Cyberspace Barn Raising
By Pattie LaCroix
November 28, 2005
This fall marks twenty years of engagement for me in the nonprofit sector. I started out as a volunteer teaching English in Cameroon with Canadian Crossroads International. From there, I volunteered for a year in India and really haven't looked back for the last two decades. I'm always looking ahead.
Like most of my colleagues in the sector, the convergence of scarce resources, expanded mandates, new technologies, a changing volunteer base and, in general, the erosion of universalism as a cornerstone of Canadian society has resulted in creating a nonprofit culture fixated on survival. While planning and being responsive is important to any sector, the energy we put into revisiting mission statements and responding to government cuts has sapped a good portion of our collective entrepreneurial spirit.
But that is changing, and it is being lead by the culture of the Internet. With everything from technological innovation embraced by the open source community, to advocacy and collaborative online tools, the Internet is taking us back to our barn raising roots! The entrepreneurial spirit that pulsed through the origins of the NGO movement is pounding strong in the heart of cyberspace. In this virtual space, real people are connecting around real issues, forming networks, launching campaigns, developing open source community-building tools, and infusing the NGO culture with social innovation. The Internet is playing a key role in national networks, social movements, and the evolution of global citizenry.
This is energizing many nonprofits today with creativity, innovation, and ultimately, with a new way to tell their story, grow their audience, and increase their impact. When you find yourself hosting or participating in a cyberspace barn raising here are a few things you might want to keep in mind:
- What is your goal?
- What is your message?
- Who are you speaking to?
- What is the most effective way to engage others in your story online?
- Who can you partner or collaborate with to expand your impact?
- What changes might need to take place within your organizational culture when you actively engage others in the shaping of your message, in directly participating in campaigns, and so on?
- How should you be integrating your online initiatives with your offline programs?
- How will you build upon your learning?
But let's be clear, the Internet is a tool, albeit a very powerful tool. When used well, it will work in collaboration with your constituency to create accessible, usable and engaging online experiences, and foster ongoing relationships. Web technologies continue to work best when they are set within a well designed context. Creating intuitive paths through content, spaces for online collaboration, and immersive opportunities to build relationships are key elements to ensuring your investment in online web tools gets the results that support your work and help you reach your goals.
The nonprofit community has always been at the forefront of social movements, whether it is education around HIV, the creation of affordable housing, or advocacy around human rights issues. The Internet is injecting massive possibilities into moving positive social movements forward with its capacity to extend the reach of the connections that nurture positive social change.
Pattie LaCroix has directed marketing and communications programs for
nonprofits for over ten years. As vice president of Communicopia, she is passionate
about creating online communications strategies for nonprofits that engage their
audience and build support for their work. You can contact Pattie through www.communicopia.net.
