Ever since I was asked to volunteer to tap into my personal network of friends, family and acquaintances, I have obsessed over the topic. The tools provided by that particular organization were poorly designed, and wouldn't integrate with other online activities, online tools or social media.
And, then I suddenly understood the power of one in the age of social media. There are multiple online advocacy tools for the personal support of causes. You can create personal fund raising pages, write petitions, or write politicians. However, the choices available to nonprofit organizations are still very, very limited.
The site, SocialActions.org, has brought 50 online advocacy sites together in one site, and you can find plenty of individuals that are on a mission for their cause, their classroom or their nonprofit. SocialActions.org, however, also pushes the integration outward, with their three month old public API, that lets developers and users tap into a wealth of information on the Social Actions site.
Yesterday, the submission deadline for 'Challenge for Change' passed, and, on Monday, the official voting begins for the best ideas to use the public API. The applications are available at netsquared:
Change the Web"Social Actions currently aggregates opportunities to make a difference from over 50 online platforms, such as VolunteerMatch, Kiva.org, DonorsChoose.org, Idealist.org, and Change.org. We're looking for applications that will share these opportunities to take action on the websites, blogs, and social networks that people visit every day."
