Best,

Shuey

Thanks for commenting. I think that you make a good point. Like everything else, it is always about strategy and purpose. These contests are one way to get people to participate.

With that said, I believe that my first three points (Adding to the Noise, Ineffective Donor Encounters, and One-Way Street) still apply.

There was a white paper written by NetSquared about online contests. I want read it and see what they say about the topic. I’m not saying that I am against online contests in theory, just the ones that seem to be popular nowadays.

Regards,

Shuey

I think the answer is in the quoted paragraph – those type of contests aren’t meant to be ideal for spreading the word nor a fair judge.

If you view online contests, particularly with awards attached, simply as a means to involve people in the decision process, then that puts a different perspective on them.

I doubt many people would view “the winner” of any given contest as “the best” at anything in particular, rather, “the winner” is simply the non-profit which managed to get the most votes.

Its not a contest of the value of any organisation or the worth of their mission, simply a means of grant making which is participative in nature.

http://www.non-profitplace.com