With the launch of the Google for Nonprofits program, we created a place for organizations to share stories of the powerful work they are doing to change the world. Our ...Read More

With the launch of the Google for Nonprofits program, we created a place for organizations to share stories of the powerful work they are doing to change the world. Our Make a Change website collects lots of big and small changes made by people at nonprofits. We are inspired by these organizations and want to continue to share these stories so we invite you to share your organization’s story with us via this webform. Tell us about how Google products have helped you make a change with your organization. We would love to hear more about what you’re doing and we may even feature you on our Make a Change website.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Posted by Janelle Kuhlman, Google Grants Team

(Cross-posted on the Official YouTube Blog)

Did you know there are now 6.6 million people receiving treatment for HIV, compared to just 100,000 in 2002? Still, more than a thousand babies are born every day with HIV and there are 34 million people living with the disease.Read More

(Cross-posted on the Official YouTube Blog)

Did you know there are now 6.6 million people receiving treatment for HIV, compared to just 100,000 in 2002? Still, more than a thousand babies are born every day with HIV and there are 34 million people living with the disease.

This World AIDS Day, you can join the discussion about how to help bring about the beginning of the end of AIDS. We’re partnering with ONE and (RED) to bring you a panel of experts who will talk about the progress we’ve made, where we're falling short, and what it's going to take to end this disease for good. They’ll also answer some questions from the YouTube audience. Starting today, you can submit your questions to the panel, which includes Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton; Bono, co-founder of ONE and (RED); Alicia Keys, co-founder of Keep a Child Alive; and other leaders in the fight against AIDS, including representatives from the Tema Clinic in Ghana, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Saddleback Church.

On December 1, World AIDS Day, these leaders will answer some of the top-voted questions live on YouTube at a special event hosted by ONE, (RED) and an impressive list of partners and influencers.

According to ONE, if we recommit to the fight against AIDS, by 2015 we could end mother-to-child transmission of HIV, provide treatment to the 15 million people who need it, and drastically reduce new infections. With the support of donors, African governments, organizations, and the private sector the beginning of the end of HIV/AIDS is within our reach.

Submit your question today and become part of the beginning of the end of AIDS. The deadline to submit is November 28.

Posted by Ramya Raghavan, YouTube Team

The last few weeks have brought a fresh new look in Gmail, more mobile access options and simpler meeting scheduling tools. Millions of organizations using Google Apps can now use Google+ on their business and university accounts, and we launched a couple Apps-related Google+ Pages ourselves.Read More

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

The last few weeks have brought a fresh new look in Gmail, more mobile access options and simpler meeting scheduling tools. Millions of organizations using Google Apps can now use Google+ on their business and university accounts, and we launched a couple Apps-related Google+ Pages ourselves.

Gmail’s new look
Back in July we previewed Gmail’s new look, and a couple weeks ago we started letting people switch to the new design with one click. The refreshed interface makes it easier to follow conversations and spot the sender with profile pictures for each message. The new look also supports dynamic screen densities, so Gmail displays properly whether you’re viewing on a large desktop monitor or a smaller mobile screen. We also added a selection of beautiful HD themes to the existing gallery. Finally, we made it easier to perform advanced email searches using a panel of powerful search options that reveals with a single click.

Gmail app for iOS devices
This month we introduced the Gmail app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, complete with mobile alerts for new mail, a responsive touch screen interface and Gmail mainstays like fast search, conversation view and address auto-complete.

Suggested meeting times in Google Calendar
We’ve heard how frustrating it can be to spend 15 minutes finding a good time for people to convene for a 30 minute meeting, so we made it easier to find a good meeting time in Google Calendar. The suggested times feature automatically reviews the availability of meeting invitees, and proposes event times that work for the whole group.

Google+ for organizations using Google Apps
Businesses, schools and organizations with Google Apps can now use Google+. Employees and students can create profiles, +1 things they like on the web, share interesting content with their circles and have live multi-person video chats with classmates, colleagues and friends. Organizations can also create their Google+ Pages—an organization’s identity on Google+ for customers, students or fans. We’re using Google+ Pages ourselves, so take a look at the Gmail and Google Enterprise pages, and circle us if you’d like to stay in the loop.

24x7 telephone support and improved mobile device management
This week, we introduced a couple other new benefits for Google Apps customers. Organizations of all sizes around the world can now call our support hotline at any time for all core service issue. Also new this week, we improved our mobile device management capabilities with an interface for administrators to view and deny mobile devices connecting to Google Apps, granular mobile policy controls, and the ability to visualize mobile usage trends across the organization.

Who’s gone Google?
Organizations large and small continue to amass around Google Apps. We’re thrilled to welcome a whole host of new customers including the Trinity Mirror Group (Britain’s largest newspaper publisher), startups such as JobFlo and UserTesting, organizations including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and colleges like the University of Michigan and UT Austin. Welcome to all!

Posted by Jeremy Milo, Google Apps Team

Now that you’ve created a Google+ Page for your organization, tested how to tailor your messaging to different audiences that you care about with Circles & Hangouts and have told everyone that you’re on Google+, we wanted to wrap up our ...Read More

Now that you’ve created a Google+ Page for your organization, tested how to tailor your messaging to different audiences that you care about with Circles & Hangouts and have told everyone that you’re on Google+, we wanted to wrap up our week-long series on Google+ for nonprofits with a few additional resources:

• If you’re looking for help creating your Google+ page or about Google+ in general, check out the Google+ Help Center.
• If you want to pose a question about Google+ Pages, head over to Google+ Page Discuss.
• If you have general, nonprofit-related questions, explore the Google for Nonprofits Help Center.
• If you have support-related questions, you can ask them in the Google for Nonprofits Discussion Group.

And we’re on Google+ too! So if you haven’t already added the Google for Nonprofits Google+ page to your circles, head over and check us out. We hope this series was helpful to get your nonprofit started with Google+ and look forward to learning more about how your organization is using Google+ to further your goals. Make sure to share your Google+ best practices on our page so other nonprofits can learn from you.

Posted by Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, Google.org Team

Now that you’ve put a ton of work into your organization’s Plus Page, let people know about it! There are lots of ways to tell the world that your nonprofit is on Google+.Read More

Now that you’ve put a ton of work into your organization’s Plus Page, let people know about it! There are lots of ways to tell the world that your nonprofit is on Google+.

1. Tell everyone you’re on Google+: Tell donors, volunteers & clients in your newsletters, on your website & anywhere else that users go to learn about your organization. We’ve created some starter language for you to add to your next email, newsletter or social media update. You can customize this language for your organization:

• Newsletter & Email copy: We’re now on Google+! [link to your Google+ page] We’ll be posting regularly about what we’re up to and will be trying a few Hangouts. So come check us out on Google+. And if you love us, add us to your Circles so you can get all of our Google+ updates directly in your Google+ stream. Leave a comment on our Google+ Page and let us know what you think.
• Social media update: We’re now on Google+! [link to your Google+ page] Come hang out with us and hear the latest on what we’re up to. You can follow us here: [add a link to your nonprofit’s Google+ Plus Page]

2. Connect your Google+ Page to your website

• Let users know they can find you on Google+ by connecting your Google+ page to your nonprofit’s website. Learn more about linking your +Page to your website.

3. Add the +1 button to your website

• Help your message circulate by installing the +1 button on your website. You can easily grab a snippet of code and work with your webmaster to add it to your website. You know your page and your users best, so we recommend putting the button wherever you think it will be the most effective. Learn more about the +1 button.

By telling everyone that your nonprofit is on Google+, you can let volunteers, friends, donors, board members & more know that they can have a customized conversation with your nonprofit on Google+.

Posted by Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, Google.org Team

Do you ever wish you could tailor your social media communications to all of the different audiences your nonprofit communicates with? For example, you probably speak to volunteers differently than how you speak to the board. As part of our ...Read More

Do you ever wish you could tailor your social media communications to all of the different audiences your nonprofit communicates with? For example, you probably speak to volunteers differently than how you speak to the board. As part of our week-long series to get nonprofits up and running successfully on Google+, here are a few ways for you to start sharing your Google+ page with key audiences for your organization.

1. Continue posting to keep people up-to-date

• You can post content publicly so people can find it using search, or use Circles to tailor your message to more specific users. Regularly posting interesting content, engaging with your users by asking questions, and sharing photos and videos are all ways to keep people coming back for more. Learn more technical tips on how to share content with others.

2. Launch Hangouts

• Nothing beats having a live, dynamic gathering around a topic that your organization works on or cares about. Hangouts let you set up one-click video conversations with volunteers, donors, and recipients -- whoever you want to have a conversation with. Just let your followers know when you’ll be hanging out and what topic you want to discuss. You can get face-to-face interaction in real time -- all over high-quality, easy-to-use video chat.
• Starting a hangout from your +Page is easy, just make sure you’re looking at your +Pages stream, and click “Start a Hangout” on the right hand side of your stream. Check yourself out in the “powder room” to make sure your mic works and you look great. Then, add the circles you would to join the hangout, and click “ Hangout.” Learn more about Hangouts with +Pages.

3. Manage your circles

• Different people have different interests, and Google+ allows you to easily share relevant content with the right people. For example, you could create a circle for volunteers and share information with them about upcoming events. Learn more about managing Circles on Google+.

4. Monitor the conversation

• It’s important to stay updated about what is happening on your page and what the general tone is. Whether negative or positive, make sure to stay engaged with your Google+ page by responding to comments. Some comments, even if negative, may still serve as a gateway for richer dialogue about important issues. Consider how you can leverage a difficult comment to have a conversation.
• Try searching for your organization’s name in Google+ to learn what people are saying publicly about your Google+ page. Also make sure to monitor other +mentions of your page by looking in your notifications stream.

Check back tomorrow for more information about how you can tell the world that your organization is now on Google+.

Posted by Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, Google.org Team

As part of our week-long series to help nonprofit organizations get up and running on Google+, we wanted to share some more details about how you can successfully create your Google+ page.Read More

As part of our week-long series to help nonprofit organizations get up and running on Google+, we wanted to share some more details about how you can successfully create your Google+ page.

Your Google+ Page is the home of your organization on Google+; make it yours with photos, success stories, information about volunteering and donating, project locations and more. You can follow the steps below to get your organization up and running on Google+.

1. Create your profile

• You’ll need to have a Google Account and a personal Google+ profile to create a Google+ Page. Once logged into your Google+ profile, on the right hand side of your stream, you will see “Create a Page” to begin creating your page.
• When you create your page, you’ll be asked to select a category, make sure you select “Company, Institution or Organization” to indicate that you’re a nonprofit.
• To get started, walk through the dialog boxes to set up the basics of your profile including a profile picture and a tagline for your organization.
• Want more help? Learn more about creating your Google+ Page and editing your profile.

2. Start posting

• Want to start the conversation? Make your page engaging so that users want to come back and check what new content you’ve added. You can choose which circles you share info with, so people are only seeing the updates that are the most relevant and interesting to them.
• Learn more about sharing on Google+.

3. Grow your Circles

• Whenever someone adds you to their Circles, you can add them right back, so spreading the word and encouraging people to add you is a key component of talking to the people who want to hear from you. To view people and pages who aren’t already in your circles but have added you, review your followers on your Google+ page.
• Learn more about adding people to your circles.

4. Follow and Interact with helpful Google+ Pages

• Follow the latest on Google+ and in the Google for Nonprofits community by adding our official Google+ team page and the Google for Nonprofits Google+ page to your circles.
• Interact with our Google+ page by dropping by for a hangout, reading and commenting on our tips, and letting us know how you’re liking Pages by sharing a post with us.

Check back tomorrow for more tips and tricks to engage with people who care about your nonprofit on Google+.

Posted by Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, Google.org Team

We’re committed to building online tools that help your nonprofit grow and thrive. One of our goals is to make it easier for you to connect with the millions of people who come to Google each day looking for organizations and causes to connect with. An important part of that connection is the lasting relationship you develop with your various constituents.Read More

We’re committed to building online tools that help your nonprofit grow and thrive. One of our goals is to make it easier for you to connect with the millions of people who come to Google each day looking for organizations and causes to connect with. An important part of that connection is the lasting relationship you develop with your various constituents.

We want to make sharing online more like it is in the real world. That’s why the Google+ team introduced Google+ Pages - a new way to have customized conversations and interactions with your constituents - volunteers, donors, fans & more. Google+ is a great place for you to connect with consumers who are passionate about your cause.

With the launch of Google+ Pages, any cause, nonprofit or organization can now have a presence on Google+. We’ve compiled a few Google+ tips to help your create your Google+ profile, start posting, grow your circles, start a hangout, monitor the conversation and tell the world that your nonprofit is on Google+. A few organizations, Pencils of Promise, Save the Children and Museo del Prado, have started their own Google+ Pages. We hope their early work gives you some ideas & inspiration for your nonprofit’s Google+ page.

The Google for Nonprofits team is on Google+ too! Check out our Google for Nonprofits Google+ page and add us to your circles. We'll post community questions, host hangouts so you can meet the team & hear from experts, share tips & engage users in an ongoing conversation about nonprofits and technology.

There are also many resources to help you stay up-to-date on the latest news from Google+. We’ll post new information about Google+ for nonprofits on the Google for Nonprofits blog. Check back this week for more information about how nonprofit organizations can utilize Google+. You can also follow the Official Google blog to keep up with the latest Google+ product news and updates. If you need additional help with your Google+ page, check out the Google+ Help Center or post a question in the Google+ Page Discuss.

We look forward to connecting with you on Google+.

Posted by Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, Google.org Team

We’re happy to announce that we recently launched a series of new features to improve the process of applying for and managing your Google for Nonprofits membership account. Members are now able to do the following ...Read More

We’re happy to announce that we recently launched a series of new features to improve the process of applying for and managing your Google for Nonprofits membership account. Members are now able to do the following:

1. Organizations can now switch the Google Account linked to their Google for Nonprofits application from a personal to an organization-wide Gmail account. Learn More

2. Branches of umbrella organizations that share Employee Identification Numbers (EIN) with their parent organizations can apply for individual membership accounts. Learn More

3. New account managers are able to request ownership of their organization's pre-existing membership account. Learn More

Please make sure to visit the Help Center links listed above to learn about these new features.

We also want to thank the members who have provided input in the Google for Nonprofits forum. We hope you enjoy the new features.

Posted by Carolyn Wendell, The Google For Nonprofits Team