How Technology Can Have Impact!

I don’t typically follow up a previous blog entry with more on the theme, but this week’s “phenom” of the eagle’s nest on camera and great use of social media is a great example of how technology can truly help drive a nonprofit’s goals.

The brilliant folks at The Raptor Resource Project, in Decorah, IA, set up a live webcam on an eagle’s nest and throughout this past week viewers had the privilege of watching three eggs hatch, as well as the care and nurturing of the eaglets.  When I observed today, over 135,000 people were watching the events unfold - LIVE. 

The mission of The Raptor Resource Project is “to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, to expand participation in raptor preservation, and to help foster the next generation of preservationists.”  There have been over 13,000 Facebook “Likes” (as of my writing); Twitter has been glowing with postings about the progress of the eagle hatchings; and more "traditional" news stories have covered the growing popularity of this story as it unfolds.  All this interest and publicity shows quite clearly that the organization's goals - of outreach, of informing, and of capturing people's interest in raptors - are being reached with this project. 

Kudos and congratulations to the Raptor Resource Project team for utilizing webcam technology and social media resources to expand and enhance their goals and mission!  I hope other nonprofits will begin to think creatively about how they might "show" the beauty and real success of what they do, so that the general public can fully appreciate it and, in the end, provide the much needed funding.