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quiring a new organization, does require establishing new types of collaborations
and improved coordination.
The initiative should be focused on strengthening communications mechanisms,
not on developing policy positions for or about the sector. This type of
initiative should not be confused with organizations or coalitions that take policy
positions. Rather, the communications mechanisms would facilitate the ability of
any and all participating groups to share their positions and organize policy actions.
The initiative should support a continuum from low-technology communications
tools (e.g., telephone, fax) to high-end tools (e.g., Internet). The Internet
provides opportunities for low-cost, speedy, multi-directional, interactive communications
that previously never existed. These opportunities should be seized. But, to
the extent that it is economically feasible, low-technology approaches should also
be employed.
The initiative should encourage activities that build the capacity of the sector
to use the Internet and newer information technologies in the context of public
policy issues. The objective is to not leave people behind by strengthening
communications linkages that only a small part of the nonprofit sector can use.
Because the Internet affords so many new opportunities, the first effort should be
to bring nonprofits into the Internet world. This can be done by relying on existing
training organizations, “circuit riders,” and other educational activities, assuming
that financial resources are available.
III. Key Building Blocks
Based on our NPA research, there are several important components to building an initiative
that has the objective of improving communications linkages within the sector in order
to strengthen the ability of nonprofit organizations to engage in public policy matters. These
include:
❏ Tools for coordinating existing communications linkages so that nonprofits
can disseminate and obtain information that is of concern to the sector. This
coordination does not require establishing a new communications infrastructure
(the Internet already exists) or promoting a single nonprofit source for Internet
access (there are already many low-cost and free Internet Service Providers).
Rather, it requires action on three critical fronts — a coordinated registration
system, tools to allow people to identify the type of information that they want to
receive (and to easily change this profile if desired) so that they do not get
overloaded with information, and tools to help people insure that they are getting
the type of information that they want.
❏ Skills-building of nonprofits to use information technologies (e.g., the Internet),
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Information overload was not created by the Internet or e-mail, but has the potential to exacerbate the
problem. This communications initiative, if approached properly, could use newer information technologies
to help reduce information overload.
OMB Watch — May 1997
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