Podcasting for Nonprofits

an overview of the art and science of podcasting! This workshop willcover the dos

www.PodcastConsultant.net

RISCA is entering a brave, new world:  the world of podcasting!

When you stop and think of it, it makes sense.  We’re an agency that supports artists and arts organizations.  Artists (and, of course, arts organizations) create “content”.  (Of course, we don’t refer to it as “content”, and you shouldn’t either, but those electronic types that produce podcasts… you just can’t stop them from using the word).

We have a blog, and it seems like a lot of people tune into that on a daily basis for news and information.  The technology exists, and there are an alarming number of people who are downloading “content” for their iPods and mp3 players, also on a daily basis.  So why not share the work of the artists we support with the world.

This is our first attempt at something like this.  The good people at RI.gov (and you know who I’m talking about, Dan) took a very sketchy recording of a meeting we held in February with the theatre community and turned it into a podcast.  (It’s sorta interesting;  you should give it a listen).

We’re thinking three kinds of “content” for these podcasts:

1. The first (and most obvious) is featuring the work of the artists and organizations we support through our grant programs.  So, if you are such an artist (or organization) and have “content” you want to send our way, feel free.
2. We have meetings all the time.  Some of these may actually be of interest to more than just us.  If that’s the case, we may take the time to digitally record the meeting and share portions of it with you.  That’s what we’re “sampling” in this podcast entry.
3. Finally, we envision creating some podcasts designed to help you with particular issues, such as how to prepare a competitive grant application.  My thought (I’m not sure it’s universally held) is that we’d have certain staff members sit around a table and talk about an issue (like, for example, how to prepare a competitive grant application).  We’d record that conversation and put it out there as an educational podcast for those of you who are interested in that particular topic.

We’ll be setting up a separate page on our website for podcast files, and you’ll be able to keep track of them that way.  And our blog will be the “first line of information” on new entries, so keep visiting us here.

Eventually (which, in this case, means pretty soon), you’ll be able to subscribe to our podcasts via iTunes.  If you’re like me and you have a cheap, non-iPod mp3 player, you’ll be able to download these podcasts directly into your computer and transfer them into your player.  Or (simpler still) you’ll be able to play them right on your computer.

So, here we go. Give this a try (just like we’re doing), and let us know what you think.  Share with us, as well, any thoughts you might have about the kinds of “content” you’d like to see (or, I guess, hear).  Comments are open.