Could social networking sites eliminate diversity at nonprofits?
10:29, 2 November 2009
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
I've been advocating for nonprofits to use the Internet to network since 1994. It's been nice to see people and the media now talking about the Internet the way I and others were talking about it back then: as a place to connect with people and ideas, and to interact whenever you want with almost anyone you want without being limited by geography and hierarchies.
But many of the people promoting the current "hot" online networking tools like LinkedIn, FaceBook and MySpace seem to think that everyone, or at least most people, are reachable via those tools. They forget that these networking sites exclude entire populations -- millions and millions of people. These online communities represent a highlyly selected, limited group, relatively speaking. For instance, according to the latest data from Quantcast, only 5 percent of LinkedIn users are black and only 2 percent are Hispanic. In addition, the limited number of people reached by FaceBook and MySpace are divided into different demographics; choosing just one of these platforms could be seen as leaving out certain groups.
And then there's the identifiers that have appeared again with social networking sites, identifiers that disappeared when the only online tools we used was email, USENET and web sites: identifiers like appearance, religion, pregnancy, age, sexual orientation and political views -- things that can easily be used by someone, consciously or unconsciously, to discriminate against potential staff, volunteers, clients and supporters.
I'm going to keep advocating that nonprofits use the Internet to network with current and potential donors, volunteers, clients, staff and the general public, and that includes using online social networks. But I'm also going to keep advocating that nonprofits should think about diversity, and plan strategically to reach a varied audience. If a nonprofit limits itself to only the current "hot" online networking tools to recruit new volunteers, staff and others, it's going to end up with a very homogenous workforce and community of supporters.
More information at this article: Discriminatory Twist in Networking Sites Puts Recruiters in Peril.
