Max Gladwell

Let’s talk about change: Change.org, TogetherChange, Changents, Social Media for Social Change, Obama for Change, How to Change the World.

“I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.” –George Carlin

In “Down with the Cause“, we looked at cause-driven brands and companies, many of which are committed to developing innovative ways to support good causes. Another prevailing theme these days (if you hadn’t noticed) is change.

It’s the rally cry for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, inspiring millions of young voters (and many of us old folks) to concur that “Yes we can!” We believe change is possible. The younger generation in particular believes it’s not only possible but that it’s their duty to spearhead change and see it through. Whether it’s the narcissistic tendencies of Generation Y (so we’ve heard) or the empowering nature of social media, teens and twentysomethings by and large believe they have the power to change the world. It’s quite possible they do, so here are six ways that change is in the air on the social web.

1. Obama Mania

The rise of Barack Obama will be studied for decades to come. His defeat of Hillary Clinton will go down as one of the biggest upsets in American political history. The key to his success, aside from his charisma, lies in his message of change and the channels he used to deliver it.

From the NYT: “One of my fundamental beliefs from my days as a community organizer is that real change comes from the bottom up,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “And there’s no more powerful tool for grass-roots organizing than the Internet.” And in late June, after Senator Clinton bowed out of the race, the millions of people on the Obama campaign’s e-mail lists were asked to rally her supporters as well as undecided voters by hosting “Unite for Change” house parties across the country. Nearly 4,000 parties were held.

2. Networking for Change

Change.org is the leader of a burgeoning market space that uses social media tools, such as networking, to facilitate charitable support and giving. According to the company, “Change.org aims to transform social activism by serving as the central platform that connects likeminded people, whatever their interests, and enables them to exchange information, share ideas, and collectively act to address the issues they care about.” Despite it’s dot-org domain, Change.org is (as far as we can tell) a for-profit company that earns fees for its fundraising. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. We support social entrepreneurs. But it should be more clear in the about section and FAQ. Plus, dot com might have been more appropriate.

Launched in February of 2007, it’s traffic has grown steadily. Compete.com reports that the site received 32K unique visitors last month.

3. The Central Change Agency

A change agent is somebody who brings about or helps to bring about change. Changents provides a platform for these exceptional individuals to promote their efforts and garner support. Now that we think of it, Changents reminds us of the (brilliant) film Rushmore. Max Fischer was a prototypical change agent, only he didn’t have social media or online video. Changents places the emphasis on the activists as opposed to the causes and puts people at the center of the doing-good universe. As we recently reported, Changents provided the platform for Timberland’s Earthkeepers Web 2.0 initiative.

4. MG’s East Coast Counterpart

Social Media for Social Change launched simultaneously, spontaneously, and coincidentally alongside Max Gladwell (according to archives) from 3,000 miles away in Providence, Rhode Island. There’s a lot to be said for good timing. In a recent post, SMSC explores our tribal nature and how our various tribes interact to create value.

“The rise of the social web has done wonders for the ability of these tribes to coalesce and communicate: Facebook has Groups; FriendFeed has Rooms; heck Twittter even has its own Yellow Pages. So while some of your tribal interactions are in the flesh, if you are reading this site, it’s likely that many of your interactions are of a virtual nature.”

The point of the post is to suggest ways that skilled folks from various tribes can efficiently volunteer and offer their services to nonprofits, possibly through a nonprofit hub of sorts. An excellent idea. SMSC describes some of the current tools available.

“There are conversations happening around this topic and a toolkit is being developed as I write this. There are even a fair amount of web companies offering free services to non-profits. Flickr for Good, Google for Non-Profits, Facebook Causes, Grassroots.org and others just to name a few. But I fear that theknowledge of social media (and other appropriate technology) and the expertise to take advantage of those technologies might be a bridge too far for some bootstrapped organizations.”

It’s clearly our duty to change that.

5. Changing the World: A do-it-yourself guide

Guy Kawasaki is well known and respected in the technology and VC communities. He writes and speaks often about his many years spent with Apple as a software evangelist. His blog, How to Change the World, provides excellent info for entrepreneurs of all types. It’s been around for years, but it’s too good not to include in our change roundup. In particular, this presentation on The Art of the Start is worth repeated viewings, especially if you’re starting or building or repositioning a company. It’s something you can return to when you need a reminder about the basic principles of entrepreneurship.

6. We’re all in this together

The next big thing in change will debut this fall. We have no idea what TogetherChange will be. So feel free to speculate. If you know, feel free to share.

Related Posts

• Change.org Shifts Strategy to Blogging and Content
• Obama Symbolizes Power of the Social Web
• Reflections on the Decade III: Dawn of the 2.0 Era
• How Will the World Change in 2010? Some Predictions
• Sustainability Requires Continuing Dialogue