Fifteen or so years after the Internet started blinking on the edges of the disruptive phenomenon radar screen, the social experiment is still gathering momentum. Day-to-day Web activities such as shopping and banking have become so easy, so accessible, that even our parents and grandparents have signed up for the program. Applications are moving off desktops and servers into the Internet cloud, the legacy information and entertainment distribution monopolies are crumbling, and all but the most vocal Luddites and Neo-Luddites have retreated into their anti-technology caves. Then, just as it appears that the online world is showing signs of maturity, along comes the unruly step-child of the Web: Social Media. As is the norm when it comes to anything remotely technical or culturally complex, the mainstream media thinks Facebook is Social Media, when most in the industry would agree it’s simply the most visible property at the moment. (This writer’s personal view is that Facebook squirmed its way to prominence by being an especially egregious example of a powerful tool used in a mostly trivial way. Kind of like broadcast television.) But Social Media is
“Social media is information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies that is intended to facilitate communications, influence and interaction with peers and with public audiences…. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and ‘building’ of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.”
ThruYou is built on the belief that individuals are the most powerful force in society, and that given access to a set of empowering tools culled from the Social Media toolbox, legions of people acting independently on behalf of their communities of social interest can affect change beyond the capability of any government or institution. We envision ThruYou members using the site and its tools to share their perspectives and experiences on what needs fixing in society, then using donations as the currency of change, and charities as the vehicles to manage and deliver programs.
We’re thinking that Web-savvy folks already plugged into existing Social Media properties will be quick to see the value of consolidating all their “do good” activity in one place, and integrating it with the rest of their online lives. We expect that charities who are the beneficiaries of ThruYou members’ activities will become an active part of the “virtuous circle” once they see that a new model of interaction with existing and potential “donors” can extend their reach deeper into the community than existing programs.
Ultimately, as a for-profit company working in the not-for-profit arena, ThruYou will necessarily be measured by traditional financial yardsticks. For now, though, our primary goal is to build a loyal user base by providing tools – such as Giving Circles - that empower people to get out there and bust a few hoary philanthropic paradigms. How will we know we’re making a difference? Well, we’ll know we’re on the right path when members of the charitable sector old guard start talking about us at their “gala” events. And we’ll definitely crack a cold one once we see a few thousand grandmas running Giving Circles.
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