My hot off the press newsletter, MacKinnons Cloud, is now launched. I sent it out to over 400 people and so far, I’m getting some pretty positive responses. Now that it’s out in the wild, I’m making it available here on my website.

The content below is the cover letter I used to introduce my newsletter to readers. I created a newsletter because I wanted to provide useful resources and share more about what I do as a social media consultant for non profits.

I am connected to many networks and service providers in York Region that are looking to the social web to strengthen their organization and the communities they are a part of. I will do my best to make MacKinnon’s Cloud a useful guidepost for those people and organizations embarking on a social web journey.

The cloud metaphor comes from a presentation given by Mark Pesce gave at the ConnectingUp Australia conference where he suggested that non-profits need to look more like clouds than towers. Beth Kanter and others have written extensively on his suggestion. Here is Beth’s post titled “Can Non-Profit Organizations Work More Like Clouds? How?

A special thanks goes to Alain from iAutomate (web partner) who helped me with learning how to use the free php List software.

MacKinnons Cloud – August 2009

Throughout my career I have sought out opportunities to design and manage innovative initiatives that address complex social issues affecting children, youth and families.

Over the past 6 years in York Region, I’ve been using an array of social media tools and strategies to meet engagement and collaboration goals. My interest in the social web as a means to engage practitioners, service users and supporters has grown to a point where I have decided to become a full time consultant offering help to non profits organizations.

My newsletter, MacKinnon’s Cloud is created to provide stories and conversations about important social issues in my home local, York Region. It allows me to share my perspective and invite dialogue, on the progress social benefit groups (non profits) are making, as they utilize social technologies to fulfill Vision, Mission and Values. You can open my newsletter by clicking on the attachment accompanying this email.

I am also keenly interested in using social technology as a means to encourage active citizenship that restores community. I believe that non profit organizations can achieve this end by engaging their diverse audiences, supporters and stakeholders using social tech strategies.

Every day, more and more service users and supporters of non profit organizations are online, participating in the social web. I believe that organizations to thrive in this new social technology landscape need to learn how to develop and apply online communication strategies to meet their core business goals. MacKinnon’s Cloud will present successful examples and invite dialogue on this subject.

MacKinnon’s Cloud is an extension of my consulting company, Social Media Tools for Work & Learning. If you think any of your friends or colleagues would like to read my  newsletter, please pass this link along to them.

You are receiving MacKinnon’s Cloud because at some point our paths have crossed and I have your email address. Not to worry, if you are not interested in MacKinnon’s Cloud, it will be easy to decline future editions. If you have ideas or suggestions for my newsletter, I would love to hear from you.

Brent Uncategorized cloud, newsletter