Measuring the Networked Nonprofit: Using Data to Change the World

by Beth Kanter, Katie Delahaye Paine

The tools nonprofits need to measure the impact of their social mediaHaving a social media measurement plan and approach can no longer be an after-thought. It is a requirement of success. As nonprofits refine their social media practice, their boards are expecting reports showing results. As funders provide dollars to support programs that include social media, they too want to see results. This book offers the tools and strategies needed for nonprofits that need reliable and measurable data from their social media efforts. Using these tools will not only improve a nonprofit?s decision making process but will produce results-driven metrics for staff and stakeholders. This important resource will give savvy nonprofit professionals the information needed to produce measurable results for their social media.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Social Media, Reference

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2012

Reviews

[Kalen Cap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attempting to become more effective in my volunteer capacities with nonprofits and social media, I read “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit” by Beth Kanter and Katie Delahaye Paine. Published in Autumn 2012, I was hoping for something up-to-date and this book did not disappoint. Most of the references and tools mentioned are current. That hasn’t always been the case for me when reading books related to social media where things tend to change rapidly.

What is excellent about this book is it takes models and theories, for example “ladder of engagement,” and presents these in everyday language, tying in practical advice, current means of measurement, and examples. This helps make complexities of measurement more accessible to those in nonprofits who deal with social media and presenting its results to decision makers. My perspective is that of a volunteer for largely volunteer run organizations, so I had to translate for that regarding the small staff discussions throughout the book. I imagine the same would be true of mid-size nonprofit employers, having to translate back to a smaller scale concern, but I believe this book would be applicable for quite a range of nonprofits.

That is not to say I found the book perfect. For one, transitions between topics can be rather abrupt within chapter narratives, even for a nonfiction book about technical issues. Also, future editions of “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit” should correct the one key weakness within it – the examples were rather hit or miss. First, the hypothetical Katie’s Kat Shelter (KKS) was used so many times that it hindered rather than forwarded the points being made. How likely are such concepts and measures to work in the real world if the text’s examples have to be imagined to write about? Even the real world examples needed more care. The full-page SeaWorld example in the chapter on relationship building may indeed be applicable to social media for organizations in crisis, but SeaWorld is a business, not a nonprofit. That’s not to say that business applications aren’t applicable for nonprofits, it just wasn’t presented that way within this book specifically about measurement for nonprofits.

Those concerns aside, MEASURING THE NETWORKED NONPROFIT is an excellent resource for the times. Making complex analyses more accessible is a worthwhile contribution to those involved in helping nonprofits that seek to help in the world.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I will read and re-read. It can help every nonprofit staffer, from those just thinking about dabbling with social media to those who have years of experience with multiple formats. "If you are going to improve, you need to stop doing what doesn't work, so look for the weakest links." SMART goals and data help one improve. Measuring the Networked Nonprofit outlines steps for social media tracking and improvement. Thank you Beth and Katie for helping so many people!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong book and undoubtedly useful for many folks, but not as relevant to my role as I expected. Probably would have been four stars if my job had more to do with social media. I liked the references to survey tools for measuring trust, transparency, and relationships.

Some favorite excerpts:

The term data driven has been used to describe organizations that rely solely on cold hard data to make decisions. Being data driven sounds great—in theory. But, because it doesn’t acknowledge the importance of basing decisions on multiple information sources, it can doom an organization to epic failures. Eric Peterson … suggests that the phrase data informed is a far more useful label than data driven because it describes agile, responsive, and intelligent businesses that are better able to succeed in a rapidly changing environment. (p. 30)

* * *

Make Sure Your Data Is Fresh from the Oven
Data is like homemade bread. When the bread is still in the oven, smelling great but not quite ready, the anticipation is huge. You can’t wait for it to be done. When you take it out of the oven, it’s perfect. You can use it for anything. You serve it with dinner, then have it for breakfast, and make sandwiches with it for lunch. After a while, it gets old and stale, and you stick it in the freezer. A few months later, you take it out, and all you can do is make bread pudding with it.

When data is fresh, you can mine it for all kinds of data and insights, but the older it gets, the less useful it is. Eventually it makes for a good benchmark but isn’t really that useful anymore. (p. 156)

* * *

Data without insight is just trivia, and most of the time it’s up to you to provide the insight. Everyone can look at the chart you put up on the screen, and quite a few of them will understand what it says. But few people will actually get what it really means for your program unless you tell them.

Nothing makes a meeting go south faster than someone pointing to a PowerPoint slide and saying, “There’s a big spike in June.” People want the story behind the conclusion illustrated by the chart, as in, “There was a big spike in online donations in June due to the effort we put into growing our follower base.” These story statements are called conclusionary headlines, and every chart and PowerPoint slide you show should have one. (p. 159)

* * *

For a nonprofit to be transparent means that it is open, accountable, and honest with its stakeholders and the public. Transparency exists to a lesser or greater extent in all organizations. Greater transparency is a good thing, not just because it is morally correct but because it can provide measurable benefits. Disclosure, a component of transparency, means releasing the information you have to and want to. Transparency, on the other hand, can often mean releasing information that you don’t want to and don’t have to. (p. 223)

And a bonus point for this amazing cartoon:

[Bonnie Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone working with a nonprofit. Social media is an important aspect of everyone's communication activity in today's increasingly digitized world. Find out how to make it work for you and your organization.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great book for non-profits (even for-profits) that are diving into how to measure networked activities. The reflection questions do provoke reflection, and the hypothetical non-profit puts a form to the practices described.

[Suphatra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good how-to book for nonprofits, especially if you read her first one as well (and beforehand, preferably).

[Monica Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review at http://www.thewakemanagency.com/blog/...

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but not quite what I was hoping for.

[David Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

While pretty basic for someone with prior knowledge of monitoring and evaluation and analytics, this book offers a good introductory look into how to use data more in a non-profit setting.