MIRROR ARTS GROUP

Organizational Vision
Citizen Base Strategy
Results
Lessons Learned

Organizational Vision

The Mirror Arts Group (MAG), a community development citizen sector organization in Northern Thailand, seeks to raise awareness of social problems and galvanize the resources and community support necessary to find solutions. It uses the internet as a cost-effective means for accomplishing this goal. Though the primary purpose of its website is educational, it has become a tool for resource mobilization.

Citizen Base Strategy

MAG updates its site every two days to keep information current, a strategy that draws visitors back to the site. MAG’s own self-sufficiency in computer technology, website design, and knowledge of HTML are key factors in keeping its site updated and inexpensive. Customizing information to visitors’ interests is another key component. MAG designs its site to appeal to the interests of its visitors, while simultaneously shifting their focus to social issues.

The website was launched as a resource mobilization tool, and MAG has created an “on-line membership” to make that happen. MAG turns visitors into members by offering them information and personal relationships, and providing the opportunity to give back to the organization. Some respond by returning to the site; others respond by interacting with the site through bulletin boards and chat rooms. Still others find the need to give something tangible. MAG’s website now offers members the chance to donate cash and books, as well as browse volunteer opportunities.

MAG tracks the visitors to its site, keeping names and e-mail addresses in an electronic mailing list. As a result, MAG has a list of on-line members to whom it can regularly send announcements, new information, and emergency requests for donations.

Results

MAG receives about 600 hits a day to its site, yielding 7,200 members for its mailing list. In 1999, through on-line recruiting, 400 people visited MAG’s community development initiatives; about 100 of these volunteered to work in the community. In 1998, they received over 100,000 books. Today, they are receiving one box of books every three days. Six months ago, they began soliciting financial donations through the internet, and have since raised over 200,000 Baht (approximately US $5,406).

"We needed to create a quick low cost means of mobilizing resources that enabled them to respond to community problems as they emerged," recalls Ashoka Fellow and MAG Founder, Sombot Boonngamanong.

Lessons Learned

• Know how to build and revise your Web site in order to keep it regularly updated and geared towards members interests.

• Customizing information to visitors' interests is another key component. "In Thailand, the Internet is a form of entertainment," reports Sombat Boongamanong, MAG founder and Ashoka Fellow. "Young people, students mostly, are the most active internet users, and they use it for chat rooms." MAG realized that this group was its primary audience and designed the site to appeal to the "entertainment interests" of this crowd, while simultaneously shifting their focus to social issues.

• Advertise the Web site through multi-media to a variety of sectors.

  To bring people to its site, MAG utilizes a variety of marketing channels, which vary by medium and target audience. These channels include linking MAG's site with other sites, advertising on banners, and registering with portal pages. When advertising through links, MAG recommends not linking to the site, but linking to a specific project – this tailors the interests of a specific target audience to a corresponding project.

  MAG also advertises its site through its own newsletter. "It's a quick update on 'What's New on the Internet'," says Boongamanong. A factor in its success is that it is geared to a variety of sectors, and does not only focus on social issues. "We invite new sites to submit a short profile for advertising and we discuss new internet programs. In each edition, we post five new items, only one is social. This is one of the reasons for success, we appeal to many types of web users."

• Build a membership and resource base through information, relationships, and interactivity.
  

  Boongamanong is adamant that a request for donations should not be the first contact that members have with the site. "Make potential donors feel that they want to participate," he advises. "Make them feel, not simply know, about the issues and need for resources . . . and then offer a way to give back."