July 14, 2003

Seeing The Internet's Not So Obvious Benefits

This opinion piece by Bridgespan's Don Howard and Network for Good's president Ken Weber suggests there's more value to a strong online presence than meets the eye.

By: Don Howard, Ken Weber

Seeing the Internet's (Not So) Obvious Benefits Don Howard and Ken Weber, Network for Good The Internet revolution has raised and dashed many people's expectations, and nonprofit managers are no exception. "What return am I getting on my Internet spending?" many charity executives are asking. "After all the hype, what's the real value of the Internet for the nonprofit world?" While the Internet has not proved itself as a fund-raising juggernaut, it nonetheless is delivering real value for nonprofit organizations. The challenge is knowing where and how to look. And the secret to increasing that value may lie in doing a better job of understanding and delivering what Internet users are looking for when they interact with nonprofit groups online. This piece draws on an extensive survey conducted in February 2003 and research completed by the Bridgespan Group in collaboration with Network for Good, an online giving and volunteer-recruitment website in Washington. The findings of this survey were presented at the 2003 e-philanthropy conference. For more information about the research presented at the 2003 e-philanthropy conference, see the related link included below titled: "Toward e-engagement: How Nonprofits and Individuals Engage Online".

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