Change.org: Social Network For Social Activism
Yet another social network
launched publicly today, but this one called Change.org
caught my eye for a couple of reasons. Firstly it's for a great cause - enabling people
to form communities around social issues like global warming and Net Neutrality. But it's
also a very well designed site that makes excellent use of 'web 2.0' technologies.
The first thing that you notice when you visit the homepage of Change.org is the tagcloud, which draws attention to the top issues in the network. The tagcloud constantly updates, but as of writing 'Empower Women' and 'Recycle' were the top tags. To get a feel for the site I clicked on 'Stop Global Warming', a hot topic currently (pun intended)...
As of writing there are 60 people who want to effect the change of stopping global warming - a number which will certainly increase a lot as Change.org gathers momentum. There are a good number of tools available for people to discuss and effect this change - community blog, comments on "Why Do You Support this Change?", videos, photos, Message Boards, "giving networks", lists of related nonprofits, "Actions" (e.g. "Carpool at Least Once a Week"), and even a mapping component. But as with all social networks, it's the people who are the center of the site.
Clicking through to one user (and note you need to be signed in to do that) displays their profile and the causes they support. There is also an option to "Send a friend request". I presume the idea is that you find people supporting similar causes to you - and that's how the networking occurs. In the case of Change.org though, there is a higher purpose than simply chatting online to new friends. You're also supporting social causes - a.k.a. "changes" in the lingo of this site. What's more, clicking through on user profiles allows you to discover new social causes to support. It's certainly a neat idea all round and very nicely implemented in terms of web design and use of 'web 2.0' techniques.
The founder of Change.org is Ben Rattray from San Francisco, who told me in an email that they've signed up "several dozen of the largest nonprofits in the world – including Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Greenpeace". So the site is already well supported. Ben said the aim of the site is to enable people to collectively advance change on a variety of issuues. So they built a platform that connects people, whatever their interest, and enables them "to exchange information, share ideas, and collectively act to address the issues they care about." He also noted that Change.org connects people to existing nonprofits - essentially to create a social network around each nonprofit (more than 1 million in total). Ben thinks this will allow people "to participate in these organizations in a way never before possible – by posting ideas and suggestions, engaging in direct dialogue, and organizing communities of donors, volunteer opportunities, etc."
Overall, I'm impressed by the goals of Change.org and also the implementation. This is almost a textbook example of how web 2.0 technologies can be deployed on a website. Go check it out...
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Seems to be dominated by people who subscribe to the liberal side of the spectrum.
Posted by: Josh | February 7, 2007 4:39 PM
Thanks for the great post, Richard! Josh - this is Ben Rattray, founder of Change.org. Although it's true that the site has a number of members with a liberal bent, most of the issues people have been creating communities around have little to do with partisanship. Some of the most popular changes are for things such as improving public schools, advancing cancer research, addressing AIDS in Africa, etc. I think that these are the sort of things that people of any political persuasion can support. Either way, I encourage you to go to the site and create a community around whatever issues you personally care about - Change.org is a space for everyone, regardless of their political bent.
Posted by: Ben Rattray | February 7, 2007 5:10 PM
I'd love to see some of the content, ideas and support taken further than just this site. It's great to experience an online social network like Change, but you could reach a new , more mature audience if the service evolved into offline events, gatherings and meetups.
Posted by: Matthew Ogston | February 8, 2007 4:43 AM
Tried to create an account, but it says my email address already has been used to create one. Obviously I just heard of this 20 minutes ago, so it hasn't been used yet.
Posted by: Kevin | February 8, 2007 2:51 PM
I second Matthew's comment - change isn't limited to sitting in front of a computer screen. Get us enabling real change, online or in the flesh!
Posted by: Chris | February 8, 2007 2:57 PM
Excellent site, I agree it is textbook use of web 2.0 techniques. I will be very interested to watch this site and see if it can make a positive difference.
Posted by: Jack Fairhall | February 8, 2007 3:06 PM
How is this any different than what activist websites have been doing for the past ten years?
If Web 2.0 is the dot-com bubble with rounded corners, then this project is just liberal NGO gunk with rounded corners.
Posted by: Wise Guy | February 8, 2007 3:45 PM
Matt and Chris - this is Ben Rattray, founder of Change.org. I couldn't agree with you guys more about the importance of traslating online communities like ours into offline action. We have an "Actions" feature for facilitating just that, where anyone (nonprofits and users) can post volunteer opportunities, meet-ups, rallies, and other events. The idea is that by enabling people to connect to likeminded people and organize around issues online, we can also provide a platform for offline organizing and engagement. I encourage you to check it out and let us know what you think. We don't have a whole lot of offline actions posted just yet, but we hope this to expand significantly in the coming months.
Wise Guy (your words, not mine :-) - I think the difference between what we've been able to build and 1.0 activist websites is similar to the difference between online forums and services like MySpace and Facebook. Although superficially similar, adding more robust social and community-building features can create a paradigm shift in usage. Also, one of the primary limitations of existing activist sites until now has been the limited ways in which people could participate, which has been pretty much confined to reading press releases forwarding petitions - not a very interesting, effective, or empowering thing. I think what's unique about our site is that we allow people to participate in ways never before possible - by posting their own ideas and suggestions, creating and posting their own videos or campaigns, and organizing their own events. But don't take it from me - I encourage you to check it out. I think you'll find the user experience dramatically different (dare I say better) than what has come before.
Posted by: Ben Rattray | February 8, 2007 3:58 PM
Another website that helps you get your friends and online network mobilize for social change is Firstgiving.com. Firstgiving is a website that helps anyone set up a free personalized fundraising page for non-profit that is registered through GuideStar. Firstgiving provides you with the tools to promote your cause to your friends and online network by supplying and email importer, a widget and also a fundraising badge. You can then email out your Firstgiving link and post a widget in your blog or social networking site so people will see your fundraising efforts. It's a way to get something you are personally passionate out there so your friends and social network can support you and your non-profit's mission.
Posted by: Brittany | February 9, 2007 10:00 AM
Great looks interesting and I hope it does well.
Posted by: Joost | February 9, 2007 3:05 PM
I think that the key is allowing a space for the people who want to feel good about themselves (stay at home, wealthy moms - overpaid business people etc.) but don't really want to have to do anything (like those $2 month to sponsor a child in Africa ideas)while creating a true community of people who truly will work towards change and will give their time to accomplish it. The hard part is creating this network where the business people don't feel like they are on a treehuggers site and the social activists don't feel like it is all about money. Good Luck.
John
http://www.monomachines.com
Posted by: John | February 11, 2007 11:59 AM
I'd rather use http://www.ChangingThePresent.org, which unlike Change.org really is a nonprofit.
ChangingThePresent also:
has a much lower transaction fee; lets me choose exactly where my money is going; gives me recognition for my giving; provides the input of experts; and more.
Posted by: Art | February 12, 2007 7:57 PM
I agree...
I have spent a lot of time on http://www.changingthepresent.org/ and I love it!
I find myself reading about the gifts: the problems- and the impact of the gifts. It is seriously moving.
Here is an example of a Gift: Improve Maternal Care
Obstetric training, African Medical and Research Foundation
Problem
In many African countries, women die in childbirth more than 100 times as often as women in developing countries. When a mother dies, the baby also often dies. The most common causes of death are obstructed labor, hemorrhage, and infection. Too few health workers are trained to handle these complications, and too few facilities have the proper supplies and equipment.
The Gift
AMREF trains nurses and midwives how to properly manage a woman in labor, how to prevent hemorrhage and infection, and how to recognize when she needs a caesarean section and must be taken to a hospital. They are also trained in proper care of newborns: how to cut and tie the umbilical cord, to warm the baby, and to encourage the mother to breastfeed immediately, all of which help the baby to survive and thrive. AMREF also provides the proper equipment, drugs, and supplies health workers need to care for mothers in childbirth and their infants.
Your gift of $100 will help to equip a health facility and train its staff to provide essential obstetric and newborn care.
Posted by: Katelyn | February 26, 2007 2:06 PM