BigTent Blog | Product updates and news for groups » Big Thoughts

Yahoo! Hompages for Homerooms

BigTent — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:29:24 +0000

As we kickoff another school year, we’re excited to tell you about a program where $200,000 is being donated to school projects across the country. Yahoo! has teamed up with DonorsChoose.org for the second annual Yahoo! Homepages for Homerooms program to help teachers get the funding they need to see their classrooms flourish.

We are asking you to rally your group members, schools, friends, and communities to make Yahoo! their homepage in support of classrooms in need. Yahoo! will be donating $25,000 per week for 8 weeks across the top homepage-generating projects (up to $600 per project).

Here is an example of a project that needs funding:

Project Name
Differentiated Instruction Through Guided Reading

Teacher’s Description
My students are beginning to discover the magic of books. I have students asking me to get books for our library; after reading aloud to them “The Circuit” and “Esperanza Rising”. They want more guided reading books to discuss, connect, and write about what they read. My students are mostly Latino and African American. They come from an economically disadvantaged background. All of the students are in the government reduced/free meal program. They are hard working students with a thirst for knowledge. In order for them to exceed in their education; all they need is the opportunity to be motivated and exposed to literature, technology, and differentiated learning instruction. By reading and being exposed to more books they will develop a passion for reading and become life long learners.

What the students need
My students need 3 collections of Guided Reading books at their reading level in order for me to differentiate their instruction. We also, need a variety of other books (5 titles) to enhance their reading comprehension.

Teacher/ School
Mrs. Berger | Florence Avenue Elem School | Los Angeles, CA

Individually we can cast a vote, but together we can fund projects!

Please take a few minutes to find a project that you are passionate about and pass this message onto your family, friends, and community.

This program ends on October 16th, so get your votes in now.

Go visit Yahoo! Homepages for Homerooms to find a project to support!

Thanks,
- The BigTent Team

Grow your BigTent group with our easy tips!

BigTent — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:19:44 +0000

Ever wonder how you can spread the word about your BigTent group to your community?

Well, we have and we’re sure you have too! To help you publicize the great work of your group, we’ve developed 25 easy tips for growing your group. Tips include ideas such as posting your group to Craigslist, partnering with local business, and referral contests for members.

Download the tips here: http://www.bigtent.com/l/growgroup

Tell us how you’ve successfully grown your group by leaving us a comment. The BigTenter with the most creative idea will win a cup of coffee on us!

Cheers,
The BigTent Team

BigTent Welcome Groups from Meetup

BigTent — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:00:46 +0000

We’re always eager to share our features and functionality with new groups. If you’re just learning about BigTent, and looking at us as an alternative to Meetup, a special welcome to you!

A quick about us:

We’re the free online home for trusted groups. We work with 20,000+ communities across the United States and are a one-stop shop for communicating, connecting and organizing. Our features are designed to keep things easy for organizers, while giving members a great user experience. We support communities that range in size from 10 people to hundreds of thousands of members.

We offer several features that you may be comfortable with, if you’re accustomed to using Meetup:

Calendaring
Photo sharing
File sharing
Forums (accessible online and via email)
Event RSVP and payment
Member renewals and registration
Public web pages and website integration with widgets
Online payments processing

Some additional features unique to BigTent that help our groups’ thrive include:

Sub-groups
Ability to manage multiple groups in one integrated view
Easy to delegate roles and permissions
Sub-group management
SSL encryption of member information
Unlimited free file storage
Group news/blog
Classifieds
Product and service reviews

Here’s a quick tour of the feature you’ll find in BigTent:

It’s easy to get started, just visit our sign-up page: www.bigtent.com/signup. Our community support is unmatched, from our current group leaders, to our community support team, we’re here to make sure your group is engaged and growing as part of BigTent!

All the best,

Laney Whitcanack
BigTent Co-Founder

BigTent CEO speaking on The Evolution of a Community

BigTent — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:05:30 +0000

Headed to Evo ’10? If so, be sure to check out BigTent’s CEO, Donna Novitsky, as she joins other online leaders for a panel discussion, The Evolution of a Community. The panel hosts bring a variety of expertise to the table — Lorraine Robertson (The Blogrollers), Leah Segedie (Mamavation), and Laurie Turk (Tip Junkie) have built popular, community-driven blogs, while Donna and Karen Bantuveris (VolunteerSpot) are heading up companies that add an online dimension to real-life group interactions.

“I’m excited to share what we’ve learned working with thousands of different groups who range from parenting groups to professional associations,” says Donna. “It’s really heartwarming to see the impact these groups have on their local communities and how loyal and active their members are.”

Evo ’10, presented by MomItForward and Today’s Mama, has been slated as “summer camp for bloggers,” and hundreds of attendees are expected to join the fun in Park City, Utah, from June 24-26, 2010. Going to the conference? You can meet up with fellow attendees by joining the evo10 group on BigTent.

Join us for a free webinar: How to Grow Your Group

BigTent — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:14:54 +0000

Hello admins and awesome community leaders!

My name is Jaine and I’m one of BigTent’s Community Coaches. I wanted to let you know about a fun, free, and educational webinar I’m hosting on Wednesday, June 2, about how to grow your group.

I have grown and led my own group, Moms and Tots San Diego (www.bigtent.com/groups/mtsd). I have also partnered and shared best practices with over 3,000 groups on BigTent.

Join my webinar to learn 10 tips and tricks on how to grow your group. There will also be a portion devoted to sharing our best practices so we can learn from each other. Here are the details:

How to Grow Your Group

Wednesday, June 2 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern

Register for FREE: http://bigtent.com/l/grow3

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. I hope you can attend!

Best,

Jaine, BigTent Community Coach since 2007

Join BigTent for a free webinar: Fun with Fundraising

BigTent — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:44:52 +0000

You know may know her from our recent twins’ club webinar, Twins Club: Extreme Makeover. Natalie Diaz is a force to be reckoned with — tireless mother of twins, founder of Twiniversity, and expert group leader. She is currently Director of Manhattan Twins Club, which means she’s responsible for a support system that helps out over 900 expectant and new moms.

In that role, Natalie has learned the ropes to fundraising. If you’re part of a parents group and you’re looking for ideas to raise revenue for your club, be sure to join Natalie in our latest BigTent webinar, Fun with Fundraising. Here are the details:

Fun with Fundraising

Thursday, March 11 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern

Registration is FREE, so sign up today!

During the session, Natalie will share 10 tips she’s used to bolster her twins club’s budget. Though her experience is tied to twins clubs, we encourage all parenting group leaders to join. Tips she’ll share include:

-How to sell group products

-How to find event sponsors

-How to monetize your newsletter

…and more!

Hope to see you on the upcoming webinar. Let us know if you have any questions.

-The BigTent Team

Follow Natalie & Twiniversity on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Twiniversity

Flying with BigTent: slides and audio available

BigTent — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:59:25 +0000

Missed today’s BigTent webinar? Not to worry. The slides and audio for today’s session are now available:

It’s always rewarding to help BigTent users get more out of our site. We hope this session helps you all interact more meaningfully with FlyLady and other FlyBabies. And if you have any questions about using BigTent for other groups you’re involved with, pleased let us know!

Best,

Mia & the BigTent team

BigTent expert Monica Baucke hosts school webinar

BigTent — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:02:21 +0000

Hello school community leaders,

Happy New Year! The free webinar BigTent and I hosted last year, “How to Organize Your School Online,” was a huge success, so we’re bringing it back in 2010 to continue spreading the word about Web 2.0 technology and how it can benefit school communities. This session is geared towards PTAs, PTOs, preschool groups, and all other school communities.

Get your questions ready and sign up today! Here are the details:

How to Organize Your School Online
Thursday, January 28 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern
Register for FREE at bigtent.webex.com

During this webinar, I’ll share 10 tips and tricks on how to combine online and in-person activities to strengthen your school community. Tips include:

-How to improve communications

-How to delegate responsibilities

-How to get more parents involved

I have used these tips in my own school community. I am an active volunteer for Leo R. Croce Elementary PTA (www.crocepta.com), and I’m proud to say that we have enrolled over 200 members in our BigTent group.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. I hope you can attend.

Best,

Monica

PTA Volunteer & BigTent Expert

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/myptofview

Follow BigTent on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bigtentgroups

Join BigTent for a FREE Webinar: How to Organize Your School Online

BigTent — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:43:40 +0000

Hello school community leaders!

2009 is drawing to a close, but it’s never too late to start thinking of ways to use Web 2.0 technology to improve communications for your school.

On December 3, please join me and BigTent for a special webinar, “How to Organize Your School Online.” This free session is geared towards PTAs, PTOs, preschool groups, and all other school communities.

Here are the details:

How to Organize Your School Online
Thursday, December 3 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern
Register for FREE at bigtent.webex.com

During this webinar, I’ll share 10 tips and tricks on how to combine online and in-person activities to strengthen your school community. Tips include:

-How to improve communications

-How to delegate responsibilities

-How to get more parents involved

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. I hope you can attend!

Best,

Monica

PTA Volunteer & BigTent Expert

Join BigTent for Twins Club: Extreme Makeover

BigTent — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:21:37 +0000

Are you a twins club leader looking for ways to save time and boost participation in your group? Join us next week for a fun, free webinar, hosted by BigTent and led by fellow expert twin mom, Natalie Diaz.

Twins Club: Extreme Makeover
Thursday, November 12 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern
Click here to register for free

In this session, Natalie will share 10 tips to help you cut down on management burdens and spruce up your twins club. Tips include:

-How to manage member information online
-How to delegate volunteer responsibilities
-How to plan awesome events

Natalie is Director of Manhattan Twins Club, a group on BigTent that boasts over 900 members. Natalie is also founder of Twiniversity.com and a contributing writer for New York Family Magazine — she is guaranteed to commiserate with you and make you laugh!

Hope to see you next week at the webinar. Let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

The BigTent Team