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We all know that there is nothing like a good contest to energize people. Thats why I think that from a publicity perspective the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook is a smart move. Basically any Facebook user can lookup and vote for their 20 favorite nonprofits. The top100 votes will be awarded $25,000 each. The winners will also be moved to a second round of voting with a $1 million prize for the overall winner. As a United Way of Greater New Haven employee, that is enough money to make me pay attention and ponder how Greater New Haven can take advantage of this opportunity.

The opportunities for nonprofit and community organizations are changing rapidly. The growth of web 2.0 and its adoption by the main stream have opened doors for better communication with supporters, more coordinated action among staff and access to data management tools. These tools hold the promise of increasing efficiently of nonprofits and greater capacity for community groups. These opportunities also present a challenge.