Yesterday I posted about the Org 2.0 "cheat sheet" put out by Seth Godin, Squidoo and NPower New York. While by no means perfect, it struck me as a neat little tool to get conversation going with people who are trying to understand what all the hoopla is about. As I spent the day prepping for a training session tomorrow, though, I kept mulling over a few things.
My first thought was prompted by Beth's post and her comments here. She pointed out that there were some definite caveats in the cheat sheet that we should keep in mind in trying out these Web 2.0 experiments. I think she's right on with her suggestions.
But I also don't want to lose sight of a larger point here. This cheat sheet is really asking people to experiment with something new. It's suggesting that there are some small things a person can do to explore the tools of Web 2.0. While we could change the content of those experiments, what's most important is for us to start playing with these tools. That's how we learn. We can read about other's experiments and get something from that. But to really get it, we have to also try things ourselves.
The other thread going through my head was prompted by a post at Confessions of a Nonprofit IT Director. While acknowledging that nonprofits are way back on the learning curve when it comes to Web 2.0, he also makes another important point:
" . . . ultimately, non-profits live or die on one thing: “It’s the clients, stupid!” If our clients aren’t better served by our whizbang gizmos, then Nonprofit 2.0 is just another silly notion. It’s an ironic function of technology in the social services sector that the level of technology needed to implement a given initiative is usually in proportion to the amount of actual need within the client population. We serve homeless clients - perhaps the toughest sector of non-profit clientele to serve with technology. With little money and no permanent shelter, technology for our clients is usually limited to a pay-as-you-go cell phone or a quarter in a pay phone.
However, if you serve those clients with knowledge workers, you may end up with a more cost-effective outcome for that client. If the case worker for that client has better IT that allows them to save that client’s identification documents, keep their progress notes in good order, keep track of their entitlements, find them shelter, keep track of upcoming shelter availability, print out a referral letter, scan a check and send it to a landlord to prevent eviction and so much more then wouldn’t that be a better way to serve the client with technology? If so, that’s what Nonprofit 2.0 means to me."
Interestingly, as I've spent the past few weeks scouring the web for examples of how nonprofits use Web 2.0 tools to use in our wiki, what I've found is a little surprising. I can find examples of nonprofits that are using the tools to raise money, to advocate, and to market to their volunteers and donors. But I've had a really hard time finding nonprofits using the tools to educate and support their staff or to serve their clients. I'm not saying it's not happening. I'm just noticing that examples are difficult to find. Where is serving the people in all this? (UPDATE--Beth has found some nice examples of using video to help clients)
Which brings me back to the cheat sheet and the need to experiment. How about looking at that sheet again and thinking about experiments you can run that benefit staff or clients? Maybe creating a Squidoo page with specific content that could help co-workers or a client? Or finding blogs that could help you do your job better and sharing them with colleagues? How about searching the web for some free video content that could help? For many nonprofit niches, there's a lot to find.
The point is, try a new tool. And when you do, see how it applies to building staff capacity or to serving your customers.
Michele
Comments