|
THE NONPROFIT ONLINE RESPONSE TO
KATRINA: AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Research by Dr. John McNutt
College of Social Work
 Hurricanes
Katrina, Wilma, and Rita were among the first major
natural disasters in the United States since the
Internet and online communities came of age. These
virtual communities responded immediately to the
disaster by creating systems to identify lost loved ones
and to help people stay connected and find housing, jobs
and other needed services.
Katrina Find, a virtual nonprofit project run by
volunteers, is a strong example. The project assembled a
shared Wiki database of missing people. Other online
community-based activities included raising funds,
providing social support and gathering in-kind
contributions. Online communities might be a harbinger
of the way that disaster assistance, and even
traditional social welfare services, are offered in the
future. This study offered a unique opportunity to
examine the internal organization and development of a
temporary virtual organization.
University of South Carolina researchers had three
goals: 1) to provide an initial assessment of the
virtually organized online response to these natural
disasters on the Gulf Coast, 2) to examine a small
number of virtually organized online response efforts
more intensively, and 3) to examine the advantages and
disadvantages for participants in virtually organized
Internet-based efforts.
The research began by examining the overall landscape of
online communities responding to the disaster.
Researchers relied on media sources, portal sites and
consultations with a small number of knowledgeable
participants to get familiar with the lay of the online
land. Researchers then set out to examine three
interrelated efforts – Katrina People Finder, Katrina
Help Wiki and Katrina Shelter Finder. Researchers’
assessment of the development of the Virtually Organized
Online Response efforts relied on a content analysis of
the 1,647 e-mail messages generated by the project
leadership and other documents generated by the
projects. Researchers found that the project developed
through three stages. The beginning stage was
characterized by intense efforts to surmount the
programmatic and technical challenges of the effort.
Next, researchers discovered a middle phase
characterized by consolidation of efforts and exploring
new challenges. Finally, researchers determined the
project went into a stage of consolidation as the
immediacy of the disaster abated.
Preliminary examination of this survey of online
volunteers revealed a variety of motivations for
participation, along with a range of benefits gained and
obstacles overcome. The researchers’ examination
revealed the travails of a group of volunteers that
quickly created a network that delivered services
unavailable from traditional social welfare and disaster
providers.
This study provided interesting material and ideas for
curriculum as well as the development of new practice
methods in social work and other helping professions.
Researchers concluded that this indeed might be the
future of certain types of social intervention. The
study also provides a foundation for further study of
Virtually Organized Internet-based efforts in disasters
and in other contexts. There is limited literature in
this area of growing
 practical
importance. Researchers plan to continue collecting data
and broaden their approaches to include network analysis
and other techniques.
Researchers plan to disseminate the results of current
and future research through conference presentations,
articles in journals and book chapters. Their findings
were shared with leaders in these volunteer efforts. On
a personal note, McNutt said none of his training as a
social worker or social scientist prepared him for what
he learned in this project. He called the volunteers
“heroes.”
Biography
Dr. John G. McNutt is associate professor and
coordinator of the Advanced Practice Concentration in
Organizations and Communities at the University of South
Carolina College of Social Work. He is a specialist in
the application of high technology to political and
social engagement. He sits on the editorial boards of
the Journal of Social Policy, The Journal of Values
and Ethics in Social Work, the Journal of Community
Practice, Critical Social Work and the Electronic
Journal of Social Work. He is also the chair of
NASW’s South Carolina PACE Committee and an elected
member of South Carolina NASW’s Board of Directors. He
is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers,
National Association of Social Workers, the Association
for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary
Action, the Association for Community Organization and
Social Administration and the Social Welfare Policy and
Practice Group.
Research Team/Collaborators:
John McNutt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Geri Adler,
Ph.D., Associate Professor; Johnny Jones, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor; and Goutham Menon, Ph.D., Associate
Professor now at University of Texas at San Antonio;
Graduate Assistants Elizabeth Marsh, Seoyun Hong, Keith
Wells, and Lori Brandon. |
