Detailed Content Description | Related Reading | Faculty | Delivery Options
 

The Internet has helped civil society organizations transcend geographical boundaries like never before. One of the demands of our new reach is the need to make presentations and host seminars without paying for everyone to be in the same room. At the same time, the Internet is replacing expensive remote conferencing tools with cheaper, generic systems that nonprofits can afford. While nothing entirely replaces face to face meetings for building trust and connection, online seminars are an increasingly powerful vehicle for management, training, organizing, and relationship building with our stakeholders - allies, staff, volunteers, and donors. In this self-referential online session, we will help you:

• assess the strengths and weaknesses of online presentations for your material and needs
• avoid the common pitfalls of online presentations
• maximize the outcomes and leverage the impact of any given seminar
• decide what technical features you need for the kind of presentation you want to make
• put together an affordable, sustainable delivery platform with maximum flexibility and minimum lock-in
• develop methods of engaging participants, before, during, and after the presentation
• adapt off-line presentations for online use
• plan and evaluate your seminar program

Online seminars are a halfway point between less personal media and face-to-face meetings. Organizations all over the world are waking up to the potential of this medium to enroll and mobilize people. If you think it's a medium that you want to explore and develop, then this workshop is right for you.
 

Here is a related article by Michael Gilbert:

• What's Wrong with Online Seminars: Three Small Problems and One Big One
• Everyday Software: Workshop Webcasting

This seminar will be taught by Michael C. Gilbert, the author of dozens of online seminars on communication issues for nonprofits. He is a long time coach and consultant on matters related to information and effectiveness in work and civil society. He is the author of Communication Centered Technology Planning, 2nd Edition, the Editor of Nonprofit Online News, and the Founding President of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network. The Gilbert Center is now in the fourth year of its own online seminar program. For more information about Mr. Gilbert, please see his bio.
 

Our pre-packaged online seminar here consists of a 90 minute session.

Live Online Seminars: These are presented at a scheduled date & time, broadcast live, and include live Q&A time with the instructor. Live online seminars presented by The Gilbert Center are open registration seminars, which means that anyone can attend. Please see our calendar for upcoming events. You can also read technical requirements and other basic facts for this seminar delivery option. (Please note that our calendar of live seminars only goes out a couple of months and not all topics will show up there.)

On-Demand Online Seminars: On-demand means you can attend at a time that is most convenient for your schedule. It consists of the recordings of the most recent live presentation, and comes packaged with a 30 minute phone consultation with the instructor so you can ask questions about the seminar materials and how they can best be put to use in your particular situation. You can also read technical requirements and other basic facts for this seminar delivery option. The catalog of seminars available on-demand is listed down the right-hand side of that same page, and also the calendar page. (Please note that not all topics are available yet for on-demand viewing. See the On-Demand Info page for a complete list of current options.)

Private In-House Sessions: If you have a group of people to whom you would like to offer training, please consider our private, in-house seminars. Which means you can hire us to present this and any of the seminars listed on this site, as well as custom sessions, for your group privately; online or in person at your location. Please contact us for more information if you're interested.

Calendar | Referral Program | Live Online Seminars | On-Demand Online Seminars | Training Packages | Topic List | Download Training Catalog | What Next?