Resources for Working Wikily

Must-reads

• Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

  “A place to capture and share ideas, experiment with and exchange links and resources about the adoption challenges, strategy, and ROI of nonprofits and social media.” (By Beth Kanter.)

• Building Smart Communities Through Network Weaving

  An introduction to the basics on networks, how they evolve, and how they can be shaped for social impact—illustrated through a case study. (By Valdis Krebs and June Holley in 2006.)

• Net Gains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change

  A handbook covering the basics on networks –including their common attributes, how to leverage networks for social impact, evaluating networks, and social network analysis. (By Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor in 2006.)

• The Networked Nonprofit

  An article about how nonprofit leaders are achieving greater impact by working through networks. Includes detailed examples. (By Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano in 2008.)

• WeAreMedia Project: The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits

  A wiki with a growing collection of social media strategies, tools, and best practices. (Established by the Nonprofit Technology Network and curated by Beth Kanter.)

Theory and tradecraft

For more, see our ongoing collection of theory and tradecraft resources on del.icio.us.

• A. Fine Blog

  Focuses on the ways digital tools are “enhancing our connectedness to one another and our ability to work for the collective social good.” (By Allison Fine.)

• Advocacy 2.0

  A wiki on the use of networks for advocacy that includes an introduction to networks, a variety of resources for network weaving, and helpful information on the building blocks of healthy networks. (Established by Marty Kearns and Netcentric Campaigns.)

• The Bright Future of Community Building

  Drawing on his experiences with Lawrence Community Works, Traynor outlines a framework for understanding place-based community building, focusing on the ways individuals engage in networks and relationships. (By Bill Traynor in 2008.)

• Building Smart Communities Through Network Weaving

  An introduction to the basics on networks, how they evolve, and how they can be shaped for social impact—illustrated through a case study. (By Valdis Krebs and June Holley in 2006.)

• Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits

  A book on the common characteristics of highly successful nonprofits, one of which is to “nurture nonprofit networks.” Chapter 5 contains analysis and examples of how nonprofits are using networks to amplify their impact. (By Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant in 2007.)

• Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations

  A book that accounts how the new technologies are transforming the way people form groups; and what all this means for our economy and society. (By Clay Shirky in 2008.)

• Net Gains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change

  A handbook covering the basics on networks –including their common attributes, how to leverage networks for social impact, evaluating networks, and social network analysis. (By Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor in 2006.)

• Net Work: A Practical Guide to Creating and Sustaining Networks at Work and in the World

  Practical advice and the underlying theory for how to create and sustain networks. Includes chapters on purpose, structure, style, and values, as well as tools and methods for applying a network lens. (By Patti Anklam in 2007.)

• Network Weaving

  A blog where three leading experts in mapping, analyzing and weaving networks share their experiences and insights. (By Valdis Krebs, Jack Ricchiuto & June Holley.)

• The Networked Nonprofit

  An article about how nonprofit leaders are achieving greater impact by working through networks. Includes detailed examples. (By Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano in 2008.)

• Networks that Work

  An accessible guide for social sector practitioners who wish to create or work with networks, includes checklists and questions to guide the process of network formation. (By Paul Vandeventer and Myrna Mandell.)

• Reframing Governance

  An article arguing that the increasing complexity and scale of social problems require nonprofit governance systems to operate more like networks. (By David Renz in 2007.)

• Social Networks are Like the Eye: A Talk with Nicholas A. Christakis

  An interview reflecting on Christakis’ research into social contagion, focusing on the issue of obesity, which is helpful for understanding how behavior changes flow through a network. (By the Edge Foundation in 2008.)

• Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era

  A book by the founder of the DailyKos blog that offers grassroots activists an Alinsky-inspired roadmap for using web 2.0 tools for social change. (By Markos Moulitsas Zuniga in 2008.)

Examples of working wikily

For more, see our ongoing collection of examples on del.icio.us.

• America’s Giving Challenge: Assessment and Reflection Report

  A detailed case-study analysis of the first national competition for fundraising through social media, held by the Case Foundation in late 2008. (By Beth Kanter and Allison Fine in 2009.)

• Analysis of a Nitrogen Wiki: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s Experiment with Online Collaboration

  A detailed description of the challenges and lessons from the Packard Foundation’s experiment with using an online forum to develop a philanthropic strategy for reducing nitrogen pollution. (By Spitfire Strategies in 2007.)

• Boston Green and Healthy Buildings Network

  A case study describing a Barr Foundation sponsored endeavor to weave a network among 10 Boston nonprofits, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned. (By Beth Tener, Al Nierenberg, and Bruce Hoppe in 2008.)

• Building the Field of Dreams

  An overview of network weaving initiatives supported by the Barr Foundation and what they learned. (By Stephanie Lowell in 2006.)

• Capacity Building in Networks: An Analysis of the Findings from an IDRC Evaluation (1995-2005)

  An evaluation of the International Development Research Centre’s experiences building the effectiveness of nonprofit networks in the Global South. (By Rhiannon Pyburn and Irene Guijt in 2005.)

• Cause Wired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World

  A book that explores the intersection of technology and social action, through a rich set of stories of online activism. (By Tom Watson in 2008.)

Tools

For more, see our ongoing collection of tools on del.icio.us.

• Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

  “A place to capture and share ideas, experiment with and exchange links and resources about the adoption challenges, strategy, and ROI of nonprofits and social media.” (By Beth Kanter.)

• Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies

  A book providing an accessible and practical primer on social media. Addressed to a business audience, it includes guidance on how to determine which groups of an organization’s target audience are using social media and formulating a strategy for engaging them. (By Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff in 2008.)

• International Network for Social Network Analysis

  A website and listserv that shares social network mapping and analysis mapping and resources.

• Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0

  A book on the how and why of applying social media tools to mobilization. Addresses blogging, social networking, video and photo sharing, mobile phones, wikis, maps, and virtual worlds. (By Ben Rigby in 2008.)

• Social Networking in Plain English

  A two-minute engaging and easy-to-understand video on the basics of social networking and what it means for the average person. (By Common Craft in 2007.)

• Technology for Communities Project

  A wiki for gathering information and best practices for using social software to steward communities of practice. (Established by CPsquare.)

• The Twitter Guidebook

  A site with Twitter-specific tips and techniques including sections on the basics, building community, business, top people to follow, how to share media, and managing your twitterstream. (Established by Mashable in 2009.)

• WeAreMedia Project: The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits

  A wiki with a growing collection of social media strategies, tools, and best practices. (Established by the Nonprofit Technology Network and curated by Beth Kanter.)

• Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs

  Case studies of nonprofits’ use of mobile communications and a synthesis of the key findings, opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned. (By Sheila Kinkade and Katrin Verclas in 2008.)

Trends

For more, see our ongoing collection of trends on del.icio.us.

• Nonprofit Social Network Survey

  A survey showing the growing use of social networking sites among nonprofits. (By Common Knowledge in 2009.)

• Social Citizens: Beta

  A report exploring the how the Millennial generation is engaging differently as social citizens thanks to its comfort with digital technology. (By Allison Fine in 2008.)

• Still Setting the Pace in Social Media

  The first longitudinal study of the use of social media by nonprofits, confirming that they continue to lead academia and the Fortune 500. (By Nora Gannim Barnes and Eric Mattsom in 2009.)

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