One thing that I've been thinking a lot about lately is how the internet has changed the way that non-profits and advocacy organizations do business. In my life I have been loosely involved with dozens of non-profits. I've recently become much more involved with the
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and have tried to use the various technologies available to me to spread the word. When my family and friends participated in PurpleStride Chicago, a fundraising and awareness walk, I used Facebook heavily to solicit donations, invite participation, and organize fundraisers. I have also used Facebook to post videos and links to other events benefiting this organization. So far, I haven't really used this blog to do anything, but it might creep in here someday. I also participated in Chase Community Giving, which uses Facebook to collect votes for charities. The winner gets a million dollars!
Twitter, however, is an explosion of information and communication about non-profits. I follow and am followed by various PANCAN affiliates, and it has been a great way to learn about events, advocacy opportunities, and research. Other celebrities, like
Drew Carey have used it to drum up support for donations as well. Mr. Carey gave $1 for every Twitter follower he gained in a certain time frame to
Livestrong.
This is an interesting (and a bit self serving?) way to raise awareness of a cause and to raise money. I think that these technologies allow non-profits to reach many more people than ever before. However, they can also get lost in the shuffle. There has to be a very concerted effort to make sure that a YouTube video gets a lot of hits, that your Twitter has tons of followers (who retweet to all their followers, etc, etc) and that your Facebook is dynamic. This is a full time job and requires a lot of creativity. In the end, it also relies on people (real people) connecting and working hard.
photo source
Parkers at Purple Stride Chicago 2010
