Cover Story: Giving Voice

"Traditionally, what happens is that organizations make decisions behind closed doors, and then they announce it to their membership," he adds. "I think that this form of consultation and deliberation is a very empowering process for members who feel passionate about an idea and want to have some kind of voice in how to respond. And we can tell that from some of the quotes, some of the e-mails that have come in from people that say, 'I really appreciate being asked. Thanks a lot for considering me.' And, of course, a lot of people just want to take it and move on, but when you're trying to facilitate a connection between an individual and an organization, I think this is a really powerful means to do so, and both for the organization and 
also for the supporters." FS