Kiva lets any old weirdo shape their message

npgeek alert: We're going to talk today about an API, which stands for Application Programmers Interface, which means someone is giving power to other people.

In this case, it's Kiva, which has launched Build.Kiva, as reported at Bryan Miller's Giving in a Digital World: Kiva launches open-source API. Fortunately, Bryan is just geeky enough to translate this for us. Here's the point:

By enabling any developer in the world to build tools that directly integrate with Kiva they stand to achieve a breadth and speed of functional evolution and audience reach far beyond anything they could hope for alone.

Kiva is giving people a window on their data, which will let them create fun, quirky, individualistic ways to raise funds for Kiva.

Now think about that: It's entirely possible that folks might set up applications called Stupid Blow-Hards for Kiva or Terrorists for Kiva or Wall Street Bankers for Kiva (okay, that last one is just ridiculous). But whoever and however they use Kiva's API, they're going to give it their own spin.

Kiva fundraising can appear in contexts that Kiva may not like. Or people might express the Kiva fundraising offer in ways that make the people at Kiva very uncomfortable.

Don't think they didn't think of this.

But they went ahead and did it anyway, which means they get it.

You see, Kiva never had control over they way people talk about them in first place. Neither do you.

People are going to talk about you -- if they talk about you at all -- in their own ways. You can try to clamp down with exclusive, restrictive brand standards. But that doesn't give you any actual control. The only impact it can have is to make sure you're so uninteresting, nobody talks about you.

Which may keep your brand intact, but really doesn't do you any good in any other way.

So take a cue from Kiva. Open the doors. Let everyone in. You have nothing to lose but your obscurity.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, marketing revolution, nptech

Comments

[Steve Cunningham]

Jeff - right on. Like you've said, the right approach is to "do it anyways", and deal with the rotten apples as they surface.

[Maryann Devine]

Jeff, I love what Kiva's doing, opening up their API, and I guess it's not surprising, given that Kiva is anything but your average nonprofit.

The more that high-profile organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, begin to let go of (pretty much futile) brand control, the more comfortable everyone else will get with the idea. I hope.