My conversations so far for February are all focused on the role of nonprofits online. I would LOVE for you to get in on the conversations, too!
Standford Social Innovation Review
This month’s blog post on the SSIR opinion blog picks up where last month’s started. It is also my contribution to the Net2 Think Tank (details below).
Last night, I had the great opportunity to interview Clay Shirky, the author of Here Comes Everybody. The first thing I asked about was his view of the new role of nonprofit organizations in the social media or technology revolution that is well underway. I think it’s an interesting topic and wanted to continue the conversation here with you!
I asked Prof. Shirky specifically about the avenues of participation, content, and convening online. Last month, my blog here on SSIR discussed the idea that nonprofit organizations, with the use of social media, can now create shared spaces online for their communities—truly convene groups online. I still think this is one of the most dynamic opportunities that nonprofit organizations have now, providing a way to be more than a source, a service, or a membership.
Shirky points out in the video that nonprofits can’t participate online in the same way that individuals can. I think this is a hard concept for many to agree with because of the process by which the social media tools are most often adopted in organizations: for example, Jane really likes taking pictures and usually posts them to Flickr (an online photo sharing website) as a way to store them, sort them, and share them. After taking some pictures at the local holiday parade, she finds that many others wanted to post their pictures on Flickr and started a group to pull them all together. She posts her photos to the group and something clicks, “we could do this for our annual holiday event!” Jane brings up the idea with her organization’s executives and they decide to give it a try, but only if Jane takes responsibility for implementation, monitoring, support, and so on.
In that example, it would be difficult for Jane to really approach using Flickr from a different perspective than how she is already using it personally. Why? Because the difference isn’t in using the tools per se, we all have the same functionality to upload, tag, comment, etc. But the important difference is all about the formation of connections, or relationships.
We have all heard before that social media is allowing a conversation to take place online: people are talking to each other, people are talking to organizations, organizations are talking to people, and so forth. Well, those connections are really important, but not in a highest-friend-count kind of way. It’s great for organizations to inspire hundreds or thousands of supporters to join their group, forum, network or whatever other opportunity that’s available. What’s really great and exciting to see happen more and more across the web is organizations creating opportunities to connect members to members, and not just to the organization.
Here’s another example: I may really support the League of Women Voters, could maybe find them online and join a network, but it would probably be nationally oriented or have chapter-specific relevancy that was still larger than me and my networks. If the League of Women Voters could look at the network, see the kinds of opportunities present for members to connect with each other, and then provide the resources to connect (whether it is online tools, facilitating offline events, or just letting people know about each other) the ripple effects in the network could really create synergy amongst members and produce untapped enthusiasm for the organization.
Instead of thinking, “what can the relationships with members do for our organization?” or, “what can our relationships do for our members?” try thinking of this:
“What can the relationships between our members do for our community?”
So, perhaps the changing role of nonprofit organizations in the online space is not one of playing catch-up to the early adopters and hyper-connected individuals, nor is it one of “friending” big names or joining every platform; but is one of strategically convening supporters to create dynamic connections across the community.
What do you think? Are there organizations that you think are doing this already and are doing it well? Which organizations do you wish were doing this? How do you think organizations can begin?
Net2 Think Tank & Book Giveaway
Topic:
What do you think the role of nonprofit organizations is in the changing world of social media?
How do nonprofits participate online differently than individuals? How do nonprofits convene groups or create content that fits with the changing online environment? Which organizations are charting the way, navigating the new tools well? If you don’t know any organizations to point to that are already succeeding, what should organizations do to get there?
Deadline: Saturday, February 21st
Book Giveaway:
A free copy of the new paperback edition of Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody (with a new chapter) will be given to one contributor randomly selected (all your names will go in a hat, and one will be drawn!).
How to contribute:
- Blog your answer to the question either on your blog or the NetSquared blog. (For directions on contributing to the NetSquared blog, click here.)
- Tag your blog with “net2thinktank”
- Email Amy Sample Ward the link to your post!
Be sure to get your submission in on time to be in the running for the free book! Email Amy the link to your post by Saturday, February 21st.
These are several quotes for the first chapter of his Shirky’s book. These statements alone should give non-profits enough reason to pause and think about what is happening ahead of them. I have invested the last ten years in non-profits and I undoubtedly believe the next ten will be very different.
“For most of modern life, our strong talents and desires for group effort have been filtered through relatively rigid institutional structures because of the complexity of managing groups.”
“The current change, in one sentence, is this: most of the barriers to group action have collapsed, and without those barriers, we are free to explore new ways of gathering together and getting things done.”
“Now that there is competition to traditional instititional forms for getting things done, those institutions will continue to exist, but their purchase on modern life will weaken as novel alternatives for group action arise.”
Question: How do these statements influence the role of the church?