Thought I’d pass along a bit of great news on the book front. Jean Case, the co-founder and CEP of the Case Foundation, has contributed an insightful foreward to CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World.

Jean is quoted elsewhere in the book, and she’s one of major foundation leaders who really understands the promise of online social activism. The Case Foundation, founded by Jean and her husband Steve in 1997, invests in individuals, nonprofits, and social enterprises that aim to connect people, increase giving, and catalyze civic action. A growing portion of that commitment is aimed at connecting people with causes online. Here’s an excerpt from the foreward:

Today, in the worlds of philanthropy, social activism, business, and even politics and policy making, this question is especially ripe for  asking. We are at a juncture where new forms of civic engagement and business activity — supported and spurred by new social web technologies — are being used by both individuals and organizations to create and expand a rising culture of giving and a coming together of ingredients that can create powerful opportunities for positive change.

CauseWired  is so timely in its arrival and spot – on in its focus. A new generation of givers — the  Net – native millennials  — is emerging, and a fresh generation of nonprofit, foundation, and business leaders is already taking the helm. But do we understand what these changes will mean? Do we know as donors, foundations, nonprofi t and business leaders, policymakers, and volunteers how we should participate in this change? What more do we need to know in order to capture this opportunity to motivate and engage more people and increase giving of every kind, everywhere?

My thanks to Jean for a terrific foreward – it really sets the stage. For more on the Case Foundation’s involvement in the CauseWired world, I highly recommend participation in it Social Citizens^BETA project – great research and an interesting conversation.

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