Revised with new information: March 1, 2008


 
Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking:
Advice and Commentary

 
Your reaction to reading the words "online social networking" (OSN) for the first time is probably, "isn't that just another description of the Internet?" Yes, actually. But this latest techie buzz phrase is usually meant nowadays to describe special web-based online communities that are accessible only for members, like MySpace, Tribe, LinkedIn, and Friendster (see complete list and links below). These platforms are often referred to as FOAF (Friend-of-a-Friend), because when you join, you note who else on the network is your "friend" or associate, and others are able to see these associations. A user connects with others through listed common interests, through being in the same class or at the same school as others, or through a mutual online friend.

What's the appeal of OSN as currently defined? The appeal is mostly for young people -- these communities are easy ways for offline friends to "gather" online, and to meet new people, either for entirely online encounters or to meet eventually face-to-face. These communities also feel exclusive and special, something young people find particularly appealing.

For someone who remembers the criticisms of America Online, which had exactly the same appeal for many people in its early days, these platforms can seem exclusionary and limited -- by contrast, you don't have to be a "member" to view someone's information, or to search for such, on the World Wide Web -- the web is open to everyone! These networks can also seem like just more work: you have to re-type information probably already available on your web site over and over again each time you join a network, to reach a smaller audience than you would on the entire Internet.

But what about nonprofit organizations -- is there a value for them in using these special OSN platforms? If an organization is trying to reach people under 35, particularly teens and 20-somethings, an OSN platform such as MySpace can be a good tool for such. One way to do this is asking current volunteers to put information about their volunteer service into their profiles on OSN platforms. This is probably best done under the section to list employment: under "title," they should list "volunteer" and under "company," the name of your organization; they can describe their volunteering activities in any other fields provided. If enough people start noting volunteer service in their profiles, these OSN platforms may start creating fields specifically for such. Having volunteers highlight their service in these profiles benefits your organization by giving your work exposure to potential new volunteers and donors, who will see the listing as they use the platforms to network with others. THERE IS A DOWNSIDE, however: a volunteer may engage in or promote activities via his or her web site or online profile on an OSN platform that your organization does not wish to be associated. But the reality is that your volunteers may be engaging in offline activities your nonprofit wouldn't necessarily want to be associated with either (think about the t-shirts organizations hand out to volunteers -- such doesn't come with a list of where you should and shouldn't wear such). When making a request to volunteers for online links, organizations may want to ask volunteers to exercise good judgement in creating associations with the organization's web site, keeping in mind the reputation and credibility of the organization. (Other thoughts? please share them with me)

Nonprofits should also consider asking current volunteers what OSN platforms they use, and if these volunteers would be willing to:

It's more than reasonable for a nonprofit to have a policy regarding how volunteers should and should not engage as representatives of your organization online, including on OSN platforms. Make it clear to volunteers, for instance, that while it's fine for them to highlight their role as volunteers for your organization in their online conversations, that does not necessarily make them official representatives of such, and any comments or questions about your organization they see online, including on OSN platforms, should be brought to the attention of the organization's staff.

Why am I not any more of an advocate for OSN? Because the returns for using such don't seem substantial -- huge numbers of new volunteers and donors aren't being reached as a result of using OSN by the majority of organizations using such. The investment doesn't seem yet worth it. Most nonprofits are struggling to keep just their simple web sites up-to-date and answering the many, many inquiries they already receive. These organizations don't have the time nor the staff to figure out how to use OSN platforms, nor which ones to use (there seems to be new ones announced every week), and also don't have the staff or resources to keep their information up-to-date on these various locations as well their web sites. In addition, "traditional" online communities, whether on YahooGroups or via email, as well as the "old" WWW, are already connecting nonprofit professionals with many more people and organizations than they can keep up with. If a nonprofit has a web site, has an email newsletter, staff members who occasionally use online discussion groups, and volunteer recruitment posts to something like VolunteerMatch, I consider that nonprofit very techsavvy -- to be using podcasting and OSN as well takes an enormous amount of time and resources that the vast majority of nonprofits just don't have.

Most funders are never going to fund staff at a nonprofit to engage in all of these online activities (most funders still balk at paying for things like copy machines or computers). Therefore, the only way most nonprofits are going to be able to use OSN platforms outside of asking volunteers to include information in their profiles is to find very dedicated, very knowledgeable and very trustworthy volunteers, including online volunteers working from home, school or their own work place, to engage in these activities on the organization's behalf. But, as with any activity, the nonprofit needs to think strategically about engaging in OSN: what's the goal of participation? what will success as a result of participation look like? how will the success of this activity be measured?

TechSoup has a good article about nonprofits and OSN that includes some concrete examples of nonprofits using OSN platforms to connect with supporters. It actually reads like articles about the early days of initial nonprofit use of the web, when the novelty of making information and needs available resulted in floods of new supporters and resources. However, those times wore off quickly. Will the same be true for OSN? Also, what's still needed are examples that include details on how such organizations can manage all these massive amounts of information, who actually inputs all of the information again and again in all these closed communities and regularly checks the email inboxes of such, how nonprofits choose which community for what activity, how OSN has not worked in certain instances, etc.

As regular readers of my web site an the various online forums of which I am already a member, I am a huge fan of, and advocate for, networking with others online. Do I use any OSN platform? I've joined an alumni association that has its home on Linked In, and have joined and posted a few things to ned.com, but so far, rather than reaching potential clients and new resources, I'm reaching lots of people looking for employment and donations. For me, simple theme-based online communities via YahooGroups or an email platform remain the easiest to use, the easiest to integrate already-published information on the web, and the best way to reach both colleagues, new resources and potential clients. I'm already on overload when it comes to email and online profiles -- unless more hours get added to the day and I also become agoraphobic, I'm at my online membership limit.

I do have a MySpace blog focused on volunteerism / civic engagement, in an effort to reach their users, mostly teens and people in their 20s. To add My MySpace blog to your RSS reader, use this URL:
http://blog.myspace.com/blog/rss.cfm?friendID=38885498
Or, just click on the icon for the RSS reader that you use::

 
Below is a list (not comprehensive) of social networking platforms (new ones get launched regularly). It was originally published on the TechSoup discussion boards, but has been edited by me:

 
Also see:

Please notify me if you intend to use these materials or to quote me.

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