Thursday, January 8, 2009

Rate Your Favorite Non Profit


I stumbled upon this site today and was really impressed with the idea behind it. GreatNonProfits.org is a site that mashes up a Zagat-style rating with user reviews of non profit organizations across the country. From churches to shelters to 4H clubs, I found dozens and dozens of entries just for my local area.


Says site founder and CEO Perla Ni,
"It struck me that there needed to be an online Zagat, if you will, for non profits that would collect stories and reviews of people -- people like me, the victims of Katrina, and hundreds of thousands of others -- who have seen the impact of nonprofits up close, and can speak personally and firsthand about it."

I think this is a brilliant site and has the potential to provide transparency and street credibility for today's overwhelming number of non profits and cause-related organizations. From a donor's point of view, perhaps this might be a culling feature to identify how to distribute funds. From a recipient's perspective, maybe this could become a new type of yellow pages for referral agencies who are looking for extended services for their own populations. The possibilities are endless.


I did a quick search for my city and found that not every organization was listed so it's probably a good idea to ensure yours is accounted for, and then have a few of your champions (board members, staffers, recipients) write a comment or two. While you're at it, be sure to write a note to Perla letting her know that this is a great tool.


-- David Kinard, PCM

No comments: