Is the Web Still a Windfall for Nonprofits?

I slacked off on my Sunday RSS reading because I had a board meeting, so I missed this post.  This Read/Write Web feature series on Read/WriteWeb feature is about non-profits and the Web.  They are exploring how non-profit organizations use the Web and the tools available for them in the last three years or since this Wired article was published (For Nonprofits, Web Is Windfall). 

This is a topic, that you, dear reader, know a little bit about!  So, I'm sure you can answer the discussion question: "Please let us know your favorite Web-powered non-profits. Also, what Web tools and resources are you aware of that non-profits can use?" 

There some a thread of comments, from nonprofits, consultants, bloggers, and vendors.  I even discovered a Cycling Advocacy Network blog.  Here's a few:

Jonathan Coleman takes the opportunity to call attention to his organization's work and some great examples on flickr and googlemaps

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. We turn to "web 2.0" technologies and sites to find people who are passionate about nature and concerned about conservation around the world.

He also asks a great question on that I was pondering over with a reporter today:

Beyond the big MySpace and Facebook social networks, how are nonprofits getting their message out and finding supporters on smaller, niche networks?

Allan Benamer, of the nonprofittechblog, gives us an answer:

The three biggest success stories so far are modestneeds.org, globalgiving.com and Kiva. None of those three are social networking properties. The biggest nonprofit social network is Project Agape's Causes with 4,000,000 users and counting. I would suggest that your readers visit my blog at www.nonprofittechblog.org for a much more in-depth view of all these nonprofit and for-profit players.

Katrin Verclas from NTEN points  I Love Mountains, a campaign by Appalachian Voices using Google Earth and You Tube to vividly showcase the environmental degradation caused by mountaintop mining. She notes, "It is a stellar example of how to tell a story for effective social marketing and change."

There is more to read in the comments.  Why not add your voice to discussion?  What about the challenges to adoption?

Comments

[Laura Whitehead]

Really interesting Beth...will aim to look into this further from a UK perspective with some of my smaller groups here!

[rebecca carpenter]

Hey Beth,

This is one of our favorite topics, and we just wrote about it for NetSquared's Net2ThinkTank. Lots of good info to be found there.

Cheers,
Rebecca
Razoo. Come Together. Change Your World.
Good Happens blog.