Social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring.

Bloggers made such an impact in Burma that before the 2010 election, the junta was forced to shut them down.  After the election, it was those military leaders who had to retreat.

Nearly twenty-five years ago, during the Tiananmen Square massacre, the pro-democracy movement in China used fax machines to share photos of the slaughter–photos the regime had repressed.

And here in the U.S., we are fixated on using social media for fundraising?

By “we,” I mean your average nonprofit organization.  Occupy Wall Street and its offshoots used social media to get organized, to stay in touch, and to force mainstream media (and the country) to pay attention.  More than 450,000 people have joined Occupy Facebook pages to date.

Yes, nonprofit organizations need money.  Yes, it’s more important than ever to get individual donors.  But seriously, folks.  Let’s remember that many of our organizations exist to create social change. 

Please share this post if you think we in the nonprofit world are thinking too small.