Ideas of membership are changing. How can we get with the program

I blogged earlier about how ICPJ needs to look closely at the challenges and trade offs involved in recruiting the next generation of activists.

Allison Fine adds a bit more to question in her book Momentum: Ignititing Social Change in the Connected Age.

It is likely that Net-Gen donors will be episodic in their giving. . . . Net-Genners are unlikely to fill out membership applications–they do not think of themselves as members in the traditional sense.

This observation squares with my experience, though I do see a continued sense of membership is smaller, face-to-face groups even if it wanes in connection to larger, impersonal institutions.

What does this mean for ICPJ?

1. We can’t expect business as usual to provide us with a new stream of members.
2. We need to constantly work to stay relevant for our supporters.
3. We need to make it easy for people to share our work when they are pumped up about our work.
4. We need to invite people to make ongoing pledges of support as a way to help build an ongoing relationship.