Instagram’s Donate sticker is here.

By Kate

The tyranny of choice keeps coming up in conversations lately. With so many incredible digital tools available, how do nonprofits make confident decisions about what direction to move in, and more specifically, which software to choose? This week, we’ve got exciting product announcements paired with comprehensive software guides. Onwards!

Brought to you by Brendan, Natania, Sarah J., Tauno and the rest of the ThinkShout team.

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(1) Instagram’s Donate sticker is here.

Instagram’s donate tooling has arrived. Here’s what you need to know start raising money on this high-value social platform. [M+R Reports]

(2) Giving days really matter.

There’s a reason that named days of giving are on the uptick nationwide. They work! Take a look at this example from Amplify Austin—you just might find some inspiration for your organization’s next campaign. [Philanthropy Today]

(3) Bots to the future?

Are text bots the future of engagement in real life? Maybe. The Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco only has enough space to display 5% of its total collection at any given time. The solution? This ingenious text bot strategy. [Beth Kanter]

(4) Navigating through open source software.

If you know ThinkShout, you know we love open source solutions. The idea that programmers contribute ideas and code to make a product better—for free—is novel and unheard of to much of the population. Wired breaks down what open source is and its benefits as well as its drawbacks. [Wired]

(5) Government websites are… an inspiration?

Rightly or wrongly, we don’t often associate government websites with inspirational design. With considerable complexities—from massive amounts of data to major security concerns—in most cases it’s rare that design reigns over bureaucratic necessities. Wait, wait! Not so fast. What about Gov.UK’s design system? Or Finland’s experimental design? [Invision]

(6) Overwhelmed by your choice of marketing software?

Well, if you are, that’d make sense to us. Take a look at the 2019 Marketing Technology Supergraphic, which includes no fewer than 7,040 options for your consideration. [Martec]

(7) Net neutrality thrives on rainy days.

The city of Portland, Oregon (home to ThinkShout!) was a trailblazer on net neutrality. Factors like how the city’s government is structured combined with nimble grassroots activism made for the perfect soil for net neutrality. Now, with movement towards a publicly owned, open-access fiber network, Portland is leading the way again. [Wired]