On the first Thursday and last Thursday of the month I will be posting some helpful tips for Carpe Diem Management Clients (current and future)

You can click  the Social Media tab on the menu bar for a good sampling at anytime. —–> Go ahead and explore.

Carpe Diem Management is serving as strategic consultant for GivingMatters.com.  Each week a new white paper and video is created to help overview issues that are being faced head on by the nonprofit communities in Middle Tennessee.  We hope that philanthropists with a few dollars or several thousand will find the data helpful in their decision to give.  Giving matters.

We have created videos of Prezis that allow the viewer to read and watch a synopsis of the issue as a compliment to the other resources provided.  Here is an example of a completed project on Hunger and Food Security. You can visit the videos as they are added right here on our page on the  Giving Matters Video Album Page.

Forrester Research has shown that you’re 53 times more likely to get on the first page of Google’s search results if you have video on your page.  The smart people at HubSpot give 6 simple tricks to making good video for online.  We like second one: Turn On The Lights. Read all of them here.

Beth Kanter wrote recently on Michael Hofmans perspective:

More than 85% of US internet users watched online video in July, and on average they spent more than 14 hours doing it. More than 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute, and there are as many people over 55 watching video on YouTube as there are under 18. You might think of Facebook as an important social network, but it is now also the third most popular video site on the web. And Cisco says that 90% of the world’s data will be video in four years. Holy smokes! Bottom line: If you aren’t developing a video strategy you are not going to capture the mindshare of internet users.

How are you using Video?

Our friends and client, The Athena Film Foundation Tell The Story So Very Well

It started with a blog post – The phrase rose from the part of your belly where all the chakras meet. Then there was another blog post.  And a lot of posts in between and since. And this amazing insightful commentary.  I am fortunate to be affiliated with the  great folks at Cool People Care.

WE ARE NASHVILLE: If you haven’t yet: Please support flood relief efforts by getting our Tshirt and bumper sticker. 100% of the proceeds will go to Premium Partner: Community Foundation of Middle TN to distribute to our neighbors in need. Order as many shirts as you want. We will print and ship every last one.

We Are Nashville from Nancy VanReece on Vimeo.

photo by kelseywynns

Nashville.  May 1, 2, 2010:

Rivergages.com - Current Hydrograph For Cumberland River at Old Hickory Dam, TN

Twitter and YouTube Tell the story via Mashable

Our backyard:

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has activated a fund to help those affected by the May 1 & 2, 2010 floods.
In partnership with Davidson County’s Office of Emergency Management, The Metro Nashville Disaster Response Fund will assist those recovering in Davidson County.

Make a gift today. The needs are great and will continue for months to come. Grants from the funds will be made to nonprofits supporting both immediate and long-term needs.

We hope you will join in these efforts to rebuild lives in our very own community.

Help us spread the word through social media
by posting to your profile:

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee activates disaster response funds to support flood relief in Davidson County and Middle Tennessee. Help support relief, restoration and flood clean-up efforts. Donate now: http://www.cfmt.org/floodrelief/

RT: @CFMT responds to Middle TN floods. Join in efforts to rebuild lives in our community. Donate at www.cfmt.org/floodrelief/

When Sam Davidson, co-founder of Cool People Care, asked me if I was willing to present a workshop a the 7th Annual TIRRC Annual Convention I was eager to be helpful.

The coalition is the only statewide entity in Tennessee working to create a voice in the public area that is truly representative of the interests of the “newest Tennesseans.”  They help by creating unifying support to organizations that are services based, the empower the grassroot leaders to effectively advocate for policy changes at the local, state and federal levels.  They guard the freedoms of Tennessee immigrants and refugees by educating individuals about ther rights and organizing communities to address alleged cvil liberties/civil rights abuses.

The workshop:

We Want You! (Online) – How to Recruit and Retain Volunteers and Activists Using Social Media

o In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the latest trends when it comes to nonprofits using social media, particularly when it comes to using these free tools to find new volunteers and activists. Whether you’re curious about getting your organization on Facebook or ready to maximize Twitter to reach a new generation, you’ll leave this workshop with ideas and a strategy to begin to recruit people for your cause.

There was valuable discussion about how individual activists have a responsibility to organize themselves and have a strategic plan before they take on the responsibility of leading others.  The entire conference was rewarding.  It was like a small UN of cross cultural unity building.  I heard four languages spoken while I was there and there was a Spanish interpretation of my workshop.

The TIRRC Convention was like a symphony of ideas and passion and organization, each instrument building and bring new texture to the progressive goals. It was a pleasure to participate and I hope to continue to be helpful.

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Action Plan:

The Dream Act (H.R. 1751) The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act was introduced in March of 2009. The bill would provide qualified undocumented immigrant students access to higher education and the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency.  Yearly about 65,000 Us-raised students who call the United States their home face barriers to higher education, can not work legally in the U.S. and fear being sent back to a county they no longer call home.  It’s time we gave all our children a chance to succeed by providing a path to legalization for undocumented children who had no choice in coming to this country.

Contact your U.S. Representative Today and ask for them to support H.R. 1751

In Nashville?  TIRRC will be delivering a symbolic holiday tree to Rep. Jim Cooper  to ask again for his support of The Cream Act.  Thursday afternoon December 17, 2009  For more information, please contact (615) 294-2203

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We closed out our staycation with a visit with The Jugg sisters on the NashTrash Pink Bus Tour . These few shots are total bootleg so – come see the tour “fer yer self”

I am so glad that I took a few days for a staycation and where better to spend it than in Nashville, TN. We spent time in our own town enjoying places that we already new we loved and trying out neighborhoods we hadn’t explored as much. I first came to Nashville in 1986 when the only places to eat were Faisons and Sunset Grill and The Cooker. Now there should be no question that Nashville is serious about food. Very serious, and very playful.

When we go on vacation we try to find local places that serve fresh local food. This time out we enjoyed ChaChah, Eastland Cafe and Cantina Loredo .. okay, that last one is a chain but they use a local chef and the food was the best southwestern/mex I have had in this town, hands down.

The green spaces in Nashville are best observed with a dog. So get one. This is our dog Scout.

What to do in Nashville : NowPlayingNashville.com

Where to eat in Nashville: NashvilleOriginals.com

So now-back to work and still in love with lovely Nashvegas.
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