Firesteel

Executive Director of Snohomish Co. Programs Mary Anne Dillon talks to KSER about Homeward House Collaborative, a community program that reunifies mothers recovering from chemical reliance with their families.

The StoryCorps mobile app is an exciting new tool for recording and sharing meaningful conversations. We discuss ways the app can help social change organizations advance our work. Check out the related blog post here: http://firesteelwa.org/?p=3079 At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Hear how the massive StoryCorps “Finding Our Way” storytelling project was conceived and executed, including details about the participant recruiting process and our “listening parties.” Get a tour of the new StoryCorps section of the Firesteel website, hear about features of the public page’s edited stories, and get a sneak peek at the raw story archive, which is still under construction but will soon be available for advocacy partners to access. Check out the related blog post here: http://firesteelwa.org/?p=2696 At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

We’re in the second half of December -- that time when everyone is reflecting on the year. So Erin and I thought we’d take a few minutes to talk about some of the most interesting and moving online advocacy campaigns of 2014. We re-cap and analyze the Ice Bucket Challenge, Pass the Peace, #DudesGreetingDudes, #LastWords, and the fledgling #RareBrief1Time. Check out the related blog post here: http://firesteelwa.org/?p=2380 At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

It's important to regularly assess whether your content is helping your reach your goals so you can adjust your strategy as needed. On this podcast, we talk about measuring the impact of your online content. We go over setting goals, share some tips and tools for quantitative measurements, and touch on the importance of qualitative measurements. Check out the related blog post here: http://firesteelwa.org/?p=2269 At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Today we talk about strategies for using different types of images, and free online tools for creating them. Images are an important part of any advocate’s toolkit. The right image can draw people into your content, and also help them visualize and remember information. And on social media, your audience is more likely to share images than other types of posts. Creating compelling images can be time-consuming and even daunting for those of us who don’t have a background in graphic design. Luckily, there are lots of free new tools to help ease and speed up the process. Find links to these tools on our blog: http://firesteelwa.org/?p=2073 At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Thunderclap is a free tool for posting simultaneous messages from lots of different people across multiple social media accounts. Think of it as an "online flash mob." On this podcast, we highlight a few successful Thunderclap campaigns, talk about our own experiences as “crowd-speak” participants, and share ideas for organizing your own Thunderclap. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

We lay out why launching a blog can be a great idea -- and why it might not be right for you! We also share some best practices and content ideas for those who decide to take the plunge into the blogosphere. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

With the right apps, smartphones can be great tools for advocacy. On today’s podcast we share some of our favorite apps, as well as a few we’re testing. Learn about apps that connect you with legislators, jazz up your photos, make it easy to share files, and more! At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Until recently, it was easy for organizations to reach their Facebook followers with content like status updates, links and photos. Last fall, however, Facebook changed the algorithm that determines who sees that content in their News Feeds. After we noticed a decrease in the number of people who see Firesteel's posts, we did some research and experimenting to figure out how to use the network effectively. In this podcast, we talk about about boosting Facebook engagement with and without paid advertising. We also suggest ways to expand your online presence beyond Facebook. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Storify (http://storify.com) is a way to tell stories using social media such as Tweets, status updates, photos and videos. Users can search lots of social networks from one place, drag individual elements into a single storyline, and add text to give context. This winter, McKenna Haley from Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness (https://www.facebook.com/SUProjectOnFamilyHomelessness) used Storify to tell the story of the Washington’s Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. McKenna joined us to talk about her experience with the free version of the tool. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (http://ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

“Unselfies” and photo booths make advocacy fun! We’ve seen an explosion of selfies, or self-portraits, as camera phones have become ubiquitous and people want to share photos of themselves on networks like Facebook and Instagram. Now, nonprofits have flipped the term and asked people to share unselfies -- photos of themselves advocating for a cause. In today’s Spark Change Podcast, Erin Murphy and Denise Miller share our experiences with unselfies, as well as photo booths for advocacy. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

What is a social media campaign, anyway? Erin Murphy and Denise Miller of Firesteel explain and share examples of campaigns that have started conversations and sparked change. At Firesteel, we experiment with a lot of new media tools as we advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (http://ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

Erin Murphy and Denise Miller of YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish share ideas for producing simple videos for advocacy. Short videos are easy to make and share with smartphones, and they can have a big impact because of their power to create an emotional connection between viewers and people they're watching. Firesteel tests a lot of new media tools as we mobilize our community to advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (http://ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

In this podcast we share ideas for using interactive content creation tools like SnapApp to advance advocacy. Interactive content, such as polls, quizzes and photo contests are effective ways to increase engagement. At Firesteel, we test a lot of new media tools as we mobilize our community to advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org/ to learn more and share your feedback. Spark change. End homelessness. A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85DFCwy7Ek This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.

In Firesteel's very first podcast, Erin Murphy and Denise Miller of YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish share ideas for using Google+ Hangouts to advance advocacy. Hangouts are a very accessible way to connect people, wherever they are, and to create an archive of their video conversations. Firesteel tests a lot of new media tools as we mobilize our community to advocate for an end to homelessness. The purpose of the Spark Change podcast is to share what we've learned, and to help other advocates use these tools. Visit http://firesteelwa.org to learn more and share your feedback. This podcast uses the song "Drops of H20 (The Filtered Water Treatment)" by J.Lang (http://ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792) under a Creative Commons license.