|
|
Nonprofits are Embracing Social Networks
| In this special report on nonprofits' use of social networking, learn how nonprofits are utilizing social networking. In this report, you will learn:
- How many members do nonprofits have on their social network communities?
- How are nonprofits marketing their social network sites?
- Are nonprofits successfully getting revenue from social networks?
Download the free report from our recent survey of nearly 1,000 nonprofit executives. | Download the free report here.
| |  |
|
|
 |
BLOG
|
-
2/8/2010 3:26:00 PM
 ThePort’s Atlanta engineering crew is celebrating a landmark platform upgrade that became reality this weekend. With a lot of help from the client services and quality assurance teams, the new release became live on Saturday, February 6.
That means, for 2010, ThePort standard communities will have new content enhancements that help engage and energize community members, making it easier for them to connect and contribute to community activities. As a result, the overall social networking experience in ThePort’s branded communities will reach deeper levels of interaction.
To mention just a few of the major upgrades, let’s start with a new, more robust lineup of “featured modules” for community landing pages. It will now be easier to display Featured Members, Featured Photos, Featured Videos and Featured social spaces (such as Groups, Actions, Events and so on). Community administrators will have the ability to select a specific number of content pieces (members, photos, etc.) that will rotate randomly in the display module.
Community administrators will also have a new communications tool  at their disposal in the form of Announcement Blocks. Messages in these blocks can be positioned and messaging can be changed as desired. Community leaders will discover Announcement Blocks are a great way to communicate directly with their membership.
Another highlight of this release is a new feature all users of Facebook will appreciate (and find familiar). Moving forward, members of ThePort online communities will discover all of their friends’ activities displayed in their dashboard, in a continuously updated, real-time stream. 
Finally, among a long list of tweaks and improvements, are important upgrades to our API library, including new APIs and performance enhancements to existing ones. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ThePort Network social media technology release
-
2/5/2010 4:30:00 PM
Next Wednesday, Feb. 10, marks the start of the season’s biggest show  for associations, ASAE’s Technology Conference & Expo. ThePort Network will be there with a host of team members even if Washington, DC is still under two feet of snow.
If you’re an attending association professional, make a note to visit Booths 135/234 and say hello. We’re genuinely looking forward to meeting you because it gives us a great chance to share important social networking ideas, technology and strategies. If you have questions about online communities, we definitely have answers.
ThePort Network will be unveiling new platform enhancements at the conference as well as demonstrating a wide range of successfully branded online communities. Our latest upgrades are tailored precisely for the social media needs of associations—both trade and professional.
When you stop by, be sure to ask about our seamless database integration and versatile API library.
Folks who take time to talk with us will be eligible to take home some pretty cool prizes. They’re incentives to help you get to know how ThePort’s social media solutions can provide real-world benefits for your organization and members. Be sure to register for the giveaways. 
At ASAE Tech, ThePort Network is also sponsoring a Tech Talk Lounge where you can take part in impromptu social media learning sessions. This “online experience” lounge is a great place to simply relax and surf the web, too.
Whatever reasons you have for attending the ASAE show in our nation’s capital, we look forward to meeting you. Our people are dedicated to helping professionals just like you make the best possible social media decisions for your not-for-profit organization. Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ASAE 2010 Technology Conference social network software
-
2/4/2010 1:44:00 PM
As a fast-growing social media software company embarking on the bright promise of 2010, ThePort would like to announce our commitment to a  universal set of business principles. These tenets of corporate social responsibility are values shared by the American Society of Association Executives. ASAE & The Center for Association leadership advocates business conduct that makes a positive social, economic, and environmental impact while creating healthier organizations. ThePort has signed up to adopt the ASAE global principles presented here.
It seems highly appropriate for ThePort to invoke a heightened awareness of socially responsible actions internally and externally. After all, we offer social media solutions tailored to the social networking needs of associations and nonprofits. Since these organizations are primarily about serving others, it is fitting that ThePort Network always follow the high road in its business philosophies.
Though ThePort is assuredly a for-profit organization, adhering to a socially responsible outlook will only enhance our ability to provide solutions to our clients.
Like the nonprofit and association-based markets we serve, a key element of socially accountable success is responsible advocacy, or in business  terms, pursuing actions consistent with the general public good.
ThePort’s general principles of business conduct consistent with the general public good are not limited to, but include the following:
• Retain consistently high ethical standards
• Work against corruption in all its forms
• Respect the interests of those who rely on our products and services
• Support freedom of association and freedom of speech
• Seek diverse and inclusive participation within our organization
• Look for opportunities to give back to the community
• Promote and develop socially responsible leaders in our organization
• Foster the acceptance of social responsibility principles in our industry
• Create sustainable value for our clients and social networking as a whole As we affirm and implement these socially responsible standards, we appreciate the continued advocacy and enduring support of the not-for-profit and association-based organizations that have helped ThePort achieve record growth in 2009. Please click here if you would like to learn more.
Full story
Walter Roark
Social Responsibility Commitment ThePort Network
-
2/2/2010 12:48:00 PM
We're gearing up for the ASAE Tech Conference starting next Wednesday, Feb. 10. If you’re an attending association professional, visit Booths 135/234 and say hello to ThePort team.
We’ll be sharing social networking ideas, technology and strategies with attendees. If you have questions about online communities, we have answers.
ThePort Network will be unveiling new platform enhancements at the conference as well as demonstrating key components of successful branded communities. These latest upgrades are tailored precisely for the needs of associations—both trade and professional. When you stop by, be sure to ask about our seamless database integration and versatile API library.
Folks who take time to talk with us will be eligible to take home some pretty cool prizes. They’re incentives to help you get to know how ThePort’s social media solutions can provide real-world benefits for your organization and members. Be sure to register for the giveaways.
At ASAE Tech, ThePort Network is also sponsoring a Tech Talk Lounge where you can take part in impromptu social media learning sessions. The Tech Talk Lounge is a great place to simply relax and surf the web, too. 
Whatever reasons you have for attending the ASAE show in our nation’s capital, we look forward to meeting you. Our people are dedicated to helping professionals just like you make the best possible social media decisions for your association or not-for-profit organization. Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ASAE 2010 Technology Conference
-
2/1/2010 12:00:00 PM
 One of the most pragmatic blogs on the web offering genuinely usable advice for not-for-profit organizations is The Agitator. This week The Agitator is tackling a subject close to the heart of all nonprofit leaders—fundraising.
As usual, blogger Tom Belford gives two sides to the story, the story being opposite perspectives on the importance of small donors versus large donors in nonprofit fundraising. Mark Rovner at Sea Change Strategies recently wrote that the "fundraising pyramid is a lie." He argues that most major donors are recruited into a nonprofit on a peer-to-peer basis, rather than being cultivated up the donor pyramid from initial small gifts.
Then Belford offers a link to a rebuttal blog from Lawrence Henze, managing director of Target Analytics. As a guest writer on Blackbaud’s Connections blog, Henze says that  rather than being a lie, the fundraising pyramid is an unfulfilled promise. We at ThePort Network would agree, and we believe social media solutions are helping nonprofits achieve more success in boosting donations from less affluent but still important donors.
One of the main points The Agitator makes is that fundraising causes generally benefit from the giving of consistently engaged (not necessarily wealthy) constituents:
"…research shows that $1,000 gifts to organizations occur most frequently when that donor has already been giving to the organization for about seven years. Many years of research with successful nonprofits also shows that those very same donors are approximately 900% more likely to make a major gift in their lifetime than individuals without that progressive history."
Another valuable thought in this instructive post about nonprofit fundraising focuses on the use of Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) databases. The fundamental truth is, best practices for CRM use are all about relationship building, not mere data mining.  To quote The Agitator:
“To the extent CRM is about attempting to deal with individual donors — at any level — as uniquely as possible on the basis of their expressed preferences, prior giving behavior, and potential future value (based on empirical evidence), the theory is right. What I hear Mark challenging is the practice.”
Tom Belford of The Agitator closes his blog post with a strong and compelling message for nonprofit leaders:
“Implemented with touch—meaning with a feel for relationship building (which is a creative challenge as least as much as an analytic one)—CRM will yield major dividends in upgrading donors. And if coupled with the right institutional commitment to what Lawrence Hence calls transitional giving, initial small gift donors can indeed be cultivated—in the best sense of the term—and emerge as major donors.”
ThePort team is fortunate to have first-hand experience with successful nonprofits who  have deeply integrated CRM databases in their branded social networking communities. The best part is seeing them achieve real ROI while they strengthen ties across a broad spectrum of constituents, from influential thought leaders to rank and file members.
More and more, social networking is powering fundraising, both on- and offline.
It’s also rewarding to know how social media helps essential nonprofits do so much good in a wide range of causes. Examples of world-class organizations (who also happen to be clients of ThePort) include CARE, Sierra Club, Arthritis Foundation and American Lung Association, among many others. Please take a moment to comment on the ideas voiced by leading bloggers in the nonprofit social media space. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
Nonprofit fundraising Blackbaud Connections The Agitator
-
1/29/2010 7:51:00 AM
 ThePort Network’s Vice President of Marketing & Strategy, Suzanne Carawan, will reveal world-class RFP-social media strategies in a fast-paced webinar this coming Tuesday, February 2nd at 2PM eastern. Click here to sign up!
Suzanne will be assisted by Sherry Budziak, President of . orgSource as well as our good friends at NTEN.
What's the best way to ensure that you select a social networking system that suits your organization and its needs? The answer is a well-composed, comprehensive RFP. This exclusive webinar will cover: 
• Considerations for mission, goal and brand alignment
• Business & technical requirements analysis
• Organizational and vendor culture & capabilities assessment
• Best practices-based RFP document model and process
Join ThePort and NTEN as we tackle a demanding topic and break it down step by step to help ensure your ultimate social media success: 2:00PM EST Tuesday, Feb. 2. Sign up now! Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
NTEN ThePort Webinar
-
1/25/2010 1:21:00 PM
What’s the best way to ensure that you will pursue the best possible social media  strategy? The answer is a well-composed, comprehensive Request for Proposal (RFP).
ThePort’s latest white paper was a positive joint venture with our partner, org.Source. This paper will tell you everything you need to know about preparing a world-class RFP for prospective social networking software vendors:
• Best practices for conducting social networking research
• Defining your strategy moving forward
• Specific tips for composing the RFP
• Planning a community that perfectly suits your constituents
• Incorporating Facebook-like features in a branded community
• Leveraging the power of public sites within your community
• Addressing your integration requirements
• What to expect from a community platform demonstration
• Selection and proof of concept
Explore the above topics and more. For example, read this excerpt on specific tips for writing RFPs: Write an amazing executive summary: The executive summary is your chance to make a first impression. Many potential vendors will decide from the opening summary whether your project is a fit for their product and service offerings. While it’s true they are the vendor and you are the potential client, you still want to attract the highest-quality bidders to ensure the highest-quality product. Keep in mind that this caliber of bidder probably is in demand already, so use the executive summary to show why your project is one they won’t want to miss.
Download the RFP white paper here.
After you peruse the white paper, enrich your reading by attending a fact-packed Webinar! Join ThePort and NTEN for an energized session that tackles the topic of RFPs in the world of social media. RFP's for Social Media Providers...Best Practices for Best Results Webinar: Feb. 2, 2010 2PM Eastern. Sign up Today! Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
RFP White Paper NTEN Webinar
-
1/21/2010 10:30:00 AM
 Take a moment and amble over to ThePortLabs blog where you can pick up a great tip about calling a remote web service. If you’re interested in all things technical from ThePort Network, bookmark this engineer’s blog and check back often. Click here.
TJ Muehleman, ThePort’s Director of Engineering, will walk you through utilizing a couple of handy coding tricks. Using them, customers of ThePort can take advantage of their community’s XSLT template system to “fetch” XML into the community. As TJ advises, the XML can be any RSS-, ATOM-, or XML-based publicly-available feed on the web. He even offers a couple of code snippets to help you link up with the stream of your choice.
Although creating the variable and executing the “fetch” is relatively simple  for web engineers, there are a couple of pitfalls to keep in mind. But TJ attempts to address any issues you may have in the blog post.
Check out the template trick for yourself and email TJ at TJ.Muehleman@theport.com if you have any questions. While you’re at ThePortLabs blog, click on HOME and browse ThePort’s Support Community for a variety of informal suggestions on best practices for your community. If you have ideas, questions or comments about how white label social networking communities can benefit nonprofit advocates and association members, please share them here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ThePort Labs blog social media engineering
-
1/18/2010 4:59:49 PM
ThePort Network is always pleased and proud to play a key role in a social  media success story. That’s especially true when the success benefits so many constituents of a not-for-profit entity such as the United Church of Christ (UCC).
Their dynamic online community known as MyUCC draws parishioners from all over America. The diversity of MyUCC’s membership is impressive...male and female clergy, leaders of ministries, local parish officials and everyday church-goers. They all gather online and share their passions, whether the focus is religious education, humanitarian missions, regional fundraising events or one of life’s simple pleasures like the love of gardening.
Read the new MyUCC case study here.
As detailed in the case study, United Church of Christ community administrators work hard at best practices for MyUCC and their efforts are paying off. In less than a year, with effective promotion, excellent functionality and first-rate community administration, MyUCC has attracted well over 7,000 registered members. 
All of us at ThePort wish United Church of Christ continued success in providing its diverse constituents a top-flight, fully branded and personalized social networking experience. Click here to read more about the MyUCC story. If you have ideas, questions or comments about how white label social networking communities can benefit nonprofit advocates and association members, please share them here.
Full story
Walter Roark
United Church of Christ MyUCC success story
-
1/15/2010 5:17:52 PM
ThePort Network has certainly learned a lot about the needs of not-for-profits in 2008 and 2009. We appreciate how generous organizational leaders have been with their thoughts on the evolution of social media. Now, as 2010 unfolds, we would like share our most recent insights from not-for-profits.  To that end, we would like to share with you the results of our informal survey presented to association professionals at Chicago’s well-attended Holiday Showcase on December 15, 2009. An annual event for association-based organizations in the Midwest and beyond for over two decades, the Holiday Showcase gave ThePort team the opportunity to ask three relevant questions on the topic of social media.
As an association leader:
1. What would you most like to achieve for your organization through the use of social media?
2. What is your biggest concern about the deployment of social media?
3. Does your association currently have a working budget for social networking purposes in 2010?
Participating in the survey were organizations ranging from the American College of Surgeons to Association of Equipment Managers to Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America to the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts. 
ThePort’s key question, “What would you most like to achieve through social media?” drew two top responses by a wide margin:
1) Improve membership acquisition & retention
2) Enhance events participation
These responses closely reflect those of a larger not-for-profit survey conducted by ThePort Network last spring. Download the survey results here.
Third on associations’ priority list was the goal of information sharing. Fourth was advertising/sponsorship opportunities.
The prevalent responses from association professionals for “What is your biggest concern with social media?” came back in the order:
Lack of Budget
Lack of Staff Time
Monitoring Inappropriate Use
How to Manage and
How to Best Utilize
For the question, “Does your association currently have a working budget for social networking purposes in 2010?” the percentages were:
66% have a budget
34% do not currently have a budget
At ThePort, we believe this strong percentage of associations arming themselves with a bona fide social networking budget indicates more and more organizations are realizing the real-world value of social media.  ThePort Network intends to continue its commitment to social media education by conducting additional thought-provoking surveys and research. Stay tuned to our blog for news about our new Nonprofit Social Network Survey which will be open for responses the coming weeks. Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
Social Media Survey Association Professionals Holiday Showcase
-
1/12/2010 4:00:00 PM
Over the past two years, ThePort Network has taken time to listen closely to the specific social media needs of nonprofits and associations. To say we have learned a lot from these organizations would be an understatement. The result of all of your valuable input is a new, state-of-the-art core platform tailored expressly to the needs of your constituents and members. Community Landing Page  At the heart of this social network software is the dynamic, welcoming Community landing page. This lively home page serves as the central hub for community interaction. The modular design of the community landing page spotlights both user-generated content and content selected by your organization. With an interface created to highlight selected modules, the home page does a great job of getting members involved by always presenting the best user-generated content along with chosen community announcements. Modules include:
· Activity Feeds · Community news Feed Roll Modules
· Popular Today Modules - discussions, groups and photos
· "Featured Member" module
· "Featured Group" module
· "Featured Blog" module
Additional ThePort Social Elements Include (but are not limited to):
Member Profiles
Another core element, Member Profiles are where members create, edit, manage and present their personal information within the community.
Groups
Groups are “social spaces” where constituents with shared interests gather and collaborate. Groups encourage members to connect with others who share similar interests and passions in a sub-community environment. Among other activities, group members share comments, blogs, photos and optional documents and forums.
Blogs
Blogs are one of the key tools members use to share thoughts, opinions and expertise. Blog settings include the ability to assign editors, manage and edit previous entries, create new entries, choose commenting options, assign categories and assign tags.
Activity Feeds
Member activities appear both in personal profile pages and on the community landing page. Each activity entry has a hyperlink to the associated action and helps drive interaction with other members whenever an individual creates content in the form of blog activity, groups, photos, documents, events, friending and more.
Status Updates
Also represented in the Activity Feeds stream are “what’s going on now”  posts by community members. This micro-blogging technology enables members to quickly get involved in the community by identifying what they’re up to, or posing questions to the community, at any given moment. Status Updates also publish in member profiles.
Enterprise Global Search
ThePort’s Enterprise Search is a fast and rewarding way for members to discover worthy content in the community. Members can search for interesting topics and explore users, groups and social spaces that contain relevant information. ThePort’s enterprise search is also SEO-friendly, helping your community rise in search engine indexes.
Commenting
This on-the-fly activity is essential to the spirit of the social community. Commenting is available on member and group profiles, blogs, photos, videos, documents, events, and news articles. Commenting provides a unique facility for members to interact with each other, yet it requires minimal effort.
Invitations
ThePort’s invitation system lets members invite friends and colleagues into the community quickly and efficiently. Members can invite friends en masse from contacts stored in their email address books. For example, Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and AOL email applications are supported.
Rating System
Members use ThePort’s 5-Star Rating System to rate community content, including member Profiles, Groups, Blogs, Photos, Videos, Documents and Forums. 5-Star Rating helps drive individuals to the community’s most compelling content.
All the while, ThePort Social is designed to perform seamlessly with nonprofit and association databases fully integrated with our technology partners. Our team works hand-in-hand with Convio, Blackbaud, Avectra, Aptify and TMA Resources to make it happen. Along with complete database integration, we help clients link private communities to their web pages on popular public sites, creating yet another tightly integrated online loop.
In addition, ThePort Social is highly flexible to meet specific client needs. For example, high-performance, state-of-the-art APIs can be tailored to desired community functions. Nonprofits and associations will also appreciate how ThePort's adaptable "social spaces" solutions can be expanded to match an organization's objectives. Standard Groups can be transformed into rallying points for Events, Actions, Causes, Chapters, Committees and so on. The end result? The possibilities with "social spaces" are virtually unlimited.
Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ThePort Social standard social networking platform
-
1/5/2010 6:58:15 PM
ThePort is rocking into the new year with enhanced social media solutions about to debut in a major platform upgrade coming later in January. These  state-of-the-art, Web 2.0 tools will be tailored to address the specific needs of nonprofits and associations. You can be sure the benefits will apply directly to the constituents and members of these organizations (and the organizations themselves).
As so many of ThePort’s successful online communities have demonstrated, social media solutions can and do help nonprofit and association-based organizations conquer many of the challenges they have traditionally faced.
For associations especially, one of winter’s premier events is the ASAE Technology Conference & Expo in Washington, DC. Taking place February 10-12, this annual event geared toward association technology professionals is always well attended and productive for all who participate.
As always, ThePort team is dedicated to helping association leaders exceed their organizations’ expectations in the adoption of social media technology. Ideally, in 2010, we want to provide you with exactly the tools you need to reach your objectives and deliver real-world benefits to your membership.
For those of you who look forward to our white papers, mark your calendars for a special downloadable document upcoming later this month. This new educational, pragmatic white paper will focus on which best practices nonprofits and associations should employ in creating effective RFPs for social media providers. This in-depth guide will detail RFP tips and strategies that really work.
Check your newsletter from ThePort (usually in your email box around lunchtime on Thursdays) for an announcement about the “Creating RFPs for Social Media Providers” white paper. Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
Social Media Solutions ASAE conference technology release
-
1/4/2010 3:09:00 PM
In Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog for New Year’s, the subject is all  about giving. Katya takes a comprehensive look at donation trends for 2009 in the United States, and specifically at the generosity of Americans. The fact is, citizens of the United States rank number one in the world in giving.
By linking to the blog Mint.com, Katya brings our attention to a few revealing numbers in terms of charitable giving. For example:
-There are over 970,000 public charities in the U.S.
-Americans donate over $300 billion to public and private charities per year
-The average American family donates about $2,000 annually
-In order, Americans give 226 billion to charities, 38 billion to foundations, 23 billion to bequests and 13 billion to corporations
Another influential blog’s recent post is an informative article about the power of membership in building relationships. In the case of social media for associations, it’s all about individuals’ strong desire to belong. According to Membership Marketing Blog (and a Dr. Suess story about the Sneetches), the need to belong is a very basic human need.
Little wonder online social networking for associations has risen dramatically in popularity!
To quote the blog post, “Our need to belong is not rational, but it is a constant that exists across all people in all cultures. It is a feeling we get when those around us share our values and beliefs. When we feel like we belong we feel connected and we feel safe. As humans we crave the feeling and we seek it out.”
Another of ThePort’s favorite blogs is PhilanTopic, well known for its  pragmatic entries directed at challenges facing the nonprofit sector. PhilanTopic is starting out 2010 with a preview of likely nonprofit strategies for the new year following a difficult 2009.  To avoid an unacceptable increase to the already-poor 10% decline in funding nonprofits experienced this past year, PhilanTopic suggests the following:
-2009 proves nonprofits need to be much better prepared for economic downturns
-Collaborations, greater transparency and accountability might offer some protection to nonprofits when the economy falters
-Public-private partnerships that support social innovation should thrive
-The use of social media to drive engagement, awareness, collaboration, and financial support for causes and organizations will accelerate Please take a moment to comment on the ideas voiced by leading bloggers in the nonprofit-association social media space. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
Nonprofit Associations Bloggers Social Media
-
12/21/2009 11:25:00 AM
 ThePort’s CEO and Chairman, Bob Cramer, “The Man from A.D.A.M.,” is on the front page of the AJC metro section this morning in a positive, tech-success story.
As journalist Michael E. Kanell points out, the success of Cramer’s original high-tech company, A.D.A.M. (co-founded by Bob in 1990) took time, but the health content and technology solutions provider now boasts annual revenue topping $28 million. Perhaps most important for ThePort Network and its clients is that A.D.A.M. helped nurture Bob’s vision of merging social networking and online technology. That vision eventually became a social media solutions business, and Bob eventually left day-to-day operations at A.D.A.M. to guide ThePort.
The reality is, Bob truly has witnessed the evolution of media, beginning with a seed planted by his grandfather’s founding of Parents magazine in the 1920s. Always in tune with current media trends, Bob worked at newly launched CNN as a young reporter during the early 80s. Then came the founding of MLI, a publisher of medical illustrations, which spawned A.D.A.M. and the publication of its impressive archive of superb-quality health-related graphics.
Then for Bob, and the leaders of many other Atlanta-based businesses, the Internet  changed everything. That’s when he began to see a new publishing vision.
The AJC’s Kanell notes that Bob realized the value of social media before many had even heard of it. The article quotes Bob as he explains, “I saw where the future of business media was growing. And this is it.”
Bob goes on to say, “Facebook has 10 zillion people and that’s great,” Cramer said. “But if you want to talk about something serious — if you want to talk about health care-related issues or business-related issues—think about arthritis. People don’t generally want to talk about serious arthritis issues on Facebook.” Kanell’s article alludes to ThePort’s 2009 success in its wrap-up. With calendar year revenue of more than $2 million, and plans to double that number in 2010, ThePort Network looks to be on the crest of a huge social networking wave.
“We think we will hit profitability toward the end of next year,” Bob concludes. “It’s in the right place at the right time.” Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
Bob Cramer Atlanta Journal Constitution Social Networking News
-
12/17/2009 6:40:00 PM
TechCrunch.com and PaidContent.org spotlight ThePort’s $500,000 extension of its Series B round of funding this week in a pair of positive online articles.  A big part of the story is the strong 2009 performance turned in by ThePort, thanks primarily to our growing list of successful nonprofit and association clients. As reported on TechCrunch.com and PaidContent.org, providing state-of-the-art, tailored social media solutions to these organizations has helped ThePort grow revenues at a rate of 90% this year.
To have these results covered on two of the internet’s most popular business-technology blog sites is a web-feather in ThePort’s cap.
Obviously, we’re proud of this success story and also take pride in deploying a  social networking platform that is increasingly being embraced in the nonprofit and association marketplace. We’re pleased as well to have positive media coverage by the business community in what has been a difficult economic climate for many companies.
As we turn the page on a challenging yet exciting 2009, ThePort would like to extend its sincere thanks to our valued clients and partners. We wish all of you the happiest of holidays and a most prosperous 2010. Please take a moment to comment. If you would like to learn more about the real-world benefits being realized by associations and nonprofits in white label online communities, please click here.
Full story
Walter Roark
ThePort funding TechCrunch PaidContent success
|
|
|
 |
|