Abstract
Non-profit organizations are becoming aware of the resourcefulness of Web 2.0 in terms of user engagement, communication, collaboration, and fundraising. Nonetheless, within the context of these organizations, the full potential of Web 2.0 technologies remains unrealized. This chapter explores the aspects that contribute to the successful implementation of Web 2.0 in non-profit organizations by using a case study of an international non-profit entity. The case study is based on an online questionnaire that was distributed among the members of the organization. The findings place an emphasis on the importance of the user-friendliness of the application, the participation of the users, on the availability of relevant content, and on the existence of features to create/exchange content in a multiplicity of formats.
TopWeb 2.0 In Non-Profit Organisations
Web 2.0’s value in the business arena (Gagliardi, 2011; Isaías, Pífano, & Miranda, 2012; Li, He, & Zhang, 2020; Murugesan, 2007; Shuen, 2008; Yun Wang, Rod, Deng, & Ji, 2020; Wijaya, Spruit, Scheper, & Versendaal, 2011) is equally valid for non-profit organisations (Asencio & Sun, 2015; Dong & Rim, 2019; Kim, Jeong, & Lee, 2010; Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012; Sun & Asencio, 2019; Waters et al., 2009). The existence of several free social media platforms is particularly advantageous for entities that due to limited financial resources cannot invest in a significant technological infrastructure (Young, 2017). Social media is a free tool that can be harnesses for purposes of diffusion and well as broadcasting (McCabe & Harris, 2020). These online resources are, moreover, an important alternative to expensive offline marketing campaigns for fundraising (Nageswarakurukkal, Gonçalves, & Moshtari, 2019).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Non-Profit Organisations: Entities that do not operate for profit and that are usually centred around a shared interest or cause. They are diverse in nature and can include research, scientific, educational, environmental, religious organisations.
Social Media Strategy: Set of plans and principles that guide an entity’s social media presence and shapes their contribution. It includes all the strategies used by a company to achieve its goals in social media websites and assert its identity.
User-Centred Applications: It defines applications that are specifically designed to focus on the users, their needs, and how and why they use these applications.
Web 2.0: It is also known as the Read Write Web or Social Web and it is used to describe the second generation of web platforms that empower the everyday user, not just the experts, to create, publish and share content online. It includes, for example, social networks, blogs, wikis, and forums.
User Engagement: It refers to the participation of the users on a specify website and all their contributions (downloads, uploads, clicks, shares) in various formats.
Public Relations: Set of practices and precepts that are used to promote a positive public image by an organisation, with a focus on the relationship with its public.
Social media: Stems from Web 2.0’s principles and a new generation of participatory and editable media, where users can generate and share their own content online.