I'm very excited about the launch of Change.Org, a social networking web site for nonprofit professionals and others who are interested in positive social change. Whenever I think of encouraging my clients to establish a presence on some of the existing social networking sites, I worry that they'll be deluged with spam from teenagers looking for a date or scammers with multi-level marketing schemes. Fortunately, Change.Org provides an online tool that is more likely to attract the sort of individuals and groups that nonprofit professionals need to know.
On the other hand, I still think that in the nonprofit sector, we need better knowledge management of our knowledge management. It isn't enough to have a wonderful social networking web site that can help you cross-reference social change goals, organizations, individuals, and actions. What we badly need is a mash-up that gives us one-stop shopping for all sorts of information and resources. When I have a question that pertains to my work for a nonprofit client, I can do separate searches on Change.Org, ChangingThePresent.Org, Idealist.Org, Capaciteria.Org,TechSoup.Org, ConsultantCommons.Org, SocialSourceCommons.Org, Idealware.Org, the N-TEN affinity groups, the NPtech tagstream, and the Information Systems Forum - but shouldn't there be an intelligent mash-up that can help me bring resources and needs together much more effectively?
