This document summarizes a study on how non-profit organizations and their members interact online regarding politics. It finds that while most non-profits had an online presence by the early 2000s, their main goal online was public education rather than member recruitment. However, the study found that members rarely used the internet to learn about or engage with their organizations. This suggests a disconnect between non-profits producing online information and their members consuming it.

1. Ian Leifer Non-profit Organizations and the Democratic Process

2. Background The internet has been seen a great tool when it comes to networking However, there has been almost no research prior to this study about how the creators of internet content and their user base interacted when it came to politics Does anyone belong to any non-profit organizations online?

3. Non-profit organizations and the internet Very few non-profit organizations online before 1999 However by 2001 it was reported that 85% of non-profit organizations in the UK used new technology In 2007 it was found that 211 million American’s had regular internet usage argued that non–profits could improve their public education, fund–raising, volunteer recruitment, publicity, advocacy, service delivery, research and communication through an effective Internet presence (Landesmann, 1995; Spencer, 2002)

5. Findings Non-profit organizations goals are to educated members and not to recruit members Is it surprising that non-profits main goal online is not to recruit members? However, members of organization said they rarely used the internet to learn or keep up with their networks Big disconnect from the ones producing the information and those actually taking in the information Why?

6. Citation Kenix, LJ. (2008). The internet as a tool for democracy? a survey of non-profit internet decision-makers and web users. First Monday, 13(7), 1. http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2124/1984