Just about every nonprofit seems to be urging its friends to “Vote for Us” in the Chase Community Giving Program.
$5 million distributed among 500,000 eligible nonprofits...with 100 winning in the first round (that’s 1 in every 5,000)...an additional 5 in the second round...(5% of those 100, so 1 in 100,000 of the total eligible nonprofits).
That’s some long odds!
You see where this is headed… although, truthfully, everyone doesn’t have an equal chance out of the starting gate – the race will, indeed, go to those with the greatest reach.
Yet there’s nothing wrong with this – as long as charities don’t substitute energy getting e-votes for face-time.It’s so easy, isn’t it, to spend time at our computers typing away, virtually making our case, networking virally, tagging and friending and fanning…I’m as guilty as the next party.
But real impact comes one on one, building long lasting relationships that commit to staying the course over time to achieve real social change.
Sure there’s nothing wrong with e-voting – but it’s not enough to ask for.
So let’s not stop there – let’s build real relationships that can evolve into paintbrushes and tutoring and donated legal services and other sweat equity that leverages human energy and commitment into a real movement towards social justice.
So let’s not stop there – let’s build real relationships that can evolve into paintbrushes and tutoring and donated legal services and other sweat equity that leverages human energy and commitment into a real movement towards social justice.
§ Why not table at a “Winter Fair” to gain community awareness and build your “friends and fans” base?
§ Why not hold a “wrap-a-thon” at a book store to publicize the fact that the local schools need book donations?
§ Why not host a member reach-out night, where every member brings their cell phone and calls 5 other members to get their impact on the issues facing your community and catches them up on what your organization is doing?
Not an ask – just a connect.
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I agree that the "connect" is crucial and can happen in a variety of ways. We should leverage technology to help further relationships but not rely on it alone to build them.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that online actions and connections shouldn't replace face-to-face organizing, but the web can be an important medium to help us reach new constituents and to engage passive supporters further.
ReplyDeleteI often think of these easy online actions as a step in a ladder of engagement for constituents rather than a replacement for a more personal action.
On another note - I worry that organizations that participate in contests like this one might be missing an opportunity to connect with supporters on the issues central to the org's mission. I would much prefer to get a program-related email from a group, or even a direct donation ask, rather than an invitation to vote in a long-shot contest that also puts me on the Facebook page of a corporation.