A new calendar year, and as everyone is very aware, a new US government. I want to begin this year with some wishes for the mission-driven sector, and detailed recommendations: let's get angry, let's make a plan to be ready, and let's connect with changemakers. There are a lot of potential new supporters talking and planning for change, so let's make this this year that causes connect deeply with those who care, move people to action, and change the trajectory of the future.

Sarah Francis of MomsRising.org and Loren Drummond of the Washington Trails Association shared their experiences and practices moving fans to real world action at the Nonprofit Technology Conference April 13th. The session was a mesmerizing, fascinating peek into how two brilliant organizers recruit, motivate, inspire, and engage online fans to drive change. This blog post captures their advice on how to offer value to fans, move them up the ladder of engagement, bring them into the organization, and develop a successful real world campaign.

Today, more than 2,000 bloggers from over 200 countries are collectively writing about The Power of We ​for Blog Action Day, "a celebration of people working together to make a positive difference in the world, either for their own communities or for people they will never meet halfway around the world." One of the reasons that I participate in Blog Action Day is because I believe strongly that blogs have a role in social change: motivating interest and stakeholders, through offering resources and news, inspiring people to share and act, and as a marketplace for ideas and conversation. This post reviews 11 social media campaigns that have leverages "The Power of We" for success. In addition, I'm giving away a copy of Beth Kanter and K.D. Paine's new book, Measuring the Networked Nonprofit (donated by Hubspot).

Israel Loves Iran, the Facebook meme started by an Israeli graphic designer, does something unique: in one sentence it challenges historical thinking about the relationship between Israel and Iran, and at the same empowers citizens of both countries a way to make a difference. It is a campaign to prevent war based on hope and goodwill. What is so refreshing about this is the positive spin on a very serious subject: nuclear and conventional war. It's storytelling at its best, and begs the question posed by Stacey Monk and Vanessa Rhinesmith in their excellent South By Southwest Interactive session: Can positivity change the world?

Estrella Rosenberg, founder of Big Love Little Hearts, came up with the idea for the #100x100 Foursquare campaign nine days before the launch. This is the story of how she promoted awareness of CHD through Foursquare, leveraged $25,000 in the meantime, and laid the groundwork for lasting legislative change.