See What’s Out There

YouTube announced today that they have updated their video player to a new, bigger format in order to accommodate widescreen (16:9) videos.

From the YouTube blog:

We’re expanding the width of the page to 960 pixels to better reflect the quality of the videos you create and the screens that you use to watch them. This new, wider player is in a widescreen aspect ratio which we hope will provide you with a cleaner, more powerful viewing experience. And don’t worry, your 4:3 aspect ratio videos will play just fine in this new player.

We noticed this while uploading the newest video for NARAL Pro-Choice’s free.will.power initiative. The video,”Will” was shot in regular 4:3 in anticipation of it being uploaded to YouTube. But with this new change, the video appears on the YouTube page with areas of black on either side:

But as you can see, the videos still embed in the normal size:

Last week we asked our friends on Twitter, “What do you have more of - Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or LinkedIn contacts?” Based on the responses we received, it looks like Facebook wins, followed closely by Twitter and LinkedIn.

It’s important to note that each social-networking platform has its own culture and use. Whereas you might connect with a business acquaintance on LinkedIn, you’re probably more likely to see photos of your friend’s new baby on Facebook or get in a heated discussion about a new website with another user on Twitter.

However, these cultures are not rigid. Facebook is rapidly transitioning from its college roots to a space for the professional world just as LinkedIn has added new applications like RSS feeds and SlideShare to make its user profiles more personal. And although many caution against joining too many social-networks at once, all three are worth looking into for both personal and business use.

Thanks to everyone who responded! Next week’s question: Do you have a secret for dealing with spam email? Just reply @See3 on Twitter.

See3 has been working for months with NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation to conceive, develop, and produce their latest youth-oriented initiative: free.will.power. This innovative video-based online initiative is designed to reach younger activists and recruit a new generation of young women and men into the pro-choice movement.

The result is www.MyFreeWillPower.com, centered around a series of three animated music videos, to be released over a 6-week period. Each video features a young, critically-acclaimed spoken-word artist – Shira Erlichman, Alvin Lau, and Deja Taylor – as well as renowned musician, DJ Spooky. We wrapped compelling words, visuals, and sound into a thought-provoking series, with each video riffing on a different word: “Free”, “Will”, and “Power”.

You can see the first video, “Free”, below:

On the website, there are interactive ways for new activists to get involved with NARAL Pro-Choice America’s work, including taking action on a choice-related issue, learning about state-by-state legislation, or entering (and later voting in) a $1,000 t-shirt design contest. (We even re-skinned their MySpace page to reflect the microsite creative!)

And the timing for this initiative couldn’t be better.

“In the 2008 presidential election, we witnessed how the power of technology and the enthusiasm of young voters revolutionized the political process,” says Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation. “This generation of youth is the most diverse and engaged generation in our country’s history. free.will.power represents one way to engage this new generation of activists and connect them with the pro-choice cause.”

We had this technology-centered, enthusiastic young audience in mind from the very beginning, always asking the question, “In this age of 24/7 information access, what will get their attention, connect with them, and really make them think?” You can see what some bloggers are already saying here, here, and here.

I am on the Board of Directors of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. Part of being a member of the board involves helping the organization raise money. Boards should have a requirement for gift giving — at the very least the requirement should be that the organization in which you serve is at the top of the list of charitable gifts you make.

AVODAH has a modest give/get. The idea behind a Give/Get is that not everyone has the same amount to give, but everyone can get from others what they can’t give themselves.

Yesterday, AVODAH’s Associate Executive Director and fundraising guru Ilanit Gerblich Kalir, sent a document to all the board members called Top 10 Fundraising Tips. I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you all. The language here is about AVODAH, but the ideas can be adapted to anyone. If you aren’t providing your Board — and for that matter other closely connected constituents — with documents like these you are not maximizing your opportunities.

Top 10 Fundraising Tips

1. Ask. So simple, yet so often overlooked, feared or avoided. You can raise significant sums when you ask for it - and when you don’t ask, you rarely get the support you deserve. Here’s a little trick to remember: Right before you ask someone for a donation to support you and your year in AVODAH, remind yourself of all the good things that will come from that donation. It will go to provide you with the opportunity to help people in need, and to ensure that AVODAH can continue its work too. Remember, you are asking on behalf of others who may not be able to ask for themselves.

2. Start now. Get your fundraising done early so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. It’s never too soon to ask for a donation! Once you’ve met your goal, keep on asking!

3. Tell your story with passion and enthusiasm. Remember why you are involved in AVODAH. The more excited you are, the more excited your donors will become. It’s infectious!

4. Expand your audience. Include everyone you know on your solicitation list. This is even true for people you haven’t spoken with for awhile. Consider colleagues, friends, family, business acquaintances etc. No one is off limits!

5. Know your facts. Educate yourself about AVODAH and the organizations we work with (not just your own placement). Read all about the extraordinary things our alumni do after their time in AVODAH. The better you understand and can speak about AVODAH and what you’re doing makes such a measurable difference to people, and the more you will attract donations and generate critical awareness.

6. Never make the decision for a donor. Especially when it comes to money, it’s human nature for us to think we know what someone else is thinking or what their circumstances may or may not be. Let each person you solicit make up their own mind as to how (and ultimately how much) they are willing to contribute. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try and make that decision for them, or worse yet, not even ask: “I know they couldn’t donate. They just don’t have enough money.” You never know who has strong connections to poverty, how it might have touched their lives, or how someone would like to spend his or her money, especially to support you and the work you’re doing! Remember, no one ever gave away their last dime!

7. Ask at least one person for a $1000 donation. Challenge yourself (and have some fun) find at least one person amongst your group of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances who you believe can make a contribution of $1000 or higher. Plan your ‘ask’ and strategy well, take a deep breath, and make the request. More often than not, you will be surprised by the result(s)!

8. Ask for help. You don’t have to do this alone! The AVODAH staff is available to help answer your questions and support you in ways that we hope will lead you to easily attaining (and exceeding) your fundraising goals. Also, consider turning to your Board members to learn how they are becoming so successful.

9. Take your donors with you on your journey. Remember to send thank you letters to each and every donor. Expressing your gratitude for their generosity will help support future giving.

The Flip camera that we love, that revolutionized low-cost video cameras with the web in mind, has competition. The form factor has been copied and if you go to the store you can find other camera that look a lot like it.

The Kodak Zi6 is one such camera. It’s a little larger, but it seems to shoot better video than the new Flip MinoHD.

The Kodak Zi6 is selling for $179.99 on Amazon and it’s HD. The Flip MinoHD is $229 on Amazon.

Here’s a nice comparison of the video quality.

Flip Mino HD vs Kodak Zi6 from Fork You on Vimeo.

Link [Vimeo]
Hat Tip [Brian Thomas Fugate]

We did this cool video for the Sierra Club to let people know that Coal is NOT the answer.

Now, Sierra Club is back with a contest. Help Sierra Club come up with a new slogan for coal.

Learn more here at Coal Is Not The Answer.org

The Flip video camera, which you should own, now comes in HD.

Cool.

Can’t beat that for under $250. But the problem with the Flip is that it still won’t get you good sound from across the room, but as HD becomes more important, there is no reason not to own one of these babies. (Can’t wait till they give you a way to add external sound. Then we’re golden.)

You can still get a regular Flip for less than $150.

Link [Flip Dot Com]

Are you thinking about video? Your constituents are.

From a Wall Street Journal piece about new video search engines:

“Web users in the U.S. enjoy their video — more than 11 billion clips were viewed online in July alone, according to comScore Inc. That’s up from nine billion videos in July 2007. YouTube, along with blogs and online networking sites MySpace and Facebook, have helped drive those numbers.”

Get started with the See3 Guide To Online Video.

The world of social media that we live in means that continual communication and transparency is good because you then develop long-term relationships with your constituents. Our new world also means that you can’t hide the ball. You can’t use marketing speak and emails to fundraise and then, when it counts, not to be there for your cause. And if you missed it, then you will get called on it and the best response is one that’s honest.

I was thinking about this this morning when I read Andrew Sullivan’s spanking of Human Rights Campaign. In the wake of the Prop 8 loss in California, which outlawed gay marriage, there is a lot of wondering, “How did we lose?”

Here’s a simple statistic that might help shake us out of complacency: HRC claims to have spent $3.4 million on No On 8. The Mormon church was able to spend over $20 million, by appealing to its members. Why are non-gay Mormons more capable of organizing and fund-raising on a gay rights measure than the biggest national gay rights group? I mean: they claim (absurdly, but bear with me) 725,000 supporters and members. In the summer, the major problem for No On 8 was insufficient early funding. If HRC had led, they could have thrown their money weight behind it. If every supporter had given $20 - chump change for the biggest ever battle yet for civil rights - they could have delivered $14 million overnight. So why didn’t they?

Why indeed.

This line really hit home:

“How many struggles do we have to wage with these people always, always failing to lead - before we demand accountability and reform? Losing a battle this important should mean, at least, the rolling of some heads. Or we have no accountability at all. What are we: the Bush administration?”

See what is happening here? A constituent is DEMANDING accountability from a non-profit organization. He doesn’t own this organization. He doesn’t sit on the Board of Directors. He isn’t the biggest donor. But he dares to demand that the organization be accountable to it’s issue and to its constituents.

Put yourself and your organization in this place. Are you accountable to your constituents and to your issue? If the hard questions are being asked will you have good answers? Ask the questions now, yourself, and if you are comfortable with the answers, then communicate this with your constituents now, honestly and forthrightly. Don’t make them show up at your door with pitchforks and torches.

Link [Andrew Sullivan]

Chicago was electrifying last week, and millions of people watched from home as Barack Obama gave his historic election night speech in Grant Park.

Several members of the See3 team were there, in line and among the crowd of thousands, catching the night on camera. We asked people one simple question: “Why are you here tonight?”

Watch what they said: