March 12, 2008
Facebook and Philanthropy
The social-networking Web site Facebook is playing a greater role in philanthropic efforts — and the company may be set to do more with its charity work.
On Monday, a nonprofit group, Take All Types, announced an effort to organize Facebook members to donate blood. And in May Facebook created Project Agape, a service that will enable its users to highlight charities and raise money for them.
What’s more, last week the company announced it had hired Sheryl Sandberg, formerly Google’s vice president of global online sales and operations, as its chief operating officer. At Google, Ms. Sandberg played a big role in setting up the Internet search company’s philanthropic arm.
In a press statement, Facebook said Ms. Sandberg will be in charge of helping it “scale its operations and expand its presence globally” and noted among her accomplishments that she had helped shape Google’s giving.
(Read the Chronicle article about how social-networking Web sites are changing philanthropy. )
What do you think? What can Facebook and other social-networking Web sites do for philanthropy? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
— Ian Wilhelm
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