Craigslist Bootcamp 2007 in Berkeley

Craigslist FoundationMy previous boss in Berkeley, Sylvia, introduced me to the nonprofit scene in the Bay Area, taking me to 501 Tech Clubs from NTEN and the Craigslist Foundation. I enjoyed this scene, so I made it a priority to come back to Berkeley for the Craigslist Foundation’s 2007 Nonprofit Bootcamp. It’s a fantastic conference with tips on starting a nonprofit, marketing it, and much more.

At first, I didn’t realize how Bay Area oriented the conference would be, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as nonprofits generally have tight budgets for travel. This made it a bit harder for me to network with other conference attendees, as I wouldn’t really get a chance to see them in the future. However, I did spend a lot of time talking to the salesmen in the sponsored areas. Obviously, they were trying to sell me their services, but I still enjoyed talking to them and the services they provided. In particular, I liked NPO Orbit about Salesforce customization, TriNet about HR outsourcing, and Mobilecause about getting the nonprofit mobile services. These are all services that would seemingly work with any nonprofit, and though I haven’t worked with them yet, they all look promising.

So all in all a good conference. Sadly no pictures. I’ve heard there was a possibility of a Los Angeles area bootcamp; I’m up for joy with that thought.

Testing LJ mobile

I’m currently trying out livejournal with my Palm TX. It’s really kind of a plain experience. They don’t even have tags or moods.

Outage

The winds have been blowing pretty hard in LA. That means downed power all over the neighborhood (no pictures yet), and now I’ve got no power at home. It’s lasted over night, which is the longest blackout in a long time.

How They Do It Better

US News “offers 30 lessons [the United States] can learn from other countries.” For example, “American travelers to Europe find themselves particularly charmed by the vitality of the Continent’s plazas and squares. Open areas carved from dense neighborhoods, they are markets by day and restaurants by night.”