The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change

San Francisco, CA – If Facebook and Twitter have become virtual marketing goldmines, why are so many nonprofits behind the eight ball when it comes to social media? Organizations like Catholic Relief Services have just over 4,000 followers on Twitter. Meanwhile, UNICEF can now claim over 100,000. The fact is that nonprofits will not be relevant if they are not present on social networks. But who will help them get up to speed in this new, social world?

As featured in the Huffington Post on June 9^th (http://huff.to/b8PcA2), The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting Media with Social Change (Jossey-Bass; 978-0-470-54797-7; July 2010) by Allison Fine and Beth Kanter makes sense of the existing mishmash of data, blogs and books about social media in a connected world and social change and applies this knowledge specifically to social change organizations. It offers a set of guiding principles to help leaders navigate the transition from top-down organizations to a networked approach. Each chapter provides specific strategies for implementation and “secrets to success” according to activists who have learned how to use new social media effectively themselves.

The Networked Nonprofit begins with an introductory chapter, “Introducing Networked Nonprofits” which defines Networked Nonprofits and describes the social media revolution and the myths that have stopped too many nonprofit executives from engaging in it. The first part of the book begins with “How to become a Networked Nonprofit”, focusing on how organizations must operate to use social media successfully and effectively. The second part of the book, “What to do as a Networked Nonprofit” describes the way organizations can work when structured this way. Each chapter ends with Reflection Questions to help the reader start internal discussions about that chapter’s topics.

“Making the shift from an organization to one that works in a networked way both inside and outside of institutional walls is not a one-step process,” says co-author Beth Kanter in her recent Huffington Post blog (http://huff.to/a4G6Mx). In order to be successful managing social change today, nonprofit and change leaders need to transition their thinking and orientation from managing organizations to participating in and managing social networks.  The Networked Nonprofit provides a framework for nonprofit leaders, managers, staff, philanthropists, donors and foundations to make this shift.