Creating a social network for organisations with no budget

I got an email today, via the Common Purpose 360 network*, from a chap who is looking to expand The New Generation Society website. It's a charity, setup at York University, by the looks of it they are trying to expand.

He was interested in creating a more 'community feel' to their website. Everything we listed was 'we want our own Facebook, but we don't want it to be Facebook'. Fortunately, I had just the thing for him and something I'm trialing in my role at UCLan Students' Union to create a series of networks for course representatives based around their school and faculty.

I pointed him in the direction of Ning. A fantastic tool that allows you to create your own social network - complete with forums, events, photos, video, groups. Best of all it's open-source so you can code your own gadgets for it, and it allows your users to get involved. Ning is not there to 'replace facebook' or to be 'the new facebook', instead it takes the forum/messageboard concept and allows you create an interactive community around a specific subject. It reminds me of when everyone used to have a free Geocities website about their favourite band/sports team/famous person.

So, we'll see if the New Generation Society take up a Ning for their site and bring their community of activists online. For small organisations, especially those with no budget and who want to bring together a network for people around a particular subject - Ning couldn't be better.

*Note: I'm a graduate of the Common Purpose Frontrunner programme. It's for young people who have shown leadership in civil society. Apprently I have done so.