Reflecting on 2010: Our ten most popular blog posts of the year

This article by Stephanie Hackman was originally posted on the Case Foundation website.

 

It's that time again, when we approach the close of the year and look back to reflect on all that's happened over the past year. On our blogs, we've written about a lot of topics in 2010 from new technologies to nonprofit jobs to entrepreneurship, and everything in between. As we look back at 2010, we wanted to share our top ten most popular posts from the Case Foundation and Social Citizens blogs, in case you missed them or want to re-visit some of your favorites. And here they are, in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. AGC Conversational Case Studies: Darius Goes West: Inspiring fans to share their story with pride and joy

As part of this year's AGC 2009 Assessment and Reflection report, Beth Kanter and Allison Fine wrote a series of "AGC Conversational Case Studies," highlighting many of the winners and sharing successful tactics and lessons learned. This post takes a look at the small nonprofit Darius Goes West and their recipe for success, which included strong relationship building and effective storytelling.

2. Nonprofit Jobs: Interview with Idealist.org's Ami Dar and Meg Busse

We interviewed the founder and executive director of Idealist.org, Ami Dar, who shared his thoughts on the outlook for nonprofit jobs in this economy, advice for those looking for jobs in the nonprofit sector, and other benefits the Idealist site offers.

3. The painful acknowledgment of coming up short

As in the business sector, initiatives in the nonprofit world don't always go as planned. But failures in the nonprofit sector are often swept under the rug. Our CEO, Jean Case, reflects on lessons learned when an investment fell short of its goals, and the inspiration to move forward.

4. A lost generation of entrepreneurs? I think I found them

On Social Citizens, Kristin Ivie responds to the assertion that the Millennial generation is lacking entrepreneurs. Kristin suggests that the start-ups of this latest generation are more focused on mission than money and points to numerous entrepreneurs who have created socially-conscious companies or are in the nonprofit sector.

5. 7 tips for young change-makers and idealists

This post on Social Citizens shares advice for those just entering the nonprofit world. The list of tips includes finding a mentor, connecting with others and setting goals to evaluate progress.

6. Nonprofits, here's what NOT to do on social media.

As more and more nonprofits are embracing social media, the question is asked: are there things nonprofits should not do on social media? Sokunthea collects responses from social media experts, nonprofit leaders and the Case Foundation staff.

7. Palestinian Venture Fund creates opportunity and optimism

Jean Case writes about the Middle East Venture Capital Fund, which will invest in entrepreneurial Internet, mobile and software companies in the West Bank. The fund highlights our belief that you can do well by doing good, in this case by making contributions towards creating a viable and stable Palestinian state while receiving a financial and social return on investment.

8. Is social media creating an empathy deficit?

A study released this summer suggests that Millennials are less empathetic than generations before them, in part due to increased use of social media. Kari Dunn Saratovsky makes this argument on Social Citizens and shares her belief that all relationships and connections require empathy--both online and off.

9. The White House embraces wisdom of the crowds. What do you think?

As part of the foundation's efforts to encourage citizen involvement in decisions affecting them, we teamed up with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and theDomestic Policy Council to discuss lessons and strategies from experiments in prizes, challenges and open grantmaking. In the post, Michael Smith raises tough questions to be discussed and points to the CaseSoup interviews with speakers from the event.

10. What will it take to spark innovation and entrepreneurship in the nation? Share your ideas with Steve Case and NACIE! [Video]

As co-chair of the Obama Administration’s newly formed National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), our chairman Steve Case shares his thoughts after the council's first meeting in a video post. He also encourages you to send in your thoughts and ideas on what it will take to spark innovation and entrepreneurship in the nation.

Have a favorite Case Foundation or Social Citizens post we didn't mention? Let us know what you enjoyed reading on our blog in 2010 in the comments below.