Comments on: Avoiding the Sirens Song of Social Media Fundraising

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:11:22 +0000

I think social media fundraising has its place but the challenge of fundraising is not sat in front of a screen but to get out there meet people and take on the adventureof helping people who are less fortunate for what ever reason in society.

By: Ist Social Media Fundraising gefährlich? « betterplace.org de

Ist Social Media Fundraising gefährlich? « betterplace.org de — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:17:25 +0000

[...] Autoren verweisen auf Hildy Gottlieb, Presidentin des Community-Driven Institute, die in ihrem blog argumentiert, dass Social Media [...]

By: Hildy

Hildy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:23:06 +0000

Mark:
You are spot on that sustainability is a huge piece of the issue. When efforts stop worrying about money / survival, they won’t see every tool FIRST for its survival potential!

Which leads to the comments by Zoe and Ray. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about seed potatoes. When we are worried about survival, we don’t save any of our potatoes to plant next year – we eat them all now. Use of social media for furthering the actual mission and vision of an effort – moving it forward in public thought – THAT is planting seed potatoes. Yes it will grow financial support, but that’s not the main benefit – the main benefit is that your mission will be successful!!

Thanks to you all for furthering this discussion – it’s certainly giving me great new ways to think about things!
HG

By: Ray Nichols

Ray Nichols — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:01:12 +0000

Thanks for your wonderful insights Hildy!

As I see it the real power is in social networking. In post Katrina/Rita New Orleans people have come together in new and exciting ways. New networks have formed and community involvement is at unprecedented levels. When a California Friend asked me to describe the phenomenon, I replied “Citizens are coming together to remediate, restore, rebuild and revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the absence of effective government.”

Karen Stephenson’s work in this arena is quite impressive. See some of her publications here:

http://www.drkaren.us/KS_publications01.htm

The concurrent arrival of social networking tools like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, NING, BEBO, etc. has made these networks incredibly more effective. It is now possible to easily engage thought leaders, such as yourself, in our quest to systemically address long standing problems.

I believe these new powers will enable us to continue pulling the babies out of the river while a few of us go upstream to have some discussions with the folks throwing them in. To me, it’s all about engaged, empowered citizens taking charge – and community benefit organizations are the optimal vehicles for doing so.

Make sense?

Ray

By: 12 to 12K : changing the world through social media « Jax Rant [ wonderings on the web ]

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:40:47 +0000

[...] A colleague has just pointed me to this interesting post by Hildy Gottlieb titled: “Social Media Fundraising: Unsustainable, Scarcity-Based Begging?”. [...]

By: Zoe

Zoe — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:24:39 +0000

I’m a bit late in responding, having just come back from a 10-day trip, but I had to express my compliments for an insightful and extremely relevant piece.

The deluge of one-time-money-raising campaigns on Twitter made me uneasy, largely for the reasons you’ve pointed out — particularly unsustainability.

I believe social media can be useful for NGOs, but as a way of spreading their work and making others aware of what they are doing — broadening their communities.

By: Robert L. Weiner Consulting » Fundraising Via Social Media: Pros and Cons

Robert L. Weiner Consulting » Fundraising Via Social Media: Pros and Cons — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:45:09 +0000

[...] Gottlieb takes the con side in her post Avoiding the Siren’s Song of Social Media Fundraising, arguing that these efforts are counterproductive: These efforts tell donors, “You will have the [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:32:21 +0000

Your points are spot on. The real problem needs to be addressed

I do wonder however, if funding through donations is sustainable in the long term. Social enterprise might be part of the solution.

By: Hildy

Hildy — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:15:02 +0000

Robert, Nicole, Steve and Jack:
You all are helping move the conversation forward in a way that is truly helping hone my own thinking. As I head into 2 days on the road to launch The Pollyanna Principles, and as I head into today’s discussion at SocialEdge.org re: some of these same concepts, I will be carrying all this great discussion with me – thank you!

Please, all, keep up the great discussion!
Hildy

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:40:29 +0000

Thanks for your reply Hildy,

I agree with Tidy Sum’s point – it’s about building relationships. Social media is without doubt allowing the organisation for which I work to build strong, connected, engaged and loyal communities in a way which would be impossible using the old model. A hammer is just a tool – it can be used for good or ill.

Best,

Jack.