Recently we've been exploring the ways in which a nonprofit network can create collective value for its members. One strategy to consider is the Peer Assist, which I stumbled across on Nancy White's Full Circle Online Interaction Blog. You can watch a 5-minute animated tutorial on the process here. Essentially a type of brainstorming session that reminds me of Open Space, the Peer Assist involves an individual identifying a problem... Read more →

I was on the phone with one of my clients this morning who reported that she'd spent the last hour trying to find the text of a U.S. Senate bill and information on its status. Like many of us in the nonprofit world she needs this information to keep an eye on potential funding and program issues that may be impacted by legislation. I did a quick search for her... Read more →

Before I went on my little sabbatical earlier this month, I'd been working on a series devoted to Nonprofit Networking based on NetGains. In that last post, I talked about the need to create a collective value propositions in networks because it is the perception of value that makes a network greater than the sum of its parts. I had planned to next write about the developmental tasks of a... Read more →

For the past several days I've been exploring three types of nonprofit networks and the characteristics/features of each. Yesterday we discussed the need for networks to have a collective value proposition, which I promised to explore in more detail today. According to NetGains: "As goes the collective value proposition, so goes the network. The collective value proposition is what makes the network greater than the sum of its parts. As... Read more →

Continuing with the learnings from NetGains on developing networks, today I want to talk in more detail about affinity and production networks. Affinity Networks Build Alignment As you'll recall, connectivity networks link people to people and people to information. Affinity networks build on these initial linkages to align the network around what is called a "collective value proposition." According to Platrik and Taylor: " . . . a collective value... Read more →

Yesterday we discussed connectivity networks and how they are the foundation of all collaborations. As you'll recall, connectivity networks link people to people and people to information. They are characterized by loose ties between people and they tend to form around "hubs" or people who are able to connect people to other people and to relevant information. All networks, especially connectivity networks, are strengthened by face-to-face interactions. These in-person connections... Read more →

Last week I started discussing what I'm learning from NetGains. This has become particularly interesting as I work through planning for a new project I'm working on. It also further reinforces my belief that Web 2.0 is as much a revolution in thought as it is a pile of tools. As I mentioned previously, the foundation upon which all networks are built is the connectivity network. In this post, I... Read more →

I've been reading NetGains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change by Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor and I think it has some interesting things to say about building networks. One of the most important is the notion that there are three kinds of networks "that form a progression that a network's evolution is likely to follow." While networks may not move through all stages of the progression, we... Read more →

I've been reading NetGains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change by Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor and I think it has some interesting things to say about building networks. One of the most important is the notion that there are three kinds of networks "that form a progression that a network's evolution is likely to follow." While networks may not move through all stages of the progression, we... Read more →

I've been reading NetGains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change by Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor and I think it has some interesting things to say about building networks. One of the most important is the notion that there are three kinds of networks "that form a progression that a network's evolution is likely to follow." While networks may not move through all stages of the progression, we... Read more →