This week, the Sunlight Foundation unveiled our draft of what could become model transparency legislation -- the Transparency In Government Act of 2008. Here's the twist: Instead of immediately approaching lawmakers to sponsor the bill,
the Foundation decided to first post the bill online at http://PublicMarkup.org in order to solicit public input to further shape, refine and edit the bill.

Participate in this collaboration. You don't have to be an expert. Just tell them what you like, and what you think about what they have drafted.

Developing this model bill via PublicMarkup.org offers an exciting opportunity to experiment with collaborative bill-drafting online. In addition, they hope the public evaluation of the draft bill will increase attention to the critically important issue of transparent government. Our hope is that the final product can be used as a model for transparent government.

After months of development and testing by a few dozen folks, Open Media Boston, the new progressive news, views and arts web portal, has just launched and is now ready for your participation. Please check us out today at http://www.openmediaboston.org!

The Basics

Aiming to cover Boston's community, political and arts scenes using a balance of social media (anyone can publish to our Open Forum) and editorial control (we have an edited front page), OMB is easy to use. See the basic instructions below this message for more information, or just follow the instructions throughout the website.

Marc Osten from Summit Collaborative just posted this to the NTEN list. They are a series of five short video tutorials titles Online Community Building and Engagement. These are the first installments in a series on the topic that will continue. A 2nd installment will air in April.

These videos cover most of the content that Marc presented at the National UK Circuit Riders Conference last month in Birmingham. The five titles are:

Part 1: Getting Started
Part 2: Who is the online community?
Part 3: The Tool Trap
Part 4: Organizational Issues
Part 5: Setting Clear Objectives

The Progressive Technology Project is announcing a new initiative that builds on its new Voter TechKit (http://votertechkit.progressivetech.org.) In the Voter Organizing Technology Education and Resources Project (VOTER Project) PTP will work with community-led organizations to greatly increase their long-term capacity to conduct effective integrated voter engagement activities.

PTP will work with a select group of 501 C3 community organizing groups that are engaged in voter education and get-out-the-vote projects in 2008. This program is designed to develop, support and document efforts to integrate the organization’s voter engagement work with its on-going programmatic work.

Four New States & 1 Territory Join the Aidmatrix Network®
Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Oregon recently joined the Aidmatrix Network. Further news includes the signing of our first territory, Puerto Rico as they prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. This brings the total U.S. state governments signed up to 16, plus the numerous other internationals, nonprofits, and donors, participating in the Aidmatrix Network.

View the full list of participants

Spring Storms Prompt Alabama & Arkansas to Activate

During the recent tornados and severe weather, both Alabama and Arkansas activated their portals on the Aidmatrix Network. Both states provide links from their websites as follows:

Only 14 more days to sign-up for PTP’s Training on Databases and Technology Assessment and Planning taking place April 2-4, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN

If your organization is looking to improve its database, this is the program to dig in and find out what PTP has learned from the best practices in the field.

Our Database, Assessment, and Planning COaTI (Community Organizing and Technology Institute) is designed for organizers who want to build up their database skills, develop a better understanding of what databases can and can’t do, and deepen their understanding of how a specific technology fits into a broader vision for your organization and its technology use. This COaTI features a combination of large group, small group, and hands-on work. While we will provide computers for the training, participants are encouraged to bring a laptop and a copy of your organization’s database.

Providing Professional Education in Social and Human Development

PRIA Continuing Education (PCE) has been established by PRIA, an international center for learning and promotion of participation and governance, for transferring its experience, knowledge and learning of over 25 years. This vast pool of knowledge and learning has been synthesized and packaged into distance education programmes.

Overview of Courses starting 1st April 2008:

Duration: 3 months

Eligibility: Bachelor's Degree

Nature: Certificate Programmes in Distance Mode

Key Features:

(a) National & International subject experts;

AidLink
January 2008
The Monthly Newsletter of The Aidmatrix Foundation

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U.S. Chamber Features Aidmatrix
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center featured the extensive relief work done by Aidmatrix and its partners: Adventist Community Services and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services in the latest newsletter "The Corporate Citizen."

Read the full story
Aidmatrix Hosts Volunteer Management Requirements Summit

The Aidmatrix Network solution is continuing to expand its offerings beyond just donations management. The Network, funded in part by FEMA, Accenture and UPS, plans to add a Volunteer Management solution to the list of components. A requirements summit was held January 22-23, 2008 bringing together more than 30 leaders from state and local governments and their non-profit partners to help better define the solution. The initial product is expected to launch later this year.

Super-Duper-Fat-Tuesday has come and gone, so now it's time to get ready for the next great event - RootscampDC! On April 12-13 campaign staff, organizers, volunteers and experts in our field will join together in Washington, DC for one of the most exciting, inspiring and, yes, productive "un-conferences" out there.

We've pushed the date back a few weeks to make sure that everyone who is doing amazing working on primary campaigns can join us. This will be the perfect time to get everyone together to take a deep breath, share innovations, failures, old wisdom and new discoveries, and then hit the road running towards November, and beyond!

Welcome to YOUR latest tool for congressional accountability.

* Learn about the latest legislation of significance to the current and aspiring middle class.

* Find out how your member of Congress voted on that legislation. You can search by name, state or zipcode.

* Track the scores of your representatives.

Explore TheMiddleClass.org today! - http://www.themiddleclass.org/