I believe the sustainable social media and stakeholder engagement field is beginning to take off providing great investment opportunities over the next few years. This covers a range of niche markets ranging from micro-investment sites like Kiva, Microplace and Social Vibe to to corporate CSR, employee engagement and volunteer sites like Angel Points and Network for Good. (See landscape map below).While social media tools like Facebook and YouTube have exploded onto the broader landscape, technologies and networks specifically aimed at integrating more meaning into our lives - engaging our communities, organizations and the companies we are part of - have yet to take center stage. I think this emerging field will have a significant impact on how we engage with each other at home and in the workplace leading to widespread behavioral shifts as these tools are incorporated into broader culture.
This is why I am so heavily involved in BeDo...
A single market in which good can happen doesn’t exist. Corporations, individuals, and NPO reside in a fragmented market, which results in wasted resources, unexploited opportunities, and a lack of cohesion.
BeDo.com creates a marketplace in which corporations, individuals, and NPOs benefit from a cohesive platform. The marketplace will have tools that democratize corporate philanthropy, allowing everyone to participate in the process of giving. Individuals can discover opportunities, build communities, and donate or volunteer around causes important to them. NPOs benefit from unrestricted funding sources and energized volunteer communities.
BeDo is initially targeting decision makers at Fortune 500 and 1000 companies and their employees. The CSR budget of these companies is estimated to be over $15.6 billion with significant growth expected. Additionally, in future iterations, BeDo will target corporate philanthropy, cause marketing, and employee engagement budgets, as well as individual giving. An estimated 200 million individuals donate $1,800/year, creating a $360 billion market.
The ecosystem of organizations arising is heavily weighted on the non-profit side now but expect to see more and more for profits ventures arising that engage mainstream business and culture.
Here's an event in London organized by Just Means that typifies this movement and some of the hot issues being discussed...
Mark