Through reading my previous entries on the blog, it's obvious that I have a passion and an interest for nonprofit and charity work, which is why I was incredibly excited when I read an article in The New York Times about the new online tool for charities-- Jumo.
The new network, created by Chris Hughes, one of the facebook founders and the chief digital organizer for the Barack Obama campaign, is aimed at connecting people with nonprofit and charitable organizations.
The site, designed similarly to Yelp, will index various charities as a search and evaluation tool. News articles, YouTube videos and Tweets will also be added to each organization's page where users will be able to leave feedback and comments about current projects and issues.
Although similar to the Facebook application, Causes and the Web site Global Giving, Jumo's inital primary goal will not be soliciting donations but rather connecting people across the world with their favorite organizations on a deeper and more meaningful level.
The site started with more than 3,000 groups and issues, however pages can be added by anyone with a social issue, allowing "smaller charities to have a simple way of establishing a social media presence."
As outlined in the article, there are also several potential issues that may arise with the new Web site. One of the concerns is the possibility of social network burnout and that Facebook users may not be willing to add an additional site to their current lineup.
However, Hughes is confident that the new network will "become a ubiquitous backbone for the social Web." If successful, the impact of Jumo could be incredible. As reported in the article, in 2009, of the $300 billion that was donated to charities, only 6% was submitted online, leaving room for a potentially large increase.
From my personal experience with nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout my internships, a strong social media presence is becoming increasingly more vital to the growth and success of these organizations. By being able to connect with a large and diverse audience through sharing relevant news and progress on projects and by obtaining feedback from supporters, nonprofits and charities will have a more open and transparent mode of communication that will allow for the cultivation of new donors and volunteers. I think Jumo is a great new tool for these organizations that will lead to raised awareness and increased support.
What are your thoughts on Jumo and other similar networking sites? Let us know!
Its a fantastic initiative! There are many non profit organisations that do acquire neither the resources nor the knowledge to communicate their scopes. Through Jumo, as you already mentioned, not only they may reach potential stakeholders, but at the same time they may learn about other organizations which share the same culture and objectives.
ReplyDeleteInteresting synergies may be developed....
By PR Broadcast