What this project is about

I started my MBA capstone project wanting to study fundraising. Having done a fair share myself, I was asking questions like what does innovation in fundraising look like? what makes people excited to give? how can the things we all want to see happen get funded? There are a million fundraising books out there. Everyone has a strategy, a new campaign, a better way to talk to donors.

I quickly realized that my questions were less about fundraising, and more about mobilizing people. What makes people get involved... the sold-out, life-long customer, complete evangelist type involved?  Answering this question will easily answer the resource question. We all want people like this in our movement. We want more sold-out volunteers, referring customers, true fans. Nothing is more exciting and full of world-changing potential than a groundswell... a movement of committed and passionate people.

So... what makes this type of movement happen? How is it sustained, cultivated, grown? How is the impact measured? What kind of resources can be generated from a movement?

My project has changed from studying fundraising to studying organizations that create movements, both non-profit and for-profit. I will be particularly focused on these aspects:

• How do these movements form/begin?
• What sustains them?
• What kind of impact can they have? (and how is impact measured?)
• How are they resourced (funds, manpower)?
• What have these organizations done differently than others to catalyze a movement of people?

I have chosen five case-studies for the project: Invisible Children, Kiva, Obama's 2008 political campaign, TOMS shoes, and Kickstarter.

*Note: There are many organizations out there I could have chosen from. These above are controversial for different reasons. While I will be addressing impact, I will not spend much time debating the pros and cons of each organizations chosen methods to affect change. I'm not as much studying the strategy they use to make change in the world, but more their ability to mobilize so many people towards their cause, and if that mobilization makes a difference.

I'm trying to find and study that intangible buzz, momentum, and commitment that these organizations have generated. I want to know why and how it happened. And ultimately I want to find out how we can all benefit from what they've discovered.