January 26, 2006 | Read Time: 2 minutes
A small but growing number of charities and advocacy groups are using podcasts, or Internet radio programs,
to discuss issues of interest to nonprofit groups and to get the public interested in their causes.
Podcasts are audio files that people can download automatically to their iPods or similar digital-audio players. Many directories of podcasts are available; one of the most popular is the iTunes store created by Apple Computer. On the iTunes section of the Web site (http://www.apple.com/itunes), free software is available to make it possible to listen to a podcast. Unless otherwise noted, the following podcasts are available through iTunes.
The program: Bioneers Podcasts
What it is: An online radio program sponsored by the Collective Heritage Institute, in Lamy, N.M. The program offers discussions and presentations that deal with progressive and environmental issues.
Where to find it: http://www.bioneers.org/podcast
The program: Champions of Sustainability
What it is: A regular program run by the nonprofit organization Sustainable Pittsburgh and produced by Pittsburgh radio station WDUQ. The program features interviews with experts in building environmentally friendly neighborhoods.
The program: 501c3Cast for Nonprofits
What it is: A free talk radio-style discussion of items of relevance to nonprofit groups. A recent program featured an interview with Chad Coltrane, chief executive officer of Push America, a Charlotte, N.C., nonprofit group that helps people with disabilities.
The program: Progcast
What it is: A podcast hosted by Progressive Commons, an all-volunteer think tank that works to promote a progressive agenda.
The program: TC(c)3
What it is: An hourlong live radio show that highlights the work of nonprofit groups in the Twin Cities region in Minnesota. The show includes a weekly roundup of nonprofit news and trends nationally and locally as well as a calendar of events submitted by Minnesota nonprofit organizations.
The program: Voices on Genocide Prevention
What it is: A weekly podcast by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Committee on Conscience. The programs, which are hosted by the committee’s director, Jerry Fowler, feature commentary from human-rights experts, government officials, journalists, and advocates on the issue of genocide.
Where to find it: http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/podcasts
