Points to Consider

• How much will it cost?
• Do you have sufficient resources and capacity?
• Are your supporters online?
• Keys to success
• Red flags
• What else do you need to know?

How much will it cost? back to top

You will need access to a computer with Internet service, an e-mail account, and space to host your website. Computer costs vary widely. But if you are a nonprofit, you may be able to get one donated. If you acquire a computer, you will need to sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get connected to the Internet. You may also be able to access a computer with Internet service at little or no cost at a local library or Community Technology Center (CTC). For a CTC near you, check the “Member Directory” at www.ctcnet.org or enter your zip code in the “get connected!” box at www.digitaldividenetwork.org. Once you have Internet access, you can get a free e-mail account online. Sometimes you’re provided with free e-mail accounts and website space when you sign up with an ISP.

For more information on getting equipment and software donated, free e-mail accounts, an ISP, technology funding, websites and more, take a look at “Getting Started on the Internet” at http://www.idealist.org/getting-started.html. Other helpful resources: “Find donated and discounted products!” section of the TechSoup website at http://www.techsoup.org and the “Tech Tips for Activists” section of the Organizers’ Collaborative website at http://organizenow.net.

Do you have sufficient resources and capacity? back to top

Before you build a large base of supporters online, you should consider what capacity you have to follow through on the potential volume of responses. Who will promptly respond to e-mail replies, website queries, and requests for additional information? Who will have time to add new supporters to the e-mail database, and delete people who have asked to be removed from the list? Once you have created your website, who will maintain and update it? You can consult TechSoup, a technology website just for nonprofits, at http://www.techsoup.org for information about technology resources and technical assistance and also forgetting donations and discounts.

Are your supporters online? back to top

While increasingly many people are online, a lot of people still do not have access to the Internet. In fact, it’s possible that most of the people you need to reach are not online. Encourage key supporters to get online if they are not. For others, you will need a traditional outreach plan to make sure they are engaged: host meetings, mail flyers, knock on doors, make phone calls.
Don’t rely on the Internet as your sole source of communication and outreach. The personal touch still matters, whether people are online or not. If your only contact is through e-mail, some people will eventually just hit delete.

Keys to success back to top

Seize the benefits of the Internet but recognize its limitations. The Internet is a supplement to, not a substitute for, traditional advocacy strategies, such as grassroots organizing and coalition building, one-on-one lobbying, and picking up the phone to call a reporter. It can help you support, coordinate, leverage, and follow up on these activities, but it does not replace them.

Red flags back to top

IRS rules for nonprofits (see discussion in Lobbying and Legislation section) also apply to Internet advocacy. For an overview of the rules of cyberspace, order a copy of E-Advocacy for Nonprofits: The Laws of Lobbying and Election Related Activity on the Net from the Alliance for Justice at http://www.allianceforjustice.org/nonprofit/research_publications/index.html.

What else do you need to know? back to top

This chapter outlines the basics. You can find lots more information online. Two resources to help you think about using the Internet most strategically are “The Virtual Activist 2.0” by NetAction (http://netaction.org/training/) and the “Online Organizers Manual” by TechRocks (http://www.livemodern.com/Members/Marshall/resumefolder/manual).