The Overbrook Foundation, in New York City, strives to improve the lives of people by supporting projects that protect human and civil rights, advance the self-sufficiency and well being of individuals and their communities, and conserve the natural environment.

Recently they surveyed how the organisations they give grants to are coping with some of the new technologies:

The phrase Web 2.0 is being used to describe the next generation of wireless and web-based technologies (or social media) that will continue to enhance the ability of social change organizations to engage, educate and mobilize large numbers of people in support of their causes. The Overbrook Foundation recently commissioned a consultant, Allison Fine, to assess the extent to which our human rights grantees were adapting to the new digital Web 2.0 world. … The key findings of her report include the following:

• Overall, the grantees are firmly entrenched in the Web 1.0 world, meaning that they use the web largely as a source of information rather than a tool for interactivity.
• A small handful of grantees … are using social media in spectacular ways to engage their constituents in conversations.
• Most grantees are not taking advantage of easy-to-use social media tools effectively. For instance, only half of them have blogs, and only half of these groups allow comments on their blogs.

Visit the Overbrook Foundation website to read the full report and further background.

[Via BlogHer - Social change, Non-profits & NGOs: Web 2.0 Adoption by Nonprofits: New Report by Overbrook Foundation.]

The BlogHer article, worth reading in full, goes on to mention:

… the report wasn’t just a series of data findings, but also include some in-depth reporting on attitudes about using the tools. Some of the key themes from focus group interviews:

• Most of the attendees were at a loss as to where and how to get help for selecting and using new social media tools. “We don’t know who can translate these things for our needs.”
• Participants felt a generation gap with the new technology. “I’m always trying to catch up to my younger staff members.”
• All of the groups are using the web for donations; some to much greater success than others. As one participant said, “Money is the ultimate user generated content.”

This blog, and Webguide 2.0 (currently being written) aim to inform groups in New Zealand about the new generation of social media tools. As writing progresses we’re finding adventurous groups who are already using these tools to enhance their effectiveness.

If you’re one of those groups, please contact us, as we’d like to hear your story.

If you’re not one of those groups, then keep reading.

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