Social networking and community foundations. Garret on the benefits of social media for small organizations:

I remain skeptical, except for outfits who can afford to dedicate an employee to maintaining the accounts full time. Even then, value must be measurable, results quantified. For large nonprofits, this is likely not an issue. But for small ones, social media is becoming a black hole. The demographics don’t necessarily fit every business’ or nonprofit’s goals. Median age for charitable donors tends to be somewhere in the age group of 40-somethings.

The resourcing issue would apply to most of our members. Very few community foundations have the resources to be able to effectively maintain a meaningful presence in one or more social netowrking sites alongside their other work.

A big part of the community foundation's role is to participate in social networks, but instead of updating statuses and posting comments on people's walls, community foundations are out their in their communities, interacting with and talking to people. And most of the people they are speaking to do not participate in these social networks. To focus on online social networking instead would seem to me to be a retreat of sorts, a step backwards.

As a counter-example, however, I would point to the trend of the growing number of youth getting involved in philanthropy. Our Youth in Philanthropy program has been very successful at engaging youth with community foundations and their communities. For many of these younger folks, using online tools and sites to communicate, share, and get organized is second nature. Its just how they get things done.

So while I don't think community foundations should be dedicating significant resources to social networking, it isn't something they can afford to ignore either. It is certainly on my radar as something to study and do some work around in the coming year.