What is the future for Membership organisations within our networked society?

Hi Redina,

The fact is that for many years now consumer research has shown categorically that consumers - especially those in the 'Baby Boomer' group and younger - are saying that they trust large brands and other traditional sources of authority less and less and instead are turning to personally defined networks (offline and online) for recommendations.

Nonprofits have perhaps been less impacted by this than commercial brands to-date because they retain a higher level of trust. However, there is no escaping the fact that the 'networked society' does exist (both online and offline), its effects are starting to be seen, and those marketers and fundraisers who fail to recognise this will be in a weaker position to drive income growth in the years to come.

There's no doubt that traditional fundraising approaches still have much to offer, but framing the future of fundraising based on research that shows direct mail as the key driver of income seems to me to be a case of planning for the future by looking in the rearview mirror.

I read your piece at Giving in a Digital World with interest and I would love to find out whose research and thinking backs up the following statements:

" With these changes has come significantly increased consumer sophistication and, as a result, increasing mistrust and cynicism with regard to traditional marketing and fundraising communications.

Consumers are increasingly looking for alternative sources of trusted information to help guide their purchasing and donating decisions - equipping themselves with personally tailored networks of friends, family, and other non-traditional information sources to help them navigate the baffling range of brand choices now available."

Really, how many donors in the digital world or elsewhere are saying that they are disatisfied with traditional fundraising methods?

How many people are actually seeking to get information from the fields where say relief and development charities like Oxfam, World Vision or Save the Children are working?

Do most donors really listen to what their friends have to say about one charity or another?

A few months back I conducted an experiment on Facebook inviting my friends to listen to a charity's podcast and well... most of them paid no attention to what I said.

Now this is by no means conclusive research but personally I am cautious about all the hype about the 'networked society'!

Sure people join causes or donate online but research from nfp synergy shows online fundraising in 2007 totalled 2% of donated income. By comparison, direct mail activities raised 27% of total voluntary income, and major donors provided 7%.

I have to confess that I do join groups easily online and leave them as easily as I joint them the moment I get bored... sometimes the group moderators aid this process

But that is not the case with say my church or other charities I am a member of ... why? Because what they stand for matters to me, because their leadership has a clear and compelling vision and it is not randomly moderated by someone partime,because I have a long standing committment to them and to the people who run their programmes and activities... and I have already signed a direct debit also :)

Yes, I love sharing ideas online and in forums but I also think that the Web 2.0 savy consumers like to receive personalised communications from charities... something just for them... so in the long run they might warm up to the idea of joining a membership organisation that recognises them as unique and special individuals not just fans in a list...

Redina Kolaneci
Senior Fundraising & Stewardship Consultant
McConkey/Johnston International UK
www.mcconkey-johnston.co.uk