Enlarge People got in some face-time at NPower's Project Ignite event.

Posted: August 13th, 2009 Crystal Dempsey

Text and photo by Tonya Jameson

More than 100 people gathered Wednesday, Aug. 12, to learn how non-profits could use social media tools to converse online, but a funny thing happened after the PowerPoint presentations ended.

The meeting, Strike Up an Online Conversation: Join the Dialogue through Social Networking, was sponsored by NPower’s Project Ignite. The group helps non-profits become more technologically savvy. It helps them get wired.

The forum drew 141 people, representing 80 organizations. Panelists, such as Crossroads Charlotte’s Patricia Zoder, tossed around names such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the usual suspects. Participants took notes using laptops and video cameras. Some sat in the audience Tweeting about the meeting. Others wrote notes on paper (that white stuff you crumble and throw away).

The experts cited statistics and real stories about the importance of being connected, about viral campaigns and the differences in online use between Generation X and Y and Baby Boomers. They encouraged the participants to use social media platforms to guide online conversations about their organizations.

“Don’t think of them as how you will communicate with the world,” said Adam Morgan of Microsoft. “Think of how you will listen as well.”

Funny thing is when the PowerPoint presentations ended, when the cameras and microphones were turned off and the projector screen went dark - people listened to each other.

They didn't text or Tweet. They sat or stood face-to-face and talked about how their non-profit organization was or wasn't using Twitter and Facebook. They talked about how they didn't have the money or the time to Tweet 24/7. They talked about how fun it was to Tweet 24/7.

Sarah Porter of Classroom Central was among the people who hung around long after the forum ended. "It's nice to network with other non-profit professionals who are going through what our challenges are," she said.

In other words, sometimes it’s nice to talk – the old fashioned way.

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