Rev. Jennifer Kottler implores microfinance conference participants to practice advocacy.

Those living in chronic poverty often do not have a voice. Who is here to advocate on behalf of the poor? We are.

In the breakout session, “Stand Up for People in Poverty,” an advocacy workshop at Opportunity’s Fall Microfinance Conference, http://www.opportunity.org/blog/meet-jennifer-kottler-leader-of-a-breakout-session-at-fall-microfinance-conference/Rev. Jennifer Kottler[/intlink], Director of Policy and Advocacy at Sojourners, reminded us of our role as advocates advancing the rights of people living in poverty.

Kottler asks, “How can we focus our advocacy so that we can achieve justice for and with people?” She reminded us that advocacy is a blessing to those who do it.

Kottler’s encouragement and practical advice, based on years of experience, were both interesting and inviting.

“If I keep talking to people, and if I am persistent and faithful,” insists Kottler, “God can change people’s hearts.”

She closed with an apt reminder from Ghandi, who was the ultimate advocate for those living in poverty: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Kottler’s experience certainly speaks to this reality.

At the end of the session, Ian Haisley, Online Communications Manager at Opportunity, and Rob Meloche, Vice President of Communications, also gave a brief tutorial on how to use the online sphere, including Twitter, Facebook and blogs, and the offline sphere, such as a personal network, in order to educate people about the problem of poverty. Their tutorial was a compelling and practical complement to Kottler’s insistence on advocacy.

Thanks so much Rev. Kottler, for your challenge to advocate on behalf of those living in chronic poverty!

For more information on advocating on behalf of those living in poverty, or to get a form letter that YOU can send to your representative, email getinfo@opportunity.org.

By Sonja Egeland Kelly, YAO Member

The festival includes presentations and panel discussions, and I will be representing OptINnow in the panel discussion, “Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit? Donations 2.0”. I will be joined by a group of remarkable panelists including: Skylar Woodward of Kiva, Milo Sybrant of Amnesty International USA, Michael Cervino of Beaconfire Consulting, and Katie Bisbee of DonorsChoose.org. It is a great opportunity for Opportunity International, in particular OptINnow, since this panel is already is being marked as one of the festival’s top panels.

SXSW Interactive has become a focal point for nonprofits who see technology as integral to accomplishing their missions, and  are looking to learn, share, and dream about what’s possible.

The “Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit? Donations 2.0” panel will focus on the relatively new person-to-person online fundraising strategy first introduced by Kiva and now being absorbed, adapted and transformed by other organizations, including Opportunity. By being an innovative online fundraising platform that not only connects donors to clients, but also creates an online community, teaches visitors about microfinance and provides various ways to get one and one’s networks involved, OptINnow will undoubtedly be a strong voice at the table.

The panel will explore tough questions about the donations 2.0 model and social media and how they apply to nonprofits of all industries and have fundamentally changed donors’ expectations on transparency and accountability. The person-to-person/ donor-to-client model is common with microfinance organizations; however, the question remains whether this model will be relevant for other nonprofits, in particular advocacy organizations like Amnesty International. 

Participation in this panel and our attendance at many others will most certainly be a learning experience for all of us. Being surrounded by innovative organizations, ideas and leaders will expand our views and ideas for OptINnow. The SXSW Web site says, “Year after year, the festival is a launching pad for new creative content.” We look forward to being part of this launching pad: being involved in the conversations, working with other nonprofit leaders and learning how we can make OptINnow a better fundraising, educational and engagement tool for donors.

If you’d like to learn more about the discussions and what people are saying about events as they are happening, The PepsiCo Zeitgeist allows you to take the pulse of SXSW without having to read through hundreds of thousands of Tweets from Austin. Go to http://sxsw.com/node/4335 for more information.