Faculty | Date & Times | Location & Price | Technical Requirements

There are social networks and then there are Social Networks. The first kind - our connections with our colleagues, our stakeholders, and our communities - are essential to organizational success. The second kind - the web based services that both support and profit from our connections - are the subject of regular conversations by every organization engaged in online communication and organizing. FaceBook, MySpace, Linked In, LiveJournal, Bebo, Orkut, Imeem, StumbleUpon, Last.fm, Friendster, Twitter, Ning, and others... Are they worth our investment as an organization? How do they affect our ability to reach our stakeholders? How can we leverage what they have to offer? How can we use them without getting locked in? In this ninety minute seminar, we'll look at these questions and help you:

• Develop a rigorous framework for making decisions about any given social networking site
• Design a model for using such sites that maximizes ROI and minimizes risk of lock-in
• Make sure you and your stakeholders, not the social networking sites, own your relationships
• Learn how to do powerful online social networking, without dependency on any of these sites
• Identify the top three immediate social networking opportunities and plan to test them

Are you already communicating with many of your stakeholders online? Do leaders and others have questions about social networks? Do you yourself see some promise in them, but want to approach them smartly? If you are involved in discussions about, or have responsibility for, these questions and related decisions, then this seminar is right for you.
 

Our seminars are intended for the professional staff of nonprofit organizations, specifically those working in communication, fundraising, or technology. Our packages tend to be tightly focused on a particular professional field and our seminars deliver lessons that can be immediately applied within a particular professional's field of authority.
 

This seminar will be taught by Michael C. Gilbert, the author of dozens of online seminars on communication issues for nonprofits. He is a long time coach and consultant on matters related to information and effectiveness in work and civil society. He is the author of Communication Centered Technology Planning, 2nd Edition, the Editor of Nonprofit Online News, and the Founding President of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network. The Gilbert Center is now in the fourth year of its own online seminar program. For more information about Mr. Gilbert, please see his bio.
 

Seminar: Next live session hosted by The Gilbert Center, has not yet been scheduled.

One on One Consulting Sessions: To be scheduled with the instructor, within two weeks after the seminar.
 

This is an open registration seminar, which means that anyone can attend. It will be held online. The price is $99.00 for the first student. There is a $15 fee for each additional student watching at the same computer, and at the same time with the first.

(You can also hire us to present this and any of the sessions listed on this site, as well as custom sessions, for your group privately, online or in person at your location. Please contact us for more info if you are interested.)

Michael Gilbert has a proven track record of helping individuals and organizations move the ideas he has taught in a seminar from concept to implementation during one on one consultations afterwards. He will answer any questions you have regarding the seminar materials, of course. But more importantly, you'll have access to the discipline and focus that comes from his twenty years of experience. He can help you develop a plan and get it started. One call or many, it all depends on how much help you need in your particular situation. Each call is 30 minutes in length and should be scheduled to happen within two weeks after the seminar. Also, you may have additional people join the call on your end, if you like.

The price for one on one consulting is discounted by more than 50% if you buy it as part of a seminar package.

You are responsible for making sure that you can meet these requirements before you register to attend one of our online seminars. Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions you might have.

Seminar sessions are broadcast to you via Quicktime, and you are able to send in questions during the session via AOL Instant Messenger. For this you will need:

• An internet connection (broadband will yield improved performance)
• An email account and email address
• A free AOL Instant Messaging account and client software (AIM Web Site)
• Directions to get a free screen name
• Install AIM on your computer
• Or see the help page linked to below for other options.
• The free Quicktime Player plugin (Quicktime Free Download)
  • The ability to access this test movie with Quicktime.

If you're having trouble, check the Technical Help page.