Web 2.0 marketing appeals on a number of levels to charities and non-profits. It can be inexpensive. It’s trendy. It can appear to be very democratic – allowing all with an opinion to chime in on issues they feel are important.
The truth is, however, that what makes the social web such an intriguing tool for charities and non-profits faces many of the same obstacles those charities and non-profits faced in their pre-technology days. Enthusiasm for a new medium can overcome some of those barriers initially; but in the long run, it’s the institutional thinking and long-established traditions and taboos that can doom a non-profit’s attempt to join the social web.
