5 Key Reasons Why Social Media Strategies Are Different Than Traditional Marketing Strategies

Social media and web-based platforms function differently than "traditional" marketing/PR platforms. While this may be obvious to some, I Read more

A Hint for the Future of Museums: Europe is Looking to US Aquariums

In my line of work (developing predictive data) and my spot in that line (analyzing and applying data on Read more

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: The Nonprofit Social Media Data Dilemma

Everyone seems to be all about the world of “big data” right now. And – as a data nerd Read more

Minding Your Ps and Qs: The Importance of Early Adopters in Marketing Your Nonprofit (DATA)

Nonprofit marketers increasingly understand the importance of reach and remaining top-of-mind when it comes to building affinity with potential Read more

Time, Treasure, Talent: Priority Confusion on Nonprofit Boards Limits Success (STUDY)

Finding: Nonprofit board members grossly overestimate the importance of their own time and talent, and believe personal philanthropy to Read more

6 Sad Truths About Fundraising That I Have Learned as a Millennial Donor

Hi, nonprofit executive leaders and board members. My name is Colleen Dilenschneider. I am a Millennial donor and I Read more
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Blogger of the Year

Nonprofit Careerists are Brazen (or, Thanks for Naming Me Brazen Careerist’s Blogger of the Year 2009)

I was honored to be named Brazen Careerist’s Blogger of The Year last week after this post got me nominated with 49 incredible Gen Y bloggers, and after receiving several votes on twitter for this blog.

I am still beyond thrilled to be nominated with such (downright cool) thought-food providers. In fact, after seeing Brazen’s frequently-featured favorites on the nomination list (such as Rebecca Thorman and Grace Boyle), I smiled– felt proud that a nonprofit-focused careerist might have rolled with the best of them for a little while– and tweeted a request for votes with a feeling of satisfaction, but with rather low expectations. After all, this blog is only five months old and, unlike the other 49 bloggers on the list, I focus on nonprofit organizations and experiences within the civic sector.

Along these lines, the power of community and relationship building– two critical elements in nonprofit management– were reinforced through this experience for me.  There’s no doubt that there’s increasing emphasis on engagement, creating connections, and civic responsibility within the private sector, that Gen Y is itching to make a difference, and that often the best solutions to social problems arise when we are sector agnostic. These are topics that frequently arise in this blog, and I’m thrilled that these areas of focus (engagement, relationship-building, and civic responsibility) are trending quickly enough to make this blog brazen and relevant to all careerists. Moreover, I’m excited that my own optimistic take on professional capabilities during the recession is what got me nominated!

Community and relationships were important in this Brazen Careerist contest because, in order to obtain this honor, my communities of friends and followers had to vote. I asked for support and I was absolutely blown away by the response. Pacific Science Center cast a vote my way, and even The University of Chicago Magazine asked alumni for support in my endeavor. I was touched by friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. Mostly, though, after learning a bit about the folks behind the tweets, I learned that there are many incredible and talented folks reading this blog.

So, I’d like to introduce you to some of my stellar readers who help to keep me open-minded and thinking. These are the folks who voted for me through twitter (including those on both locked and unlocked accounts, and those who voted after the deadline). I know some of these folks personally and I know some of them virtually. There are also a good amount whom I have never met, but since the contest, I’ve looked up their blogs and gotten to know a little bit more about them as well. I’m thrilled to have such a talented group of supporters on twitter!

Thanks again to everyone for voting for this blog in the contest. And for those who didn’t vote, thanks for reading! I’m looking forward to getting to know you all even better in 2010!

Posted on December 30, 2009 by colleendilen in Blogging, Community Engagement, Generation Y, Nonprofits, Social Change, Social Media 10 Comments