The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine Chapters 9 – 11 KEY CONCEPTS

The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine

Chapters 9 – 11

KEY CONCEPTS

Shelley Jane Graff 

*CHAPTER NINE—“What to Do as a Networked Nonprofit: Learning Loops” =

¦ PLANNING LEARNING LOOPS – “The Learning loops focus on measuring an organization’s use of social media.” (p. 125) =

S  “Picking a specific, narrow objective.  Identify a specific target audience for any effort…Who has the skills or expertise we need the most?  Who has the greatest influence in the network?” (p. 125-126)

S  “Designing low-cost, low-risk experiments.  Using social media lends itself to small inexpensive experiments as discussed in the previous chapter about microplanning.” (p. 126)

S  “Articulating key learning questions.  Organizations should articulate a few questions that they want to learn about their use of social media as their experiment unfolds.  Focus these questions on the effort’s immediate results, who is doing what using social media, and then find relevant metrics to track.” (p. 126)

¦ Comparison of activities using social media with traditional approaches (& their associates costs) =

S  SOCIAL MEDIA APPROACH:

¬ A) “Listening online” (p. 130)

¬ B) “Cultivating relationships with bloggers and reporters online that result in posts and stories” (p. 130)

¬ C) “Using free online services like Facebook or Twitter to announce an event” (p. 130)

¬ D) “Generating content that can be turned into a public service announcement” (p. 130)

¬ E) “Asking supporters to share news and information with their friends on social networking sites” (p. 130)

¬ F) “Using the organization’s blog, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter presence to drive Web site traffic” (p. 130)

¬ G) “Acquiring e-mail addresses from people who share them via Twitter, blogs, or social networking profiles” (p. 130)

S  TRADITIONAL APPROACH:

¬ A) “Purchasing formal market research” (p. 130)

¬ B) “Hiring communications staff or a press agent to place stories in the mainstream media” (p. 130)

¬ C) “Placing an ad in a newspaper” (p. 130)

¬ D) “Producing your own PSA video content” (p. 130)

¬ E) “Disseminating information to the public through newsletters and press releases” (p. 130)

¬ F) “Buying Google ads and hiring a search engine optimization consultant” (p. 130)

¬ G) “Purchasing e-mail addresses” (p. 130)

*CHAPTER ELEVEN—“What to Do as a Networked Nonprofit: Governing Through Networks” =

³ Notion of Networked Governance -- “According to the P2P [i.e., Peer-to-Peer]Foundation, the key characteristics of these governance processes include”  =

v “Anticredentialism, the idea that anyone can participate regardless of their title or position.” (p. 157)

v “Collective choice systems, meaning that the group makes key decisions democratically.” (p. 157)

v “Communal validation, in which the products and choices of the group are open to public scrutiny and revision.” (p. 158)

v “Open development, which eschews closed doors and hiding places. The entire project is developed transparently.” (p. 158) 

The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine Chapters 4 – 8 KEY CONCEPTS

The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine

Chapters 4 – 8

KEY CONCEPTS

Shelley Jane Graff

*CHAPTER FOUR—“How to Become a Networked Nonprofit: Creating a Social Culture” =

¦ Tim O’Reilly’s Blogger’s Code of Conduct – “Seven suggestions to promote civil conversation online” =

S  “1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on your blog.” (p. 54)

S  “2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.” (p. 54)

S  “3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.” (p. 54)

S  “4. Ignore the trolls.” (p. 54)

S  “5. Take the conversation offline and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.” (p. 54)

S  “6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.” (p. 54)

S  “7. Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t say in person.” (p. 54)

*CHAPTER FIVE—“How to Become a Networked Nonprofit: Listening, Engaging, and Building Relationships” =

³ Ladder of Engagement/Levels of engagement  =

v “Happy bystanders, including blog readers, friends on Facebook, and personal acquaintances such as coworkers.” (p. 68)

v “Spreaders, people who are willing to share information about a cause with other people.” (p. 68)

v “Donors, who contribute financially to a cause.” (p. 68)

v “Evangelists, who reach out to their personal social networks and ask other people to give time and money to the cause.” (p. 68)

v “Instigators, who create their own content, activities, and events on behalf of the cause.  Instigators may even create a new cause or organization to more fully express themselves.” (p. 68)

*CHAPTER SIX—“How to Become a Networked Nonprofit: Building Trust Through Transparency” =

Ø The Dashboard (Indianapolis Museum of Art Concept)—What could be on Northern Illinois University’s LGBT Certificate Program’s ‘Dashboard’ =

] Number of students who have successfully sought the certificate. 

] Number of students currently seeking the certificate. 

] Number of prospective students (students that have shown interest in the program)

] Number of staff members.

] Number of jobs gotten with the help of the certificate. 

] Number of classes currently in progress. 

] Number of internships currently in progress. 

] Number of Facebook friends.

] Number of Twitter followers. 

] Number of Likes on Facebook. 

*CHAPTER EIGHT—“What to Do as a Networked Nonprofit: Working with Crowds” =

§  “Crowdsourcing is the process of organizing many people to participate in a joint project, often in small ways.” (p. 106)

§  THE FOUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF CROWDSOURCING =

ª    “Collective intelligence or crowd wisdom.  A group of individuals has more knowledge for solving a problem than any single individual.  Collective intelligence creates a ‘cloud’ of information that many people can distribute for use.” (p. 107)

ª    “Crowd Creation.  Crowds can create original works of knowledge or art.” (p. 107)

ª    “Crowd voting.  Crowds love to vote on their favorite things…The Internet lends itself to voting, making the votes easy to see and share and the results instantaneous.” (p. 107)

ª    “Crowd funding.  This category taps the collective pocketbook, encouraging groups to fund an effort that benefits many people.” (p. 108)

§  “Microplanning provides an alternative for organizations from the oppressive cost and risk associated with big campaigns.  Microplanning is an iterative process of small experiments that lets organizations change, scale, or scrap them easily, quickly, and inexpensively.” (p. 110)

§  MICROPLANNING BENEFITS =

ª    “Creating buy-in for efforts sooner by including larger numbers of people in an unfolding implementation process” (p. 110)

ª    “Unhooking organizations from needing all of the answers before they can get started” (p. 110)

ª    “Reducing risk by focusing on short, strategic bursts of activity that can be altered in real time and scaled without huge financial expenditures” (p. 110)

§  CROWDSOURCING CAUTIONS =

ª    “Crowds are unpredictable.” (p. 113)

ª    “Crowds can become angry mobs.” (p. 113)

ª    “Crowd contributions are 90 percent useless.” (p. 114)

ª    “Crowds and organization may be done.” (p. 114)  

The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine Chapters 1 – 3 KEY CONCEPTS

The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change by Beth Kanter & Allison H. Fine

Chapters 1 – 3

KEY CONCEPTS

Shelley Jane Graff

*CHAPTER ONE—“Introducing Networked Nonprofits” =

¦ Key Differences Between the ‘Networked Nonprofit’ and the ‘Traditional Nonprofit’ =

S  The ‘Networked Nonprofit’ acts as its own small social network through the use of various forms of Social Media. 

S  Whereas the ‘Traditional Nonprofit’ often spoke for a cause, the ‘Networked Nonprofit’ has a discussion about the cause, and ultimately wishes to build a meaningful relationship with everyone who gets involved. 

S  In the ‘Networked Nonprofit’ the organization is equally important to every individual person involved, or what the authors refer to as the “free agent.” 

S  Therefore, the ‘Networked Nonprofit’ has less control over its organization in comparison with the ‘Traditional Nonprofit,’ but in return it obtains far greater reach. 

S  “Networked Nonprofits are simple and transparent organizations.  They are easy for outsiders to get in and insiders to get out.  They engage people in shaping and sharing their work in order to raise awareness of social issues, organize communities to provide services, or advocate for legislation.  In the long run, they are helping to make the world a safer, fairer, healthier place to live.” (Kanter & Fine, p. 3)

*CHAPTER TWO—“Nonprofit Challenges and Trends” =

³ Generational Differences =

v Digital Natives (definition):  “Millennials (born between 1978 and 1993) who since birth have been exposed to the Internet and a constant stream of digital technologies.”

v Millennials tend to be passionate about causes, but they are not necessarily passionate about specific nonprofit organizations.  “Because they view the world through the lens of social media and social networks, Millennials are less interested in institutions than their parents were.” (p. 15)

v “Millennials represent a potential fatal blow to the large, ongoing membership donor bases for traditional organizations.  They are highly unlikely to become lifetime members and donors to groups like their grandparents were.” (p. 15)

v “Millennials’ passions are fluid; they will support organizations at certain times when moved to do so, and then they will go away.  To adapt and survive, organizations will have to become more flexible and accepting of this reality.” (p. 15)

v “Another issue is that Millennials expect organizations to have the same fluency with social media, the same comfort working beyond the organization’s institutional walls as they do.  Thus, organizations that don’t yet work as networks experience inherent tension and conflict with Millennials.” (p. 15)

³ “Free Agents” and How They Differ from Those Involved in Conventional Activism =

v Free Agents (definition):  “Individuals working outside of organizations to organize, mobilize, raise funds, and communicate with constituents for a cause.  They are general comfortable with and adept at using social media.” 

v “In the old paradigm, organizations could dismiss free agents as amateurs not worthy of their time and attention.” (p. 15)

v “Free agents are not by definition Millennials, but many free agents are young people.  Free agents take advantage of the social media toolset to do everything organizations have always done, but outside of institutional walls.” (p. 16)

*CHAPTER THREE—“How to Become a Networked Nonprofit: Understanding Social Networks” =

Ø Breaking Down Social Network Terminology—DEFINITIONS =

] Nodes:  “People or organizations connected in a social network.”  

] Ties:  “The connections between people and organizations, or nodes, in a social network.”

] Hubs:  “Hubs are the larger nodes within networks, meaning the people or organizations that have many connections.  Hubs are the influencers in the network, the people who know everyone and are known by everyone.”

] Core:  “The inner group of people who do most of the work within a social network.”  

] Cluster:  “Groups of people within a social network who are connected to one another, but who have few connections to the rest of the network.” 

Ø Network Map Suggestions for LGBT Studies at Northern Illinois University: What to Include…

] Network Mapping (definition):  “The process of visually drawing—or mapping—the components of a social network…Strategic network mapping identifies nodes, hubs, and other connections in order to reveal opportunities to strengthen a social network.” 

] In regards to network mapping for the LGBT Studies certificate program at N.I.U., I would begin by including all administrators, or individuals with management responsibilities, as well as any other staff members. 

] Secondly, all students involved in the program, or in other words all students currently seeking the certificate.  (Possibly also include prospective certificate seeking students/current students who have actively shown interest in the program.)

] Next, all of the students who have sought the certificate in the past, as well as any employers these individuals may have currently (based on their possession of said certificate). 

] Then I would add any organization on N.I.U.’s campus that is a sister/sympathetic group. 

] I would consider any group or individual that the organization has ties with on Twitter and Facebook to be worthy of inclusion—perhaps this aspect of the mapping could be done with the assistance of a free social network analysis tool such as Mailana. 

] Finally, any organizations or individuals outside of the University that are affiliates of the program. 

Ø Defining Social Capital =

] Social Capital (definition):  “The bundle of trust, accountability, and reciprocity that exists when relationships are meaningful and resilient.”

] “And organizations need to build, nurture, strengthen, and use this capital for social change to occur.” (p.33)