Part 2 of betterplace.org and What Would Google Do? Part 1
Jarvis cites professor of journalism Jay Rosen, who talks about „the people formaly known as the audience“. In the old media world – print, radio and TV - a relatively small group of producers faced a huge mass of consumers, „the audience“. But increasingly this largely passive audience is a thing of the past.
News, information and entertainment are collaborative and interactive – they are created in the dialogue between „producers“ and „consumers“
We witness the same phenomena in the social sector. In the very moment „people formery known as donors“ are able to contribute and challenge aid organisations, the latter will be asked to enter into a dialogue and develop collaborative strategies.
Here comes an example. A few months ago on betterplace, one of us (Joana) came across a malaria prevention project in Westafrica run by a big German aid organisation. She liked the project and donated to it. Yet as she had just been reading about a very promising African company producing high quality insecticide-treated bed nets – A-Z Textiles in Tansania – she was curious to find out where the aid organisation was getting their nets from. From a sustainable and holistic development perspective it would be much better strategy to buy nets locally, thus strengthening the local economy (O.K. Tansania is not „local“ as it is not in Westafrica. But it is more local than Germany or „made in China“.)
In the offline world, it would have been far too much effort to follow up on this topic. Joana would have had to write a letter, identify the correct person to address it to, get an envelope, buy stamps and go to the post office. Too much hassle for a busy life.
But on betterplace the project manager was just one click away and she could pose the question without a problem. After a few days she received an answer, which – although it didn’t satisfy her completely (the nets distributed by the project are not being produced in Africa) – demonstated that the organisation cared about its donors and was willing to collaborate.
Just imagine if the organisation now would really pursue the topic and keep us informed about the process! They would not only have the chance to come up with a more sensible policy (buying local), but would also have secured a loyal donor, likely to spread the word about the aid organisation amongst her friends and network.
Those who open up win
In the literature critical of current fundraising practices (such as Alexander Glücks Der Spendenkomplex), we can read that charities often treat donors as „data“ to be „milked for money“. Yet many people (not all, for sure) also have good ideas and access to valuable information, which they could offer to organisations thus improving their work.
After reading What Would Google Do? we predict that those organisations and initiatives who take their supporters serious, open up to them and are ready to work collaboratively are the ones who will survive and flourish in the new era.