Ariana Huffington and the 20+ generation

Yesterday at the annual Council of Foundation's meeting being held in Philadelphia this year, Arianna Huffington spoke -- quite early indeed -- about the the critical need people have to be involved -- to take action.  Even with technology providing ways to communicate in faster, better more constant ways, people want to engage.  Actually they want both -- technology but not replacing human interaction.

This was a theme of the Millenium Donors Report 2011 that was released by Achieve and JGA.  It was their second such report and they found that Millenials prefer to give online or using online tools but that they also volunteer in person and their giving follows links to their volunteering.

One of the other findings was that organizations have to prioritize gaining and maintaining the trust of their donors.  Some of  their suggestions to do that?  endorsement by family or friends; report financial condition, opportunities to meet leadership.

The Audit You Didn't Write That Everyone's Reading

Today's e-Jewish Philanthropy Online had a nice piece on how organizations must understand that the internet is more than a place to publish a newsletter or put out standard PR.

"Online, the authenticity of an organization’s impact and relationships is king. We have entered what I like to think of as the ultimate audit – of individuals, businesses and institutions. We are no longer simply what we say we are. Rather, we are the sum of our searchable reputation; ratings, followers and reviews that tell others the truth about what we have to offer. This is both powerful and frightening."

Indeed, it's easy to think we control what information there is about our organizations, clients' experiences, donors' experiences, employees' experiences but, in fact, those days are over.