Redefining Community & Communitarians

According to The Seven Faces of Philanthropy,by Russ Prince & Karen Maru File, Communitarians are the largest segment of major gift donors. This is a group that, I think, requires a review to accommodate a  broader sense of community. 

"Communitarian's believe their good fortune is intertwined with their community, their philanthropy is directed toward community needs.  For Communitarians, doing good works in and for the places they live only makes sense."

What about a gift to SOFII?  It's clearly not local to me, but SOFII is part of (what I perceive to be) my community. It is highly effective. I benefit from SOFII's good works, and I certainly hope to enjoy a strong, long term relationship with SOFII?  I even received public recognition (for my very modest gift) from SOFII recently. This meets almost all of the Communitarian criteria, but it's not "where I live". Uh oh... I feel lost!

"Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore."

I live in a beautiful and friendly area in Toronto.  But I don't feel a special connection with any organizations here.  I've never felt like a "community member" based on where I live. However, I do feel like I belong to a number of communities.  I identify with communities based on my interests, hobbies, shared values and a variety of other things. People in my communities, live all over the world. I've met some of them in person, but many I've never met.  There are many people, charities, and businesses that I care about, support, and consider part of my community.  They don't have to be local, to be an important part of my community. 

We're a community charity. We don't need social media.

Hey - you... Mr./Ms. "Community Charity"?  While you are visiting a few hundred people at the backyard BBQ in your neighbourhood or city, don't dismiss connecting with thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of potential new community members who would also love to know you.  Community isn't about where you live for everyone.  It's about who you know, identify with, care about, laugh with and communicate with regularly.   Your ability to impact a community, may not necessarily be something measured within the boundaries of a location or region.

Welcome!

There's a world full of community members out there, and they won't all live in the small geographic area that you typically call a community.   As communications evolve and the internet gives us the ability to connect and "commune" with people anywhere in the world, so too, has our perception of community.   Certainly some people will continue to define their community in terms of geography, but don't assume that's true for everyone, all the time. 

Put out a welcome mat and see who else might like to become a part of your community.

Question: If our sense of community is changing, is that all that changes? Is the Communitarian, simply redefining "where they live", but remaining otherwise unchanged? Or is this a new hybrid, with some other unique motivations and characteristics?