care,
Javier

---
Javier Kordi
Communications Coordinator