Web 2.0 Concepts and Trends, continued
Literature
Review
While
much has been reported over the past three years about the meteoric rise
of Web 2.0 in the corporate, political and media spheres, relatively little
has been written about how grantmaking foundations are—or are not—embracing
these emerging technologies in their communication efforts. To date, the
vast majority of Web 2.0 news coverage and analysis of the nonprofit sector
has focused on how community groups, advocates, political parties, non-governmental
organizations or other grant recipients are adjusting to the new wave
of tools and services.
In particular, the
literature about the social sector’s use of new media falls into
three main categories:
• Reports
of how nonprofits are using Web
2.0 technologies to build networks of donors, volunteers and activists
(usually without reference to funders)
• Studies about the need for technology infrastructure support and
capacity building among nonprofits seeking to take advantage of Web 2.0
opportunities
• And stories about the use of these technologies among an emerging
set of social entrepreneurs interested in “social philanthropy”
or “e-philanthropy” as a way to encourage individual giving
Much less has been written about grantmakers’ use of Web 2.0 technologies because funders have been slower to embrace them. There are some notable exceptions. The literature describes foundation participation, sometimes by funding nonprofits’ infrastructure and technology needs, and sometimes by encouraging individual charitable giving.
In the area of non-profit technology needs, The Overbrook Foundation helps grantees acquire and use Web 2.0 technologies in their environmental and human rights work. According to Elizabeth Miller, a senior program associate at Overbrook, the need for Web 2.0 capability “bubbled up to us through Overbrook’s grantees” as the foundation realized many of them were beginning to use social media very effectively and others were struggling with how to take advantage of the new tools. Overbrook now provides support through regular convenings to help grantees learn from each other and share their experiences with blogs, wikis, social networking and other new media.
In the area of individual giving, the Case Foundation launched two highly publicized initiatives aimed at increasing charitable giving through the use of Web-based networking tools, partnering with Facebook in a program called America’s Giving Challenge, and later with PARADE Magazine in the Causes Giving Challenge campaign. The Case Foundation reported that the initiatives together raised more than $1.7 million from more than 80,000 donors.
|
|
|
Related Links |
