I like your term, ‘Budgetless Evangelists” – I think it takes time and agree it is institutional structure and culture issues.

Katya Andresen has a great post about this struggle – thought the advice might resonate.
http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/an_anonymous_letter_is_this_you_heres_my_advice

Best,

Darian

Sounds like you’ve got a good crew then. Glad to see it. I should explain a little more where I’m going. I started in a program that didn’t have a ton of institutional support (although there were great champions who helped immensely) despite our size and we worked hard to garner the resources we have. I’m often approached after I speak at places like NTC or Netroots Nation by folks who have questions about the process of getting more resources (people, money, etc) and not necessarily about making the most out of inexpensive or free tools. Many of those people are not EDs or startups. My impression is that there is an intersection of at least two circles of people that are not getting what they need at these things: Politically Unempowered Change Agents, Budgetless Evangelists. I think the former is self explanatory, but the second requires elaboration. Budgetless Evangelists are the folks who get it. They understand the tools. They preach engagement and the practice it with passion. They know all the tw-isms, all the API’s, all the Kanter/Godin/Solis gospel. BUT they have no budget to implement the “free” tools to help their strategy and they have no idea how to wrestle that money from program staff or the media budget. These are institutional structure challenges, not developer or campaign strategist challenges. I always want to take the 10 or 20 people who approach me after these things and take them to a break out session without a powerpoint, without video, without microphones, and just listen and help. There is never enough time.

Thanks much for your comment and candor. Beth is right in her reply- just about all of the speakers have worked extensively with smaller nonprofits, including the 10,000 organizations that graduated Nonproift Boot Camp while I was E.D. of Craigslist Foundation, many of the groups Beth has worked with, Ami’s network at Idealist, etc. George from Do Somthing is speaking in NYC and has helped build up theeir efforts, and note that when I started Cragislist Foundation we had no budget or staff and were based out of my bedroom. Thanks!