At an Open Society Institute Baltimore forum, senior Internet strategist Rob Stuart discussed how nonprofits can use the Internet to become more effective.
A summer 2003 Nielsen-NetRatings survey found that the number of people online each month is fast approaching the number of registered U.S. voters. Stuart a senior vice president of @dvocacy, Inc., an online political advertising company, and president of E-Volve Foundation has spent years working with nonprofit organizations to help them take advantage of this digital revolution. At the forum, he shared lessons from his work with national political and advocacy organizations, including MoveOn.org, Environment2004, Oceana, and the Council for a Livable World.
According to Stuart, who is currently working with Progressive Maryland to help them improve communication with thousands of state residents, the public is growing less receptive to older organizing and fundraising strategies like direct mail or phone campaigns. New Internet communication strategies will allow nonprofit groups to facilitate self-organizing and empower more local groups and citizens to engage in social issues on their own terms.