Yesterday was one of those days when you hear someone who makes so much sense it’s like having cold water thrown on you, rousing you from a light nap. I sat in on a session this morning called “From Google to Gandhi: Building social movements for non-profits”. The speaker’s name is Bill Toliver and if you ever have the opportunity to hear him speak, sit at the front of the room and hang on his every word.

First he had us think about Mandela, Martin Luther King, the original AIDs activists and others. Somehow, they were able to build movements without the benefit of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media vehicles. They were able to galvanize supporters who shared their belief systems and values. Mandela, from prison no less.

Toliver’s point is that too often fundraisers think that they must have a presence on Facebook and the like, and that once the Fan Page is up, their work is done. He gave examples where fires were lit under people to become fans or “like” something, but then no action came out of it. No money was raised. No movement was created. Potential unfulfilled. He went on to say that the United Way, which raises billions of dollars for good causes is more like a clearing house that allows people to give money and feel good doing so without knowing, thinking or really caring about where their money is going or who it’s helping. It’s just a feel good measure so that they feel they’ve done their part. He says it breeds consumer behaviour, rather than committed donor behaviour and that it doesn’t really “change” anything. Whether you agree or not, he makes a compelling, thought-provoking argument. And he goes on…

He gave other examples along the same lines and referred us to the recent article written by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker which basically offers a timely assessment, not unlike Toliver’s.

But there is hope. And who better to offer it than the two big “O’s” — Oprah and Obama.

Both have inspired people to commit to something beyond giving money. Oprah’s Angel Network. Her girl’s school in Africa. Obama’s landmark election campaign. As Toliver says, it’s not just about acting. It’s about committing. Staying with something because you share that organization’s values. Certainly donation is important, he says. But the way to ensure that someone becomes a regular donor (aka monthly donor) is to be the voice of people with no voice, then find other people who share the same concerns and values.

He also offered what I consider a staggering insight. As fundraisers, or marketers, we too often think in terms of Segments. Think about it. A segment is divisive by its very nature. Segmenting people is dividing them up into groups. A community on the other hand is a unified body of individuals. He says the more committed your community of people sharing common values, the fewer people you need.

I could go on forever. The session was an hour and a half and it was rapid-fire. I’ll close as Toliver did, with a quote from Gandhi: “One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed, they must be defended against the heaviest odds.” Gandhi (before Twitter). Somehow the message got out.

It’s not that he’s saying there’s no place for social media. He’s saying social media is useless unless it’s rooted in Gandhi-like strategy and common values.

Well, that’s it for me. There are a couple more sessions this morning then back to Amsterdam for a few days of R&R before heading back to share my inspiration with the agency and our clients. This was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended and I can’t wait to see what we can do with everything we learned.