Here's a blogging application we didn't consider in our recent report, Online Banking Report's Bank 2.0: Blogs and Feeds (here), a credit union board of directors creating a blog to communicate with the full membership.
The blog, which launched Jan 1, is called The Boardcast <boardcast.typepad.com> and is written by the board of directors at UFirst Credit Union <sunyplattsburghfcu.com>. Board VP Virginia Brady is said to be the moderator. However, most postings sound like they've been authored by someone within the credit union. That's fine, but it should be clear to readers whether a post comes from a boardmember or a credit union employee.
UFirst publicizes the blog in two places on its homepage (see screenshot below):
Analysis
Blogs are a good way for volunteer boards at non-profits to communicate with the full membership. They are inexpensive, timely, and promote two-way communication. In fact, we believe nearly every company and organization will eventually have one. However, they are not without risks and headaches; for example, here are a few issues that must be dealt with:
- risk of generating pubic controversy for the board member(s) writers
- the time commitment necessary to post at least weekly so the blog remains relevant
- making sure the board and management are on the same page before making the post
- monitoring and responding to comments
- conflicts of interest with the board member's day job or business
Thanks to OpenSourceCU for the first post on this new blog (link here).