1) Traditional charity boundaries are being challenged by new communication patterns on social media, which allows more participation than just a new marketing channel. 2) Charities need to adapt structures from transactional relationships to support conversations and recruit people to new roles like campaigners and activists. 3) Innovation will come from less hierarchical, more collaborative edges of organizations, not from perfection-focused centers. Charities must focus on personal engagement over broadcasts and open their resources through APIs.

1. Our Digital Futures
Steve Bridger
Third Sector Forum - 6 May 2009
1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/charmermrk/3085808659/

2. (I know that you know) Web 2.0 means
things you can do
people you know
Jessica Hagy
2

3. The challenge: the boundaries
of traditional charities are
under assault by new patterns
of communication and
association... regardless of
how the individual technology
pieces change
3

4. social media provides an architecture for participation -
not just a new channel for more of the same
4

5. but charities structured for
‘transactional’ relationships,
not for conversations
volunteer donor /
fundraiser
campaigner / activist beneficiary
5

6. right now, we’re feeling some
real pain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmaddison/67234056/
6

7. but we need to recruit people into roles like these...
7

8. while you
talk of doom
were
& gloom
sleeping
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flash_nerd/3488024255/ http:/ 8
/www.flickr.com/photos/ceruleandepths/1693238000/

9. This i
s not
anoth
er cyc
le; it’
sa
Image by Francis Tiangsun; reproduced with permission 9

10. people are more connected
in a recession
10
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/10/underground-restaurants-london
http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3304257382/ with permission

11. and (still) have expectations of being able
to change the landscape quickly
experiences
11

12. digital team
silos & turf wars
organisational dependency on hierarchy
graphic adapted from Gobillot, 2006
12

13. the social web is disruptive, but some
members of the SMT are still resisting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s83Roxf wPFg
13

14. the new normal - deal with it
14
original doodle by Dave Gray; remixed with permission

15. innovation
from the
‘messy’ edges
perfection does not lead to participation
15
original doodle by Dave Gray; remixed with permission

16. As supporters increasingly
want to mix giving their
time, money, activism &
influence... the time has come
for charities to re-structure
to reflect this
16

17. net works will gradually replace institutions
graphic adapted from Gobillot, 2006
17

18. perso
centra nal id
l to n entity
engag ew ru
emen les of
t
we are becoming ever more focused on ourselves as
individuals yet yearn to be members of communities
(indulgence + philanthropy)
18

19. need to focus on one-to-one, highly
personal approaches; one person, one
connection, one conversation at a time
(but how to scale?) 19

20. “the message is not about the
charity; it’s about why the
messenger cares” (Katya Andresen)
20

21. OLD WAY: join us because we kick ass
NEW WAY: join us because we want you
to kick ass
21

22. real engagement =
when people do things for the
cause you didn’t ask them to do
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krypto/3321950347/ 22

23. participation is marketing
23

24. (scalable)
role changing from conversations
broadcasters to around your
aggregators appeals
should all charities
release an API?
individual goals
realised through
your work adapted from a David Armano graphic | darmano.typepad.com 24

25. let your people work socially rather than assume in
advance that none of it is any use to you
make resources go further by encouraging employees
to embrace & develop their personal brands
think about how programmes & communications can
be articulated through grassroots net works to
deliver your mission 25

26. trust the hiring decision
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfchenier/428825569/
26

27. I’m not advocating
throwing the baby out
with the bath water... but
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikefischer/168105454/
27

28. http://www.flickr.com/photos/petereed/138369750/
28

29. what’s the
Return On
Ignoring?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heather/976689760/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/russelldavies/375434178/
29

30. Please let me know what
you think :-)
@stevebridger
mexicanwave@gmail.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/russelldavies/375434178/
30