The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change [Paperback]

Beth Kanter (Author), Allison Fine (Author), Randi Zuckerberg (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0470547979 | ISBN-13: 978-0470547977 | Edition: 1

The Networked Nonprofit Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change

This groundbreaking book shows nonprofits a new way of operating in our increasingly connected world: a networked approach enabled by social technologies, where connections are leveraged to increase impact in effective ways that drive change for the betterment of our society and planet.

"The Networked Nonprofit is a must-read for any nonprofit organization seeking innovative, creative techniques to improve their mission and better serve their communities."
—Diana Aviv, president and CEO, Independent Sector

"The Internet means never having to ask permission before trying something new. In The Networked Nonprofit, Kanter and Fine show nonprofits how to harness this flexibility to pursue their missions in partnership with two billion connected citizens."
—Clay Shirky, author, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations

"The Networked Nonprofit uniquely describes the historical context and the current challenges that compel nonprofit leaders to work in networked ways and offers easy steps to help users exploit the potential of social media and 'working wikily."'
—Stephanie McAuliffe, director, organizational effectiveness, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

"A must-read for nonprofit leaders who want to change their organizations from the inside out by embracing the power of social networks."
—Charlene Li, founding partner, Altimeter Group; author, Open Leadership; and coauthor, Groundswell

"This is a perfect handbook for anyone who wants to leapfrog their current limitations of understanding and find real-world applications of technology to extend their mission."
—Michele Nunn, CEO, Points of Light Institute, and cofounder, HandsOn Network

"Kanter and Fine provide the 'Google Maps' for nonprofits to harness social media to kick butt and change the world."
—Guy Kawasaki, cofounder, Alltop.com, and former chief evangelist, Apple Inc.

"URGENT! Read this book. Take notes. Take action. If you work for a nonprofit, you don't have to do every single thing these seasoned authors have to share, but you certainly have to know what you're missing."
—Seth Godin

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A compelling book on how nonprofits can effectively utilize social media to help organizations to grow, change, and succeed. With deep knowledge and experience, the authors use narrative and examples to show how nonprofits can become networked and also engage people in shaping and sharing their work." (FastCompany.com, August 2010)

"Kanter and Fine have been experimenting with social media for years. They have worked with numerous nonprofits to learn how networked organizations operate and to educate others to the benefits of social media within a context of social change" (About.com, July 26, 2010)

About the Author

Named one of the most influential women in technology by Fast Company and one of BusinessWeek's "Voices of Innovation for Social Media," Beth Kanter is the author of Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media (http://www.bethkanter.org) and the CEO of Zoetica.

Allison H. Fine is the author of Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age, which was the winner of the 2007 Terry McAdams National Nonprofit Book Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (June 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470547979
• ISBN-13: 978-0470547977
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Nonprofit Organizations & Charities

More About the Author

Beth is the author of Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media (http://www.bethkanter.org), one of the longest running and most popular blogs for nonprofits and co-author of the fortcoming book, The Networked Nonprofit, to be published by J. Wiley in 2010. Beth is the CEO of Zoetica, a company that serves nonprofits and socially conscious companies with top-tier, online marketing services. Beth contributed a chapter to "Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders," edited by NTEN both published in 2009. A much in demand speaker and trainer, she was the keynote speaker for the Cambodian Bloggers Conference in Phnom Penh, The Connecting Up Conference in Brisbane, Australia, Minnesota Council on Nonprofits, Making Media Conference in Chicago and others. She has presented about nonprofits and social media at some of the leading social media industry conferences including O'Reilly's Graphing Social Patterns, Gnomedex, SWSX, Blogher, and Podcamp.

She curated NTEN's "We Are Media: Nonprofit Social Media Starter Kit," an online community of people from nonprofits who are interested in learning and teaching about how social media strategies and tools can enable nonprofit organizations to create, compile, and distribute their stories and change the world. In 2009, she was named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the most influential women in technology and one of Business Week's "Voices of Innovation for Social Media." She is the Visting Scholar for Social Media and Nonprofits for the Packard Foundation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A potentially useful primer, but not what I expected from Fine & Kanter, October 5, 2010

By 

Anthony H. Shawcross "deproduction" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change (Paperback)

Allison Fine and Beth Kanter have impressed me with their perspective and insight into the opportunities that evolving technologies represent for the nonprofit sector. I read Momentum in 2006, and have read Kanter's blog for years, so I was excited to read this book. I was disappointed to learn that it offered nothing that hasn't been portrayed in their earlier works, and found it to be a rudimentary introduction that had no compelling crux bringing everything together.
While the book might be useful for those who are looking for an introduction to the promise of social networks for nonprofits, I actually found Momentum to be better-organized and more compelling (and still relevant), and have found more useful info (though no better organized) in Beth's top-ten blog posts [...]. There seemed to be little original research behind this book, only interesting-but-anecdotal examples of successes and trends in the nonprofit sector, and no comprehensive explorations of results experienced across any range of organizations (time-savings, increased expenses, cost-shifts, increased membership, etc).
I don't think nonprofits will find this book useful as a guide for how to replicate the examples provided, though it will help open their eyes to the same new ways of thinking that are presented in Momentum and Beth's Blog.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Nonprofits Engaging in Social Media, June 19, 2010

By 

Allyson Kapin "Rad Campaign" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change (Paperback)

I had an opportunity to read a copy of Beth and Allison's book and it's filled with great resources and tips on how to really engage constituents and measure your impact. I also appreciated the style of the writing - very straight forward and not full of marketing jargon that so many other books utilize.

I would encourage all nonprofit campaigners to read the book, particularly Executive Directors, many who are still struggling to understand and navigate the online world and building online communities.

PS: I added my above comment to the discussion section as well but since it's more of a review I thought it was appropriate to have it here too.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Want to become a Networked Nonprofit? Think Culture vs. Technology., June 17, 2010

By 

Jocelyn C. Harmon (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change (Paperback)

The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine is an important read as it reminds us that success in social media is both a cultural and a technological issue. And, we need to stop just focusing on the "bells and whistles."

I particularly liked the chapter, "Creating a Social Culture." Before diving into social media it makes sense to have internal discussions about what the organization stands for, how it treats "insiders" and "outsiders," and to address fears about social media. This has to happen at the highest levels of the organization or social media efforts will fall flat.

Kanter and Fine also make the case that "free agents"- people working on social change outside of organizations - are here to stay and can be a nonprofit's best ally in achieving it's goals. All nonprofits should identify and befriend their free agents and encourage them to leverage their networks, ideas, and passion for the cause.

In short, this book will help you deal with the organizational landmines that you'll inevitably traverse if you want to become a "Networked Nonprofit" that works smarter, faster and is truly making lasting change in the world.