1stfans: How Much Is Your Nonprofit's Online Presence Worth?

In December, the Brooklyn Museum introduced 1stfans, a "socially networked museum membership." For an affordable $20 a year, 1stfans members can access special Brooklyn Museum content by email, Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook; and attend members-only events at the museum.

I heard about 1stfans only this morning, from Anne's 2008-in-review post on EchoDitto. I'm sure that others will come in and give examples of other nonprofits with similar campaigns (please do!), but 1stfans is the first example I've seen of a nonprofit trying directly to monetize its presence on social networking sites. To be clear, what the Brooklyn Museum is offering is not their usual online communications, but special content developed by artists specifically for 1stfans members; for example, artist An Xiao is tweeting in Morse code this month.

It's interesting to see tools that have previously been thought of as communications and marketing streams amass enough quality content that they can be used as a donations premium. I can think of a few nonprofits whose online presences are that enriching, but not very many.

Even though I live 3000 miles from their broadcast area, I give money every year to WFMU. I love listening to their broadcasts online, and I think that their archives, blog, and podcasts are invaluable resources for anyone interested in music. I hate to say it, but were WFMU to move their online content to a donors-only model, I'd likely stop donating. I'm willing to pay what I can to help others — even stingy freeloaders — access this content.

This discussion hearkens back to the old question, is Twitter a marketing tool? Is your nonprofit's presence on online social networks a way to energize an audience about the work that your nonprofit does, or is it one of many places where you do that work? I see many nonprofits struggling with that question, but I think we'll learn some new answers this year.

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