In the December 7th issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there is an article by Peter Panepento titled Blogs on the Rise: Online forums about charity offer advice and discuss controversies.
The article explores some bloggers in the social sector who are currently using the vehicle of the blog to create discussion about philanthropy and non-profits. The use of these blogs range from one person's opinions about the sector (independent from his/her employer), to blogs that articulate a voice of the company, to advice-giving. All have a purpose that's important to contributing to the social sector by initiating various forms of discussion and idea-sharing.
Independent Opinion Blogs
One such blog, which was coverd in the article, is Albert Ruesga's White Courtesy Telephone. White Courtesy Telephone is independent of Ruesga's employing office, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and as such is investigative and probing. Interested in challenging field assumptions and digging for (perhaps) better ways to do things, Ruesga wonders if such blogging efforts would "be able to decentralize and democratize intellectual and moral authority in philanthropy and thereby enrich the conversation of the field?" I would like to chime into his musings. Every field, every business, in fact, needs to take time to objectively look at how things are done, what needs to be done, and challenge themselves to take one more step forward. The field of philanthropy is particularly interesting in its need to do this considering the driving force behind the field is helping others. By not striving to push the field to new heights and possibilities, who is really feeling the negative effects? The poor, the needy, the disease-inflicted--those who REALLY need such innovations and compassion.
Voice of the Organization Blogs
Blogs don't have to be envelope-pushers to have an impact, though. They can also serve a very practical purpose in serving the members of the organization, as well as its clients. James Fruchterman's blog, Beneblog, gives another voice to the company that he leads, Benetech. It started out as a way to talk to employees about what was going on within the company's walls and has since evolved to include a grander scale of scope. Fruchterman now includes his ideas, advice, and opinions on business practices and issues within society. I think what's interesting about such blogs is that they are about engagement--engaging with those who work with you, engaging with your clients. It can be very easy to wrap yourself up in the world of your private office and assume you know what your employees and clients think, need, and want. Even if you conduct surveys and read research articles about all of that, what is actually better than engaging in dialogue with those that actually matter? And that can happen with a blog--you can elicit closer-to-home responses through such engagement.
Advice-Giving Blogs
Other blogs, that are very worthwhile looking at, are those that offer advice. Some authors are in the field and describe their best and worst practices, others are consultant or financial gurus who are sharing their expertise through their blogs. The Agitator, authored by Roger Craver and Tom Belford, offers insight on direct marketing for non-profits.
The point is that any of these blogs create the kind of engagement that is possible and should be taken advantage of. The way that technology and culture is moving necessitates that those interested in not being left behind contribute and interact with the world beyond their singular perspective. The great thing about blogs is that they have a more informal, accessible tone, which stimulates conversation and connection to others. The great thing about blogs is that they encourage active participation with readers. This opens the dialogue up, allows you to gain other perspectives than your own, and breaks down some of the hierarchy of "professionalism" that can interfere with innovative thinking and reaching your clients. Sartre talks about amateurs vs. professionals, favoring amateurs who have the ability to remain outside the bureaucracy that can poison thought. Including "amateurs" in your discussion can yield incredibly fruitful discussions with surprising results.
One of the difficulties with blogs is that in order to be used to their full potential, users would ideally post comments in them. The article mentions several of bloggers lamenting the fact that not as many readers actually post, which is a little disappointing. In order for a blog to increase its reach and fulfill it possibilities, those types of interactions will be necessary. Perhaps with time, as people grow more comfortable with blogs, this will happen
Listed in the article, which I too will post, are a bunch of blogs that may be interesting for you to peruse:
The Agitator
Beneblog
The Charity Governance Blog
Donor In Site
Donor Power Blog
Don't Tell the Donor
Gift Hub
Redeeming Hope
Trent Stamp's Take
White Courtesy Telephone
