The Annual Giving Exchange

If I could go back in time to 1903, I’d ask Mary Anderson if she thought her new invention called the “windshield wiper” would have much of an impact on the way people traveled.  If I could go back to 1946, I’d ask Percy Spencer how much he thought his invention called the “microwave oven” would affect the way we people eat.  If I could go back to 1974, I’d ask Arthur Fry how many people he really thought would find his new invention called the “post-it note” useful.

I assume that the inventors themselves had great expectations for their ideas.  But I also wonder about the people who were around when these inventions were first introduced.  Did anyone then truly understand how much these inventions would impact the lives of people now?

There are plenty of skeptics in annual giving who question how much social networking will help nonprofit organizations raise money.  I think that’s understandable.  Online social networking is very new, it seems to change quickly, and so far there is no proof that it offers a good return on investment.

Others are eager to incorporate social networking into their annual giving programs.  If you are one of those people, take some time to consider the big picture.  Ask yourself how this new innovation could someday affect the role that annual giving plays within advancement programs.

Click here to watch Charlie Rose’s recent interview with Marc Andreessen.  Marc is best known as the co-founder of Netscape, the first popular web browser.  He is on the Board of Directors of Facebook and eBay and is a key investor in Twitter and Ning.  The interview frames social networks (where they came from, why they’re important, and where they’re going) and might be helpful when considering their long-term impact on our industry.