Kitchen Wench
by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 6:35pm
Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve titled this post the name of the book my mom says she’s going to write one day. But since I’ve lived through about 30 years of listening to the great titles of the wonderfully inspirational books my mom was going to write, I don’t think I’m blowing anything here by sharing with you what she would have included.
By way of background, my mom is the consummate volunteer – and has been for as long as I’ve known her. Growing up I loved when she’d volunteer to chaperone field trips; by middle school I kind of wished she wasn’t the advisor for my youth group; and these days I’m inspired by her selfless service in the Indianapolis Jewish Community and particularly by her work with the senior citizens at the JCC.
Last week my mom called me in the middle of the day and her voice was filled with a mix of emotions. She told me that 175 people had registered to attend the Passover seder that she was coordinating for her seniors – and she couldn’t be more excited or terrified. Excited because of the incredible attendance and interest in the program – terrified because she didn’t know who was going to set the table, serve the food, or help her clean up afterward. My response was of course, "don’t worry mom – we’ll get you on facebook and you’ll have volunteers in no time!"
I said it half joking, but at the end of the day I wanted to prove to her that this social media space I find myself absorbed in and evangelizing for, is legit. As I helped my mom create a profile on facebook I realized that even though the statistics show the fastest growing demographic of facebook users are women 55+, like my mom -- they aren’t completely comfortable using facebook in the same way that my peers are. They are online because they want to see if they can catch a glimpse of who their children are dating, they want to reconnect with old high school friends, and they want to pretend to be “hip" and "in the know.”
But even that said, I don’t think we should underestimate what Boomers are doing on social networking sites. They are sharing links to their favorite causes, they are getting more comfortable donating money online, and they are helping spread the word about the things they care about both personally and professionally.
My mom’s book (should she ever write it…) would explain the countless reasons that all of the texting, friending and tweeting will never replace the good old fashioned face to face power of interpersonal relationships. And I would agree, but only to an extent. Because even if the tools themselves can’t make the cookies, they can help mobilize people to action.
My mom said that she needed to understand the value of social networking – because without that, she couldn’t get her head around why my first instinct was to have her join facebook. After all, when it came down to it, the 15 or so volunteers who arrived this morning to help with the lunch all received phone calls from an organization called Council Connect that helps connect community members with opportunities to volunteer. (for the record they aren’t online or I’d link to their site here!)
I read a terrific post by Hildy Gottlieb a few weeks back as she explained to her mom, Grandma Rose, the world of Twitter in very practical terms. It was a wonderful exchange, and I encourage you to read it. In the meantime, here are a few of the ways I tried to answer my mom’s questions about the value of social networks to her work.
1. Boomers aren’t the luddites we (or even they) think they are: a new report from Forrester Research revealed that more than 60 percent of those in this generational group actively consume socially created content like blogs, videos, podcasts, and forums, and the percentage of those participating is on the rise.
2. Volunteers and donors increasingly prefer online channels. While there’s a lot of discussion targeting youth in online fundraising and mobilization efforts, the 50+ category is really the next huge opportunity for nonprofits – both in terms of dollars and manpower. As long as the ask is clear and easy, individuals are becoming more and more comfortable navigating online tools to take action.
3. Social Networks can attract non-traditional volunteers, those who may stumble into an opportunity they didn’t even know existed. You can also attract individuals with very specific skills like lawyers or accountants who could offer their professional skills.
4. Social networks can help create a feeling of community. Social media guru Chris Brogan predicts that 2009 will see an increase in ‘velvet-rope’ social networks, which give like-minded people the opportunity to collaborate online and connect in a context that matters to them. Like gathering virtually to enjoy the Oscars or comment on an event like the State of the Union. Volunteers can share their experiences and recruit others to join them next time.
What are the best online resources for reaching Baby Boomers+? Have you successfully recruited adults online for your nonprofit organization? If so, please post a comment and tell my mom how you did it....together we can convince her!
blog comments powered by Disqus