Can You “Friend” Me? And While You’re At It, My Nonprofit Could Use Some Scratch …
Writing in Slate, philanthropy consultant Georgia Levenson Keohane expresses doubt that social-networking fundraising is having much of an impact:
It’s still early, but hopes that viral philanthropy will rain down dollars are probably overblown. To date, sums raised have been relatively modest, though the trend shows movement in the right direction. According to the latest Chronicle of Philanthropy survey, electronic giving to the nation’s largest charities, which has been growing at a rapid clip over the last five years, increased at an average rate of 37 percent in 2006. The portals Network for Good and JustGive.org, which allow donors to contribute to a variety of charities, saw increases in giving of 50 percent in 2007. And yet Internet giving still constitutes a tiny portion of total dollars raised—typically between 1 percent and 5 percent of an organization’s overall contributions. Donating via social-networking sites (such as Facebook Causes, MySpace Impact, or any number of cause-related networks like dosomething.org or youthnoise.com) accounts for an even smaller share. The greater promise of viral philanthropy may lie not in electronic check writing, but in increased involvement; 21st-century technology for philanthropos in its most ancient sense.
At the risk of sounding flip: Well, duh. Social networking is by and large a younger person’s pastime, and younger people simply don’t have the money to give. What they do have are time and passion, so, yes, increased involvement is a far likelier outcome of the online push than dollars raised. The truly interesting question to ask is: What happens when the Facebookers and MySpacers grow up and get jobs and families and start amassing some wealth? Will they click the “send” button, or just write a check? | 501(c)
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