WiserEarth Blog

Clay Shirky says the world has moved on from the old model where non-profit called you a member, you gave them money, and they gave you a newsletter. This was a one way communication approach, with the organization at the center like a star, broadcasting light to its members. Now smart nonprofits are moving to convene small groups of members interested in specific issues thereby fostering lateral links that function independent of their organization. › Continue reading…

All communities can be summed up as people who know each other and do things together. As a general rule, know more people in their community, both they and their communities are more productive. So how do we go about increasing those connections between people? Increasingly, community leaders are turning to ‘Network Weavers’. › Continue reading…

Last week I attended the Online Community Business Forum in Sonoma, CA. It brought together a select group of business leaders who manage online communities. Over two days we shared our learnings and challenges. All of us agreed that building communities online is hard work, yet highly rewarding. Here are a few key topics that we discussed: › Continue reading…

Your community’s purpose is key to recruiting new members, raising funds, and staying on strategy. But too often in the rush to create online communities, we skip over this crucial step. Here are a couple of tips for developing that compelling statement of purpose to get your group off on the right foot. › Continue reading…