Friday, March 10, 2006

Blogs, Non-Profits, And Transparency

In the world of Non-Profit organizations, building trust through understanding and communication is critical. In an article today on OnPhilanthropy.com, Tom Watson, Chief Strategy Officer at Changing Our World, Inc., hits the nail on the the head.
Strange then in the most open medium yet invented by human hands and minds, we are all too often closed in our thinking, closed in our asking, and closed in our giving - at least in terms of fundraising and philanthropy. One small but incredibly symbolic notion that is currently sweeping the corporate world - executive blogging - would, I think, add a layer of conversation, of real give and take to the non-profit sector.
To be candid, many in this industry are skeptical that the corporate world would ever be remotely interested in honest dialogue. It's a valid argument. Non-Profits however, seem to fit into the blogging universe like a hand in a glove. But, don't blindly jump into it.
Over at his blog Nonprofit Stuff (http://nonprofitstuff.blogspot.com/), consultant Sheldon Mains has some very earthy advice for nonprofit bloggers, particularly executives: - If you are really serious about using a blog to improve communications with your community/clients, you have to set aside time to write the fricking thing. It’s best that you set aside time every day! Depending on how much you want to say and how fast a writer you are, this could just be 15 minutes.
15 minutes, eh? I'd be a bit more liberal in my time allocation if I were you. Trust me. That's why having a skilled writer on hand to help craft your message while remaining true to your organizational goals, is money well-spent. ghostblogging@veritymedia.com.

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